In this “field of dreams,” if you set up a long table, they will come.
Since 1999, the Santa Cruz-based organization Outstanding in the Field has traveled the world, holding sold out, outdoor “farm to table” wine dinners in farm fields, in gardens, in vineyards, on mountaintops, and even inside sea caves.
The roving culinary adventure teams up with a celebrated chef from each region, who prepares multi-course wine dinners using the freshest local produce from the site or from nearby farms. Chefs are encouraged to be “artistic, spontaneous, and of the season.”
Their mission is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.
The typical Outstanding in the Field event goes like this: 130 to 150 people arrive mid-afternoon and are handed a glass of wine and served appetizers while they mingle among fellow diners. They are greeted and given a tour of the site. Then, everyone settles in, sharing one very long table, for a three-course, family-style meal and dessert. Each course comes with a different, perfectly paired wine. (The events are geared toward adults, not recommended for children.)
“The idea is to bring people out to the farm, give them the opportunity to learn more about where their food is coming from,” explained Leah Scafe, director of Outstanding in the Field.
Each year, Scafe organizes nearly 100 alfresco meals across America and other countries. The 2012 schedule includes four dinners in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
The first local dinner this year is Wednesday, May 16, at Fairview Gardens in Goleta. Chef Rachel Main of Main Course California in Ventura is the guest chef.
“The menu is based on what’s available at that time,” Scafe said. “Rachel will have an idea of what she’s planning, but it comes down to the last couple weeks before the event, seeing what Fairview Gardens has and what the other farms in the area have available to put on the menu.”
The next Central Coast dinner is Thursday, June 7, in San Luis Obispo County at Rinconada Dairy in Santa Margarita, where Christine and Jim Maguire produce handcrafted cheese from raw sheep milk.
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Chef Chris Kobayashi of the revered restaurant Artisan in Paso Robles will design the June 7 menu and prepare the meals. Outstanding in the Field describes Chef Kobayashi like this, “He always creates pretty much the ideal farm dinner, with menus that present a true taste of place.”
There will be two local Outstanding dinners in the fall.
Saturday, Nov. 10, Outstanding in the Field sets up its long table ocean-side at the Abalone Farm in Cayucos, where California Red Abalone are farmed in tide pool-like tanks; the highly sought-after shellfish will most certainly be on the menu, Scafe said.
Esteemed chef Maegen Loring of The Neon Carrot, formerly owner/chef at The Park Restaurant in San Luis Obispo, is the chosen chef for the Abalone Farm dinner. Chef Loring has always been regarded for her “farm-fresh, flavorful food.”
And the final Central Coast Outstanding dinner of the year will be in Santa Barbara County on Sunday, Nov. 11, at Ampelos Vineyards, owned by Rebecca and Peter Work, in the prestigious Santa Rita Hills, near Lompoc.
“It’s a biodynamic, certified organic winery,” Scafe said. “Their wines are awesome! We had an event there last year, and it rained. We’re excited to go back there again and have a sunny event in their vineyard.” Ampelos will be the featured winery at this dinner.
“After parking between three of our vineyard blocks, the participants will get a welcome drink and an introduction to our farming operation,” Peter Work described the setting for his Nov. 11 Outstanding in the Field event. “After a short walk, we arrive under the large oak tree which will have the long table tucked under it. We will enjoy the dinner with the fall colors of the vineyard next to us.”
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The guest chef for this dinner is the innovative Chef Clark Staub of Full of Life Foods in Los Alamos, who is famous in these parts for seeking out the freshest, locally grown, in-season produce.
“He has a big, wood-fired oven that he brings out,” Scafe said of Chef Staub, who is known nationwide for his Full of Life flatbread pizzas.
Extra attention is also given to how the long, winding table is positioned. The table is almost a form of installation art. ‘Outstanding’ founder, Santa Cruz chef/artist Jim Denevan, takes special thought and care in selecting the right spot on the farm for the table to sit.
And in a tradition that continues to this day, “people came toting their own plates from home, showing a myriad of colors and style, each diner contributing to the unique table composition.”
Outstanding has a collection of plates that travel with them from state to state, so people can borrow one if they forget theirs.
Outstanding in the Field tickets went on sale in March, and dinners often sell out quickly. Prices range from $200 to $220 per person, depending on the location. Go to outstandinginthefield.com to make reservations and have an Outstanding experience.
Sun wine and food writer Wendy Thies Sell thinks food just tastes better when eaten in the great outdoors. Contact her at wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 12-19, 2012.