From Market to Table: A Delicious Dinner Party and New Friends

From Market to Table, Four New Friends Toast to a wonderful fall dinner (Left to right: me, April, Colleen, and Allison)

Sense of community is one quality that really draws me to the farmers market. It's the bustling of people coming together to seek out good food and appreciate those who grow and produce it for us. After shopping at the market regularly for nearly a year now, I know that I will be greeted each Saturday face to face by my favorite farmers, cheese makers, and even egg vendors.  

But the blogging community is quite different, you see. When I discuss my "blog friends" with John, his response is often a confused look brought on by the use of the word "friend" to describe people I only know virtually.   

This Sunday, I was able to take my much beloved sense of community from the farmers market and literally bring it to the dinner table with a group of blog friends. And you see, these friends will no longer be mere virtual entities (whose blog designs come to mind when I mention their name), but actual people who shared a market to table meal together with a celebratory wine toast to every new course.

Just in time for the cold winter months, Chef Eric Ripert posted a "Dinner Social Photo Challenge" on his blog Avec Eric. The theme for the month of November was The Market Table: a perfect theme for a farmers market foodie like myself. Chef Ripert posted a complete menu, planning tips, and wine pairing on Avec Eric here. 

April Fulton, of the Food Scribe, rounded up a wonderful group of fellow food bloggers including Colleen of Foodie Tots and Allison of the Humble Gourmande. April challenged us to hold a stress-free dinner party.  With this in mind, we used the good old divide and conquer strategy and split the menu four ways. 

I took the main course: Roasted leg of lamb with Market Vegetables. And truly, this was the perfect market to table menu for November. Here are my photos from the Sunday morning DuPont Circle Farmers Market. 

Brussels Sprouts stalks were an exciting find.

Golden Beets (and the more popular red beets rest in the back)

Russian Banana Fingerling potatoes

Fresh Carrots

After purchasing all of the fall market vegetables, I stopped at my favorite butcher shop, Let's Meat on the Avenue, to pick up the leg of lamb.

And then, I dashed off to April's lovely home to join three other cooks as we assembled a delicious meal.

As we worked in the kitchen, we snacked on two delicious canapes. 

Allison's endive with blue cheese, prosciutto, and pomegranate seeds (Photo: Allison)

Allison also provided the wine pairing for each course, which we all enjoyed tremendously, especially April.

All kidding aside, April did do a fantastic job putting together these caramelized onion and olive croustades.

 

Parmesan cheese falls onto the croustades just before they hit the oven

Out of the oven and delicious (Photo by Allison)

Colleen made the first course: a pumpkin soup. She also purchased her ingredients and the clever Celebration Squash bowls from the farmers market.

Pumpkin Soup with Creme Fraiche and toasted pumpkin seeds

After some more wine and a wonderful helping of soup, it was time for the main course.  I proudly retrieved it from the oven.

 

Photo of me by Colleen

 

And brought it to share at the table.

Yum, yum. 

We thought we were completely full until April mentioned the dessert to us: maple roasted pears with bourbon chocolate sauce. As a special treat, April also made homemade chestnut ice cream to accompany the pears. 

Now there's something to toast to. 

For those of you who couldn't join us at the table to share this meal, I hope you enjoyed the virtual recap of a delicious evening.

Now, wander over to read more from Allison, April, and Colleen. Or, check out our entire photo collection on Flickr and our entry at Avec Eric listed under "The Scribe."