Harvest
MIDCOAST, ME | AUGUST 2024
It wouldn’t be a summer Supper in Maine without a threat of rain! It only made the perfect sunny afternoon that much sweeter that we spent an uncertain, misty morning with forecasts predicting stormy skies. We set a long table stretching across the lawn from the historic farm house at Wanderwood, overlooking fields of bunchgrass. Blue skies and deep green woods offset the vibrant colors of organic vegetables and flowers in the fields just beside the table.
Everything about this Supper sung of peak season in the Northeast — from the pop of cherry tomatoes to the sizzle of oysters on the grill, the fresh-cut flowers to the colorful menu that Chef Jim Stein and the Prentice Hospitality team sourced almost completely from the property, and the conversations that lingered long after candles burned down, it was one of those summer nights that nobody wants to end.
WELCOME
The welcome bar was nestled inside the farm’s historic barn while guests spilled out onto the lawn, or wandered through the fields searching for summertime delights.
Everyone sipped on a Summertime Shrub made with Lone Pine American Craft Vodka and cooled down with Lone Pine Brewing Portland Pale Ale and Juice Punch while they explored the farm. Meanwhile, Chef Jim Stein stationed himself at cocktail hour with his grill, firing off oysters a-la-minute and serving them straight from the flames.
A MENU BY JIM STEIN
Dare we say, this dinner was one of the most direct farm-to-table experience we’ve ever had. Chef Jim Stein and his team from The Good Table Restaurant created a dreamy menu studded with seasonal ingredients from Wanderwood.
Chef Jim stopped by the farm in the days before the dinner to pick up almost every piece of produce he used in the meal, then showed it all off throughout the evening with thoughtful, vegetable-focused dishes. Through ample interactive, open-fire cooking, he beckoned guests to get involved with the entire experience.
MENU
WELCOME
Grilled Oysters n’duja butter, parsley breadcrumb, chive
Gougeres whipped goat cheese, oyster mushroom
Cocktail: Summertime Shrub
Lone Pine Spirits Vodka, watermelon, hot + sweet peppers, strawberry rosé vinegar, sparkling water, smoked sea salt
Lone Pine Brewing Portland Pale Ale
Lone Pine Brewing Juice Punch
AMUSE-BOUCHE
Corn & Crab caviar, chanterelle, nasturtium
FIRST
Tomato Panzanella sourdough, heirloom tomato, cucumber, basil, marjoram, balsamic
Wine: 2022 Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay, Sonoma County
SECOND
Maine Flounder summer squash, eggplant, zucchini, buttermilk, herbs
Wine: 2022 Rodney Strong Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County
MAIN
Braised Short Rib watermelon molasses, sweet pickled peppers, toasted benne seeds, red vein sorrel
Farro Salad beets, watermelon radish, borage
Wine: 2019 Rodney Strong Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
DESSERT
Gold Rice Pudding honey rice crisp, blackberry & lemon balm jam
Wine: 2023 Rodney Strong Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
WINE PAIRINGS
We poured wines from Rodney Strong Vineyards all evening, starting with a sunny Chalk Hill Chardonnay to play with sweet midsummer tomatoes, progressing to the concentrated red fruit flavors of Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon with beets and braised short rib, and finishing with a special addition of Pinot Noir Rosé with dessert. There’s simply nothing like pink wine to pair with a long summer sunset.
NIGHTCAP
Long after the golden rice pudding was gone, folks lingered in conversation. It was clear that no one wanted to leave.
A red harvest moon rose perfectly in line with the long table stretching across the lawn, encouraging everyone to stay in the dreamy moment a little bit longer and pull out their Lumitory conversation cards as they gathered around the glow of the bonfire.
SECRET LOCATION: WANDERWOOD
Wanderwood is a delightful marriage of organic farm and event space created by Kelsey and Matt, who met (and fell in love) in (and with) Maine. They’ve managed to build a farmstead that is both beautiful and productive, encouraging folks to connect back to the land with everything they grow, and to each other with their thoughtful, sustainability-minded events.
