Farm-to-Orchard Dinner
Story by Clifford Hart
Photographed by dKol Photography
A fortunate group of Hudson Valley farm-to-table enthusiasts gathered for a feast of taste-bud-boggling proportions at the Angry Orchard farm in Walden, NY, on August 24, organized by Organic Hudson Valley.
As guests nibbled on local cheeses from Sprout Creek Farm and deviled eggs from Fishkill Farms and sipped the first of several paired Angry Orchard ciders with their appetizers, the sun set over the Shawangunk range, spilling the last of its golden rays on some very happy people.
That perfect moment was followed by a lovely family-style dinner, where guests were able to sample an array of delicacies from nearby farms—mushroom risotto from Dan Madura Farms, beef short ribs from Wheatley Farm, and chicken ragout from Fishkill Farms—all prepared by culinary master John Lekic of Farmers and Chefs Food Truck. And each dish was colorfully paired with ciders expressly chosen by Angry Orchard professionals to complement the flavors of the meal.
As if that wasn’t enough gustatory excitement for one evening, after the meal the cider masters unveiled a truly novel cider-drinking experience involving “shooting” the beverage into glasses from an elevated barrel called a txotx. An age-old method of aerating still cider, known as a sidra pour, provided a fun, theatrical element to the party as guests held out their glasses to catch the spraying cider, which was indeed frothy and delicious.
The evening wound down with roasted marshmallows and s’mores around the Angry Orchard fire pit, where the mingling and conversation continued and many new farm-to-table friends were made. All in all, it was a delicious and extraordinary evening in one of the Hudson Valley’s most beautiful venues.
More photos of the event:
