How close do you eat to your food?

Cows having an appetizer before dinner.

How close to your dinner can you get?

Nearly 100 people showed up for a unique experience, dining with local farmers, ranchers and winemakers to enjoy the food they produce. On Saturday afternoon the wind died down and the sun dazzled the lucky foodie luminaries who attended the Locavore AZ dinner at Superstition Farms in Mesa, AZ.

As guests arrived, they were handed a glass of wine. Well-known local chef James Porter and Superstition Farms owner Casey Stechnij climbed on top of a huge stack of hay bales and welcomed everyone. Guests, farmers, and winemakers all chatted together as they passed the food family-style down the tables set among the cows. Many talked about the calf born on the farm earlier in the day.

Chef James Porter has been a leader in the Arizona local food movement. At Tapino Kitchen and Wine Bar in Scottsdale, he has been serving Locavore dinners to guests at the restaurant. Now he is taking the movement outdoors with Locavore AZ. Once a month, food producers, winemakers, and guests gather in an outdoor setting to celebrate a four-course locally prepared food and wine pairing dinner.

Here is the menu from Saturday:

Reception
A parade of local flavors
Pillsbury "One Night Stand" Rose, Cochise County, AZ '08
 
Family style farm dinner
 
first course
Native tepary bean hummus with rustic grilled flat bread and
Queen Creek Olive Oil
Keeling-Schaefer "Two Reds" Grenache, Cochise County, AZ '07
 
second course
Seacat Gardens green salad with his award winning Italian heirloom tomatoes, glazed turnips, Superstition Farm farmer's cheese, roasted Maya’s Farm beets and her herb garden vinaigrette
Pillsbury "Roan Red" Blend, Cochise County, AZ '06
 
third course
Spit roasted Meat Shop suckling pig and charbroiled Double Check Ranch beef
with Maya's braised fennel, rosemary carrots,
campfire One Windmill Farm potatoes and creamed spinach
Keeling-Schaefer "Three Sisters" Syrah, Cochise County, AZ '06

dessert
Green Valley pecan and Sphinx Date Ranch
"brown betty pie" with Udder Delights old fashioned ice cream

(Sonoran Brewing Root Beer & Filtered Tapino Sparkling Water will be served as
non-alcoholic alternatives)

Available website links are provided below.

Upcoming dinners will be held at Ash Creek Ranch in Dewey; Dos Cabezas Winery in Sonoita; The Grand Canyon; and Apple Annie’s Orchard in Willcox.

The wines paired up with the courses, including the final course of dessert paired with a lovely commemorative Superstition Farms wineglass filled with milk.

At one point during the dinner, Porter tried to get the wave going up and down the table. Everyone quickly learned that cows startle when you do the wave.

Sam Pillsbury, who makes wine down in Cochise County and makes movies in Hollywood, talked about his winemaking business. “I want to confess. I planted wine grape vines in Southeast Arizona before I was aware of the slow food movement or the ecological benefits of local production. I have always grown my own vegetables and fruit for the same reason...I am a sensualist... creating my own food source, fresh and organic tastes better, and in the case of the wine, I wanted to create a distinctive local identity for a regional wine.”

Pillsbury is originally from New Zealand, where he first learned the filmmaking business and observed the winemaking business before moving to the United States.

“Nine years ago it took a year to get one of my wines into a restaurant. Now 75% of the time they are keen to try them. Locavore is part of this movement. I applaud James, Wendy (Goldman) and everyone for their creative thinking in launching this series. It is funny, fun, and tasty and it creates a great sense of community. Just what food and wine, eating and drinking, should be all about.”

Chef James Porter also feels strongly about community. When asked why he supports the locavore movement, he stated, “So the money stays within the community. That’s what community is. Strong communities survive through thick and thin.”

Porter thought the inaugural dinner provided a great foundation for dinners in the future. “I thought it was wonderful. I thought it was amazing. It was a great start to all the dinners we have coming up.”
He attributed much of the success to the food producers involved in the project.
“We are all very passionate about what we do,” he said

Future events are scheduled at working ranches, farms, and wineries around Arizona, as well as the Grand Canyon.

 “I liked eating with the cows,” said Pillsbury.

Reservations are required. Guests should wear comfortable clothing, appropriate for visiting a farm.

Photos by Sparkin Productions