Potato Nation

Farm to Fork dinner set to celebrate Pemberton’s Slow Food Cycle

Posted by Lisa Richardson on July 2, 2010 · 1 Comment 

Slow Food Cycle Sunday was conceived in 2005 as a festive way to shorten the distance between fork and field.

This year, to celebrate the Slow Food Cycle weekend, the Pemberton and District Chamber of Commerce presents the Slow Food Cycle Dinner Event, bringing the distance between farm-gate and dinner-plate as close as a kiss.

The intimate 80 person dinner will take place Saturday 14 August at Pemberton Valley Farms, a second generation family seed potato farm 35km up Pemberton Meadows Road. Under a timber-frame open-air gazebo on the farm’s spectacularly maintained grounds, diners will enjoy a four course feast prepared by two of the most passionate ambassadors for Pemberton produce, both of whom work out of Whistler’s hottest kitchens.

Araxi’s Executive Chef, James Walt, is fresh from winning awards for his cookbook Araxi from the James Beard Foundation, the Cordon D’Or International Culinary Academy Awards and the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards (often described as the cookbook Olympics, or a sort of Nobel prize for cookery writers.)

Grant Cousar and his team at Whistler Cooks Catering successfully fed 300,000 athletes, staff, volunteers and spectators over the 28 days during the 2010 Olympic Games, infusing their meals with as much local produce as possible, and even hand-cutting, freezing and serving 20,000 lbs of Pemberton potatoes, as part of their commitment to Slow Food and local produce.

How do they celebrate? By taking 80 guests on a journey to the farm, armed with a bounty of local produce, in lieu of a magic carpet.

Founding members of the Whistler chapter of the Green Table network and Slow Food Whistler, Walt and Cousar and the Whistler Cooks Catering team of chefs under head chef Lance Schmidt and culinary manager Ellie Scott, will prepare a 4 course dinner on site at Pemberton Valley Farms.  Under an open air gazebo, 80 people will savour the flavours of the Pemberton Valley.

Featuring Pemberton Meadows Natural Beef, and produce from Shaw Creek Farms, Across the Creek Organics, North Arm Farms, Helmers Organic Farm, Icecap Organics, Rootdown Organics and McEwans Farm, the farm to fork feast doesn’t get fresher than this.

Tickets are $125 and include a 4 course meal paired with wines. Appetisers will be served at 5pm. A benefit for Pemberton’s signature agritourism event, Slow Food Cycle Sunday, the dinner is expected to sell out quickly. RSVP to the Pemberton Chamber at info@pembertonchamber.com.  Attendees must be 19 years or older.