| Feast of Fields 09 |
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Feast of Fields is right, this event moves from field to field each year celebrating the organic horn of plenty that Ontario is. This is the first year that I have been a part of the outdoor event which, if you know me, the outdoor part may be what took me so long. That said, I was thrilled to be a part of it. Over the past few months, I have been squirreled away developing some product for Hallelujah Organics, a small organization that connects organic meat farmers with consumers who want only the best, naturally raised, organic meat, chicken and wild line-caught fish. Some of our products will be hitting the shelves in the next few weeks, likely in health food stores at first. One of those products is a Provencal spice rub that caused quite at stir at this event as it was rubbed on the chicken, then used in the dish that we presented. It is remarkably rewarding to create something small, in isolation, test it, send it out for someone else to re-create, retest it and then bring it to an event like this to have contemporaries and guests alike go….mmmmmm! Much of the time, I was manning the bbq with my main man, Pierre who can work beside me in any tight kitchen, anywhere. The man has peripheral vision as well as a vision for what needs to be done next, without my input. (and, the guy’s a painter , sheesh). The rest of the team, plated like pro’s and did the dish proud with their explanations and accepted the compliments with grace. Occasionally, when I looked up, I would see the guests take a bite of our Hallelujah Organic Provencal Chicken Stack and wait. I would wait for their eye brows to go up even before they had finished the first swallow. When the eyebrows go up as the chin nods once and the corners of the mouth twitch downward, it means, mmmm, surprise, delight, mmmmmm. It is the motion that we look for, we 60 sweaty chefs (note the tippy toes when posing with Michael Smith! It is the approval that we seek after weeks of planning, days of prepping and hours on our feet in the sun. It’s one of the simple things in life that I have learned to take pleasure in. Thanks everyone, awesome feast! |
