Farm to Table Dinner

Imagine this: 

You are scrolling on instagram and comment on a raffle for an Elon dinner. You think you will never get chosen just based on statistics and the world not being kind. 

BUT THEN YOU GET THIS 

The first Farm Table Dinner at Loy Farms was nothing short of spectacular. I feel like I’ve been blessed by the acorns. If you wanted me to spin in a circle around a fire and shout praises for Elon Dining, I probably would - IT WAS JUST THAT GOOD. 

Loy Farms was the perfect place to hold a Farm Table Dinner - golden hour was upon us and  I felt like I had just stepped into the most perfect farm chic wedding venue of my dreams. To be completely honest, I was mostly stressed out before this moment because of it cutting into my valuable yoga time, but I was naive so please don’t be mad. 

My dining companions were so sweet and welcoming, and I actually knew many of them from events on campus! You could tell how excited everyone was to be a foodie that night, and I am so thankful that I had such a great group. 

Now on to the most important part, the FOOD. Here is the menu.

Yeah, my mouth is watering too.

The dinner’s theme was farm, local, fresh ingredients highlighting the versatility of the apple. The meal also highlighted Harvest Table’s commitment to finding sustainably sourced foods, such as the grits. The grits come from a small owned sustainable, non GMO farm in Virginia that partners with Harvest Table exclusively. As the dinner progressed, the chefs were so open about the different ingredients and how they acquire them. In most colleges, the chicken is made with chicken flavor and plastic. Next time you see a chef on campus, tell them THANK YOU! Also tell them to please deliver the rest of the salted caramel ice cream to Gabriela Rivas- De Leon, who is awaiting her delivery patiently. 

My favorite dishes were the oysters, the rainbow bass and the dessert. As a Marylander, my love for oysters is strong. There is nothing better than a fresh oyster, and the slaw on top with sea salt on the bottom were the perfect complements to the main dish. Let’s hope they bring this dish to the dining hall. (Please, we’re begging.)

My next, and probably my favorite, was the North Carolina Rainbow Bass Trout. The trout was lightly seared on both sides and slaw on top was NEXT LEVEL PERFECTION!

I am now realizingI also have a love for slaw. You learn new things everyday!  

I am not the biggest fan of kale, mostly because I feel like salads need to step themselves up in order for me to actually like them, but even the kale was good! Elon dining, you can do no wrong in my eyes.

THE. DESSERT. 

I have a medium  what my family would call large) sweet tooth. The poached apple. The brown butter powder. THE SALTED CARAMEL GELATO. This was maybe the perfect fall dish that is not pie. The peanut brittle on the side was also featured in the apple butter glazed pork belly dish, and it was so cool to see how the chefs used the brittle so differently. 

The chefs throughout the whole experience were so generous with their time and answered all of our questions. Their love for the Elon community truly radiated through the food, and I was able to witness how much the Harvest table group really wants to grow Elon Dining. 

Moral of the story - apply for those instagram giveaways - you’ll never know what could happen if you don’t try!