A dream involving cherries, purple potatoes and an old gas station

For 20 years Troy Pritchett and his wife Tony supplied fruit stands with produce. Then their youngest child went off to college.

Troy wanted to bicycle to Alaska and Tony wanted to open a produce stand.

They compromised. That's why they were in George, Washington running a produce stand in a former gas station that had been abandoned for 15 years until they cleaned it up in the last month.

I met Troy and Tony when I pulled off I-90 looking for a place to take a nap. Rule number one of long distance riding: don't ride while sleepy. I rode up to a produce stand which advertised asparagus on a large banner. Troy came out of the building to see if I was a customer. We struck up a converstion involving my trip and his dream of cycling to Alaska.

Troy acknowledged that the produce stand was Tony's dream, but he was working with her to renovate the building. The produce and other items for sale are in the service bay which still has the pneumatic lift. The front of the building is being renovated by Troy to provide an apartment so they can move out of the camper.

George is located in Grant County Washington, and according to a sign beside the highway, more potatoes are grown in the county than in any other county in the country. I wonder what they think about that claim in Maine and Idaho.

Local produce includes cherries (the first of which will be available Friday), potatoes, onion and apples galore. The purple potatoes aren't grown locally, but Tony says they are great for making mashed potatoes or potato salad. Tony said the inside of the potato is purple.

As for the asparagus advertised on the banner, Tony says the local stuff is tender and tasty this year. I asked Tony for her favorite recipie for the stuff and she offered two. Her personal favorite is fried. For one pound of asparagus sliced into one inch pieces beat one egg, dip the asparagus in the egg, coat in flour and fry in oil in a skillet until crispy.

An alternative (for the health conscious) brush olive oil on the whole stalk grill or bake in the oven and flavor with kosher salt when done.

Troy and Tony are expecting big things with their stand. The Gorge Ampitheater located nearby has a 30 concert season over the summer including Willie Nelson on the 4th of July.

And, about that nap, Troy and Tony let me sack out on the newly installed carpet in their soon to be carpet.

If you're in George, Washington, stop at the old Murphy gas station and do some business with Troy and Tony.