Joie became one of the first culinary and agri-tourism destinations in the Okanagan Valley. It paved the way for decades to come and the explosion of Naramata Bench as a premier travel and wine touring destination in British Columbia.

The farm, with its rundown apple orchard and a well-worn farmhouse, was purchased in 2002. After a winter of renovation and creating architectural renderings for a centre for agri-tourism patterned after Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts in Napa, California (unpredictably denied by local authorities in British Columbia), we had to get innovative. The summer of 2003 was a busy one. Not being able to permit what didn’t have actual walls, we created a magical space in which to teach outdoor cooking classes in our garden, surrounded by orchard. We ended up running an agritourismo-like guesthouse, offering gastronomic weekends, including trips to the abundant Penticton Farmers’ Market, and we cooked multi-course menus from that bounty.

As disappointing as it was not being able to build a landmark culinary destination on our farm, the long-table dinners became iconic. They were magical events showcasing the best of the region. People used to fight for tickets to the limited 20 seats. These dinners ran for three summers, from 2003 to 2005, and their menus were archived in my book Menus from An Orchard Table published in 2007.

From its inception, JoieFarm was a space to explore the potential of a new wine country cuisine in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. The Orchard Table helped form and showcase this newfound regional cuisine. It created its place within the larger framework of cuisine found on the West Coast of North America and eventually with the development of its very own wines as well.

Menus from an Orchard Table offered much more than a cookbook; it presented a series of critical essays that examined the changing nature of tourism in the Okanagan Valley, the potential for a distinct culinary culture and the key role local farms play in actualizing a local food system and how that is critical to an authentic wine country tourism experience. The book introduced local producers and showcased their products in a collection of menus from the magical Orchard Dinners and cooking classes that made Joie famous.

Menus from an Orchard Table, published by Whitecap Books, was first released in early June 2007. The enthusiasm of publisher Robert McCullough (now of Appetite at Random House) and the diligence of editors Lesley Cameron and Ann-Marie Metten made the book a reality. The stunning photos taken by Chris Stearns and producer portraits taken by my brother, Craig Noble, made the book come alive. Wine pairings by my then-husband and co-founder, Michael Dinn, made the entire proposition deliciously complete.

I want to thank Kelly Reid at Tourism Penticton again all these years later. She was critical to Joie’s media exposure and resulting rapid success. This support certainly contributed to the sustainability of a local business and helped turn a seasonal venture into a year-round, well-diversified business – the model that many local Okanagan businesses aim to achieve in a still-seasonal tourist marketplace.

The book is no longer in print, but copies can still be bought on Amazon.ca.