Preparing for the dinner. From left to right: Tom Zippelli, Beau Vestal, Oliver Crawford (behind), Doug Higley

Last Thursday evening, on a gorgeous summer night in Westport, Massachusetts, I had the joy of photographing New Rivers‘ Executive Chef Beau Vestal and his team as they prepared a dinner outdoors in a vineyard for 160 guests. This was the second year Vestal was invited to be part of the Outstanding in the Field tour (photos from last year can be seen here). The diners in Westport were treated to truly a bounty of Rhode Island and Massachusetts food and drink.

The produce, meat, seafood and dairy came from a number of local sources, including: Eva’s Garden in Dartmouth, Plum Point Oysters in North Kingstown, ‘Round the Bend Farm in South Dartmouth, Four Town Farm in Seekonk, Steve Ramos Organic Produce in Bristol, Narragansett Creamery in Providence, Barden Family Orchard in North Scituate, Schartner Farms in Exeter, The Good Earth Gardening Center in Cranston, Big Train Farm in Cranston, Yacht Club Bottling Works in North Providence and North Star Farm in Westport.

The beer was provided by local “gypsy” brewers Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project and the wine was all locally grown as well, produced by Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery where the dinner was held. Ultimately, from this invited observer’s point of view, it was a perfectly picturesque evening as you can see from this sampling of the many photos that were made.

Grilling Plum Point Oysters and 'Round the Bend Farm pork & wild foraged pine sausage

'Round the Bend Farm pork & wild foraged pine sausage

Grilled Plum Point Oyster with a lemon and summer savory butter

Outstanding in the Field table is set along the Westport Rivers grape vineyard

Elizabeth LaMantia grilling 'Round the Bend Farm Tamworth pork loins

Seasoning the grilled squash

Slicing heirloom tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes

Slicing heirloom tomatoes

The guests are seated for dinner

Smoked Rhody bluefish pâté, grilled garlic country bread, fried shallots and Eva's Garden flowers

Cool salad of RI grains & Eva's Garden herbs and purslane with Narragansett Creamery yogurt tzatiki

Heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, onions & Narragansett Creamy Salty Sea Feta

'Round the Bend Farm Tamworth pork loin, grilled and sliced

Vestal demonstrates how the meat course comes together

'Round the Bend Farm Tamworth pork loin, grilled squash & torpedo onion, tomatillo & charred corn chow chow

A section of the table from the vineyard looking west

Guests through the grapes

Blueberry

Plating tarragon & lavender shortcakes with lemon curd & Barden Orchard peaches

Back row (from left to right): Elizabeth LaMantia, Beau Vestal, Tom Zippelli, Oliver Crawford. Front row (from left to right): Christian Morales, Matt Blanchette, Doug Higley, Walter Aldana

Outstanding in the Field

Elizabeth LaMantia & Beau Vestal catching a bite to eat at the end of the night

Schartner Farms's blueberries and blackberries

The fourth annual Farm Fresh Rhode Island Local Food Fest was held this past Tuesday evening and by all accounts it was a huge success in showcasing the amazing bounty of local food, culinary talent and delicious products that Rhode Island has to offer. Even the weather happily participated and it was a gorgeous night at Castle Hill Inn & Resort in Newport. There were over 20 farms, 10 food producers and 12 chefs offering food and wine under the tent and across the lawn at Castle Hill. Several hundred people attended the event, but because of the layout and aforementioned pleasant weather, the evening never seemed too crowded.

The clear crowd-favorite of the evening was Tallulah on Thames‘s Chef Jake Rojas serving Blackbird Farm Mini Beef Burgers with red wine onion jam, arugula, and Great Hill Blue cheese aioli on brioche. There was a constant long line of people at Tallulah’s table until they ran out of burgers (Rojas told me he prepared about 480 of them). Anyone who knows me knows I’m partial to Blackbird Farm’s beef and Rojas did them and himself proud.

I have to give high praise to Chef Champe Speidel’s Warm Soup of Four Town Farm Sweet Corn. When I walked over to Persimmon’s table I wasn’t enthused to see a warm soup on a 80+ degree day in Newport, but it quickly became my favorite dish. Yes, it was warm, but it was so light, almost airy. When I asked how it was done, Speidel told me to get a Vita-Prep, as if I didn’t covet one already. The wood smoked chanterelle mushrooms and zucchini just added so much flavor without overpowering the corn’s sweetness.

Special mention goes to Blackstone Caterers’ Fried Green Tomato with Braised Pork Rillette. Having learned to eat—and make—fried green tomatoes in the South, I’m always a little leery to see them in RI, but these were delicious. My only wish was that Chef Derek Jolie could have made them to order as I bet crisp, right out of the frying oil, they would have been even better.

Other food highlights for me were Chef Matt Jennings of Farmstead‘s Lamb Sausage with Red Planet Potatoes & Arugula and Chef Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway‘s Bomster Scallops with a Cucumber-Tomato Salad. Dessert was covered by several people, but you had to get in line early for Chef Bruce Tillinghast of New Rivers‘ Blueberry Ice Cream with Barden Family Orchard’s White & Yellow Peaches. Chef Tillinghast hand cranks his ice cream! Unfortunately for me, The Cupcakerie was cleaned out before I had a cupcake, but Chef Jonathan Cambra of Castle Hill Inn & Resort had a “surprise” item of mini blueberry cream pies.

To find out more about Farm Fresh Rhode Island and their mission to grow the local food system please take a look here. Visit your local farmers markets this summer and buy some amazingly fresh and delicious food or, if this heat is too much for you, head to a local restaurant that gets product from Farm Fresh’s Market Mobile and see what the great chefs of RI are doing with it.