Fred Hutchinson Shares Tastes of Summer
- by Guest
In the oft-rainy Pacific Northwest, summer isn’t just a season but a state of mind, one that locals greet with a collective exhale.
Guests could learn about Full Circle’s customizable CSA boxes
At the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, the Bon Appétit team held a welcome party for summer itself, hosting a Taste Summer farmstand and barbecue for the entire campus. The menu included locally grown produce and a strong sense of community.
Scents from the grill at the north end of Listwin Courtyard drew guests outside, where Sous Chef Kristie Miller and Cook Alejandro Mendoza skillfully executed Executive Chef Diego Torres’s special menu. Offerings included chicken rubbed with paprika, chili powder, oregano, and brown sugar, then grilled and paired with watermelon barbecue sauce; baby rainbow potatoes mixed with fresh peppers, asparagus, carrots, onions, fresh herbs, and olive oil; and sweet and slightly spicy dry-rubbed grilled watermelon.
A full plate makes a happy guest
Farmers from Bon Appétit Farm to Fork vendors Full Circle Farm in Carnation, WA, and Garden Treasures Nursery and Organic Farm in Arlington, WA, joined the celebration, setting up market stalls on-site. Guests could sign up for CSA shares and purchase a wide array of fresh produce including green garlic, squash blossoms, black raspberries, strawberries, and fat, flavorful snap peas, the signature offering of Garden Treasures Nursery owner Mark Lovejoy, who sang their praises.
Cloth grocery bags in hand, guests gathered to buy fresh ingredients, break bread with one another, and enjoy the abundance of the Bon Appétit hearth. The large courtyard resembled a piazza marketplace of yore — proof that the team successfully honored its most cherished summer season!
Submitted by Nicolina Miller, Supervisor