For over 10 years, Central Oregon Locavore has hosted an event that allows local diners to eat from the bounty of the local food system and get to meet the people who make and grow the food. The Meet Your Farmer series matches local chefs with local farmers. On Aug. 21, that pairing includes the culinary team at Five Pine Resort in Sisters with two farms: Mahonia Gardens, a veggie farm in Sisters, and Cascade Mountain Pastures, also of Sisters, which offers pasture-raised lamb. The event is a fundraiser for Central Oregon Locavore, which supports the local food system through its local foods marketplace, along with events, education and outreach.
This month's dinner is Mediterranean-themed and offers three courses. The first course is a community mezze board, featuring a selection of FivePine hummus, zucchini baba ganoush, Muhammara — a roasted red pepper and walnut spread — and spiced olives and pickled veggies. A second course, served family style, includes marinated lamb steak, Garam Masala chicken kebabs, curry roasted potatoes, tabbouleh and more. And for dessert: pistachio baklava.
Meet Your Farmer, "started in 2011 at Common Table and we have had dozens of events, with great results, connecting farmers and chefs," explained Nicolle Timm-Branch, Central Oregon Locavore's founder and executive director. For the dinner at Bos Taurus in February, Timm-Branch described, she persuaded the chefs there to take a chance on working with a local ranch that sells its meat at Locavore. Now the restaurant includes that ranch, Pioneer Ranch in Tumalo, on its menu.
The Meet Your Farmer dinner takes place Thursday, Aug. 21 at 5:30pm. The fundraiser is $139 per person and includes gratuity. Tickets are available on the Central Oregon Locavore website.
