Turned vegetables prepped for the Pork Belly dish

This past November the chefs from Seasons at the Ocean House prepared a six-course meal with wine pairings from local winery Jonathan Edwards as part of their New England Harvest dinner at the James Beard House in New York City. Led by Chef de Cuisine Eric Haugen, several items stood out as testaments to not only the Ocean House’s experienced staff, but also the local New England ingredients they work hard to source. A Duck Liver Mousse Crostini had the perfect amount of richness with a great offset of crunchy texture. The Celery Root Panna Cotta with Watch Hill Honey Glaze, Casteveltrano Olives, Meyer Lemon and Coriander had an incredible combination of flavors. The Vermont Pork Belly with Toasted Farro, Native Winter Root Vegetables and Juniper-Scented Consomme was perfectly cooked—the pork belly prepared sous vide before searing it—and the richness of the belly was greatly tempered by the earthy faro. As much as we all love dessert I rarely clean my final plate after a meal like this, but I actually did eat every bit of Pastry Chef Adam Young’s Local Squash and Dairy Study. The wine pairings from Jonathan Edwards (I was at the dinner as a guest of the winery) were spot on, beginning with an excellent match of their 2009 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc with the Panna Cotta and an even more perfect pairing of their 2007 Napatree Point Zinfandel with the Pork Belly dish.