Last night we had a farm-to-table dinner to express our gratitude to a few people who made our first year of full-time farming possible. It was by no means an exhaustive guest list. We wish we could have hosted every single person for whom we are grateful this year. But, we narrowed it down to a few who have been so instrumental that we truly don’t know how we could have made it through this year without them.

We started preparing weeks ago by looking at what would be available from the farm in mid-September. And we planned accordingly so that as much as possible we could feast directly from the source!  The menu turned out beautifully. This time of year–with all the root vegetables and rich flavors–is my very favorite.

We did four courses.

Salad Course:

Warm Beets with candied walnuts, feta, and tarragon olive oil

Homemade rosemary and garlic whole wheat artisan bread

Champagne or sparkling cider

Fish Course:

Grilled Scup with lime and citrus fennel salt

Tian (potatoes, sweet potatoes, apples, sunburst squash)

Red Wine or Iced Tea

Main Course:

Individual Lasagna with grass-fed beef and goat meat

Dessert Course:

Cheesecake with cultured cream cheese

Blackberries with a raspberry brandy reduction

Coffee or tea

 

 

 

It was a lovely evening, with lovely people. People who have inspired us, lent us many hands in days of hard work, provided encouragement and advice and support in so many ways. The dinner, though simple, was just our way of saying ThankYouMorePlease. We can’t say THANK YOU enough. Where would we be without you all?

The Meal

Ingredients in the meal that we grew or raised or had some part in bringing to life:

• Beets
• Rosemary
• Garlic
• Wheat (in cooperation with Neal Pottle)
• Beet Greens
• Potatoes
• Apples
• Sunburst Squash
• Eggs
• Cream
• Tomato Sauce (tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers)
• Mozzarella
• Ricotta
• Goat Meat
• Cream Cheese
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Blackberries
• Mint
• Basil
• Parsley

With gratitude to friends who helped fill in the gaps:

• Ground beef from the Hanley Farm
• Scup from Doyon Farm

The best part of leisurely dinners with friends is lingering a little longer at the table, with wine or coffee and conversations and laughs.