A September Dinner at Farm Spirit

I’ve had Farm Spirit on my wish list for quite a while since they first opened a few months ago in mid June, and recently for our wedding anniversary F and I enjoyed a Saturday evening 12 course dinner there.

Farm Spirit is completely vegan, and their dinners are purchased by ordering online a ticket to one of their 9 or 12 course chef’s choice dinner courses. The tickets prices listed already include a gratuity, though beverages are extra and you can choose from individual wine glasses to individual housemade non-alcoholic drinks, or a flight of either of those. The flights can be pre-purchased on the website, or  you can order the flight or individual drinks at dinner and pay for them then.

Wednesday and Thursdays are 9 courses for $65, and Friday and Saturday nights offer 12 courses at $75. You arrive slightly before 7 PM which is when they open the doors for everyone. When they serve dinner they do so when everyone arrives and everyone gets their courses simultaneously, so don’t be late as you’ll hold everyone else up!
Outside of Farm Spirit at 1414 SE Morrison Street waiting for doors to open (they did around 6:50 for our 7pm dinner) The inside of Farm Spirit consists of 14 seats Inside of Farm Spirit, at seating. Chef Ricardo welcomes us at the door and explains the beverage program while Chef Tim is on the final prep of the first course. Inside of Farm Spirit, at seating. Your placecards have your name from the reservation to indicate your seats. Wall behind the bar at Farm Spirit

The 14 seats inside Farm Spirit are right at a chef’s bar, which will remind you of a omakase bar such as the chef choice dinners at Nodoguro, or Holdfast. You get to watch them plate every course, which is pretty impressive as they plate the next upcoming courses on each side of the two induction burners in the center.

I was pretty excited because F, who is vegetarian, never accompanies me to these kind of chef’s choice fine dining dinners and has never had the experience of seeing chefs running the pass and the incredible art for the eye that these food plates offer besides culinary art for the palate. Also, he has a much better cameraphone than I do (Nokia Lumia 1020 vs my Samsung Galaxy S4) that is incredible at picking up light.
Seating at Farm Spirit Seating at Farm Spirit Inside of Farm Spirit, at seating. Your placecards have your name from the reservation to indicate your seats. Chef Aaron Adams is working on the prep of the second course.

The chefs of Farm Spirit are serious about their food, and serious about service that includes placecards for your assigned seats, replacing napkins when a guest is on a bathroom trip, and changing out silverware a few times (but not every course – each seating has a silverware rest used for a few courses before the next swap).

At the same time, Farm Spirit has a very laid back, playful vibe. During the 3 hour dinner experience, we saw a little dancing, a little singing, and the dining soundtrack varied from Under Pressure to Safety Dance.
Front of Menu on September 5, 2015 at Farm Spirit Back of Menu on September 5, 2015 at Farm Spirit\

As you can expect at a farm to table restaurant like this, the menu changes based on the availability of what is at the Farmer’s Market or the various farms they buy directly from, which Chef Aaron Adams seems to be at pretty much everyday as he listed off seriously half a dozen markets and farms from where he sources his ingredients.

Alongside Chef Aaron is Chef Ricardo (who also is the man behind the handmade drinks and all fermentation be it pickles, kombucha or yogurt) and Chef Tim (tweezer master who also bakes the bread and is responsible for desserts), and the three men pow-wow every week to decide what the dishes will be.

But, here’s what we had on September 5th, 2015.

