Stars, candles light dinners at Venetucci Farm

The evening of the September Starlight Dining at The Venetucci Farm could not have been more perfect. The sky was clear of thunderstorm threats, a cool breeze made the outdoor dining room feel air-conditioned, and a picture-perfect full moon replaced the sunset. Add to this a gourmet meal prepared by Victor Matthews, chef and owner of the Black Bear Restaurant in Green Mountain Falls and owner of Paragon Culinary School, with his students, and it made for an unforgettable evening.

The Starlight Dining events raise money for the educational programs offered at the Venetucci Farm and teach the community about sustainable agriculture. The dinner series started last summer, with three dinners offered each summer.

But as word gets out about these outstanding meals, organizers may be pushed to offer more of them.
The meals are prepared in the outdoor kitchen, which isn’t much more than a large gas grill. Tables are set up in a covered porch area. Since the Colorado growing season is short and produce isn’t really available until late summer, the meals are scheduled starting in August.

“We like this opportunity to have people come see the farm and learn about the programs we do here,” said Michael Hannigan, executive director for Pikes Peak Community Foundation, which oversees programs and activities at the farm.

The farm has become a school classroom for children to learn about sustainable agriculture. The educational experiences at the farm are for community members, especially children, to learn firsthand about farming, nutrition, cooking and related ideas.

“We would love to expand our dinner series,” Hannigan said. “It’s been popular.”

The three dinners this summer sold out quickly.

For the September dinner, Matthews had his Paragon Culinary students develop a menu based on what they thought they might find ripe at the farm. Two days before the dinner, the class went to the farm to gather produce and other foods to prepare at the culinary school’s kitchen.

“Good chefs try to connect with the farm,” Matthews said. “Post-World War II, things got out of hand with the production of a lot of processed foods. People lost the connection between farming and food production. Now, more and more people want to know the source of their food. I’ve had a connection with farms since I was a little kid.”

That connection became the inspiration for the September evening’s dinner menu, the second in the series. He called the menu “The Story of My Life Told Through Farms.” The first course, or amuse-bouche, was a wedge of watermelon topped with goat cheese and thinly sliced turnips.

“My first small-farms experience in Colorado was Haystack Mountain goat cheese and these incredible watermelons from small farm stands,” he said. “We used those first impressions (of Colorado) along with my latest find, Venetucci turnips, which are sweeter than any I have ever tasted, for the amuse-bouche. This reflects my settling in Colorado, my earliest and latest loves.”

And so the remaining seven courses went. The next course featured beets made into “Colorado Borscht.”

Matthews combined the beets with onions, garlic and cabbage for a robust, delicious soup — reflecting “my early trips to Russia, and the farmers market and home cooking I encountered there,” he said. Other courses included a carrot slaw, a stove-top soufflé, stuffed squash blossoms, ratatouille risotto, pork chops and his grandmother’s award-winning recipe for peach cobbler.

“We end at the beginning,” he said. “My very first food experience … with the Colorado peaches that once made me weep. Amazing, yet simple. Full of love. My grandma won a dozen state fairs with this dish.”

It was a delicious tribute to his grandmother. The entire meal was exceptional — and to think, it was cooked mainly using the farm’s grill under the stars.

The dinners are paired with wine donated by Michael Clouse, with Synergy Fine Wines and beer donated by Mike Bristol, owner of Bristol Brewing Co.

Venetucci events
When: Starlight Dining meals run August through October.
Where: Venetucci Farm, 5210 S. U.S. Highway 85.
Tickets: The October dinner is sold out, but you can get on the waiting list and find out about other Venetucci Farm events by calling 389-1251 or by filling out the contact form on the Web site, ppcf.org.

Pumpkins return
The annual pumpkin giveaway at the Venetucci Farm is nearing. It’s open to pre-K, kindergarten and first-grade classes in the Pikes Peak region. Registration is required. Forms can be found at ppcf.org/pumpkins-for-kids. Contact David Rudin at drudin@ppcf.org or call 389-1251, ext. 112, for more information.