May 22: Spring Hopes Eternal
The first dinner of the season will feature lamb from Monticello’s Caveny Farm, spring greens, delicate herbs, sweet asparagus, green peas and (hopefully) some early rhubarb and strawberries.
June 5: Tres Leches
Yogurt, crème fraiche, sweet cream, butter and cheese – this dinner is all about the wonders of milk. Drawing from “three milks”– fresh cow, goat and sheep milks – the eclectic menu will features dishes from both the American heartland and around the world that highlight the diversity of milk. The entrée will be pork braised in milk (a recipe for this Italian specialty is in the IT Web site’s recipe section); organic vegetables and strawberries will also play roles.
June 19: This little piggy went to market
Guest chef Thad Morrow of Champaign’s Bacaro will prepare a hog wild feast from snout to tail made from one of Kilgus Farmstead’s pastured hogs. Morrow is a good friend and an even better chef. (Read more about Morrow in my 8/23/06 RealCuisine column on the IT Web site)
July 3: Backyard Barbeque
Celebrate Independence Day weekend with an all-American menu of barbeque beef brisket from the “big daddy” smoker and buttermilk-fried, free-range chicken from Triple S Farms. Vegetables from their garden, fruit tea, house-made gelato and berry desserts will complete the meal.
July 17: Vegetables Hot off the Square
This vegetarian feast will explore everything Urbana’s Farmers Market growers offer. Look for hand-rolled pasta, locally-made artisanal tofu and plenty of cheese.
August 7: Summer Evening with Beer and Cheese
Prairie Fruits Farm teams up with local brewmeisters Chris Knight and Bill Morgan of the Blind Pig Brewery. Chris and Bill will be bringing several of their local microbrews on tap including (hopefully) a small batch of lager crafted with Prairie Fruits own berries. Appetizers and main courses will be paired with each beer in a casual setting perfect for kicking back on the farm with a cold one.
August 22 (Sunday afternoon): The Best Things in Life are Fermented
Chef Jared VanCamp of Old Town Social (Chicago) will be returning to his central Illinois roots to prepare a dinner of microbially mediated foods. The meal will feature his highly regarded old world-style sausages, cured meats and other charcuterie, along with other fermented foods–cheese (of course), breads, pickles, beer and wine.
September 5 ( Sunday afternoon): East meets West-A Vegetable Love Affair
Henry’s Farm in Congerville boasts over 630 varieties of vegetables, many with Asian origins. Nestled in fertile soils of the Mackinaw River Valley, Henry Brockman’s farm exemplifies diversity, complexity and sustainability. This Asian-inspired vegetarian menu will highlight the qualities of Henry’s unique vegetables.
September 18: Ode to the Tomato
Chef Paul Virant will design a fanciful menu around the beloved tomato. With hundreds of varieties of heirloom tomatoes to choose from, Virant is sure to pull out the stops and surprises (see above).
October 2: The 100-Yard Dinner: the Sequel
This dinner will be made entirely from ingredients grown and raised on the farm, within 100 yards from the actual dinner table. The main course will feature guinea hens. Late season vegetables, apples and raspberries will round out the menu along with eggs and cheeses from Prairie Fruits “girls.”
October 16: An Upscale Street Fair on the Farm
Chicago’s Sunday Dinner Club chefs are planning a fun and fanciful menu of “farm meets city” street fair food.
October 30: Pioneer on the Prairie
An exploration of dishes that sustained the hearty prairie pioneers, this dinner will feature local game meats and modern twists on traditional favorites.
November 14 (Sunday afternoon): An Afternoon Dinner with Stephanie
2008 Season (and only woman) Top Chef Winner, Stephanie Izard, will prepare a menu inspired by her new Chicago restaurant “girl and the goat.” Stephanie’s last name “izard” is a goat native to the Pyrenees Region; she’ll prepare dishes inspired by that region featuring lots of our cheeses.
December 4: Winter Beer and Cheese Fete P
rairie Fruit’s last 2010 dinner features Microbrews and Cheese. The Blind Pig Brewmeisters will concoct special seasonal brews to accompany a cheese-infused holiday menu of tapas sure to warm the soul on a cold December night.
Find a recipe for Paul Virant’s berry clafoutis online at the IT Web site.
