So often farming is a crapshoot, a prayer, a plea for mercy. But sometimes the plan goes exactly as hoped. From the first time Bryon and I discussed the possibility of starting a small farm, I conjured up visions of dinners where we produced almost everything on the table.
A couple of months ago the presence of several full freezers, a crowded pantry, and a field plot of veggie plants inspired me to change that dream into a reality. Bryon and I set a date, and I sent invitations to our egg customers, along with farmer friends whom we have worked with and who’ve provided invaluable advice and resources.
Sure, the farm was a bit of a mess when we first decided to host the dinner, but what better motivation to mark items off the to-do list? Many chores were completed, and the ones we didn’t…well, we hoped fellow farmers wouldn’t judge us coming out of a hard, crazy summer.
Last week as the dinner danced closer, I juggled my regular part-time job, helping out at Hop Frog, a farmers market board meeting, and so forth in between baking crackers, making duck confit, crystallizing flowers, and rolling out pie dough. Because I can’t help it, I created multiple appetizers, several main dishes, and four desserts. I wanted the first real farm dinner to be special and to thank our supporters in style. All the veggies, meat, eggs, and honey came from Star & Sparrow, with our friends at Field to Heart and Boistfort Valley Farm providing the flowers and berries, respectively.
Appetizers
Deviled Chicken and Quail Eggs
Dilly Beans and Pickled Garlic Scapes
Turkey Liver Pate’ with Homemade Crackers
Zucchini Salsa with Tortilla Chips
Assorted Cherry Tomatoes
Mains
Heirloom Tomato Pie in Parmesan Buttermilk Crust
Fried Eggplant with Garlic Vinegar
Kale and Carrot Salad in Apple Cider Vinaigrette with Sunflower Seeds
Grilled Jimmy Nardello Peppers
Lamb Quinoa with Onion Jam, Calamata Olives, and Feta
Cassoulet with Duck Confit, Pork Sausage, and Bacon
Desserts
Pavlova Trifle with Whipped Cream, Custard, and Strawberries
Honey Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Icing
Zucchini Brownies with Chocolate Frosting
Sugar Cookies with Raspberry Glaze and Crystalized Flowers
Despite some last minute anxiety, everything went beautifully. We were still setting up when folks arrived, but luckily, we invited the kind of people who just start helping. Soon enough, everyone was snacking, sipping, and laughing. Kids played games and visited our chickens and geese nearby. Sitting down to dinner, everyone seemed to enjoy the spread, generous with the compliments. My young friend Prairie kept exclaiming, “This is SO good!” My only regret is that by the time desserts came out, it was too dark to really see my pretty trifle or get a good picture of it. But the taste was what mattered, and that was on point.
By the time the campfire was out and the last of the group finished helping us take dishes inside, Bryon and I high-fived the success of the night. I wanted to stay up and talk about it, but getting up at 5 AM the next morning to head out to the Vancouver Farmers Market forced me to connect with my pillow instead.
