Slow Food Movements from Maine & New Hampshire

“FIELDS ON THE SACO”COMBINES THE BEST INARTFULLY PREPARED LOCAL CUISINE WITH FARMS, ARTISTS

AND SLOW FOOD MOVEMENTS FROM MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE

The Tandem Tasters, Maralyn & Brenda Hill, are partial to New England. Brenda was born there and Maralyn lived there 22 years.

Marti Mayne for Manely Marketing passed on this press release and we wanted to share this opportunity with our readers. If you have any plans to head that way, you may want to keep this event in mind or better yet, plan to attend.

North Conway, NH – Take two neighboring New Hampshire and Maine farms and combine them with four award-winning chefs and Mt Washington Valley’s green team, and what results is a fabulous four course meal and event held in the fields of Weston’s Farm on the Saco River. Mark the calendar for August 29th for the Second Annual “Fields on the Saco,” a very special event honoring the land, family tradition and your discriminating taste. Presented by Weston’s Farm, celebrating 200 years of family farming, Sherman Farm, a dairy and vegetable farm on 150 magestic acres along the Saco River Valley, Green Thumb Farms, grower and shipper of quality Maine potatoes and Cold River Vodka and Nerefield Farm, breeders and trainers of world class Border Collies in conjunction with the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce, on this night alone everything that touches your taste buds will have been raised in the fertile ground of two bordering family farms in Maine and New Hampshire.

Four amazing chefs combine their talents to utilize the bounty from local farms along with specialty liquors, wines and foods to offer a truly unforgettable meal, served in the fields under tents.

Participants will be treated to a four course meal, set on the fields from whence the food came. The menu, accompanied by perfectly paired wines and Maine Cold River Vodka, will be artfully presented by Chef Bryant Alden of the Chef’s Market in North Conway, Executive Chef Brad Southwick of the White Mountain Hotel and Resort, Chef Jonathan Spak, co-owner of the Oxford House Inn, and Chef Jim Harrison of the Flatbread Company.

The dinner will start with hors d’oeuvres presented by the featured chefs including: Sweet Corn Fritters by Jonathan Spak, Scallops wrapped in Panchetta in an Amaretto Reduction and Local Cheese and Fruit Display by Brad Southwick, Poelle of Garden Vegetables with Roasted Field Tomatoes and Gouda atop Foccacia Crustini by Bryant Alden.

The four course meal will include:

Appetizer: Roulade of Pork Gratin with Braised Baby Beets and Butternut-Apple Coulis, presented by Chef Bryant Alden of Chef’s Market.

Salad: Baby Spinach Salad with Grilled Peaches and Goat Cheesewith a Maple Pecan Apple Cider Vinaigrette presented by Chef Brad Southwick of The White Mountain Hotel & Resort.

Entree: Mixed Grill of Tournedos of Beef, Lamb Sausage and Chicken Kebob with summer vegetables artfully displayed on a potatoe nest presented by Chef Jim Harrison of Flatbread Company.

Dessert: Blueberry Polenta Poundcake with Honey and Chevre Semi-freddo presented by: Chef Jonathan of Oxford House Inn .

There is more to this dinner than a distinctive meal; in keeping with the Slow Food movement developing in Mt Washington Valley, there will be guided farm tours, farm stores filled with foods, flowers and locally made products, Maine’s distinctive Cold River Vodka and complimentary wines, live music provided by Jazz Meisters and a “wet art” auction (wet art refers to paintings created on site).

Winners of Art-A-Ron-Dack Chair judging will be auctioned, offering lucky bidders the chance to take home a unique chair and artwork combined. Additionally a Border Collie exhibition at Nerefield Farm on East Conway Road and a bon fire will round out the schedule. Each person attending the dinner will take home a beautiful Lead Wine Glass by Cristal d’Arques of France and a gift bag.

Tickets to the event are $125.00 per person. Tickets are limited to the first 100 people and must be reserved in advance. The rain location will be the historic Agriculture Barn used at the Fryeburg Fair, the oldest agricultural fair in the United States. The event will support Mt. Washington Valley’s Green Team’s efforts to engage Mt Washington Valley residents and businesses in adopting eco-friendly practices to reduce their environmental impact.

Tickets may be ordered in advance by calling Janet at 800-367-3364 or 603-356-5701 X300 or by mail. Registration forms for tickets-by-mail may be downloaded.

Sponsors of the Fields on the Saco include Weston Farm Stand, Sherman Farm, Green Thumb Farms, Nerefield Farm, Cormack Construction Management, Cold River Vodka, Tim DiPietro Electric, Glass Graphics, Poland Spring, Wine Thyme Deli, Cheese & Gifts, and the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Simply visit www.mtwashingtonvalley.org and click on the Fields on the Saco logo for complete information.

Photo of farm scene by Susan Laughlin, NH Magazine.

Thank you Marti for sharing this wonderful event with us.