Celebrate the culture of agriculture & share skills (Growing! Cooking! Eating!)

Farm Supper

As we have delved further in to creating our own urban homestead, we started "Farm Suppers" this summer. The task was simple (we are in California, after all). Everyone coming brings a dish to share that they grew, raised, gleaned, caught, foraged, fermented, preserved, baked from scratch or picked. Homemade music and poetry and floral boquets are also allowed. We have no photo documentation for the first farm supper, but I can assure you it was wonderful. Local caught and smoked salmon (Mark is the fisherman), garden salad, strawberry sorbet, hand made baguettes, local brewed beer and a savory bread pudding from our girls' eggs/homemade bread and fresh garden herbs. Delicious. Round two was equally impressive with Syrah and Zin made out of the neighbor's garage across the street, rhubarb crisp, garden salad, pizzettas topped with garden veggies and fresh made cheese....but the crown went to Mark, who drove up in his truck and pulled out two still-practically -breathing rock cod (huge) that he had JUST caught. What a sight for the kids as he cleaned and fillet them right there, through them on the grill and served em up.

As summer started providing her abundance of sweet jewels, the kids and I gleaned a HUGE amount of perfectly ripe plums (thanks neighbor) and made a plum cake for Farm Supper. I also made cheese with Gigi (ricotta and mozzarella) while Kelly scoured the neighborhood for squash blossoms to pick (with permission). We orchestrated delicious morsels of squash blossoms stuffed with homemade herbed cheese, battered with our girls' eggs and fried to golden crunchy perfection. Of course more salad and cherry tomatoes and handmade foccacia with garden veggies and homemade mozzarella. We were so happy and satiated and above all grateful to be sharing a beautiful and healthy meal with friends and neighbors that we all found out our back (or front) doors. Here is how is looked:

TWe have shared a couple of more farm suppers, all wonderful and speak often at our amazement on the meal that is before us and more importantly, the community which we are creating. We plan on continuing Farm Supper through the Fall and Winter months. We talk of dressing our own home raised animals to share for the meal, and there are soups and brews and tuna and winter greens and before I get too far ahead, the end of summer harvest (tomatoes, peppers, squash, oh my). Join our Farm Supper movement. Build community and marvel at your neighbors' secret talents and creativity.

Comment by Stacey on August 20, 2010 at 8:29am: Thanks for sharing Meredith. This is a great idea and it looks like everyone is enjoying it. It's great to see the kids so involved as well.

Comment by Patti Wigington on August 20, 2010 at 10:18am: This is such a wonderful idea! With the fall harvest soon approaching, I've got a number of friends who are getting ready to pick their goodies out of the garden. Looks like something I might need to try myself -- I love the idea of an entire meal that's "earth to table".