A behind the scenes look at the 2nd Annual First Harvest dinner at The Willows Inn on Lummi Island. So you thought I already wrote about the juiciest and sauciest parts of the 2nd Annual First Harvest dinner at The Willows Inn? As good as Blaine’s carrot juice and...

Dinner at The Willows Inn with Chef Blaine Wetzel on August 15, 2013.

A recap of the 2nd Annual First Harvest dinner at The Willows Inn on Lummi Island. lksajdnf!! Omg. Did that photo really happen?! And did I really have a Lummi Island style pow-wow over a beach bonfire at midnight with Dominique Crenn and the chefs at Willows Inn?!...

I am one of those annoying people who keeps a list of goals; some are short-term and some are long-term (life goals). I find keeping a list helps motivate me to move towards my goals. One of the items that has been on my list for about a year or so, has been to have...

It all now seems like but a dream. Myself and Hubby, nestled by the window, watching the sun set over the water, as six of the world's most talented chefs come to our table and personally serve us dishes prepared specifically for this occasion. Blaine Wetzel- The...

I dined at Willows Inn for the first time just a month earlier. That meal was one of the most memorable and exceptional ones I've ever had. I was lucky enough to meet Chef Wetzel after my meal and he invited me back for the First Harvest Dinner: The above link...

Wednesday, July 24 marked the start of salmon fishing by Lummi Island Wild’s co-op of owners in the annual reef-net fishery. Bob Jewell (pictured here in his fishing workshop), a life-long professional fisherman, joined a crew on opening day for the 72nd consecutive...

The First Harvest lineup of chefs (left to right): Christopher Kostow (The Restaurant at Meadowood), Grant Achatz (Alinia, Next, and The Aviary Bar), Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn), Justin Yu (Oxheart), Virgilio Martinez (Central Restaurante), and host Blaine Wetzel...

Willow's Inn 2579 west shore drive Lummi Island, Washington 98262 360-758-2620 Executive Chef Blaine Wetzel Dinner: 5 courses plus snacks ($150); juice pairings ($50) First Visit: July 18, 2013

I have lived in the Bellingham area for over 30 years and although Lummi Island is known to be a beautiful, peaceful place there has never really been any reason to go out there. The whole state is filled with beautiful, peaceful places so why go out there? Well,...

We've been highlighting our stupendous garden. It never stops. For now, though, take a break from the farm for a special walk down to the beach and into the sea. Yes, wade into the water with us in your mind’s eye as you read along, to experience the gathering of what...

Local. Plenty of menus assert that ingredients are “sourced locally whenever possible,” or some similar formulation, though the meaning of such a claim is murky at best. Is it defined by mileage? By county? By travel time? Where is the border for local food? For...

I know, I’ve been gone a long time. 14 months to be exact! I am sure all my regular readers have given up on this space by now. I have no excuses for my absence other than the fact that I lost interest in blogging! I tried to find the lost mojo week after week for...

There’s this ritual going on here that you should know about. It’s remindful of a line in a song by Snow Patrol, called Chasing Cars: “Show me a garden that’s bursting into life….” Mary von Krusenstiern consults on a regular basis with Blaine Wetzel. The results...

For the first time we invite you to try it at home: Chef Blaine shared a requested recipe with Bon Appetit, so you can recreate one of our most talked-about dishes ever, the kale chips. Ingredients 1 small bunch Tuscan kale, center ribs and stems removed 2 tablespoons...

Like a little family, the greens sprout, row by row, inside the greenhouses and outside in Loganita garden dirt, peeking through at our first solid month of sunlight, and teasing the imagination of how our chefs will use them for aroma and taste and texture and d’art....

I’m no athlete, but I am competitive; and if I had to play the Hunger Games, I would do it here. Welcome to Lummi Island. There it was. That was it. Lummi Island. I’m not first to discover this hidden gem and for many food enthusiasts, chefs, and industry folk it...

Tastiness Factor: 10/10 Atmosphere: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Locavore Approved? YES, YES, YES!!! (The very epitome of local, seasonal, sustainable cuisine) Lummi Island, just off the coast of Washington, with a population of 900, has garnered a lot of attention lately. Prior...