Mmm - Hog Jowls! - Coppell Farmer's Market Farm to Table Dinner: Ok, so hog jowl sausage was only one ingredient in one item. (the Ravioli) This was the 5th annual dinner put together...

asjohnston3 Loc: Irving, TX

Ok, so hog jowl sausage was only one ingredient in one item. (the Ravioli)
This was the 5th annual dinner put together by a great group of folks. The Coppell Farmer's Market along with the city of Coppell, TX. Wine , Mead, Cheese, Meat, Poultry, Veggies, Grains, Bread, ect. provided by the vendors. (My wife provided the Wild Alaska Salmon for one of the appetizers) Dishes prepared by some of the most talented Chefs in the DFW area. Prep. work by the indentured servants - excuse me, I mean students from Le Cordon Bleu - Dallas, Probably THE best Cooking Academy in the southwest. (accredited and licenced by the original in Paris) Yada, yada, yada... It was an amazing dinner... Wish you ALL could have been there.

The line-up!

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Perfect Table Settings.... Fresh Wildflowers...

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Spring Roll w/ Pickled veg.'s, Bacon, ect....

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A Sangiovese from The Blue Ostrich Winery

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Spring Greens, Tomato confit, Lemon Olive oil

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Plating for the Main Course...

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Maple Glazed Barley, Pork Belly & Pepitas...

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Fresh Lime & Mint Mojito Popsicles

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The Main course, almost ready to go...

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Sous Vide Chicken, Pork Sausage Ravioli, etc.

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Russian River Valley Pinot Noir....

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Eagle Mt. Cheeses, Seared Peach, ect.

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The Desert Course served w/ Sparkling Mead

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The crew from Le Cordon Bleu, Dallas!

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oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

ajohnston3 wrote:

Ok, so hog jowl sausage was only one ingredient in one item. (the Ravioli)
... Wish you ALL could have been there.

i hate uber restaurants where you have to order two meals in order to get enough to eat.

asjohnston3 Loc: Irving, TX

oldtigger wrote:

i hate uber restaurants where you have to order two meals in order to get enough to eat.

This was all put together by volunteers, all the ingredients were donated, The vendors tickets were gratas, The chefs and students volunteered their time, The servers were volunteers from the Farmer's market group, It was held outdoors at the Coppell Garden Center.... The point is to show what CAN be done when a community works together..... And the portions were quite substantial, thank you....

Didereaux Loc: Swamps of E TX

Maybe harsh, but I think perhaps 'Foodies' are 140 bricks shy of a wheelbarrow load. Teensy portions of the worst cuts of meat, fancy garnish and prices that would make an Arab Sheik blush.

GregWCIL Loc: Illinois

You did a fine job chronicling the event. Makes my mouth water. I played with food photography a little back in college. It is extremely challenging and there are many many tricks to that trade.

Thanks for sharing and hope the benefit was a success. (Not sure what's up with the grumps who don't enjoy that kind of food. Nobody is forcing them to eat it or even look at the photos.)

ajohnston3 wrote:

Ok, so hog jowl sausage was only one ingredient in... (show quote)

asjohnston3 Loc: Irving, TX

Didereaux wrote:

Maybe harsh, but I think perhaps 'Foodies' are 140 bricks shy of a wheelbarrow load. Teensy portions of the worst cuts of meat, fancy garnish and prices that would make an Arab Sheik blush.

I think you missed the whole point.... This was a dinner to raise money for local community projects. All volunteer crew - the chefs, servers, the folks who did the setup and teardown at the city venue, the jazz band and the photographer - all volunteers & all the ingredients for the dinner were donated by the vendors - the folks who grow and raise and make the stuff... The folks who did shell out for tickets (& the dinner sold out in 15 min.) knew that the money was going to support the Coppell Community Gardens (which donate most of their yield to local food banks) & other worthwhile orgs. The portions were substantial, the Chefs were world class and so was the chow....

asjohnston3 Loc: Irving, TX

GregWCIL wrote:

You did a fine job chronicling the event. Makes my mouth water. I played with food photography a little back in college. It is extremely challenging and there are many many tricks to that trade.

Thanks for sharing and hope the benefit was a success. (Not sure what's up with the grumps who don't enjoy that kind of food. Nobody is forcing them to eat it or even look at the photos.)

Thanks & it WAS... big time! The pro photographer at the event (who also donated his time) was a food photographer for 10 years (out of 40+)... He told me that this event was the best thing he he got to do all year. Not everyone has had a chance to try world class food prepared by world class Chefs using local ingredients.... Hope they get a chance someday... I'm lucky enough to have an inside track... My son is a Chef! Last year he acquired some pork bellies from by wife's brother and at Christmas gave the gift of Bacon! (Bacon so good you would slap yo mama to get some! :) )

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

GregWCIL wrote:

... (Not sure what's up with the grumps who don't enjoy that kind of food. Nobody is forcing them to eat it or even look at the photos.)

It was a well shot set of a group of people who seemed to be enjoying setting out a good spread under trying conditions.

I just come from old school that feels if 1 bite of something good is good then 2 bites is even better.

asjohnston3 Loc: Irving, TX

oldtigger wrote:

It was a well shot set of a group of people who seemed to be enjoying setting out a good spread under trying conditions.

I just come from old school that feels if 1 bite of something good is good then 2 bites is even better.

Good food does not have to come in small portions (that's a myth perpetuated by food channels and magazines) if you are eating one entree but...... Sometimes a few bites are right when the food just keeps coming (8 courses for this dinner) I just wish I could explain how GOOD some of these dishes were. The Sous vide Chicken was a dark meat chicken roll stuffed with a pesto braised in a triple condensed stock. The pork was generous slices of fork tender, juicy heritage breed hogs raised by my wife's brother. The pork sausage Ravioli was made using hog jowls which has more flavor per ounce than any other cut. That along with the traditional mustard greens made a main dish that was substantial and amazingly delicious. Darn... now I'm drooling on my keyboard... :)

DragonsLady Loc: Los Alamos, NM

Great shots of good food, all for a worthy cause. I was stuffed before I finished reading the menu.

woodweasel Loc: bellingham Wa

Thank you for sharing. 😎 it all looks so good👍👍👍

pkricker Loc: Woodstock, NY, USA

Boy! Talk about cruel! The photos were terrific, but this description is enough to make me weep, and I'm not even hungry.

ebbote Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good series Albert.

asjohnston3 Loc: Irving, TX

DragonsLady wrote:

Great shots of good food, all for a worthy cause. I was stuffed before I finished reading the menu.

Thanks.... The guy who does the 'popsicles' does one with Rosemary and Strawberry puree that is really amazing....

asjohnston3 Loc: Irving, TX

pkricker wrote:

Boy! Talk about cruel! The photos were terrific, but this description is enough to make me weep, and I'm not even hungry.

Thanks.... I COULD go into more detail (like the Red Onion Marmalade w/ the cheese course) But I haven't had lunch yet & I just don't think I could take it..... :)