Dinner under the stars
"Outstanding in the Field" at Bartlett Farm gives foodies and adventurous eaters a taste of the good, locally grown life
BY MARLI GUZZETTA INDEPENDENT ARTS EDITOR
In the land of vintners - be it Italy or Napa - people take time to enjoy their meals surrounded by the crops which allowed it to be possible. This week, Nantucket diners who wish to participate in this sylvan, European tradition can sit down to a five-course meal on white linen tablecloths under the star-topped skies above Bartlett Farm, where all the foods they are eating came up through the soil.

PHOTOS COURTESY OUTSTANDING IN THE FIELD Outstanding in the Field offers a dinner prepared with local products and served on local farms. They will host a dinner here on Tuesday. "It will be as if you're in a dining room surrounded by corn," said chef Seth Raynor, who is preparing the meal, which he calls, "an amazing showcasing of what Nantucket has to offer."

Outstanding in the Field provides the template for this rustic, grounded meal. Chef and artist Jim Denevan founded the organization in Santa Cruz, California in 1999 with the intention of bringing diners to the source of the food they were eating. Since that first farm dinner, the organization has hosted over 70 meals at farms across North America.

"I think a lot of people want to get closer to what inspires a good chef," said Denevan while setting up a dinner in British Columbia outside a row of peas and cucumbers. "If it's in a beautiful, scenic location, it can be inspiring in a way that it isn't when they go to a restaurant."

Nantucket chef Seth Carter Raynor of The Pearl will be gathering the best of locally prepared ingredients and preparing the dinner.

The menu is not yet finalized, but Skip Bennett from Island Creek Oysters will be in attendance. Bartlett Farm is providiing all the vegetables, and Raynor said he will be incorporating fresh lobster, a vegetarian anitpasti course and grilled swordfish or grilled tuna.

"We'll definitely be utilizing the great vegetables out there. We're looking to having a unique tasting of them, but not carry them over from one course to another. We want each vegetable to stand out on its own," Raynor said.

Denevan said the dinners typically attract three types of diners: Foodies, people who have spent a lot of time on or around farms and also people who are "more adventurous and want to try something new."

Diners will begin the meal with a tour of the farm, followed by a five-course al fresco dinner served family-style, accompanied by wines paired with each course.

Members of the Bartlett family and other local food producers who have contributed ingredients to the feast will also be on hand to enjoy the meal.

When: Tues., Aug 28, 4 p.m. Where: Bartlett Farm,

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Cost: All-inclusive per-person price of $200 per guest includes five courses paired with wine, and all taxes and gratuities.

For more information and to make reservations, go to www.outstandinginthefield. com/events.html or call (831) 247-1041.