Sweetwater Organic Farm Teams with Outstanding in the Field for a delicious meal
Chef team led by Chef Eric McHugh of Hotel Haya
The weather was nearly perfect on Thursday for a winter long-table event hosted at Sweetwater Organic Community Farm. Chef Eric McHugh of Hotel Haya and his team paired up with the Outstanding in the Field organization to present a delicious menu of locally sourced dishes paired with local wine and beer producers. We got to hang out with friends Robin Sussingham and Wendy Wesley. It was fantastic!
Pickled vegetable platter, jars of mojo pork rillette, and chipotle pepper baba gnash, being prepared to serve
The reception starts with several hors d’oeuvres, including beef heart Tartar with Asher Blue cheese produced by Providence Cattle Company and succulent rock shrimp roll on a mini sweet bun from Sammy’s Seafood in Key West. The four-course dinner entrées start with a salad of arugula, moringa, and baby greens, topped with oregano-honey vinaigrette. It is followed by Chef McHugh’s version of shrimp and grits consisting of steamed Sammy’s Seafood Gulf clams heaped on a pile of turmeric-scented grits from Frog Song Organics and farm-fresh dandelion greens, all topped with a rock lobster sauce. The third course made me think of Fred Flintstone’s car-tipping Brontosaurus chop. Providence Cattle supplied a humongous grass-fed short rib served with herb butter-poached sweet potatoes, grain mustard demi-glace, fire-roasted corn, and Cohita cheese. Wow! The wine-paired meal wrapped up with sweet cast-iron cornbread topped with agave-macerated strawberries and Aleppo pepper Chantilly.
Long table with patrons enjoying a four-course, wine paired meal at Sweetwater Organic Farm
The event helps Sweetwater with its ongoing pursuit of supplying the community with healthy, fresh, locally-grown organic foodstuffs. The farm is expanding. They recently opened a Montessori school where kids who might otherwise never get to see the operations of a farm come to learn. Plans are being made to open a campground for visitors. They sponsor a Sunday market every week in season, where folks can go and purchase organic goods and other locally sourced products. Live music is provided on those fun days. Also, don’t miss Sweetwater’s Pesto Festo coming up this spring! It’s a hot ticket and sells out in advance. Support local farming!
