How many different ways can you say,
“I’ll have Pie, Please!”
In orchard and farm country like Cascade Farmlands, tree fruit and berries grown locally herald pie baking that begins in early summer and goes through the holidays.
Strawberry: First off the vine. Mixed with local rhubarb and perhaps topped with a crumb crust, this is the first pie of the year.
Cherry: Lapin & Rainier cherries are the main varieties. Cherry pies were made famous by the television show "Twin Peaks" (filmed in North Bend).
Apricot: By the pound or by the box. Tart and sweet with the perfect apricot flavor.
Peach: Sweet, juicy peaches for jam, sauce, dried, or pies. Mmmm, good.
Blueberry, blackberry, raspberry: Delicious, plump and perfect for pies, jams, smoothies, or just fresh from the cup.
Plum: Three varieties are grown, with more to come.
Apple: Harvest typically begins in September. Favorite apple varieties for pie include jonathans, golden delicious, granny smith, and the newer honey crisp.
Pear: Pear tarts are made fresh in the fall. Tasty!
Pumpkin: Pumpkin pies are the final salute to the harvest season, and a Thanksgiving staple.
Historical trivia: The first pie recipe was published by the ancient Romans, and was for a rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie. Pies, for most of history, were filled with meats, not fruits, and were not served for dessert as they are today.
Cache location: This 100-year-old building, originally a packing shed, was used as apartments for orchard workers until 1999 when Jim Walker decided to convert it to a fruit stand. The walls and floors are all original. An old apple label and writing from workers counting boxes still adorn the walls.
Cache is outside and available 24/7. The cache was placed with express permission of the landowner, who created the hide location.
This cache was originally part of the 2016-18 Cascade Farmlands GeoRomp, a 12-cache series that showcased the agriculture, recreation, and scenery of north-central Washington, with pathtag prizes for finishers. Each cache had a different theme and highlighted a different community: Leavenworth, Plain, Peshastin, Cashmere, Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Entiat, Chelan, Manson, Orondo, Waterville, and Quincy.