Winter Dinner Series

By Kevin Sprouse, Chef de Cuisine

One of my favorite things about our restaurant is that it is surrounded by the farm. I have the privilege of getting to work with our growing team to source our produce and meat. I am constantly inspired in the kitchen by the changing seasons and the conversations I have with the farmers and livestock team working in the fields. The philosophy influencing our growing practices is rooted in our dedication to the ecological sustainability of the land.

And what we practice in the fields is reflected in our cooking – working with seasonal, local ingredients as much as we can and working directly with other like-minded food producers. This past summer we’ve been able to partner with incredible farms in our community like Sweet Roots Farm, Trillium Hill Farm, Champlain Valley Creamery, Blue House Mushrooms, Sweet Sound Aqua Culture, Nitty Gritty Grains, and Champlain Orchards to name a few.

This month we are wrapping up our Summer Dinner Series which has been a celebration of the bounty that is summer in Vermont. Sitting outside on the terrace enjoying juicy tomatoes, sweet eggplants, and spicy peppers paired with creamy fresh cheeses and our own grilled grass-fed meats.

My intention with our Summer Dinner Series is to showcase the ingredients we have with minimal preparation and let the flavors of the vegetables speak for themselves. While dinner service is the focus, in the background we are also busy preserving the peak flavors of the season – canning, pickling, drying – to use throughout the winter.

We now head inside as the weather turns colder and the Winter Dinner Series begins in November in the Great Room in the Farm Commons Barn. We will light the fireplace as the evenings grow dark and settle into a cozy and intimate dining experience.

The menu will change just as the seasons do and heartier, richer dishes will feature cold-weather crops like squashes, brassicas, and alliums with aged cheeses and braised meats. We will also put to good use all the summer produce we preserved over the past few months. We are changing the format for the Winter Dinner Series into a five course pre-fixe tasting menu priced at $94.

Our kitchen team has been working hard to develop the menu for this winter and it is going to be a beautiful and intricate meal. We hope you can come dine with us soon and take part in our farm story.