Orcas Island Wedding Feast

I was lucky to have one of the greatest cooking opportunities of my life placed before me on Memorial Day weekend. Let me set the scene:

What: Two old friends, finally tying the knot with their families in tow. End of May bounty at my disposal.

Who: A beautiful highly accomplished creative chef and the other a handsome wine-know, well posed server - a striking duo.

Where: Orcas Island, waterfront cottage and lush homestead on a small inlet.

My inspirations were overflowing for the event. First of all, it's a wedding - bring out all the stops, feast ‘til you drop, and only the best ingredients! Secondly, cooking for great lovely foodie friends- creative freedom and reasons for extra special touches. Thirdly, it's spring - so many awesome things to work with!
I made a list of possible ingredients - morels, porcini, seabeans, watercress, miner's lettuce, violets, asparagus, peas and favas (from down south), green garlic, spring onions, oysters, spot prawns, razor clams...to name just a few. The bride and groom had some requests which were a good jumping off point- they knew they wanted lamb two ways and lots of seafood. My head exploded with ideas, I never had the occasion to do such a lush menu. For some reason I had this obsession with adding flowers to everything...the wedding bells were ringing in ears!

Looking at the bounty that we gathered for the meal I was floored by all the beautiful ingredients we procured from our gardens, friends and farmers in the area. Local Roots Farm radishes and baby turnips. Foraged and Found mushrooms and wild greens. Kurtwood Farm raw milk for making yogurt. Coffelts Farm Lamb from Orcas. Spot Prawns and Razor Clams from my friend Doug in Grayland. A dozen or so herbs from the Corson Building's garden and my own yard too....
the Menu....

After the ceremony - served on a lookout deck over the water
Hibiscus Orange Flower Water Ice Tea
Judd Cove Oysters With Celery Shiso Mignonette
Spring Seven Layer Dip- ricotta, peavines, peamole, fennel lemon salad, sheep cheese, scallions, pinenuts
Hazelnut Dukkah With Olive Oil
Pacific Razor Clam Seviche with Aleppo Pepper,Whole Lemon, Parsley
Mt Townsend Seastack Cheese
Crudite and Crackers
Sit down - served family style on the cottage deck
Shaved Bolete and Artichoke Salad on Lemon Balm Leaves
Razor Clams with Dill, Scallions, and Fried Shallots
Spot Prawns with Soft Almonds, Butter and Saffron

Seafood Fiesta Platter!
Chilled Spot Prawns, Tiny New Potatoes, Asparagus, Sea Beans, Fiddleheads, Hard Boiled Eggs, Baby Miners Lettuce, Creamy Sorrel Anchovy Sauce

Roasted Leg of Lamb rubbed with Sumac and Cinnamon
Lamb Kefte with Cumin and Allspice
Morels, Peas and Fava Beans
Yellow Violet Mint Sauce
Homemade Yogurt
Rose Petal Harissa

Pickled Fennel with Golden Raisins and Coriander
Red Wine Pickled Spring Onions with Rosewater
Homemade Pita