Julie’s innovative cooking philosophy is simple: farm to table, with a little spice.
In 2009, Julie’s food blog “Dakota Thyme” turned into a family-owned café, bakery, and market located in the heart of downtown Rapid City. Her farm to table features and gourmet baked goods filled the hearts (and bellies) of many. Many gathered at Someone’s in the Kitchen cooking classes to get the chance to learn some of her family-favor¬ite recipes or her tips and tricks that make stepping into the kitchen a little more fun.
In 2015, Julie and her husband, Jim, bought land just outside of Keystone to create Yak Ridge Cabins and Farmstead. Four beautiful cabins are carefully placed around the property, amongst pine trees and prairie grass. Guests are welcomed to their quaint cabin by a specially made welcome basket filled with local favorites like Dark Canyon Coffee, Dimock Cheese, Tatanka Bars, and farm-fresh eggs just gathered the morning of check-in. Guest can tour the farm, meet the chickens, observe the honey bees, and tour the garden. “I hope the farm tours help to inspire guests to support the local food efforts in their own home communities.”
Julie appreciates the growing number of opportunities to access local foods in the Black Hills and encourages others to support local producers through the farmers markets, farm stands, and Communi¬ty Supported Agriculture (CSA’s). Some of Julie’s local favorites include Breadroot Co-op (for greens, edible flowers, cheese, butter, and artisan bread), Krull’s Market (local foods, cheese, bison, jams/jellies), Bear Butte Gardens (offers a CSA and farm stand), Cycle Farm (offers a CSA and weekly farm stand), and Two Cow Creamery (ice cream and gelato).
The biggest celebrities at the farm are Himalayan yaks, Tikka and Hugh. Yaks are a type of long-haired domesticated cattle. They look like animals from the prehistoric age, but their demeanor is more like that of a playful dog.
Julie’s farm-to-table cooking style may have been inspired by her great, great grandparents who homesteaded in the Dakota Territory in the 1880s. Or, it could have been both her grand¬mothers’ passion for cooking and baking. Maybe it was the moments shared with family at the six-generation, family-cherished dining room table. Her love of cooking is shared by her sons and her grandson, an extra treat.
Although cooking and baking are her specialties, she’s no stranger to pairing great wine or beer with her meals. “Although there are some old standards for pairing food and wine, if you enjoy a pairing that breaks tradition, cheers to you! Be adventurous and try new wines and new pairings. Our local microbrewery scene has really exploded and offers some great brews to pair with meals, too.”
As the pace of life promises to slow a bit, Julie and Jim are looking forward to spending more time traveling, making memories with their family in the kitchen and around the table, and enjoying many more culinary adventures in the years to come.
