Farm-to-table dinner to celebrate local foods

Good Earth Market and Organic Farm will again be hosting a Farm to Table event on Tuesday, June 7. Cocktails will be available from 6 to 7 p.m. in the herb garden and on the patio and dinner will start at 7 p.m., outside, in the field behind the market.

The feast, at a cost of $95 per person, will benefit Children & Families First, Sussex. Carefully selected, locally grown ingredients will be prepared by Plate Catering and paired with wines.
“It’s a really, really exciting event,” said Sue Ryan, owner of the market and farm. “It’s a very unique dining experience.”

Matt Haley, the man behind Plate Catering and several area restaurants, will be preparing the meal, along with his top chefs. Last summer, Haley participated in the first “farm to table” event at Good Earth.

Haley, who came to Southern Delaware about 15 years ago, prides himself on using fresh, local ingredients to promote local business and local products. Later in the season last year, he was invited to host an event for Outstanding in the Field — a movement that celebrates local guest chefs and local products amid the backdrop of beautiful community-filled tables at vineyards, ranches and orchards. This time, it was dinner on the beach at the Indian River Lifesaving Station.

Whether amid the back-drop of a sandy beach and the waves of the ocean, or right on the farm where the food was grown, the “farm to table” concept is catching on. And with plenty of farms still in operation in the area, and new ventures starting each day, Delaware is a great place to be able to eat what you grow.

The first state has a plethora of local food and food products. Within a 50-mile radius, and sometimes less, foodies can get free-range beef and organic chickens and eggs, locally prepared bread, local honey and lavender, local cheese and dairy products, locally made cookies and desserts from all natural ingredients, locally prepared granola and, of course, locally grown vegetables and fruits of many varieties.

Haley added that the “farm-to-table” concept isn’t just about putting some food from the farm on a table. It’s as much about community as it is about food.
“It’s about communicating with people and interacting with people. It’s creating a nice environment where everyone has fun and can celebrate and remember how good Delaware has been to us.”

Call (302) 537-7100 for a reservation. The rain date for the dinner will be the following day. Additional farm-to-table events are slated for later this summer, each to benefit a local non-profit group. For more information, visit goodearthmarket.com.