2013 Dinner Season
The dates and themes for the 2013 Dinners on the Farm are here! The base prices range from $65 - 100 per seat depending on the dinner. The sales tax of 8.75% will be added to the price of the seat when you make reservations. Each dinner's price (including sales tax) will be listed on the ShowClix website, when tickets for the dinner can be purchased. Please note that there are ONLY 40 seats available for sale for each dinner and each person can purchase no more than 4 seats per dinner. The first five dates went on sale in late February and are sold out; the next group of five dates will go on sale SATURDAY, MAY 4TH AT 4PM; the last group of fall dates will go on sale some time in early August.
May 18th – Celebrate Spring
This is our first dinner of the 2013 season. As has become our tradition, expect an explosion of spring flavors such as Caveny Farm Katadin lamb, ramps (wild leeks), spring greens, sweet turnips, asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries. SOLD OUT.
The Menu
Upon Arrival
Rhubarb and Lemon Honey Tea
Rainbow Chard and Feta Pie
Charcuterie Plate, Mostarda, Pickled Ramps
Chevre Crostini with Pickled Beets, Walnut Pesto and Arugula
First Course
White Bean Salad, Crispy Mushrooms, Herbs, Asparagus, Egg, Green Garlic Aioli
Main Course
Wood Roasted Caveny Farm Lamb, Chive Spaetzle, Pea Shoots, Preserved Lemon
Napini and Chard Gratin
Cheese Course
PFF Cheese Plate, Honey, Seasonal Jam
Dessert
Rhubarb Cake, Honey Ginger Ricotta Gelato, Rhubarb Sauce
May 25th – Sunday Dinner Club "For their Love of Chicken"
The Sunday Dinner Club Crew is back, and they will be frying up lots of local fried chicken at the farm! Josh and Christine are joining us early this season, because they are getting ready to open a new restaurant in Chicago. Come get a sneak peak of foods from their new venture, “Honey Butter Fried Chicken” – coming soon, but coming to the farm even sooner! SOLD OUT.
Menu
1st Course
June 1st – Perennial Virant "Can Can"
What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than with some fantastic preserves and incredible food! All of this will be brought to you by Paul Virant! A seasoned veteran in the wide world of preserving, pickling, and canning, Paul will bring some his most innovative creations. Paul follows his Perennial Virant philosophy to a tee – “eat what you can – can what you can’t.” We invite you to join us in eating what he canned! SOLD OUT.
June 15th – Bar Pastoral "City Pub in the Country"
Bar Pastoral is a new cheese and wine bistro adjacent to the original Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread, and Wine Shop in Chicago. Chef Chrissy, as seen on Top Chef Seattle, will be showcasing her love of cheese, charcuterie, pickles, and other local ingredients. Last year she spent the day making cheese with us, and this year we are excited to have her become a part of the dinner season. SOLD OUT.
June 29th – Bacaro "Summer Vegetarian"
Thad Morrow, chef/owner of Bacaro, Champaign is back for another season. He will be making the trek from Bacaro, in downtown Champaign, across town and out into the country! His SUV will be packed with lots of early summer vegetables! That is right! This year, he is mixing things up a bit and setting aside the pork. Thad will be cooking up an array of vegetarian dishes that are sure to please. SOLD OUT.
July 13th – Big Grove Tavern "Local Comfort Farm"
We would like to welcome the newest Farm-to-Table restaurant in Champaign, to our farm table. Chef Jessica will be featuring produce, meats, and farms from around central Illinois. She brings the slow food movement from San Francisco to our farm in the Midwest. Her classic, comforting take on local fare will be sure to delight! SOLD OUT.
July 27th – "Greek Feast"
Summer vegetables have a way of lending themselves to Mediterranean cuisine. This year we will be serving up a feast including bison moussaka, prawns, feta, and more. We hope you can join us when we bring a little bit of Greece to the farm for a Greek feast…OPA! SOLD OUT.
August 10th – Jared Van Camp "Downstate Reunion"
We are thrilled to have Danville native, Jared van Camp, cook for us again this season! He is taking time from his very busy schedule to return to his roots and slow things down with us at the farm. His restaurants in Chicago, Old Town Social and Nellcote, are famous throughout the windy city. With his “obsessively house made” foods, he has been featured in Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, among others. His charcuterie is the cat's meow (and the dog's bark)! SOLD OUT.
August 24th – "Fiesta Mexicana"
Our Mexican fiesta on the farm is back this year, and we plan to offer up a “spicy” menu reflecting the diverse cuisines of Mexico. We'll lean on our secret Mexican "manos" to lend a special hand to this eclectic menu. All of the dishes will be prepared using local and sustainably raised ingredients. SOLD OUT.
September 7th – "Asian Vegetarian"
Chef Shin Matsuda of Slurping Turtle and Arami in Chicago will join Alisa in the kitchen for this year’s fall vegetarian event. The dinner will feature produce and eggs from Lucky Duck Farm in Forrest, Illinois. Lucky Duck Farm is a small organic farm that exemplifies diversity, complexity, and sustainability. We will create an Asian inspired vegetarian menu that highlights the unique vegetables Emma and Kiyoshi grow. With a top-notch team in the kitchen and in the field, this meal will knock your socks off! SOLD OUT.
September 21st – "Food Flashback to 2008"
Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd have nothing on us, because we are going back to the future! We are re-creating one of the first meals ever served at the farm. A flashback to where it all began five seasons ago! Many things have changed around the farm throughout the past few years, but this dinner will not be one of them! Red currant glazed chicken will once again be the star of the show! So, start up your DeLorean and join us for a blast from the past.
October 26th – The 100 Yard Dinner or “The Whey to Raise a Pig”
You’ve probably heard about the 100 mile diet – attempting to eat foods sourced within 100 miles of your home. Well, it is our tradition to feed you a sumptuous “extreme local” meal featuring foods grown or raised within 100 yards of where you will dine. This year’s menu will feature a hog raised on the whey from our cheese making process.
November 3rd – "Beer, Cheese and Pumpkins"
It has become a winter tradition at the farm to pair up with the Blind Pig Brewery and taste our way through some local micro brews and local food. Whatever the beers of the season, we will pair our menu to best complement the style Bill the Brewer, has developed. We'll also welcome back world-cucurbit expert Mac Condill of 100 Acres Farm (aka "The Great Pumpkin Patch, Arthur, IL) who will regale our dinner guests with squash tales from around the globe. It may be cold outside, but it will be warm and toasty in the dining room.
December 7th – "Holiday"
The final dinner of the 2013 season! It is crazy how fast the year flies, so we like to slow things down a bit for this dinner. Baby it's cold outside, but we promise to serve up some warm comfort food, and get you geared up for the holiday season.
To stay up to date with dinner sales - sign-up for the newsletter (through our website) or follow us on Facebook (Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery). We will keep you posted on all of our dinner events and details!
A little information about how to order: Our e-commerce site for placing reservations is ShowClix. You can click on this link and then click on their specific links to each of the dinner dates. If you prefer to make reservations by phone, you can order tickets by phone (at no additional cost) by calling, 1-888-71-TICKETS. Their call center is open Monday through Friday, 9:00AM - 9:00PM (EST).
