Last Saturday, Sheldon and Joy Sturtevant of Cedar Rock Acres shared their home and beautiful farm with a group of Arkansans from all over. The weather gods obliged and allowed us a spectacular evening complete with a cool breeze.
We were greeted by a couple of friendly farm hounds, a welcome cocktail, and a warm hug and handshake. The horses were fed their dinner close by and the chickens clucked in protest of being cooped on such a lovely evening. After getting acquainted with all of the guests, we picked perfectly ripe raspberries and strawberries, each getting a basketful of sweet gems and snacking as we hunted.
The walking tour introduced us to all of the growing areas and particular varieties of blackberries, grapes, popcorn, squashes, tomatoes, strawberries, and the hope of artichokes.
Dinner was served family style and on our own brought-from-home plates. The tradition of farm dinners is an old one and Sheldon explained that when everyone gathered after a hard day’s work on the farm to enjoy dinner together, it was customary to bring your own plate and silverware. A farm family wouldn’t have enough of either so if you wanted to eat, you traveled with your own set.
The Menu
Chilled Kohlrabi Soup
Hallah Bread with Sorghum Butter
Spinach, Strawberry, and Parmesan Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Quiche with Sundried Tomatoes and lots of other good stuff
Pan-fried Potatoes
Farm Girl Grilled Chicken
Baby Green Beans and Sauteed Yellow Squash
Berry Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce (and another lovely raspberry dessert I didn’t get to try)
Knowing exactly where our food comes from and loving the farm family that provides it for us is the highlight of supporting our local food economy.
Make sure you stop by to visit with Sheldon at Dogtown Farmers Market in North Little Rock and/or Joy at Hillcrest Farmers Market every Saturday. You won’t want to miss next year’s Dinner in the Vineyard so mark your calendars to book next May! You can also follow Cedar Rock Acres on Facebook: @cedarrockacres.
