On Saturday, I had the pleasure attending my second Poplar Ridge farm-to-table dinner as the official photographer.
For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, a farm-to-table dinner is a meal that is created using ingredients (vegetables, herbs, etc.) straight from the farm you are visiting. It doesn’t get any more local than that, folks.
As a serious locavore, I get extra excited about amazing events like this.
And since I’d been to a Poplar Ridge dinner before, I knew the menu and food would be spectacular.
Upon arriving, I headed straight for the pool house to put down my camera bags and purse and see who was in the kitchen.
I was so happy to see Jaime and Courtney who had been the chefs at the first farm-to-table dinner I attended in September of last year (click to view that post). The two are not only a dynamic duo in the kitchen but really great people. I was worried last time that I may be in the way of the busy chefs (since I was shooting photos in the kitchen while they were preparing the eats), but they really made me feel welcome.
Jamie is the Executive Sous Chef at local restaurant Barrington’s. I’ve never been to that restaurant, but after experiencing Jaime’s kitchen skills first-hand, I really want to go!
While Jamie and Courtney prepared for the dinner, I headed out to take pictures around the flower garden and pool area.
The guests were served Poplar Ridge’s famed Pimm’s punch, which is a refreshing, fruity concoction.
And guests were free to roam the pool area…
…the yard…
…and the flower garden.
I loved wandering around the pool house and flower garden. They were both so peaceful and beautiful.
Soon enough, it was time for the dinner to start.
I headed back to the kitchen to take more food photos.
Courtney was plating the first course.
First course: Chilled Cucumber Soup with Spicy Gazpacho Gelee, Maine Crab Salad, Micro Cilantro, and Edible Flower Petals.
I had so much fun talking food with the chefs who both patiently answered my many foodie questions. Thanks guys! 
Second Course: Curried Summer Bean Salad, Bacon, Caramelized Shallots and Cobra Tomatoes.
Third Course: Roasted Carolina Grouper, Braised Fennel, Spinach and Beet Emulsion.
Fourth Course: Blueberry Financier with Candied Lemon and Sour Cream Ice Cream
I didn’t sit at the tables during the meal, but I was lucky to try at least a bite of each course. Wowee, was it good. Chef Jaime (and Courtney) are very talented!
One of these days I’m going to have to partake in a farm-to-table dinner…as a guest! I just need to talk hubby into it. 
I think it would make a fantastic date night.
Thank you Poplar Ridge for letting me behind-the-scenes at your farm-to-table dinner! Click here to check out the PRF web site and learn about upcoming farm-to-table dinners, as well as CSA memberships.
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Have you ever been to a farm-to-table dinner?
If you went to one, what vegetable or fruit from the farm would you most like to see the chef prepare?
Hi from my parents’ house! We’ve had a relaxing but busy weekend so far.
Bailey always loves a good trip to visit “grandma and grandpa”.
I love the area behind their home. There’s always so much growing.
My mom took me on a tour of their garden to show me updates from the last time I saw it.
Baby okra.
Zucchini.
Baby bell pepper.
Eggplant.
Yellow bell pepper.
Green beans
And quite the assortment of tomatoes.
After a simple breakfast of bacan and egg sammies on WW rolls, we headed out for some more home-grown food adventures.
First up – the farmer’s market.
They had quite the assortment of dried beans, most of which I believe are local.
Mom and dad did the shopping and I just wandered around scoping out stuff.
Sis bought boiled peanuts for us to snack on as we headed out to our next destination – the peach farm!
My parent’s found a place that grew Red Haven peaches.
The farm was pretty busy with people picking their own fresh peaches.
Squashed peach.
The weather was perfect for being outdoors – warm but not too hot and with a slightly cool breeze. It felt like heaven outside.
Unlike last year’s blueberry picking adventure, it took us no time to fill up a basket with farm-fresh peaches.
And then we headed off the farm for lunch.
Not before checking out at the peach stand of course.
Have you been to a local farm this year? What did you get?
Happy Earth Day!!
What are you doing to celebrate?
Hubby and I decided to start our vegetable garden today using a combination of Square Foot Gardening and tips learned from Don of Instant Organic Garden. I worked from home today and since I had phone conferences non-stop after 11:30am, I took my “lunch break” in the morning to help hubby get our first box set-up.
