ben's blog

Madison Deciders reviews our Pig Dinner

photo by caylan larson

By Scott Gordon November 17, 2008

pigs in paris

[img_assist|nid=152|title=incorrect date pig flyer 08|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=0|height=]we were planning on hosting this years pig dinner on nov 1st. the pigs are ready, we have some good venue options in madison were finalizing and then we decided to go to paris. that being said i am very excited about where we are in the project and when we do host the dinners ( probably the 8th of nov) they will be great. below is the flyer that we had done for the dinner, its probably unwise to post it with the incorrect date but well just correct you when you call. we will also be helping tory miller with a dinner he is doing on the 18th...? not to mention some ideas of other dinners

Summer 07

Well two of our busiest weeks are just behind us, part of which was serving 700 people at two different locations at the same time. We also were excited to do the rehearsal dinner for the some of Jane and George Siemon, founding members of Organic Valley. We served some really tasty dishes, such as keefta with lamb from our very own Virginia Goedke of Sylvan Meadows. It was exciting to grind all the lamb from whole cuts and season it. Also we have been featuring tomato salads, not only at home but also at our events. I cant imagine doing an event during this time of year that dosnt have a tomato salad on it. I have been very impressed with Rink DaVee and Jenny Bonde and their ability to keep lettuce available through the tough drought and recent torrents of rain. Speaking of rain, I sincerely hope that the farmers of the Kikapoo Valley are able to salvage their crops from the drastic flooding they have received. Stop and talk to a farmer from that region and ask how far their car ended up from where the parked it after the storm. Anyways, we hope to start writing recaps or post mortum's after each of our events talking about success as well as failure or at least things in which we feel we fell short... or at least weren't perfect in. Also talking about were we sourced things and what looks good right now. check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/sixteenmilesofstring/ to see pictures from our most recent events and home cooking. thanks to Tim, for helping us out with the last event... heres to him joining up as a partner again.

Steak

I am getting an entire rib eye as well as two whole ny strips on the bone from the priske's. Shamus and Mary and I have been trying to best figure out how two do these cuts in a creative way. Join us on the 27th to see what we do.

Summer is summer but what next

So here we are catering a bunch and doing cool events and going to the farmers market out door, and look i may be way ahead of myself by talking about summer in the past tense before its even officially started but...

This is the deal, we booked and filled for the summer time, sure we can fill in a few more events and all but for the most part we feel pretty confident with where we are considering. So naturally i start to think about fall and winter and spring. I like cooking food and this at least for now is how I would prefer to make my living. Which leads to my main point which is that i am not confident in the catering business' ability to provide my income throughout the fall and especially the winter. So it seems like a good time to start thinking about where to go from here.

big un

Well saturday is earthday, and we're celebrating by doing food for a lovely lady named Clare. Its been pretty challenging to come up with an exciting menu from local sources this time of year. I think we've done it though. Good simple food, salad of spring beets, grilled country bread with a herb rub, braised pork shoulder with roast carrots and grilled ramps and flageolets. Some roasted radishes as part of an assortment of vegetables and cheeses, breads, hand made crackers, smoked trout, and roast fingerlings topped with crème fraîche and chives.

going to m i crooked letter crooked letter i hump back humpback i

Driving down to Hattiesburg tonight for the Family Farm Defender Annual Meeting. Mary and I will be cooking food for five meals, trying to utilize local ingredients as much as possible. It may be full spring there but none of the contacts that I have are able to confirm how much food I will be able to find. Plus dropping into a kitchen that I dont know and isn't set up will be a lot of fun. Ill try and keep y'all up to date on how it goes.

First meal involves a goat, hopefully dead, hopefully skinned, and maybe cut up but maybe not?

lets see.

Me and my Dad and my Daughter and my failed Diner

So I just recently returned from Africa with Grace, and my daughter Nanette. Quite an amazing time seeing where I grew up during my formative years. Its funny to see things at 25 compared to when you were 15. The race issues are a whole lot more complex than I saw at 15, and especially more than we see here. The rich people make less than most of our poor people here do. So my parents run a few different operations out there in Namibia. First they do a little bit of a teacher trainee program that gets locals educated in how to develop curriculum that is based off of their own culture vs. the shit that is brought in from the states. Second they run a school for 1-3rd graders whose parents are dead due to aids. They have thirty students who go to school for free or nominal fees. They add a new grade every year. Third my Dads a master potter and he operates a trade school. He makes pots and ceramics, pays people to work for him and gives them the skills to go into business for them self.