(Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a two-part report on the relationship between the farmer and chef.)
The connection between the farmer and the chef is more than just the words “farm fresh” on a menu. Very few chefs have a personal relationship with local farmers and even fewer visit the farm to oversee the produce that is being selected. When we caught up with chef-proprietor Brian Kingsford of Bacaro at one of his almost daily visits to Confreda Greenhouses & Farms, he was picking up produce for the evening’s menu. (READ MORE in Part 1.) At the same time, he was looking toward the changing season. As Kingsford put it, “I let the farm dictate to us what our flavors will be over the coming weeks.”
Bruce Tillinghast, proprietor and chef of New Rivers Restaurant in Providence has a different relationship with the farmers who stock his modern American bistro. Tillinghast thinks we who enjoy the bounty from their fields should have a chance to dine out with the farmers. “Call it field-to-plate,” he says, playing on the currently popular phrase ‘farm-to-table.’ ”
“We’ve been doing this since we opened in 1990 when farmers literally came to the restaurant’s back door,” he says. “The increased availability of product in the 18 years we’ve been open has increased tremendously.”
Tillinghast’s menu is at a crossroads at this time of year with fall vegetables, root vegetables and squashes being harvested. He sees another crossroads where the public is concerned, in an increased awareness about where our food comes from.
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Whether it is this awareness or the recent health scares about produce shipped from other countries, Tillinghast has noticed more customers seeking out his restaurant because of his reputation for only buying local farm-fresh produce for his menu.
He wants his customers to have the opportunity to understand why he and chefs and restaurateurs like him practice this philosophy. He also wants to get across that as difficult as running a restaurant is, farming is even tougher.
So the “Meet The Farmers” supper series was born. Two Sunday night suppers have been held this year. The next event, the final one in the series, will be held on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 5:30 p.m. Farmers from Westport and South Dartmouth will be on hand.
Over a six-course supper served family style, Tillinghast and his guests discuss stewardship of the land as practiced by individuals such as the Russell family who own and operate Westport Rivers Winery and have established a land trust to keep out developers.
Not all the farmers are working vast acreage of rolling fields. This being Rhode Island, acreage is in short supply. Some of the growers are urban farmers who are able to cultivate large gardens in city settings and grow enough to make a modest living.
Tillinghast talks about one urban farm family, the Cleggs, who have a patch of land 15 minutes from downtown. “We’ve been buying things out there since we opened. And since then, I have watched the surrounding land get developed with houses. The farmland is disappearing.”
At the bottom of the menu is the disclaimer, “Some Items May Change Due to Availability.” At the Meet The Farmers event in late September, there were local vegetables, fruits, cheeses and wines, Bomster scallops and even locally raised beef. In September, the changes were made in the beef for a flank steak and grilled sirloin. Originally, the steaks were to come from Aquidneck Farms, but the harvest had already taken place and the rancher was sold out. Tillinghast searched farms in Massachusetts and Connecticut and came up with an alternate supplier just in time.
The farmer and the chef have a unique relationship that is increasingly important in these times. We who dine out often should take a moment to appreciate their hard work on our behalf and support local growers whenever we can. •
Dining Out with Bruce Newbury can be heard on TalkRadio 920 WHJJ-AM Fridays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at noon. E-mail bruce@brucenewbury.com.
