Holland American Flowers in Woodland, WA was the final stop on the 2016 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour this past Sunday, November 6.
Lamb pops marinated in rosemary and balsamic vinaigrette were passed to accompany the salad course.
The evening began with a festive reception including a boutonniere station that many guests took advantage of.
Chef Michael Borges prepared an arugula salad topped with goat cheese sourced from Cloud Nine Farm in Ridgefield, WA.
More than 125 locavores were treated to a Field to Vase dinner at Holland America Flowers in Woodland, WA.
Dessert featured Confluence Winery’s Syrah in the syrah-poached pears with chocolate ganache.
On Sunday Nov. 6, more than 125 locavores were treated to a farm-to-table event where petals and blooms were the guests of honor. Community tables positioned end-to-end inside a cozy and brightly-decorated greenhouse marked Holland America Flowers as the last stop on the 2016 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour.
Since 2012, the American floral industry has been managing an effective campaign to bring American-grown flowers to the attention of consumers. From farmers to designers to floral shops, the Certified American Grown Flowers designation is a culmination of their collaborative efforts.
Taking a page from the successful farm to fork handbook, American Grown Flowers is looking to “connect the dots” as Kasey Cronquist, administrator for Certified American Grown Flowers, said. American Grown launched its Field to Vase Dinner Tour in 2015. Ten flower farms covered the nation — from Florida to Colorado to California — with one singular goal in mind; to create an interactive evening that took guests from the fields to the greenhouses with floral demonstrations and an opportunity to meet the farm owners.
“The flowers at the center of your table should be as fresh, local and sustainably grown as the food at the center of your plate,” Cronquist said.
At Woodland’s Holland America, the evening began with a festive reception accented by live music, beautifully-crafted centerpieces on each cocktail table and a boutonniere station that many guests took advantage of.
Attendees were also invited to join Holland America Farms owner, Benno Dobbe, on a behind-the-scenes tour of his facility. From coolers where the bulbs are stored and sprouting in various stages; to the planting station showcasing the most gorgeous pile of dirt anyone had ever seen; to the greenhouses brimming with rows of tulips seemingly days away from blooming, this was the intimate piece of every Field to Vase Dinner that organizers want the community to experience.
It’s the opportunity to reprogram the disconnect when we hurriedly purchase a random bouquet of flowers on our way home from work or on our way to a housewarming party. We’ve considered our attire, the wine, maybe even put together a salad made of organic field greens but what about the flowers?
According to Diane Szukovathy of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, nearly 80 percent of all flowers sold in the U.S. come from South America and, while it’s wonderful to be a global economy and support other nations, many South American farmers utilize pesticides not approved for use in the United States.
In similar fashion to wanting more quality control over that which we put in our mouths, it’s the hope of American Grown Flowers that people will begin to desire that same quality for flowers brought into their homes.
Hilary Holmes of Emerald Petals was the wizard behind every tablescape design punctuating the event. This 17-year floral veteran conducted a brief bulb-planting demonstration and answered questions from a captivated audience.
Of course no slow food dinner would be complete without well-chosen courses and adult beverages. Hyper-local wines by Confluence Vineyards in Ridgefield paired perfectly with a trio of crostini appetizers; an arugula salad topped with organic beets, fresh pears, candied walnuts and goat cheese followed; lamb pops marinated in rosemary and balsamic vinaigrette were passed to accompany the salad course; and rosemary made another appearance with prime rib au jus over oven-roast root vegetables and a dollop of peppercorn horseradish cream. Syrah poached pears with chocolate ganache ended the night on a sweet note.
As with other Field to Vase dinners, the menu was designed around sustainability and local sourcing. Bread was provided by Vancouver’s Bleu Door Bakery, both the pink peppercorn and farm fresh goat cheese were produced by Cloud Nine Farm in Ridgefield, and all other main ingredients—from golden beets to turnips, parsnips, pears and prime rib—were farm-sourced.
At the helm of the kitchen for the night was Chef Michael Borges of Mill Creek Pub. Pulling from over 30 years of cooking experience, Borges deftly orchestrated construction and execution of a menu worthy of a stop along the nationally-acclaimed Field to Vase Dinner Tour
Confluence Winery’s Chardonnay, Syrah and Equilibrium selections complemented each course with elegance and sophistication. No one wine overpowered the fresh fare but, rather, balanced the acidity and weight of the ingredients it was matched with.
Eastside Distillery also kindly offered up their bourbon to create a themed Tulip Burnside Bourbon Cocktail and Alameda Brewing made sure hop heads were not left out of the mix.
To keep abreast of the 2017 Field to Vase Dinner Tour, go to www.americangrownflowers.org/fieldtovase/.
