Kestrel Vineyards "Big Night" and Our Subsequent Goat Roast

I adore winemaker dinners and Kestrel's "Big Night" themed vineyard extravaganza is a testament as to why. A mile long table set among the vines to be filled with friends and acquaintances gave homage to live, laugh, love.

If by chance you have never seen the movie "Big Night" I encourage you to grab a bottle of spectacular wine, curl into your favorite comfort zone and ready yourself for a lovely story of two Italian brothers trying to make it in the restaurant business during the 1950's. A heartwarming story set in brutal reality.

The billing for the event on Kestrel's website certainly piqued the imagination; "A Feast in the heart of Kestrel’s Vineyard Featuring: Armandino Batali, Chef Jessica Smith, and a hand-picked guest list of Celebrity Chefs" and "Guests will partake in a meal of unequivocal proportion steeped in Italian tradition in the setting of our vineyard."

Armandino Batali and his son spit roasted whole pig, goat, and lamb.

The goat was done first and taken to rest on a wood slab table.

Armandino and his wife have been friends with my husband and I for some time. They are the artisans and owners of Salumi in Seattle, fabulous cured meats made in the traditional Italian way. A trip to Seattle would not be complete without a trip to his famous shop where you can order sandwiches and cured meats.

While waiting for dinner to be served we enjoyed A Capella Italian opera and a myriad of appetizers prepared by Armandino Batali of Salumi Salami; Chef Roy Breiman and Chef Mark Bodinet of Copperleaf at Cedarbrook Lodge; Chef Bob Prince of Tribunala; Chef Mike Easton of Il Courvo; Chef Walter Paisano of Tulio; and Chef Kim Berto of Central Market all paired with Kestrel wines. As we munched we chatted with other guests and enjoyed the beautiful Eastern Washington weather among the grapevines.

As we gathered at the table we had the opportunity to see the rest of the menu. It read Il Primo: Timpano. What is Timpano? A simple but decadent pasta drum filled with goodies which was paraded around the table for all to "Ohhh" and "Ahhh" over.

Timpano is a pastry crust filled with pasta, meatballs, boiled eggs, mozzarella, and peas all layered in a red sauce.  Recipe ingredients vary.

We were pleased to discover that Flint Nelson, Kestrel's head winemaker, was seated near us and that we were able to take advantage of his knowledge during our vineyard tour.

Flint Nelson explaining details about the vineyard yield and wine production.

The evening finished out with lovely deserts and dancing while the sinking sun glowed over vines. Simply Wonderful.

If you are Foodies like me and my husband you come away from an experience like this with all kinds of new ideas to try out on your friends, neighbors and family. So, don't you want to try spit roasting a goat or your hand at Timpano? Of course! 

I will have to say that we have not attempted the Timpano...yet, but at our nephews deployment send off we spit roasting a whole goat which we procured at our local meat market. 

Salted and peppered the goat was left overnight to season.

We then stuffed it with lemons and onions and trussed up the cavity. 

We used natural charcoal because they burn hot and clean.

About 3 hours later, perfectly browned and tasty we carved it up and served it with Moroccan side dishes of roasted vegetables, rice, couscous and quinoa. Even those who were a little put off at first were pleasantly surprised by the moist flavorful (not gamey) goat meat!

Wishing You,

La Dolce Vita!

Garden Conservancy "Open Days" Bainbridge Island

A memorial to the indigenous peoples of this island, the Suquamish led by Cheif Kitsap.

Bainbridge Island is a short ferry ride away from Seattle or Edmonds but is a world away from the hustle and bustle of city life. A rural community, Bainbridge offers farm fresh products and is a growing wine area within the Puget Sound AVA. The island's jewel is the Bloedel Reserve which provides excellent examples for locals to hone their garden design skills. I toured the island and The Garden Conservancy hosted Open Days gardens and came away with a new appreciation for this nearby island.

The Bloedel Reserve

The Bloedel Reserve Residence

The Mid Pond was created by Prentice Bloedel with advice from his friend and acclaimed landscape architect, Thomas Church.

My favorite part of the Garden is the Japanese Garden, the Guest House and Stone Garden. The Guest House blends features of a Japanese tea house and a Northwest Native American longhouse. It was designed by Hayden Kirk.

The Garden Conservancy Open Gardens

Each garden on the tour had features that were unexpected or unique and expressed the gardener's style. This is why I tour private gardens. I always find something to add to my own repertoire. 

The Victorian architecture of the Huntley house determined the surrounding perennial and rose beds and orchard complete with white picket fence. Although maintenance ---, I thought the use of ivy to soften the concrete fence was brilliant.

I found this hopscotch at Frogwit placed along a path in place of the flagstone and completely fell in love. Whimsy is my weakness.

Carved out of forested land, the Osmun garden is a shade gardeners delight. The abundant use of chartreuse made me feel as if the sun was shining even though it was a typical PNW rainy day.

What garden tour would complete without including a vegetable garden and small farm, especially in a rural area? On the lower slopes of this terraced garden Madison Hill's owner used the southwest facing hillside for her prolific vegetable garden taking full advantage of the summer sun.

