Discover farm-to-fork dinners. Triple Dip
Farm-to-fork suppers see restaurants and other venues serving up local meat, fruits and vegetables in an effort to both celebrate our agricultural heritage, and to support the farmers and ranchers who toil to bring food to the collective table.
These meals aren’t always easy to access; they tend to operate as one-off or irregular events.
Sometimes following the organizers on Twitter is the best way to keep in the loop, but here are three venues in the Edmonton region that pride themselves on a connection to the land and its stewards.
MADI SON’ S GRILL
The restaurant in the Union Bank Inn downtown has long enjoyed a reputation for supporting local farmers. Following in that tradition, the restaurant’s new chef, Charla Padilla, hosted her first For the Love of Local supper in March, featuring products from the Edmonton area.
Lori Menshik, a food distributor with a company called Full Course Strategies, attended the event to share the backstory of the menu, which included pork from Irvings Farm Fresh, northern Alberta pike, and apples from British Columbia. The multi-course extravaganza was $85 per person, and more such evenings are planned.
Call dining room manager Kevin Rutowski at 780-4012206 for more information. Madison’s Grill is located at
10053 Jasper Ave.
TEN MILE M EAL
This is a new venture by Edmonton chef Annand Ollivierre and farm-food enthusiast Carol Neuman. The duo have planned a series of three rural suppers for 2013, to be held in Glen Park Hall, south of Calmar and Thorsby, which are small towns just south of Edmonton near Leduc.
The first one, in March, featured local foods, from beets to devilled eggs to smoked whitefish, inspired by the heritage of some of the farmers in the area, in this case, German.
Another Ten Mile Meal is planned in July, and a third come fall. The evening was extremely reasonable at $50 per person, although the price may change depending on the foods on future menus. Go to 10milemeal.com to learn more.
PRAIRI E GARDEN ADVENTURE FARM
Last summer, locavore chef Blair Lebsack of Range Road Dinners worked with Prairie Garden owner Tam Anderson to create a memorable, outdoor supper at Anderson’s U-pick and family fun farm near Bon Accord, located just northeast of Edmonton.
There is another one planned for July 14 at a cost of $107. It’s a five-course dinner created with products from area farms, and paired with British Columbia wines and a local cocktail.
Go to prairiegardensadventurefarm.com to purchase tickets or call 780-921-2272 for information.