BY SUSAN WENZEL
Whidbey Life Magazine contributor
Oct. 28, 2013
When opportunity knocked for Diana Peterson, manager and operator of the Historic Crockett Farm Bed and Breakfast, she didn’t need to think twice about opening the door.
For Peterson, a long-time devotee of traditional culinary styles, the chance to practice her skills at the 19th century Colonel Crockett Homestead in Coupeville was a dream come true.
“Period cooking is fascinating. It’s real food,” she said, leaning against the brick hearth that once served to heat the dining room and, perhaps, as an oven for the kitchen in the home.
“I hope to do more in the future, to introduce that style of cooking to people who stay here. One day I’d like to have an earth-oven outside to bake the bread I serve here, or to even teach historic methods of preparing food using one.”
Until that day comes, real food still dominates the menu at the B&B. Overnight guests are greeted each morning by a list of hearty, farmhouse specialties, including Peterson’s homemade English muffins, crumpets and scones, country style potatoes, farm fresh eggs, and pork-and-sage sausage gravy ladled atop fluffy biscuits, which are baked fresh each morning.
Peterson defines “real food” as those items she can gather locally, such as 3 Sisters meat and eggs, Knead & Feed restaurant’s baked goods, and Prairie Bottom Farm and Willowood Farm’s vegetables, a particular favorite of which are the golden hued German Butterball potatoes prized for their creamy texture, buttery flavor and long shelf life.
“Local food is quality food. People notice when you use quality,” she explained. “Sometimes it costs more but is well worth it. And, when I use local food, which I do as much as possible, I make certain to mention where each item came from. My guests love that.”
When asked which menu item is the B&B’s signature dish, Peterson answered, “It has to be the eggs. It’s always about the eggs. People can taste the difference, and once you’ve tasted real food, it’s hard to go back.”
Visit WLM’s profile page for Historic Crockett Farm Bed and Breakfast for more information and to make reservations.
Food writer Susan Wenzel believes in the power of locally produced food to fortify the health and well-being of both the individual and the community as a whole.