Dinner to Focus on Local Farm Economy

When 60 dinner guests gather at Sunday to share in the local harvest by enjoying a homegrown gourmet meal, it will be a testament to the power of community. 

Keith Sarasin came up with the idea months ago, and floated it at a Visualize Nashua meeting. The idea was "upvoted" by members of the downtown visionary group, an offshoot of , via an online voting mechanism. Once the top idea achieved a certain number of votes, a plan was put into action to make it happen. 

Sarasin, an advocate of all things local, felt this was a great way to raise awareness about the importance of what we eat and where we our food supply comes from. 

Finding a local restaurant to host the event was the easy part.

"When we set out to find a partner, we approached several restaurants, and many of them jumped at the idea. Ultimately, once we started talking with [Saffron Bistro Executive Chef] Joe [Drift] it was instantly a good fit," Sarasin said. "And if this is a success, we'd like to consider doing it at several downtown restaurants, and rotate the Farmers Dinners around."

Of all the fresh ingredients on the menu, education is the key component for Sarasin, which is why he's asked contributing farmers to come to talk with diners about their commitment to sustainability through local farming.

"If I'm holding two tomatoes – one from a supermarket and one from a farm, they are different, two completely different products. The supermarket tomato is picked when it's not ripe and shipped hundreds or thousands of miles, and ripened with ethylene gas, so you're not getting the full flavor. A local farmer will pick a tomato when it's mature, and they tend to be grown with limited pesticides," Sarasin said. "The taste is remarkably different."

But it's more than a matter of taste. Local farmers rely on the local economy to stay afloat. What they have to offer the consumer is a product that is reliably fresher, more nutritious and tastier.

James Vayo, of Renaissance Downtowns, said these kinds of community-centric farm-to-table dinners don't organically happen in cities because we've lost the kind of central development that came naturally to neighborhoods prior to World War II.

"Nowadays people live isolated lives, so unless we come downtown and commingle we'll never make these personal connections with our neighbors," Vayo said.

Vayo said Nashua's weekly farmers market is one indication of that shift in thinking, and if successful, should lead to a more vital downtown within the next decade. 

For right now, Vayo and Sarasin are hoping more initiatives, like the Farmers Dinner, will be proposed by members of the community and supported by others who share a vision for Nashua's future.

"Sunday is Father's Day, so it would be a great occasion to come downtown for a beautiful gourmet meal," Sarasin said. "Not that you need a good reason. It's going to be fantastic."

On the menu:

Roasted Vegetable Bruchetta:  A blend of mushroom, asparagus, artichoke and basil from Brookdale Farms of Hollis, on bread baked by Jeremy St. Hilaire of  toppped with a fresh fried egg from Normanton Farms in Litchfield.

Mixed Greens: Fresh Blueberries from Lull Farms in Hollis topped with goat cheese from Heart Song Farm in Gilmanton Iron Works, and candied walnuts featuring a honey vinaigrette using local honey from

Pan Roasted Misty Knoll Farm Chicken: Herb crusted chicken with cheddar polenta & roasted local bell peppers.

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart: Local strawberry & rhubarb from Lull Farms with vanilla cream & toasted almonds.

The dinner is June 17 at 5 p.m. Tickets are $40 and don't include tax and gratuity. Tickets are limited to about 60 seats. As of Friday, there were only about 20 left. For those who aren't up for a complete four-course dinner, you can sit at the bar and enjoy a locally-sourced appetizer option.

To reserve your seat, call 603-883-2100.