I've probably mentioned before that I belong to the Vermont Fresh Network, an organization that encourages a direct farm to chef connection and promotes using Vermont products in local restaurants. This is different from the Vermont Localvore (sometimes spelled "locavore") organizations that encourage regular folks to consume local goods on the home plate. For the past few years VFN has been hosting 'farmer dinners', an unabashed celebration of all things Vermont, usually in a prix-fix menu at member restaurants such as the famous Hemingway's (considered among the top 25 restaurants in America), Basin Harbor Club (never eaten there), Shelburne Farms Inn (wow, the food is fantastic), and the Chef's Table at NECI (New England Culinary Institute). My husband Dan and I went to such an event recently not only as guests, but also as the entertainment.
We met up with some other farmers at the Kitchen Table Bistro in Richmond. There was Mark and Laurie Boyden of Boyden Farm in Cambridge (not the winery, the actual beef-cow farm); Bob and Betsy Lesnikowsky of East Fairfield, they own the Vermont Cranberry Company; some worker bees from Pete's Greens in Craftsbury; and one of my favorite cookbook authors, food writer and VFN Director Molly Stevens. If I had known she would be there I would have brought my copy of "All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking" for her to sign.
Between courses we were each to address one of the three dining rooms with our farm story, or in the case of Liza Cain of Red Hen Baking Company, her business story.
Did I mention that Dan developed a hacking cough at the point he was to say his piece, leaving me to be informative and interesting for three minutes - still, one room never heard from me at all. I figured anyone who was keen would have approached us during the cocktail hour, since Dan was wearing his "Green Mountain Blue Cheese" shirt identifying himself as being in the trade. This was of course, before he became afflicted with his crippling malfunction of lung.
The two of us ate (no lie) appetizers including Misty Knoll chicken salad on a fancy spoon, Boyden beef carpaccio on a potato crisp, and Boucher Blue cheese fritters. The main meal started with a smoky bacon and corn chowder, then roasted pheasant, fall-off-the-bone beef short rib, grilled lamb (perfectly rare and paired with our cheese). Dessert was the most incredible house cider sorbet and apple cake.
The majority of what we eat at home is locally sourced, but this was an over-the-top presentation of Vermont's bounty. We arrived at 6:30 pm and left at ten. Let me tell you, four in the morning comes far too quickly when you arrive home at eleven.
