Outstanding in the Field

If you ever get the chance...

DO THIS!

OUTSTANDING IN THE FIELD (OITF)

It was a fun and unique experience. Where else can you go to a farm, hang out with ~120 other people (some strangers, some not), and enjoy farm-fresh food family style?

This was OITF's first trip to Arkansas.

THANK YOU for coming to the natural state!

It was so enjoyable.

Loved it, loved it, loved it!

This group travels all over the country, as well as overseas, to deliver a wonderful dining experience.

We chose the one at Scott Heritage Farm in Scott, AR.

It really makes you respect where and how your food comes to be.

With all of today's technology, they are using the pigs to do the plowing! Now, that's going back to the basics! 

We arrived at the Scott Plantation Settlement not fully knowing what to expect. Don't get me wrong, I had checked out their website, friended them on facebook and read their blog. BUT, it's totally different when you are getting ready to walk across a field carrying a chunky camera and two plates.

The weather was absolutely perfect. It could have been a little cooler in the afternoon, but it was a gorgeous day! 

We placed our plates down with the others. This is a tradition of OITF. Each person is asked to bring their own plate (no worries - they bring some too if you happen to leave yours at home). You will never guess which ones were ours. (There was no strategy in bringing our BIG, OVERSIZED white plates. Wink, wink.)

They gave us a glass for water, wine and/or beer.

Our host farmers:  Jody and Barbara 

Setting up the famous TABLE. 

(celebrity siting: P. Allen Smith is in the background)

The kitchen for the evening

I snuck in a shot of P. Allen between takes

Please take note in how they were able to get the table nice and straight and aligned. It's not as though it was even terrain. Impressive!

New chickens

Let's not even talk about it.

Our tour of the plantation

This little store was used in the Hank Williams movie that is soon to be released.

Time to pick up our plates and head to the table!

The extra plates 

Beware. You may experience watering of the mouth.

(Sorry Hubs, this was my only shot of the quail legs) 

War Eagle Mill oat crusted quail legs with pepper jelly 

Pimento cheese and fresh baked soda crackers

Yep.  Yummy as well!

Old Spot rillettes and pork rinds with fig mustard and dill pickles (FRESH pork rinds. They were SUPER good, but as I said before, let's not talk about it.)

Sweet potato biscuits and blackened corn bread with dill butter (the blackened cornbread was one of my favorites! Loved the dill butter...or maybe they called it butter with dill pickle juice.  Whatever it was - it was delicious!)

Fried black-eyed peas (A first for me. At first glimpse, I thought they were peanuts. What a surprise! I think this is a regular snack at the Capital Bar and Grill)

Unfortunately, there were times when I got too caught up in the moment, and the food, to get a picture. Here should lie a photo of the delectable mixed green salad with pickled beets, spiced pecans, Two Goats Farmstead chèvre and sorghum vinaigrette. The description doesn't do it justice. Doesn't it sound WONDERFUL?

Susan Harper from Two Goats Farm in El Dorado came and told us about her two goats (Julia Childs and Martha Stewart, if I'm not mistaken). It was interesting to hear how she started making goat cheese and the fact that it was about a two week process to have enough cheese to provide everyone's goat cheese at the table. It was fabulous!

Next up:

Stuffed eggplant, roasted plum tomatoes and mustard greens

Stuffed eggplant

Greens and tomatoes

Not a better pair shall meet! I guess when you think of all that's involved, it's more than a pair. But, whatever. My point is that it was SO, SO, SO GOOD. It may have been my favorite course but, I'm not committing to an absolute most-liked. It was ALL so delicious!

My mind was obviously overwhelmed, because I DO NOT have a picture of the MAIN course. Curses! 

Main: Sorghum roasted Aylesbury duck from Moss Mountain Farm (thank you P. Allen) with Arkansas rice grits, black apples, turnips and muscadine glaze.

I did get a picture of the grits.

We were stuffed at this point. Can you tell?

One of my Physical Therapy professors and his wife attended the dinner as well. Arkansas proves time and again that it is a small world. I love that about our state. 

The infamous bus. This crew travels around on this bus for dinner after dinner after.

 

Know that this blog post doesn't do the experience justice.

Check it out for yourself!