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Dinner with the Stars Outstanding in the Field, Leicester, NC and The Ultimate Critics Dinner, Charleston, SC

Seating themselves on the greensward, they eat while the corks fly and there is talk, laughter and merriment, and perfect freedom, for the universe is their drawing room and the sun their lamp. Besides, they have appetite, Natures special gift, which lends to such a meal a vivacity unknown indoors, however beautiful the surroundings. ~ Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin T he f requency of f ood and wine f estivals and culinary events in the country continues to escalate as does our preoccupation with f ood. Every week there is an opportunity to attend a local event or to travel to a unique destination to experience f ood in a dif f erent way. Outdoor dinners have become very popular, especially in the South, where the temperatures allow f or almost year-round dining. T hey af f ord an opportunity to reconnect with your surroundings and provide a romantic backdrop, especially on a beautif ul evening. We had the pleasure of taking part in two of these dinners in October: T he Outstanding in the Field dinner in Leicester, North Carolina and the Ultimate Critics Dinner in Charleston, South Carolina. Outstanding in the Field Dinner Gaining Ground Farm Leicester, North Carolina Chef William Dissen T he Market Place, Asheville, North Carolina Jim Denevan, Founder of Outstanding in the Field, has been credited with creating a movement of connecting people with f armers and chef s while dining under the stars. Jim and his team travel the United States with tables, chairs, cooking equipment, and serving pieces in tow to destinations f rom coast to coast (and beyond), to work with local chef s to put on these events. William Dissen,

William Dissen, Chef -Owner of T he Market Place restaurant in Asheville, NC was the chef f or this event. Hosted at Gaining Ground Farm, Anne and Aaron Griers f amily f arm outside of Asheville, on a gorgeous evening in early October, it was our f irst time attending one of these dinners. While guests enjoyed champagne and appetizers in the barn, Jim Denevan and Leah Scaf e, Jims partner and assistant, talked about their mission to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their f ood, and to honor the local f armers and f ood artisans who cultivate it. T he Griers talked about their challenges and successes of owning a small f arm.

O uts tand ing in the Fie ld at G aining G ro und Farm

Fo und e r, J im De ne van, Le ah Sc afe , and Che f William Dis s e n (in b ac kg ro und )

small f arm. Chef Dissen shared his philosophy and commitment to sourcing and cooking with only sustainable and local ingredients. Following this gathering, there was a brief f arm tour, culminating with dinner in the f ield. If you have never been to an outdoor dinner like this, there is something very special about f ellowship with new f riends while dining under the stars with the moon and candles providing the light. T here were 140 guests at the f arm that evening, all with the same philosophy around supporting local f armers and chef s who have a mission to do the same. With the breeze blowing and the sun

Che f William Dis s e n with Le ah Sc afe

Anne & Aaro n G rie r

and the sun setting, we dined on beautif ully prepared and f reshly harvested vegetables and local meats and f ish. Guest chef , Tim Peters of Motor Supply Company in Columbia, South Carolina, worked alongside chef Dissen and his team to prepare f our courses f rom these locally sourced ingredients. One of the dishes f eatured beef f rom the f arm where the event was hosted, Wood Grilled Gaining Ground Farm Beef Brisket with Tomato Jam, Farm and Sparrow Roasted Garlic Spoonbread, served with Rainbow Swiss Chard with Braised Radish. Paired with some lovely wines, this was truly a

Che fs Tim Pe te rs and William Dis s e n p re p aring ap p e tiz e rs

G ue s ts e njo ying ap p e tiz e rs and c hamp ag ne in the b arn

memorable evening. T he Ultimate Critics Dinner Ashem Farm Charleston, SC T his dinner was one of my f avorite events this past year. Held on a beautif ul historic f arm outside of Charleston, it could not have been a more perf ect evening. I was honored to have been chosen as one of the panel to select the participants f or this dinner and was delighted to attend the Ultimate Critics Dinner in conjunction with the BB&T Charleston Wine & Food Festival. T he host, beverage expert, and chef s f or the evening are chosen by a panel of judges (or critics), much like the voting system f or the James Beard Foundation awards. Anyone f rom the Charleston culinary scene can be nominated and once the f irst votes have been submitted, the f ield of nominees is narrowed down to a f inal vote. T he winners of that round of voting plan the evenings menu f rom the appetizers and cocktails, through dinner with wine pairings, to the f inale and dessert course. Ashem Farm, where the event was held, was recently donated to Charleston by owner Emily Ravenel Farow (who passed away in 2011), in order to preserve this important piece of land and history in this area. T he 55-acre property, located along the Old Towne Creek and the Ashley River, was a

