After some poking and prodding from friends, we decided to throw our first dinner on the farm this year. We set a goal of preparing the entire meal from food that was grown on our farm, and when exceptions had to be made, (flour for pasta, coffee beans), we decided to use products from local purveyors.
Tables set for dinner
David Bancroft of Amsterdam Cafe in Auburn enlisted as our chef for the evening, and helped us iron out all the details of serving a meal to a large group. After all, it was mostly his idea, anyway. David spent quite a bit of time leading up to the evening going over what we had to offer, figuring out how to combine those ingredients, and preparing the meal.
Mr. Frank gives tour of farm
Gus Clark of Fine Wine and Beer by Gus in Opelika hand-picked six of his best wines to accompany the meal. David brought his special roast from Mama Mocha’s Coffee Roastery in Auburn. Reba Williams, whose breads can be found at Amsterdam Cafe and the farm during the summers, prepared white bread. Flour for the pasta was provided by Oakview Farms Granary in Wetumpka.
The evening began with a tour of the farm. Mr. Frank and Zach talked about the history of the farm, the crops being grown, and guests got the opportunity to ask questions. The tour was followed by a quick introduction of the family, David and his wife, and then David introduced the menu. Then we all sat down together to dine in candlelight, in view of the pastures and garden beds that produced our meal.
Sous chef Ryan Odom, Chef David Bancroft, and Anne
The focus of the evening was relationships. That is, after all, what distinguishes our food from industrial food. We celebrated the relationships of the producer and the consumer, knowing that it is our customers’ support and enthusiasm that gives us the strength to go to work when it’s 15 degrees or 115 degrees outside.
We celebrated the relationship of those of us who eat to what we eat, in caring about how our food is produced, what goes into it, and the welfare of the animals on the farm.
Sitting down to eat
Finally, we celebrated the relationship that is the cornerstone of everything we do, and is also probably the most overlooked: the relationship between the producer, the consumer, and the food on the table to the soil underneath us. Because it’s the soil that absorbs the nutrients that our animals deposit and makes those nutrients available again to the plants. It’s the soil that collects the rainwater and harbors the insects and microorganisms and fungi that are essential to all life. It’s where we’ve built our homes. It’s where our children will play. And while it’s true that you can grow a tasty chicken on a concrete slab and a pretty strawberry in a plastic tube, to do so is to deny our most fundamental connection with the world around us.
So our family invited everyone to the farm to share in an experience our family probably takes for granted: sharing a meal together on the soil it came from, knowing exactly what brought it to the table.
THE MENU
-
Garden Salad with Marinated Oven Dried Tomatoes, Cucumber, Peppers, Feta
-
Creamy Acorn Squash Bisque with Roasted Elephant Garlic
-
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan-Praline Crust
-
Braised Collard Greens with House-cured Pork Belly
-
Lamb Lasagna with Canned Tomatoes and Garden Basil
-
Rabbit Cassoulet
-
Pecan Smoked Tamworth Hog, Persimmon Barbecue Sauce, Reba’s White Bread
-
Cinnamon-Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Rum Caramel Sauce
-
Mrs. Pat’s Blueberry Cobbler
Dining by candlelight
Anne
zachrandle
franklinrandle
