Buffalo Rising Online

Sep 25th 2008, 10:09am By Buffalo Foodie

On Sunday, October 5th, Delaware Park’s Hoyt Lake and Marcy Casino will play stunning backdrop to a unique culinary event designed to raise money for the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy and draw attention to Buffalo’s autumnal bounty.

Dinner Afield: Hoyt Lake, presented by Feed Your Soul, combines the best of Buffalo’s harvest season. The beautiful, historically significant urban location coupled with a meal made from the riches of Western New York’s soil is reason enough to celebrate. But when you consider that the dedicated farmers, cheesemakers, breadmakers and vintners who grew, harvested and created this food will be joining dinner guests at the table—well, that’s special indeed.

Many of the featured farmers truck their yield into the city multiple times a week, providing city dwellers with healthy, farm fresh produce, meat, dairy and eggs. The farmers and artisan food producers honored at Dinner Afield: Hoyt Lake include: Native Offerings CSA, Promised Land CSA, Tom Tower Farms, Blossom Hill Farm, Raisin Acres, White Cow Dairy, Lapp Farm Dairy, The Artful Table, Imagine Moore Winery and Pumpkinville. The evening will culminate in a toast to these farmers and producers, honoring their skill, knowledge and dedication to providing our gorgeous city with delicious locally grown and handmade food.

Dinner Afield will be held at a long, candlelit table sitting along the curve of Hoyt Lake. Though the setting is formal and elegant, guests are encouraged to dress in comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing. The delicious, seasonal menu will be prepared by Chef JJ Richert and the staff of Torches restaurant. The menu is as follows:

Dinner Afield: Hoyt Lake Menu

Passed Hors d’oeuvres of Shaved Sirloin,
Hot Italian Farm Cheese on Flatbread
(Raisin Acres, Lapp Farm Dairy, Artful Table)

Pumpkin and Apple Bisque with Handmade Crème Fraiche
 (Promised Land CSA, Tom Tower Farms, White Cow Dairy)

Salad of Bi-colored Roasted Beets and “Feta”
(Native Offerings CSA, Promised Land CSA, Lapp Farm Dairy)

Heritage Pork Crown Roast with Sage & Brandy Cream
(Blossom Hill Farm)

Roasted Root Vegetable “Hash”
(Promised Land CSA, Native Offerings CSA)

Turnovers of Caramelized Leek, Apple and Aged Raw Milk Cheddar
(Native Offerings CSA, Tom Tower Farms, Lapp Farm Dairy)

Toffee Baked Apples and Bourbon Crème Anglaise served with Spiked Mulled Cider
 (Tom Tower Farms, White Cow Dairy, Pumpkinville)
 
Wine for the evening provided by:
Imagine Moore Winery

Thus far, Feed Your Soul, owned and operated by Christa Glennie Seychew (Buffalo Rising’s former food editor) and Sandra Starks (Slow Food Buffalo founding member), has taken a group of chefs and foodies to the Chautauqua Institution for a fantastic meal at the Athenaeum Hotel and a lecture by famous food writer Michael Ruhlman and famous farm-to-table New York State chef, Dan Barber. In August, Feed Your Soul also took 25 Buffalo chefs out to tour four local farms using sustainable practices—an event so successful they have another one planned for late October with an emphasis on Niagara and Orleans county farms. Feed Your Soul’s goal is to provide exclusive and interesting culinary events that highlight Western New York’s agriculture, history, ethnic heritage and remarkable dining scene.

Feed Your Soul has other exciting events coming soon. For tickets to any of Feed Your Soul’s events, visit their website.

***The art pictured above was created by Buffalo watercolor artist Dana Fox Jenkins especially for Dinner Afield.