O ne o f the g ue s ts in the b arn

stunning location f or the dinner. T he host f or the evening was Mickey Bakst, General Manager of the Charleston Grill at the Charleston Place Hotel. T here was no better person to guide guests through the night with stories of the history of the property while escorting us to each new and perf ectly chosen venue on the property. T he dishes served throughout the evening were inspired by one of Emily Farrows f avorite cookbooks, Sarah Rutledges 1847 classic cookbook, The Carolina Housewife. To begin the evening, canapes of Smoked Fish with Johnny Cakes and Beef Tongue

O uts id e the b arn

G ue s ts c an d o nate p late s to us e at the d inne r fo r an e c le c tic mix o f tab le s e tting s

Beef Tongue were prepared dockside by Chef Jeremiah Bacon of T he Macintosh and Oak Steakhouse. Guests then f ollowed the trail leading to the horse stables where we were greeted with Seminole Soup (think squirrel) prepared by Chef Sean Brock of McCradys and Husk. T hese two appetizer courses were paired with cocktails chosen by Patrick Emerson, Wine and Beverage Director of Maverick Southern Kitchens. As the sun began to set on this gorgeous warm evening, we were guided along a path through the trees that were draped with lights and then passed through a draped entryway into a

Sp it Ro as te d Bras s to wn Farm Suc king Pig with Ho ne y and Ap p le Chutne y

Two o f o ur d inne r c o mp anio ns fo r the e ve ning

entryway into a tent alight with stunning table settings and strung lights. T he Ultimate Dinner was the perf ect description as we were served f ive expertly prepared courses f rom Chef Mike Latas (Fig and T he Ordinary) Caveach of Mackerel paired with a Fruilano wine f rom Italy to Emily Cooksons (Pastry Chef at Charleston Grill) elegant Rose Charlotte with Raspberry Preserves and Rataf ia. T he pairing f or this dessert course was a Moscato Rose f rom the Piedmonte Region in Italy. T he other chef s chosen by the critics were Joshua Keeler (Two Boroughs Larder), Michelle Weaver (Charleston Grill), and Frank Lee (Slightly North of Broad SNOB). As each course was exceptional, it would be hard to select a f avorite, but Chef Weavers Guinea Fowl Fricassee with Carolina Pilau, Country Ham with Sweet Potatoes and Rosemary seemed to be a real crowd pleaser. T he warm summer evening, moonlit night, and beautif ully appointed venue created an atmosphere that will be remembered f orever. Be sure to check the Charleston Wine & Food Festivals page in the coming months f or their announcement regarding this years event and location. Our On T he Road culinary adventures will be heading to Virginia in April. One of our special
The wine p airing s we re e xc e lle nt

special evenings will f eature a f arm dinner, Dining with the Stars, and will include leading chef s and a wine maker on a beautif ul f arm. Be sure to watch f or this very special opportunity. More inf ormation will be provided in the next f ew weeks. Posted by Gwen on January 7, 2013

Ro as te d Sq uas h and He irlo o m Farro , Shave d Fe nne l Salad with O rang e Thyme Vinaig re tte

The s un wo uld s o o n s e t and we the n d ine d und e r the s tars

G re e ting us as we arrive d at As he m Farm

Mic ke y Baks t, the e ve ning s ho s t, at o ur firs t ve nue b y the d o c k

Patric k Eme rs o n s e rving The King Ed ward c o c ktail

G ue s ts arriving at the s tab le s fo r the s e c o nd ro und o f c anap e s and c o c ktails

Che f Se an Bro c k making a p o t o f Se mino le So up

The ho rs e s g arne re d muc h atte ntio n d uring the s to p at the s e c o nd ve nue

Ye s , the re c ip e fro m The Carolina Housewife c alls fo r s q uirre l

Che fs Emily Co o ks o n and Mike Lata

G ue s ts e nte ring the te nt fo r d inne r

With Che f Mic he lle We ave r

The tab le s e tting s we re b e autifully arrang e d

This was o ne o f the mo s t me mo rab le e ve nts o f 2012