First Course

Smoked eggplant pureed with fennel jam on housemade bread
Housemade bread, a smoked eggplant pureed, fennel jam

As I enjoyed my Tempranillo for the night, F had ordered the homemade non-alcoholic beverage flight so Chef Rico poured the Watermelon Mint Juice as Chef Adam explained the course and the philosophy of Farm Spirit and where they source their food.
Chef Aaron Adams of Farm Spirit explains the philosophy of the restaurant and where he sources his ingredients Chef Ricardo pours the Watermelon Mint Juice, the first of the housemade non-alcoholic drink flight Watermelon Mint Juice

Second Course

Celtuce, harukei turnips, peach puree, Soarer cucumber, fried walnuts
Celtuce, harukei turnips, peach puree, Soarer cucumber, fried walnuts Celtuce, harukei turnips, peach puree, Soarer cucumber, fried walnuts
This was one of F’s two favorite platings because of the charm the plating of a plant made from plant. This was the dish Chef Aaron was adding the nuts when we first walked in to be seated as Chef Tim worked on plating the third course…

Third Course

Tomato Water, plums, herbs, basil oil, nasturtium capers, cherry tomatoes
Plating of Third Course by Chef Tim at Farm Spirit Tomato Water, plums, herbs, basil oil, nasturtium capers, cherry tomatoes
As casual as Farm Spirit it, still felt too soon to be lifting bowls to our lips to drink every single drop of this course. Not sure we’d be shy the next time we have a bowl presented to us though.

Fourth Course

Summer Squash, ground cherries, arugula sauce, yellow tomato vinaigrette, calendula
Summer Squash, ground cherries, arugula sauce, yellow tomato vinaigrette, calendula
You can’t help but admire what a pain this probably was to prep and plate but with such effect at the end. As Chef Aaron began to plate the next course (we saw the tomato leaves in sauce being warmed by him as we enjoyed this first squash course), Chef Rico finished plating with Chef tim this Summer Squash dish and shifted back to beverage director role as he poured the next homemade non-alcoholic drink, the Earl Grey Kombucha
Teamwork by Chef Tim and Rico in plating the Summer Squash, ground cherries, arugula sauce, yellow tomato vinaigrette, calendula Chef Rico pouring the Earl Grey Kombucha Earl Grey Kombucha

Fifth Course

Squash Blossom stuffed with crushed potatoes, tomatillo, sweet corn, peppers and chilis, tomato sauce, tomato leaves dish
Squash Blossom crushed potatoes, tomatillo, sweet corn, peppers and chilis, tomato sauce, tomato leaves dish
Chef Aaron read everyone’s minds in explaining that yes, see, tomato leaves are totally edible and his 90 something year old grandmother has been eating them for decades.
Chef Aaron putting together the Squash Blossom crushed potatoes, tomatillo, sweet corn, peppers and chilis, tomato sauce, tomato leaves dish Chef Aaron putting together the Squash Blossom crushed potatoes, tomatillo, sweet corn, peppers and chilis, tomato sauce, tomato leaves dish

Sixth Course

Eggplant, coriander filbert yogurt, fried hazelnuts, fennel pollen, mint, dill
Eggplant, coriander filbert yogurt, fried hazelnuts, fennel pollen, mint, dill Eggplant, coriander filbert yogurt, fried hazelnuts, fennel pollen, mint, dill
I think the Eggplant was just roasted, grilled, and smoked or some combination that involved more cooking than one fire element, despite being listed as simply eggplant on the menu. I loved how smoky the eggplant was, and the combination with coriander and pollen.
Eggplant, coriander filbert yogurt, fried hazelnuts, fennel pollen, mint, dill Eggplant, coriander filbert yogurt, fried hazelnuts, fennel pollen, mint, dill

Seventh Course

Roasted (after Sous-Vide in aromatic herb bath) Carrot, smoked walnut milk, cabbage cider, golden beet juice
Roast Carrot, smoked walnut milk, cabbage cider, golden beet juice Roast Carrot, smoked walnut milk, cabbage cider, golden beet juice
Has a carrot looked so good before?
Roast Carrot, smoked walnut milk, cabbage cider, golden beet juice

