Chef Varin Keokitvon has his pots in order. His crab pots, that is, with crabbing season now open in Puget Sound. The funny thing is, Chef can’t even eat crab—he’s allergic to the shellfish. And yet, that doesn’t stop him from crabbing. Chef Varin: I catch crab for everyone else. I just think it’s fun….

Let’s all go for broke and throw away our paprika. After all, it’s probably so old that the only thing you taste is the color red. That’s a shame, given how incredibly good good paprika can be, especially if it’s pimenton. What’s the difference? Well, paprika typically comes from Hungary, California, South America, or Spain….

Strawberry season has arrived at Heartwood Provisions and everyone is in their happy place. Behind the bar, the team is shaking up batches of a brandy and beer cocktail with savory strawberries invented by Bridget Maloney called “Oh Darryl.”  And in the kitchen Chef Varin is dreaming of shortcakes and salads. “There’s something different and special…

Salmon may be loved all over the world, but no fresh-fish season is so anticipated as Copper River salmon season in the Pacific Northwest. Every year, beginning around May, school upon school of salmon begin turning from the Pacific Ocean toward Alaska’s Copper River. Over a five month span some 2 million king, sockeye, and…

Spring is here, and with it comes a cornucopia of wild edibles. One of the first to arrive is the oval-faced Miner’s lettuce. With its broad leaf nodding at the end of a slender stem, the native plant loves just barely wet landscapes. In Washington it can be found growing in sandy soil, forests, thickets,…

Inspiration for menu items at Heartwood Provisions comes from more than just the pairings and the seasons: For both our chef and Beverage Director, Amanda Reed, alike it also comes from travels. And when you win a Hennessey Cognac cocktail competition—as happened to Reed—and get sent to Cognac, France, you come back bubbling with ideas….