Farm-to-table style dining is a big hit in Mt. Hood Territory and French born Chef Pascal Chureau is at the forefront of that movement in our area. He's a great partner and he jumped on a Facebook Live video with us back in 2017 at one of his restaurants, Allium Bistro, where we made an amazing dish with only a little (okay a lot) of help. Find the recipe below.
The big story, however, is the continued expansion of his sister company, Field and Vine Events and their Dinners in the Field. After starting out with one dinner five years ago held here in Mt. Hood Territory, the list continues to grow as do the number of venues. This year's lineup features 34 locations in The Territory and beyond, running from May through December.
Dinners in the Field are a true culinary experience, combining beautiful agricultural venues and the foods they produce with the cooking prowess of Chureau and his compatriots into delicious, multicourse meals that are symphonies of flavor. The ingredients are often sourced right from the farm or other neighbors nearby, making the food as fresh as it could possibly be. Needless to say, the affairs are something that any self-respecting foodie need to attend.
Visit their full list to find the dinner (or dinners) that best fits in with your schedule.
Cooking Demo
As mentioned above, Pascal let us in his kitchen (possibly against his better judgement) and worked with us to create a dish that was both visually stunning and delicious. In all honesty, it was one of the best things I've ever tasted, and I don't even like fish. Give the video a watch to learn just how to add this awesome dish to your repertoire, or call Allium (503-387-5604) and make a reservation and let them make it for you.
- Fresh halibut: 4 - 6oz filets
- 1 cup of chorizo
- 3/4 lb pre-blanched yukon gold potatoes
- 3 cups of wild mushrooms (use whatever your prefer. Have fun!)
- 1/3 cup of butter
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup of shallot
- salt/pepper to taste
verjus - Don't worry if you had to look this one up, I needed help too. It's essentially the pressed juice from unripened grapes.
Prep: Blanch potatoes, mince shallot and cut mushrooms to size.
In a hot pan, add oil and then sear both sides of the halibut. Cook to completion (which was only a few minutes for us.) Remove, keep pan warm.
In another hot pan with oil, brown chorizo. Then add shallot. Once those are golden, add potatoes and mushrooms, stirring frequently. Add generous knob of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Add to plate. Place fish on top of fricassee.
In pan fish was cooked, add butter, then verjus and lemon juice. Cook for 30 seconds or so and then add sauce to top of dish. Enjoy with 3 of your closest friends. Or yourself if you're really hungry.
