It’s 10 a.m. on a quiet Saturday morning, the temperature hovering at 80 degrees and the skies overcast—a welcome respite from the brutal heat. Farmer Emma Jagoz is reviewing the list of what to harvest from her acre of organic vegetables, fruits and herbs. Emma is the founder and owner of Moon Valley Farm, an organic produce farm with a focus on sustainability, located in the heart of Baltimore County, Maryland. Moon Valley Farm runs a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA) that feeds 20 families and is also home to a flock of chickens and ducks that provide eggs for members and Emma’s own family.
On the night of our visit, Moon Valley Farm was holding a five course, farm-to-table dinner for 10 people, featuring the farm’s stellar produce, and I had the pleasure of cooking it. My wife and I have been longtime friends with Emma, and the opportunity to indulge our culinary prowess using incredibly fresh ingredients from the farm was too good to pass up.
“These are ground cherries,” Emma told us as she pointed out plants that look like miniature tomatillos. “They’re awesome and you should probably use them in tonight’s dinner.” The pineapple flavored fruits became the featured ingredient in the amuse bouche that kicked off the meal, a ground cherry bruschetta on homemade bread (baked by a close friend). Up next was a traditional gazpacho served with a toasted sliver of more homemade bread.
The second course featured skillet green beans with a fish pepper sofrito atop creamy polenta adorned with a drizzle of fish pepper hot sauce. The fish peppers were an especially exciting ingredient to work with as they are a cornerstone ingredient of native Chesapeake Bay cuisine, with known use dating back to the 1800s.
Stuffed summer squash medallions followed, filled with homemade breadcrumbs, New Zealand spinach, cherry tomatoes and more from the farm. For the main course, roasted portabella mushrooms were served with farmstead mashed potatoes, accompanied by a delicate baby lettuce and microgreen salad.
Dessert presented diners with two options: a duck egg brownie or ground cherry blueberry pie. Each was served with a scoop of wineberry and beet syrup ice cream (again made by a friend) that came adorned with crystals of bourbon smoked sea salt.
With the help of my wife and a team of friends, the evening proved a huge success. The menu was not only delicious and on point, but to the surprise of a number of diners, totally vegan (with the exception of the brownies). High summer is one of the most exciting times for foodies who love local seasonal produce, and this dinner gave us a unique opportunity to create a truly farm-to-table meal.
- Images: Roger Hammons