Eighth Course

Chanterelles, celeriac puree, chervil, onion cream, chard
Chanterelles, celeriac puree, chervil, onion cream, chard Chanterelles, celeriac puree, chervil, onion cream, chard
We loved how creamy the celeriac puree is to give us richness in this dish. It was dramatic watching this plate begin to be plated given it started with Chef Tim literally firing each plate with a blowtorch.
Chef Tim just literally firing up the plates for the next course Chef Tim just literally firing up the plates for the next course

There was a little too much chervil in this dish for my taste that threw off the balance of the dish,  but still all the plates were scraped clean up and down the chefs bar. This dish was paired with the next homemade drink of the flight, Golden Beet Apple Ginger non-alcoholic beverage
Golden Beet Apple Ginger non-alcoholic homemade beverage at Farm Spirit

Ninth Course

Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation
Chef Aaron painstakingly prepearing the Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation Chef Aaron painstakingly prepearing the Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation Chef Aaron painstakingly prepearing the Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation
Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation Filbert yogurt and ash coated potatoes with herbs on red beet kombucha with a River Rock presentation

Both F and I loved watching this plating happen since it was being done right in front of us by  Chef Aaron and Tim as they painstakingly arranged each element, picking just the right ingredients down to watching Chef Aaron carefully consider which potato from the roasting pan to use.

Tenth Course

Candied Sungolds, basil, rye, olive oil semi-freddo
Candied Sungolds, basil, rye, olive oil semi-freddo Candied Sungolds, basil, rye, olive oil semi-freddo
Finally, the dessert courses right? So full already… the pairing of homemade beverages for this course was the Melon Pear juice. This was another dish where I thought it was slightly off balance because of the intensity of the basil sauce, though I have to admire its color.
Melon Pear juice

Eleventh Course

Blackberry, olive oil cake, licorice mint, fennel pollen, anise glass
Blackberry, olive oil cake, licorice mint, fennel pollen, anise glass
The white powder you see Chef Tim carefully plating with is olive oil powder. This and the next course were paired with Apple Fennel Thyme Scrub that is diluted a bit with soda water for effervescent bubbles.
Chef Tim plates the Blackberry, olive oil cake, licorice mint, fennel pollen, anise glass course Chef Tim plates the Blackberry, olive oil cake, licorice mint, fennel pollen, anise glass course Apple Fennel Thyme Scrub

Twelfth Course

Seascape Strawberries, aqua faba, lemon filbert cream, sorrel, hardy kiwis
Seascape Strawberries, aqua faba, lemon filbert cream, sorrel, hardy kiwis Seascape Strawberries, aqua faba, lemon filbert cream, sorrel, hardy kiwis
We got to hear a little ode of love to aqua faba by Chef Aaron, who explained that this was a solidfier that can replace the traditional role of eggs in desserts – aqua faba is created from chickpea liquid, which means it is also gluten free and natural instead of a processed starch or gluten or soy. So that meringue you see up there on the plate – I could not tell the difference between one that would have traditionally been made from egg whites. So it definitely works and tastes right.

To finish, we were treated to a hot beverage service which included coffee or tea, and I went with the green tea. Chef Rico also gave us a little goodie bag of zucchini bread for us to remember Farm Spirit by later that night/the next morning.
Warm beverages to finish off the dinner at Farm Spirit - I went with tea while F went with coffee Chef Rico joyfully passes out his zucchini bread wrapped in white paper Chef Rico's Zucchini Bread A goodbye gift from Farm Spirit via Chef Ricardo's zucchini bread

We wanted to enjoy the food upon serving so that we could taste it at the peak of the intended temperature, but each plate was so gorgeous it was hard to limit myself to only 30 seconds of photo taking. I’m curious to see how Farm Spirit will find the upcoming winter where the produce variety dwindles from the summer and autumn bounty, and wish them all the best. I love the concept and the way they focus on really putting together unique flavor combinations. They really celebrate and show off that when you get the best product, you don’t need meat or dairy to enjoy deliciousness.