Heronswood

Heronswood is located just north of Bainbridge Island on the Kitsap Peninsula across the Agate Pass bridge in Kingston. The garden was established by Dan Hinkley and Robert Jones in 1987 and the two created a display garden of plants they collected from around the world. Today, Heronswood has only been open to the public twice a year and recently has been sold to the Port Gamble S'Klallam tribe as preservationist for the garden.

Access to Heronswood will continue as special days throughout the growing season.

Chief Sealth

Cheif Sealth (Seattle) Grave site.

Seattle was named for Chief Sealth who's gravesite is located in Suquamish on the Kitsap Peninsula.

The Last Photo

The natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest is stunning. It's not uncommon to see Bald Eagles soaring, Great Blue Herons nesting, or Orcas cresting. Visit soon!

Simple Beauty in Containers

I'm a believer in simplicity. 

In these photos the plants enhance the surrounding architecture. Choose wisely what you want to highlight in your landscape. For instance, if you are looking to disguise a telephone pole, fire hydrant, or electrical box don't plant lovely bright flowers around it. That will only draw attention to it. Instead, make a bright display away from that area. Eyes will naturally be diverted to it. If you want to diminish the eyesore create shadows onto it by planting dark leafed, non-blooming evergreens shrubs.

Identify a prominent feature either on your home's facade or in your landscape and add a little color. You can enhance the feature by adding wonderful architectural accents such as colored shutters to a window, intricate iron work, oversized containers, awnings and the like. Just don't go overboard.

Simplicity in the key.

Italy

Allein, Germany

Italy

San Jaun, Puerto Rico

Hallstat, Austria

Bellevue, Washington, USA

 Here is my simplistic interpretation for my deck. Lovely ironwork hangers and easy care annual baskets. Just add water!

MacArthur Place Gardens, Sonoma

The West Lawn

MacArthur Place Inn & Spa located two blocks from Sonoma's downtown Plaza is an escape to a gentler era. The original property was a 300 acre ranch with vineyards, fruit orchards, a hay crop, and trotters. What I loved about this ranch turned Inn and Spa was the gardens, some original to the property.

The Historic Garden

Mature boxwood line the stone paths between suites and cottages which are placed around the property among the gardens. The air is perfumed by lavender, rose, daphne, and a plethora of other floral and woody scents. Open your windows and let it waft throughout your room. Dotted around the property are local sculptures and works of art provided by the I. Wolk gallery of St. Helena.

Intimate seating areas are placed strategically to take advantage of fountains, sculptures, the lawn, or lovely views. I sat in a bench swing set under a large oak in the cool shade of the evening trying to identify scents circulating in the light breeze and bird songs. Simply lovely!  

Little surprises lay around every corner of the Inn.












At first glance I thought this pup was real!

One of two House fountains.

A mixture of Japanese Maples, Abelia, loropetalum, boxwood, and rosemary create lush boarders that soften the property's walkways.

I was unable to identify these trees and no one on the property could tell me. If you know what they are please tell me! (Is it a Tea Tree?)

Chess anyone? I built one of these in my lawn for my husband.

The rusted metal flower sculptures added dimension and whimsy.

If you love gardens, this is the place to stay in downtown Sonoma. Not only are the gardens lovely but the staff is attentive and generous. The rooms are spacious and well appointed. Complimentary continental breakfast and wine and cheese reception make MacArthur Place Inn and Spa a sought after destination.

CHEERS!

Inspirational Photo Montage

My garden is filled with winter blooming plants. Those hardy fellows like Sarcococca, Erica, and Hellebore that dare to laugh at freezing rains and frigid temperatures. After those long, dark days of winter Spring finally begins to rise from the ground delighting us with bright green tips pushing their way into the longer days, warmer breezes, and rays of sunlight. Seeing them reappear is like welcoming home all those snowbird friends returning from warmer climates. We also begin to unfurl.  Rising from our perches by a warm fire we venture out to implement all the garden ideas garnered from the magazines we poured over while outdoor activities were put on ice. Here are some of the ideas dancing around in my head...

The patina of this copper agave water feature caught my eye while shopping at Kierland Commons in Scottsdale. Set against a deep yellow wall and red brick walk, I couldn't help but notice it's architectural statement.

I want to partition off a "room" in my landscape and these panels (only on a smaller scale) would be ideal. I love the "window" in the middle and I would add lighting for a stunning night effect.

Mimicking the desert plants surrounding them, Dale Chihuly's "Desert Towers" is now a permanent installation at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. I attending his show here in 2008 which was fabulous! The night showing highlighted each fixture throughout the gardens with special lighting that accented the pieces beautifully. Incorporating glass into the garden is one of my goals this season.

Decorative Detail. Art in everyday objects creates another level of design. These dragon street lights lined the walls of Panzano in Chianti, Italy. Every street was different and I suspect they symbolized protection for the residents. These dragons might give a sense of whimsy to a garden where a Ginko leaf sconce might add a sense of serenity.

Built from rebar.

I want to add an unusual pergola maybe like one of these.

Landscapes are more dynamic with some kind of water feature. I especially like the organic flavor of this one in Napa, California at Silverado Vineyards. 

Need help implementing your ideas into your landscape? With my consultation package we can bring your dreams to life! www.expressionslandscapedesign.com