Farm to Fork Dinner

Have I mentioned my love for local produce here before? Ahem. I do have a bit of a thing for farmers markets, produce stands, local farms, roadside produce stands... you get the picture. Sunday night, I was treated by my dear sister-in-law to a locavore's dream: a Farm to Fork Dinner on a local farm! (Thank you Cathy, the best "Secret Santa" ever!)

The setting was picturesque; we gathered family-style at tables set under the exposed beams of the market stand roof. Draped in white linen and burlap, the tables boasted centerpieces that featured produce and flowers grown right on the farm surrounding us. As the sun set, candles were lit, champagne was poured and hors d'oeuvres were passed: tomato & mozzarella tartlets with basil puree, fried local grouper sliders with housemade tartar sauce and mini popovers with Florida grass fed roast beef & creamed horseradish.

We were seated and the artisan meal to follow was to die for, featuring a bounty of ingredients from farms and producers within a 70-mile radius of the area. The first course was a farm to fork salad with locally harvested greens, herbs & heirloom tomatoes, red onion confit, Humboldt Fog croustade and champagne-Dijon vinaigrette. It was paired with artisanal bread & local butter. This was followed by an appetizer salad of warm scallops, stone crab and crispy uncured bacon with an apple, walnut & freshly-shucked black eyed pea relish.

{photo by Chad Spencer, Edible Sarasota}

The main course was a fragrant and savory turkey pot-pie baked in acorn squash, and potato, leek & mushroom dauphinoise served family-style. Dessert was a caramelized spiced rice pudding with pumpkin pie ice cream. And yes, it was all every bit as delicious as it sounds! The evening was perfectly magical on every count, and a memory I will always hold dear to my local produce-loving heart.