The Slowcook at Spydog Farm The Slowcook at Spydog Farm

Big Washington Meets Little Washington

May 31st, 2010 · 1 Comment · Posted in entertaining, garden

Keith Rowand checks his lamb

Keith Rowand checks his lamb

I don’t even remember how we made the initial connection over the internet. But Sylvie Rowand–she of the Rappahanock Cook & Kitchen Gardener blog–and I of The Slow Cook–have been trading comments and food ideas electronically from the shared perspective of cooking kitchen gardeners. We grow ours here in the District of Columbia, about a mile from the White House, while Sylvia tends a farmette outsident Washington, VA, some 70 miles distant from us and better known as home to a world-class restaurant, the Inn at Little Washington. We’d been threatening to pay Sylvie a visit and she made it easy, inviting us to one of her famous cookouts. Sylvie and husband Keith, as part of her personal chef and catering business, specialize in spit-roasted lamb. Keith builds a roasting pit with concrete block, starts a fire with natural wood charcoal, then starts turning the lamb on his portable electric spit. This particular lamb started around 9:30 am, and we were carving it by 1:30.

Sylvie Rowand, a pro at entertaining

Sylvie Rowand, a pro at entertaining

Sylvie doesn’t exactly advertise the fact that she’s French, but it comes through in her elegant food writing. We learned yesterday that she actually hails from Reunion Island, a volcanic outcropping in the Indian Ocean off Madagascar. The island is barely 40 miles long, but it’s considered a department, just like regions of France on the European mainland. Sylvie has to be the first person we’ve met from Reunion Island, but the French consider it their own version of Hawaii.

Gardens out of an Impressionist painting

Gardens out of an Impressionist painting

Sylvie’s gardens are set on a lush hillside, complete with a small greenhouse and a chicken coop with five laying hens and a very active–and very large–rooster. Her catering business even in this rural setting is doing well enough that she was recently able to quit her part-time day job. Besides cooking weekly meals for families and arranging dinner parties and small weddings, Sylvie gives cooking lessons and gardening workshops and hires out as a garden coach. “Sylvie Rowand gardens because she likes to eat and eats well because she gardens,” reads a flyer she displays at the local post office. I like that sentiment. I think it applies to all of us kitchen gardeners.

It takes two to move this lamb

It takes two to move this lamb

Sylvie has also found a niche catering for weekenders in this part of Rappahanock County. It’s a lovely corner of Virginia with rolling hills, forest and winding roads not far from Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive. Many Washingtonians keep weekend houses here. Sylvie said she and husband Keith were the first to start spit-roasting lamb commercially. On their first job, they actually dug a pit in the client’s yard to do the roasting, then came up with the idea of making a portable pit using concrete blocks. Sheep, and lamb, is a growing business in the area, Sylvie said. The meat from this one was incredibly moist and tender, and I would say mild. Some people are put off by the flavor of lamb. They think it’s too gamy. But that’s exactly the flavor that draws me too it.

Carving turkey requires a cocktail

Carving turkey requires a cocktail

Keith had also cooked a whole turkey in his smoker. He put me to work carving it. Sylvie had invited about 30 friends to this shindig and they all looked hungry. There was no time to waste. We started filling platters with sliced turkey and sliced lamb. Meanwhile, the guests were setting out food they’d brought, potluck style–pasta salad with mushrooms and vegetables, a curried garbanzo salad, couscous, spinach salad and a ton of decadent desserts. Our own contribution was the deviled eggs we make with chili-garlic sauce and Szechuan peppercons. Aren’t deviled eggs pretty much required at a potluck?

Daughter brought her own friend

Daughter brought her own friend

Sylvie also kindly invited daughter to bring her swim suit and spend part of the afternoon in the Rowands’ pool. We weren’t sure there’d be any kids for her to play with, so she brought one of her friends from school. You think they didn’t have a blast? When they weren’t goofing around in the pool, they were wading in a nearby creek. Oh, to be 10 again!

Two food bloggers finally meet

Two food bloggers finally meet

Sylvie and I lately have been debating the merits of beef tongue–she preferring to cook hers without brining, me insisting on a one-week brine before cooking. Now I have her interested in pickling mustard greens. “I have lots of mustard greens,” she says. It’s great to be able to compare notes with another gardener who likes to cook, especially someone as knowledgable as Sylvie. And she’s a darn good writer as well in her adopted English. Thanks, Sylvie, for inviting us to share part of your Memorial Day weekend in your incredible home and gardens and creating an occasion for us to meet you finally.

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  • Sylvie

    oh…. whoa, Ed!!!! That’s a hell of a “thank you”.

    I will add a few things: Final head count was 48 (+ kids), and you did quite a job on that applewood smoked turkey (procured at Belle Meade Farm in Sperryville, VA). Keith is still talking how efficient -and fast – you were with that bird.

    You are very kind to garden. It looks rather wild at the moment (mmm… it looks rather wild most of the time – thinking about it), and in needs of weeding – as ever. The downside of encouraging some very tasty and edible “weeds” – mache, sorrel, pigweed, purslane, chicory among others – is that they rather feel at home soon – and really set to flourish in many beds. And in the paths…. But the Flanders poppies and love-in-the-mist are a quite a sight at the moment. Love your picture of friends Rick & Chelsea too!

    It was a pleasure finally meeting you all. Glad our 4th hand (and newly re-painted) pool met the approval of 2 connaisseuses. They missed the turtle though: one of them showed this morning.

    Our lamb came from Lois & Doug Aylestock farm on Berryville (they also operate butcher shop & custom slaughter house “Blue Ridge Meat of Front Royal” right outside Front Royal VA). They raise Romneys (aka Romney Marsh aka Kent), a dual purpose breed which is very good for eating – mild and sweet as you describe it – perfect to present to those who think they don’t like lamb (and yes, I like mutton too, it’s just a different flavor & texture)

    – and darn it, I did not get to eat one of those eggs! I guess we’ll need to have you back (please bring Pimm’s No. 1 – I we can come up with a tasty cocktail, I bet…)