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A Great Winter-time Excursion Through Skagit Valley

Every season in the Skagit Valley has its virtues. Winter holds a special appeal because of the migrating Trumpeter Swans and Snow Geese that litter the farm fields like confetti on a city street after a parade. The geese arrive by the tens of thousands from their mating grounds in Alaska and Siberia to winter in the fertile fields of the skagit valley. Let me take you with me on a trip up to Taylor Fish Farms to get some oysters, we will hit some of the best places to get food and come home with the ingredients for an amazing feast.

We'll start in Conway (exit 221 from Interstate 5). Turn right off the freeway and then right again onto Fir Island Road. Cross the railroad tracks and head into the farm fields. About 4 miles out of Conway you will pass the 225-acre Fir Island Farm/Hayton Snow Goose Reserve. Generally you will spot a huge flock of snow geese in this field. You can pull off the road here. Do get out of the car, the cacophony of bird calls and the whoosh of flapping wings is a thing to hear.

Fir Island Road turns slightly left and becomes Best Road, you will be able to spot small groups of Trumpeter Swans as you travel along.

Eventually Best Road crosses WA-20 and turns into Farm to Market Road. This will lead you into Bow-Edison. For those of you old enough to remember him, Edward R Morrow was born nearby and attended high school in Edison, WA. This is a very picturesque village with a couple of great places to stop. First, drop by Slough Foods. This gourmet outpost is a great source of wines, specialty chocolates and artisan cheeses. They also stock a good selection of cold meats from Salumi in Seattle.

Next door is the Bread Farm. If you are lucky to arrive at the right time you will see the baking staff gathered around the worktable, covered in flour and working on one of the many breads they make on a daily basis. If you are there on either Wednesday or Saturday morning you can purchase some fresh fig and rosemary rolls - they are amazing. If not, you can grab a bag of fig crostini which is what they do with the leftover rolls. All the breads are great. Try the Tonasket Rye, a dense bread ideal for serving with smoked salmon or pickled herring. Their baguettes are crusty and sweet.

Head north out of Edison and make your way to Chuckanut Drive. Cross the Drive and drive a short distance to Samish Bay Dairy and their tasting room. The room is tiny and you may have to wait your turn to get inside to taste their excellent cheeses. While waiting you may be able to watch them herd a cow into the milking barn or peek into the windows of their cheese making barn. Once inside try their excellent cheeses made wholly of the milk from the cows that graze in the fields that surround you. The cheese is certified organic. Try their signature cheese, Ladysmith. It is a mild fresh cheese that you can purchase the day after it is made.

I always pick up a piece of Montasio. One of their raw milk varieties. It is a traditional cheese of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in northeastern Italy. Aged for a minimum of six months, it is a fine, full-flavored cheese that is used for a North Italian snack called Frico.

Cheese is not the only thing sold at the dairy. They sell meat from their own farm-raised pigs and steers.The critters are pastured right there. The pigs are fattened up with whey, a by-product of the cheese making process. The steers are grass-finished after being fed on pasture, hay, and silage grown on the farm.

Next stop, Taylor Shellfish Farm. Head back to Chuckanut Drive, turn right and head uphill. You will pass several restaurants that are good options for lunch. Halfway up the hill is the entrance to Taylor, just after a sharp switchback. Take the one way dirt road down to the water's edge.

Here you can buy live crab, oysters, clams and mussels - all fresh from the icy waters of Samish Bay. Check out the description on the wall of the various types of oysters available. One of my favorites is the tiny Olympia which were the original local variety of oyster before they were all but fished out. Luckily they are making a comeback primarily through the effort of Taylor Shellfish Farms. Another favorite is the Shigoku. An oyster developed at Taylor Shellfish Farms in 2009 and not yet widely available. They are a special treat - with a light clean salty cucumber taste.

Time to head home to cook. Turn back the way you came. You can get to Interstate 5 by turning east onto route WA-20 or you can go back through the farm fields. Late in the day the Snow Geese tend to flock in the fields. The sight of a huge flock taking flight is pretty spectacular and worth the extra time it takes to drive back to Conway. Once home, pull out your purchases. Eat the oysters raw as you decide which recipes to try. Eat well!

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