This week’s blog will be highlighting our first date night of the summer! Last weekend, though it was a Father’s Day celebration, we experienced one of the most creative, elevated, and downright scrumptious meals. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to The Farmers Dinner.

With a mission of bringing creative chefs and dedicated farmers together through awareness, chef Keith Sarasin started The Farmers Dinner in 2012. Since then, chefs have been traveling to farms, restaurants, and local venues to highlight local food harvested from New England soils. Together the chefs and farmers aim to tell a story with every bite.

We were lucky enough to attend the Father’s Day BBQ on Generation Farm. This local, sustainable, organic farm is located in Concord, NH and specializes in growing artisan salad greens. From baby kale and spinach to arugula and rainbow chard, this farm has some of the most delicious and vibrant greens growing in rows in a field or one of their greenhouses.

Upon arrival the large red barn met our expectations; we were indeed eating on a farm. After a short uphill walk to the back of the barn, we were greeted by seven long tables adorned with white tablecloths, individual place settings, and mason jar centerpieces with daisies, wild indigo, and ferns. We found seats and then were taken on a brief tour of the land by husband-and-wife farmers, James and Marley. They showed us their greenhouses and beds while explaining their growing seasons and love of agriculture. It was hard not to marvel at their life and amazing land they called home.

After taking our seats, the meal began! Six courses—inspired by the theme of BBQ and Generation Farm’s greens and edible flowers—composed the meal and delivered an arch in flavor. The dinner started off fresh and light, building in flavor until it reached its peak with bold, smoky tastes and then arched back down to airy and refreshing. See below for descriptions of the dishes we ate and some amazing photos from our time with The Farmers Dinner–we can’t wait to dine with them again!

Food Choices

Plate 1: Generation Organic Greens – strawberry Carpaccio, Sourdough crusted goat cheese, basil honey vin

Plate 2: Tuckaway Flint Cornbread – variations of asparagus, maple butter

Plate 3: Smoked Carrot – mushroom molasses barbecue sauce, Dunk’s mushroom jerky, carrot top pesto

Plate 4: Dopio Ravioli – yolk sauce, nasturtium, radish

Plate 5:BBQ Pork Ribs – sansyo pepper gremolata, lardo, potato salad

Plate 6: Kimball Fruit Farm Strawberries – sassafras fennel biscuit, rhubarb amaretto gel, whipped buttermilk

Drink Choices: This meal was BYOB, so we brought a bottle of Dry Pear white wine from our favorite New England wine from Nashoba Valley Winery. Click here to read our blog featuring this amazing vineyard.

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Tips for Attending a Farmers Dinner Event

• Meals start around 5pm and they mean 5pm. The purpose of these meals is to get to know the farmers and the chefs. If you’re not on time, you may miss crucial details about the location you’re eating at, thus missing the awareness of the farm.
• BYOB means just that, they only supply water. Though the menu isn’t finalized when you originally buy tickets, they do post it 2-3 weeks before the event. Check it out to pair some wine or brews with your meal, if you so choose.
• Wear comfortable, but cute shoes. Though the location of the dinners change, they do try to stick to outdoor spots with a view and usually does require walking from a parking location to the tables.