Summer Lettuce Project at JGTF
Q39 and New Roots Collaborative Fundraising Dinner
On Friday, September 27th, Cultivate KC welcomed guests to the site of the future Diana Eisman Community Greenhouse for a delightful collaboration dinner, thoughtfully prepared and executed by our friends at Q39. Juniper Gardens Training Farm provided the perfect early fall backdrop with sunflowers bobbing as grasshoppers flitted about, songbirds ascending and diving overhead, and a rainbow appearing in the west just as the sun dropped below the horizon. Guests enjoyed a pre-dinner cocktail hour that included a walking tour of New Roots farmer plots, with designated stops along the way boasting uniquely delicious hors d’oeuvres and aperitifs.
After circling the grounds and chatting with farmers and chefs alike, guests were led back to the greenhouse for a special farm to table dinner, complete with beverage pairings for each of the four courses. Each course featured ingredients from the Juniper Gardens farmers. Chef Philip and his talented team started everyone off with a roasted beet salad and carrot ginger mimosa, followed by grilled cedar plank salmon with kale pesto and long bean succotash paired with an unoaked chardonnay. The only sounds to be heard were forks clinking against plates as the third course of smoked and grilled chicken breast with wood fired carrots, wilted Swiss chard, kabocha squash, and pan jus was savored with a hickory old fashioned. The finale was a melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin cheesecake, perfected by the most delicate, beautiful, almond tuile and a coffee blond ale.
Most guests arrived as strangers, unfamiliar with Cultivate KC and the New Roots program. Every individual left with a meaningful understanding of our local community of growers, and the perseverance, dedication, and sheer grit that it takes to nurture that universal conversation piece which makes time spent around a table together invaluable- the food. We thank Chef Philip, Carrie, Randy, John, and the entire team at Q39 for an unforgettable night honoring our farmers and their livelihoods, all while raising funds to help our organization continue to work toward an equitable, sustainable, and healthy future for our local food system.
