Oaxaca is the capital of mezcal. As complex and nuanced as fine wine, mezcal can be made with more than three dozen types of agave, each contributing its own flavor to the finished blend. Many of these maguey species grow in the wild, and some take up to 20 years to mature. Mezcal Real Minero is one of the only female-owned palenques in the state, and Graciela and her brother Edgar are considered some of the world’s finest producers. Their great grandfather, Papa Chico, was one of the town’s early palenqueros. We will taste through several smoky mezcals before our meal from guest chef Rodolfo Castellanos. He was the first winner of Top Chef Mexico and is very much a local culinary celebrity here. At Origen, Chef Rodo’s menus honor the native ingredients and traditional cooking techniques of his Oaxacan homeland.
Oaxaca es la capital del mezcal. Tan complejo y lleno de matices como un buen vino, el mezcal puede elaborarse con más de tres docenas de tipos de agave, cada uno de los cuales aporta su propio sabor a la mezcla final. Muchas de estas especies de maguey sólo crecen en estado salvaje, y algunas tardan hasta 20 años en madurar. Mezcal Real Minero es uno de los únicos palenques propiedad de mujeres en el estado, y Graciela y su hermano Edgar están considerados como unos de los mejores productores del mundo. Su bisabuelo, Papa Chico, fue uno de los primeros palenqueros de la ciudad. Degustaremos varios mezcales ahumados antes de la comida del chef invitado Rodolfo Castellanos. Fue el primer ganador de Top Chef México y es toda una celebridad culinaria local. En Origen, los menús del chef Rodo honran los ingredientes autóctonos y las técnicas culinarias tradicionales de su tierra natal, Oaxaca.
Araxi restaurant has been described as the best restaurant in Canada. Nothing like a good recommendation to get dinner plans moving. Outstanding In The Field tour coordinator Leah Scafe hails from B.C. Canada and Leah is excited to show our many Outstanding fans a taste of home. Our local producer is Jordan Sturdy of North Arm Farm located in the scenic Pemberton Valley. Not only is Jordan Sturdy our featured farmer, he is the mayor of nearby Pemberton. Araxi chef James Walt will gather this and all of the B.C bounty for a locavore feast.
Canada? We are in the neighborhood. Eastern Canada is new for Outstanding in the Field. We have set the table in Western Canada several times. Cowbell looks like a great restaurant (nice name). Very farm-connected with lots of culinary chops. Chef Mark has ‘farmer nights’ in the restaurant. We LOVE the ‘farmer nights’ concept. The idea for Outstanding in the Field was born out of a series of very successful ‘farmer dinners’ in California way back in the late 1990’s. With these dinners the farmer gets a meal prepared by the chef, the farmer gets to talk and the guests learn about where food comes from. Take it all outside and you have Outstanding in the Field. We look forward to setting the table at Dennis and Denise Harrison’s Dingo Farms.
For a number of years our Outstanding in the Field tour has visited University of British Columbia Farm located within the city of Vancouver. After several events UBC Farm director Mark Bomford and the Outstanding in the Field crew at have become good friends. This year we thought we would mix it up and check out a farm in the Fraser Valley just outside the city. Glorious Organics in Aldergrove has a CSA program and also supplies produce to area restaurants including West, whose very talented chef, David Gunawan will join us in the field.
Our first Montreal area event. Market gardener Jean Pierre Bertrand has a very small farm. He is known for growing small scale for discerning Montreal area chefs. If you have dined at Montreal’s best restaurants, now you can get outside and see where it comes from. Jean Pierre will give a thorough tour of the profuse greenery of his back 40 meters before we walk a short distance to gather at our long table. Chef Samuel Pinard of the restaurant La Salle a Manger sent us to gardener Jean Pierre and we will send Samuel out to the field.
Beautiful. The Okanagan region is a destination for many reasons, many or most of them food and wine. A few years back we had our long table laid out high above Lake Okanagan. Guest chefs Cameron Smith and Dana Ewart joined us for that memorable event. This year Dana and Cameron join OITF at Covert Farms, near the town of Oliver in the South Okanagan. We’ll get a tour of the farm and hear the Covert Family story.
We’re going to Mexico! Come with us to a secret beach, off the beaten path, where we will set the table near the calm, lapping waves. Chef Calixto Gattás will prepare a feast of local seafood from our guest fisherman (including oysters fresh off the boat!), and beautiful produce from the region. We will also feature local tequila and wine!
Our hosts are Jean-Martin Fortier, whose book The Market Gardener has a dedicated following worldwide; Danny Hadley, the farm’s livestock manager, and Maxime Bilet, co-writer of Modernist Cuisine who heads up La Ferme’s on-site culinary lab. Jean-Martin has been described as a rockstar farmer. This might suggest some musical ability. Regardless, we’ll be pleased to see his acclaimed methods in the field. And we expect Jean-Martin and his team will be in perfect harmony with Marc Cohen, chef/butcher/co-owner of Lawrence, whose attention to the best quality ingredients is central to his approach.