The process was a little quicker today thanks to hubby having put the box together earlier this week and him finishing up the last few steps when my phone conferences started.
I’ve been scouting out the sun in our yard for the last couple weeks and we actually didn’t have many options to choose from when it came to garden location. But, we finally settled on a spot and placed our box.
We first put a layer of newspaper down. Not sure why…because we also…
…put a layer of weed control fabric down.
We mixed our compost…
…And then the rest of our soil ingredients.
We filled our box.
We watered.
All 3 times per the directions.
And soon enough our box was full.
Hubby was a doll and put the top grid together.
Fast forward to after the work day and it was planting time! I read somewhere that you should plant the new plants later in the day so the sun doesn’t stress out the newbies too much.
I gathered our materials.
Some seedlings – they’re looking a little wilted since I bought them on Saturday and was just now getting around to planting them. Come back little plants!
Stakes for the tomato plants. We got two kinds: plain wood stakes and more expensive spiraled ones. I’m going to test them out to see how they work.
Marigolds – a natural pest deterrent.
I got a tip to plant the tomato plants very deep so the soil actually comes up about 4-6 inches above the soil level of the seedling. I tried to use my hands for a visual. This is supposed to build strong roots.
We planted two kinds of tomatoes:
We also planted green peppers…and of course the marigolds.
The planting was my favorite part. It was so serene in our yard with little birds chirping all around. What a relaxing way to end the day!
I got everything planted and we even have room for more plants! What to get next!? Maybe jalapenos? We may even build another box or two!
Oh, I did try planting one tomato plant in another area of the yard…I’m not sure how it’s going to turn out, but I’ll keep an eye on it.
I just had to water the new plants an d we were DONE-ZO!
I hope my wilty seedlings come back ok. Can’t wait to see how the garden turns out. I’ve been wanting my own vegetable garden for the last few years and now I finally have one again. Yay! So excited!
BIG thanks to hubby for all his help. <3 I hope we’re able to cook many delicious meals with the food from this little box.
Reader Question: What did you do to celebrate Earth Day?
PS Remember to enter my contest to win a tofu press from Nasoya! Click here to enter!
Earth Day is later this week, on Thursday, and what better time of the year than now to go green? As you know, I may not be the greenest person in the world but I think every effort, even the small ones, makes a difference in the greater good for our planet.
Here are some simple ways you can go green this week to celebrate Earth Day:
- Go meatless (or even vegan) for one day this week. You can check out my Meatless 4 Lent Guest Post series for some great meat-free ideas. You can also check my vegetarian and vegan blog tags. If you can’t commit to a whole day, why not try even just one meal?
- Recycle something. Maybe you recycle religiously. Maybe you never recycle but have good intentions to. Either way, the next time you’re getting ready to toss a can in the trash, why not think about recycling it instead?
- Get a (or use your) re-usable water bottle (just added to my OpenSky!). Why toss (or recycle) plastic water bottles all week when you can just keep refilling a prettier aluminum one? It’s greener and more cost-effective. Look for BPA-Free (just because the bottle is aluminum doesn’t mean it’s BPA free – check the label)
- Buy organic. Maybe you never buy organic, or only once in awhile? Try to go out of your way this week to buy as much organic as possible.
- Buy natural cleaning products. Try to replace even just one of your cleaning products with something more eco-friendly. Method, 7th Generation, and Mrs. Meyers (plus countless other options) make it easy to make the switch.
- Use recyclable bags to go grocery shopping. Dont’ have one? Then, this is the week to pick up a couple. They’re very affordable and some are even easier to carry than the plastic and paper ones traditionally offered.
- Shop a farmer’s market. Support your local farmers and buy local fruits, veggies, and maybe even other goodies like honey.
Imagine if every one did just one green thing this week. How awesome would that be? Though you can’t make everyone do something green, you can control your own choices and actions. Try to make at least one small change this week to go green. I promise it makes a difference.
You can check out my Green page or Go Green blog tag for more green inspiration.
Cheers!
How are you celebrating Earth Day this week?
