By Ann Butler
Neighbors Columnist
To say local foods are popular in our area is an understatement.
Kristi Streiffert, managing director of Local First, said her organization has celebrated local farmers and honored the restaurants, grocers, organizations and individuals who support them for several years. Several chefs mentioned that they would like to put together a locally sourced harvest dinner, and Local First saw it as the next logical step.
The scrumptious meal was Sept. 17 under a tent on the Smiley Building lawn, and the fact that people already want tickets to ensure they can enjoy next year’s dinner is a sign of its success. Streiffert said 90 guests won the dinner lottery on this one.
Cody Reinheimer, manager of the Durango Farmers Market, said it was the best meal he’d ever had, and Deborah Demme, owner of There’s No Place Like Home, said it was the nicest event she ever attended, so that’s two endorsements right there.
Lead organizers were Alison Dance of Cyprus Café, Ryan Lowe of the Ore House and Elsa Jagniecki of Heirlooms, with a number of other creative collaborators involved.
Guests arrived to find a cornucopia display organized by Mocking Crow Farm and the sounds of old-time tunes by The Six Dollar String Band. Carol Clark’s Mobile Toast Lounge presented cocktails made with locally distilled spirits, including a peach, basil and lemon verbena shrub made with Colorado Honey Whiskey, a Honeyville Honey House Distillery product, with a recipe created by the Ore House; and a pear cocktail mixed with Durango Craft Spirits’ Soiled Dove Vodka, recipe by Cyprus. I had to look shrub up – it hails back to 17th and 18th century England with a variation popular in Colonial America.
Diners noshed on apple fritters served with three-year-aged Belford cheese from James Ranch and peachwood-smoked Mangalitsa bacon served with spiced-beet gastrique, both prepared by the Ore House; and peach-lavender honey-Brie tarts with sunflower sprouts created by El Moro Spirits and Tavern.
Guests sat at rustic tables set by Heirlooms, an event-planning company, and decorated with blooms from Passion Flower Farm, Linnea Farm and Lilia Floral Design.
The sit-down portion kicked off with a BLT salad featuring a caramelized onion and shallot vinaigrette, complete with heirloom tomatoes, mixed greens, fresh basil, crispy shallots and crumbled hickory bacon. The ingredients came from the Dance Ranch, Adobe House, Three Sisters and Sunnyside Meats. Served with a Guy Drew Gewurztraminer, it proved it takes a village to make a salad like this – in addition to Cyprus Café’s expertise.
Next up was a plated appetizer prepared by El Moro. The beet-hazelnut-chevre terrine was paired with a Mont Gravet Cotes de Gascogne donated by Winesellers and Grand Vin. It included ingredients from Fields to Plate, Jumping Good Goat Dairy and the Old Fort Gardens.
Eolus presented the entrée, a fall beef stew using James Ranch beef, onions, carrots and kohlrabi from Banga’s Farm, potatoes and turnips from Mountain Roots Produce and locally foraged chanterelles served with Sutcliffe Vineyards Cabernet Franc.
The Ore House brought it home with a complex dessert featuring Cream Bean Berry local plum sorbet served atop a plum-and-fall rhubarb cobbler topped with almond-and-steel-cut-oat crumble, with a grilled peach from Windsong Farm filled with local honey-and-lavender ice cream and drizzled with Honey Bourbon Caramel from Honey House.
Put me on the list for a ticket next year, too.
Check back at durangoherald.com for more Neighbors stories and photos. Neighbors runs in the Sunday print edition of The Durango Herald.
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