JT at Ste Michelle

27-Jul-2008

I guess concerts don’t really qualify as a food event but somehow we always manage to turn any concert at Ste Michelle Winery into one. For my friends and I the picnic before the concert is as important, or maybe more important, than the actual concert. So we always put some time and effort into our pre-concert plan.

We generally arrive at the venue 15 to 30 minutes before the gates open to secure a place in line. Once the gates open we have a well-defined plan. We send one or two people in with the tarp and a couple chairs – their job is to secure a good spot. Then the remaining group follows with the other "equipment": cooler, blankets, more chairs, a little table and the picnic basket. We set up our spot, then proceed into the winery to purchase our wine. They actually sell wine inside the concert venue but we like to choose from their entire line and also to use indoor plumbing one last time….

Then it’s back to the table to start our feast. The menus don’t vary greatly from time to time as there are certain foods that just seem to work well for us but every now and then I’ll shift a few things and that was true this time.

On Tuesday we saw James Taylor and what a great concert! He’s touring with a big group and they are all accomplished musicians in their own right. The music started at 7:00 pm and we thought it was winding down just before 10:00 pm but as we made our way to the car and out of the lot he was still playing! The weather held for us – it had been overcast all day but there was no rain and it was warm enough. Overall it was a great night!

The menu for the evening:

Mixed Nuts

Radishes and Sea Salt

Teriyaki-glazed Alaskan King Salmon

Garlic and Lime Sauteed Shrimp

A version of Orzo Salad

Caprese Salad on a Stick

Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies from The Great Book of Chocolate