In photos: Root Bottom’s farm-to-table dinner

Posted on by Josh O'Conner
On Saturday, July 11, Root Bottom Farm held the first of tree local foods dinners it will host this summer. Photos by Josh O'Conner

Madison County’s Root Bottom Farm welcomed guests to its first farm-to-table dinner on Saturday, July 11.  The dinner — one of three that Root Bottom Farm will be offering this summer — combined produce from the farm with other locally sourced foods to create a unique seasonal menu for the evening’s 30 diners.

Farm proprietors Morgan and Sarah Decker welcomed guests to the farm with a tour, providing insight into how Root Bottom operates and explaining its no-spray, organic practices. The farm tour also provided the story behind the Decker’s efforts to clean up the property and shared some of their vision for its future.

The dinner, held in front of the farm’s newly renovated barn, gave diners a chance to sample a variety of Madison County fare in a family-style affair that featured such  highlights as Root Bottom’s dandelion wine, garlic butter and freshly-packed strawberry jam.

The dinner was eclectic and rustic, incorporating floral arrangements that drew from the farm’s gardens and featuring vintage place settings — all together, a homey and down-to-earth feel.

Dava Melton of Blessed 2 Cook prepared a meal based on the farm’s produce and other regional delights, including meat and eggs from Dry Ridge Farm, bread from Smoke Signals Bakery, ice cream from The Hop, dressings from Sunset Valley Farm, and cheese from Three Graces Dairy.  Diners were treated to a light but elegant menu that underscored the quality of the ingredients and emphasized just how much the region has to offer from a culinary perspective.

Following the dinner, performers West of Roan offered a multimedia show featuring shadow puppets and handcrafted marionettes along with music, which included both acapella and fiddle renditions of Scots-Irish-inspired tunes.

For more information on Root Bottom Farm, visit the website (rootbottomfarm.com) or blog rootbottom.blogspot.com. Root Bottom products can be found various restaurants in Asheville, the West Asheville Tailgate Market and the Madison County Farmers and Artisans Market.

 

 

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About Josh O'Conner
Josh O’Conner is an urban/land use planner with a passion for urban agriculture. He can be reached at @kalepiracy or @joshoconner on Twitter or e-mailed at josh.oconner@gmail.com.
View all posts by Josh O'Conner →

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