Farm Spirit Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Recipe: Cashew Cheese on Cucumbers

With the heat wave in the past couple weeks,  I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that you might want to keep things simple when making food. I have been mostly doing quick sautés or dishes that require no cooking at all.

This recipe for Cashew Cheese on Cucumber does require a little forethought to soak the cashews in water for a few hours. Otherwise you only need a processor and a knife plus the ingredients to put together appetizers for a potluck or picnic, or just a healthy snack at home.
Cucumber with cashew ricotta and pesto

I like this combination for the refreshing cool crunch of the cucumber,  creamy but cheesy flavors with hint of garlic of the cashew cheese, and touch of salty herb from the pesto. I eyeballed a lot of these so make sure you taste to see what amounts fit your taste levels. The more nutritional yeast you use, the cheesier the flavor while being dairy free. Nutritional yeast is also a great topper to sprinkle on popcorn to have cheese popcorn with your movie!

Ingredients:

For the Cashew Cheese

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked in water for 2 hours
  • 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup water; the more water used, the thinner and creamier the cashew cheese will be, so you want to add to your liking for consistentcy a bit at a time
  • 3 or so tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste if you’d like
  • 1-2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, or more to taste if you’d like
  • 1 clove of minced garlic, or more to taste if you’d like
  • Dash of onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper or more to taste

For the Pesto – this is more of a rough guideline as I often just eye it after grabbing handfuls from my plant

  • 2 cups fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup or so of olive oil
  • 1/8 cup or so of pine nuts (for more flavor, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet for a few moments until aromatic, but be careful it doesn’t burn)
  • 1/2 tablespoon of minced fresh garlic
  • pinch or so of salt
  • a few grounds of freshly ground pepper

Directions:

For the Cashew Cheese

  1. First, you will need to soak the raw, unsalted cashews in water for about 2 hours. The water level should cover the tops of your cashews.
    1 1/2 cups of unsalted cashews Soak 1 1/2 cups of unsalted cashews in water for 2 hours
  2. Then, drain the water. Place the cashews, nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, the minced garlic and onion powder and salt in the food processor and pulse until roughly blended.
    After 2 hours of soaking, drain the water from the cashews To make the cashew cheese, place the drained pre-soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, the minced garlic and salt in the food processor and pulse until roughly blended
  3. Now as you continue to taste, add in the remainder of the water to get the consistency you would like. If you’d like, you can choose to add more lemon juice, or more nutritional yeast, or more minced garlic or salt to your preference depending on how garlicky, cheesy (from the nutritional yeast), lemony, etc you enjoy.
    To make the cashew cheese, place the drained pre-soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, the minced garlic and salt in the food processor and pulse until roughly blended. Add more water if you want it to be creamier, or leave it rustic and more dense To make the cashew cheese, place the drained pre-soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, the minced garlic and salt in the food processor and pulse until roughly blended. Add more water if you want it to be creamier, or leave it rustic and more dense
  4. Add a few grounds of freshly ground pepper. You can serve as is immediately, but if you refrigerate it for a couple hours the flavors will develop more and texture get a bit thicker so  it will be even more tasty the next day – put it in a container to be used as a dip for a picnic with veggies, or spread on a sandwich, so many possibilities!

For the Pesto

Blend all the ingredients for pesto together – you may want to add a little bit more olive oil, salt, or pepper to taste. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Make sure you pause once in a while to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed to make sure it all gets mixed well, as well as to taste and adjust to your liking.

For the final Cucumber Cashew Cheese appetizers

Slice the cucumbers and slather on a bit of the cashew cheese. With a spoon, add on a bit of the pesto. Serve!

Cucumber with cashew ricotta and pesto Cucumber with cashew ricotta and pesto

I put this combo on cucumbers buy it’s also great in sandwiches and the cashew cheese can be substituted in pasta like Ricotta in pasta shells or lasagna too.

What have you been making in the kitchen during this extended heat wave in Portland (or wherever you may be when it’s hot in the summer!)?

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