week 33: farm to table feast!
this week on the little dream farm
We had quite the social schedule last weekend! Friday was dinner with our neighbors followed by a Sunday afternoon summer BBQ party with some new friends we’ve recently met and then a Farm to Table dinner that evening at our farmer’s house.
John and his wife Eva hosted a similar Farm to Table dinner last year that we went to and absolutely loved. We sat at a table with two other couples who live in the surrounding area, became fast friends, and still keep in contact with them here and there.
The dinner this year was hosted as a benefit dinner for last year’s chefs—the husband of a husband and wife duo who is battling cancer. This year, the fabulous chefs from a restaurant in Saratoga Springs, NY called Hamlet and Ghost paired together with Rare Form Brewing Company, a brewery out of Troy, NY, to put on a fabulous dinner in a fellow chef’s honor.
The menu was developed by the Hamlet & Ghost chefs featuring meats from St. Croix Farm (this is John and Eva’s farm) and seasonal vegetables and ingredients from other local farms, and then each course was paired with a specific beer from Rare Form Brewing Co.
We love the way they set this dinner up—nice big tables that fit pairs of three, all lined up along their gorgeous backyard oasis pond. It’s such a pretty setting and we happened to have had the best kind of weather you could ask for.
For each course, the head chef came out to the group and as the course was being served he spoke about how they developed the dish—he touched on the inspiration and roots for the dish, how the meat was prepared, the techniques of cooking used, where each of the ingredients came from in the recipe, and the flavor profiles you’d likely notice. The folks at Rare Form Brewing Co. also chimed in and talked about how they chose each beer for each course, the notes of each drink, and what you might taste in the pairing with the course.
This year we sat with a pair of friends and a couple who, turns out, lives just up the road from us. So, we met some nearby neighbors and two women who made quiet the trek just to come to this dinner—they were absolutely lovely company and made the evening a really enjoyable one!
It’s a foodie’s dream to have dinner in such a bucolic setting prepared by such talented and kindhearted people.
I dug into my carrot cake before remembering to take a photo so I don’t have a photo of that, but here’s a rundown of the courses and some photos to go along:
1st Course - Chilled Beef Tartare with giardiniera, pickled garlicscapes, egg yolk sauce on grilled crostini; Crispy Chicken Skin cracker with aioli, pepper gel, fresh herbs
2nd Course - Chicken Nicoise salad with lemon and za'atar, boiled egg, shaved onion over mixed greens
3rd Course - Roasted Summer Squash with ras el halnout, golden raisins, cured pork lomo, bechamel
4th Course - Roasted Beef with pomme puree, charred peppers, peppadew bordelaise
Dessert - Carrot Cake, Cookies, and Chocolate Brownies
John and Eva are the definition of salt of the earth kind of people and we’re so blessed to know them as friends and farmers. I don’t think I realized how much pride and joy it would give me to know exactly who our food comes from and to know that our farmer puts his entire heart and soul into everything he does, from caring for all his animals to caring for their forever conserved farmland that has been in their family for several generations.
They’re not just our farmer anymore…John and Eva have become family to us and they mean a heck of a lot to me. I often pop over to their house to sit for hours and have a chat with their family and there are always people coming and going from their home, stopping in to say hi or coming by to pick something up or drop something off. It’s one of the most warm and inviting places I’ve been. We hit the know-your-farmer lottery when we met John and Eva. They’re just simply the very best.
Tell me! Have you ever been to a Farm to Table style dinner or something similar? Would love to hear about it—this is one of our most favorite events of the year around here!
I haven't been to a farm to table dinner - yet! It looks amazing. Just last week, I was recalling when I was little and we would visit a neighbour's farm. The farm table was always laden with home cooked food and the farmer's wife made the most enormous Cornish pasties I've ever seen. There is something so soul warming in sharing good food with good wholesome folk in a rustic setting. I'm looking forward to seeing The LDF farm to table dinner. No pressure!
What a dreamy spot and dinner!! We love good food and drink pairings and have been to several for wine and beer tastings. There's a new farm to table place about 40 minutes from us we want to try. The down side of urban living - farm to table is not close.