Cooking

Buying Local – From Farmer to Table

Diane also views her commitment to local sourcing of her ingredients as another way she contributes and supports her community. She has developed relationships with her vendors, not only because they are passionately committed to what they do; they too are active in supporting their local community.

Washington wines are also an integral part of Diane’s meals. Each month she features one local vintner. The wineries are chosen based on the quality of the wine, the price point and level of distribution. Her goal is to find someone with limited distribution and feature their wines in her kitchen for a month, giving them an exposure they wouldn’t otherwise have. She begins by inviting the winemakers to co-host a tasting menu; then for that month she features three to four of their wines. Out of respect and honor for the winemakers' skills and talents, the wines are sold at the winery pricing.

Every couple of months Diane also features a local brewmaster. As the granddaughter of a Wisconsin dairy farmer, she loves and appreciates the natural pairing of beer and cheese. Until the next brewmaster event, the only beer served will be that of the featured brewery. Recently she featured Uli’s Famous Sausages and Alpine Brewing as part of an Oktoberfest Celebration.

View Diane's printable list of some of her favorite places and people at Pike Place Market (pdf).