Farm to Table at the Farmstead:Chef Lauren Reed Takes Farm-to-Table Dining to a Whole New Level

The Farm at Prophetstown ©Laura Frank Hale

Farm to Table at the Farmstead: Chef Lauren Reed Takes Farm-toTable Dining to a Whole New Level

By Kathy Merchant

Chef Lauren Reed is one-of-a-kind. She is the Education and Events Coordinator/ Farm Chef for The Farm at Prophetstown, a historic farmstead property situated in a state park in West Lafayette, Indiana.

I can hear you thinking—wait a minute!! This can’t be the only place in our country with a Farm Chef. Farm-to-table dining is NOT a new trend. Well, hear me out. Chef Lauren is a oner.

Source Matters: The Farm at Prophetstown

The 100-acre Farm at Prophetstown (“The Farm”) includes a replica of a 1920 Sears and Roebuck catalogue farmhouse. Surrounding land is dedicated to livestock breeds common to that era, including turkeys, pasture raised Hereford beef, and Berkshire hogs. Livestock munch outdoors on alfalfa and corn grown on the property. Bees make honey that helps local neighbors (within a 50-mile radius) fend off seasonal allergies.

Heirloom vegetables, fruits, and herbs complete the farm-fresh food offerings for sale on-premise. Two large gardens produce heirloom vegetables such as kohlrabi and onions. “They are special heirloom vegetables, which means that they must be eaten fresh within two days” says Chef Lauren. A colorful array of heirloom herbs includes lemon

balm, purple basil, lavender, and the song-worthy foursome of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

The Farm offers classes and training in the areas of sustainable agriculture, homesteading, gardening, canning, farm-to-table cooking, sewing, and quilting. Volunteers supplement staff resources with skills ranging from beekeepers, to master gardeners, to home economics experts.

“The Farm is a special place with access to ‘cool things’ you won’t find in a grocery store,” according to Chef Lauren. “We grow gooseberries, red currents, rhubarb, hazelnuts, asparagus, raspberries, and elderberries. We also use wild black raspberries from the state park—they freeze really well.”

Perhaps best known for pasture-raised Hereford beef and Berkshire hogs, and for eggs—a seemingly endless supply of eggs from a brood of more than 100 chickens—The Farm is a preferred destination for locals and tourists. A smaller number of ducks and turkeys produce prized eggs in the spring. Like a proud parent, Chef Lauren says that “our animals are raised outside where they get lots of sunlight, grass, and attention from staff and the public.”

Feeding an Entrepreneurial Spirit

After a career working as a chef in restaurants and for large events, Lauren Reed landed a job as Education and Events Coordinator at The Farm. Her focus was planning tours, classes, and events. But it didn’t take long for her to size up the potential of The Farm’s pristine environment and quality food to scheme a new idea that would tie all of her loves into a perfect package.

Four years ago, Chef Lauren convinced The Farm’s executive director and board of directors to experiment with an innovative dinner series. Starting in April and running through October of 2017, a monthly dinner series of sophisticated fivecourse meals was born, priced (then and now) at $50. All ingredients came from The Farm, or from nearby farms if Chef Lauren needed to supplement items for her recipes.

It was slow-going that first year until the idea caught on, mostly by word of mouth, a cadre of regulars, and a bit of publicity. But by the second year, all of the dinners began to sell quickly, and in 2020, they sold out in two days!

Success! As a result, the nonprofit organization’s board of directors added “Farm Chef” to Lauren’s title and expanded The Farm’s mission to this: “A 1920s Farmstead Highlighting Sustainable Agriculture, Homesteading, Heirloom Gardening, and Farm-to-Table Cooking.”

“Working for The Farm has totally changed my life,” says Chef Lauren. “I truly love what we bring to our community and visitors. The dinners are a way to showcase the products we grow and produce on The Farm while giving guests a 1920’s dining experience. I am proud to say that The Farm is thriving, with a growing guest interest in history, food and eating local.”

Photos from left: Farm chores with Chef Lauren Reed; Sunset on the Farm; Farm-fresh Eggs. All photos © Laura Frank Hale

Best in Class? Or Just Plain Class(y)?

Not satisfied with just my gut feeling that Chef Lauren has created something very special, I researched similar farms and farmsteads across the country. Aided by a list of the 100+ members of the Association of Living History, Farm, and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) sprinkled across 35 states, I reviewed the websites of all members that offer food. I discovered many roadtrip-worthy farms and farmsteads, mostly along the East Coast and in the Midwest. But none offer the type of sustained dining program designed and executed by a Farm Chef employee.

From a tourism standpoint, some farmsteads have kitchens, and even small restaurants, to feed hungry visitors. But the food is not typically a farm-to-table offering. (Think hot dogs and lemonade for hungry kids.) Some have created dining partnerships with area restaurants whose chefs cook a special meal on location at a farm (but may or may not use ingredients from the host). Most farms sell produce to restaurants, directly to individual customers, and/or set up in weekend farmer’s markets in their local 38

Photos (from left): Farm Chef Lauren Reed © Laura Frank Hale; 1920 Sears Home © Laura Frank Hale; Wildflowers on The Farm at Prophetstown © Frank Oliver; Summer vegetables © Lauren Reed

communities. These are all super interesting and fun but can’t hold a candle to the dinner series at The Farm at Prophetstown!

Farm-to-Table Dinners at the Farm

http://prophetstown.org/home/farm-to-tabledinners/#sthash.8kB37K9u.dpbs

Lucky me. I have insider information about the dinner schedule because Chef Lauren’s mom is one of my dearest friends. I haven’t missed a season yet, even though it’s a long three-hour drive from my home in Cincinnati.

The 1920’s Sears house is transformed for dinners with tables beautifully set with a funky mishmash of period china and silverware. Wildflowers grace each table, and as the sun begins to set behind an adjacent forest, a gentle glow graces the four rooms full of happy diners. The Farm’s staff and volunteers transform to well-trained servers, offering a seamless experience throughout the five-course meal. They also get plenty of exercise —the kitchen is in the basement of the house!

Recipes

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Gruyere Croutons

2 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped 4 Tbsp garlic, minced 3 14-oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes, not drained 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock 2/3 cup heavy cream 1 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp fresh oregano 2 tsp fresh basil 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice Salt and Pepper to taste

1.In a large saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil.

Add sliced onion and garlic. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. 2.Add tomatoes and their juice, water, heavy cream, sugar, oregano, basil, and fresh orange juice. Season with salt and pepper. 3.Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer for 10 minutes.

Tomato Soup with Croutons © Laura Frank Hale

4.After the soup has cooled, working in batches, transfer the tomato soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Push soup through a sieve to remove seeds.

Discard seeds. 5.Return the soup to a clean pot and rewarm the soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Gruyere

Croutons.

Gruyere Croutons

½ loaf crusty French bread 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp seasoned salt ½ tsp black pepper 4 oz shaved Gruyere cheese

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. 2.Cut bread into small cubes and place in bowl. 3.Toss bread with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 4.Lay bread in even layer on baking sheet. 5.Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 8-10 minutes or until crispy. 6.Serve on top of soup.

Visit The Farm at Prophetstown

3534 Prophetstown Road Battle Ground, IN 47920 Phone: (765) 567-4700 www.prophetstown.org

Admission is free with park entry. The Farm is open seven days a week from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Winter hours are November 1 – March 31, weekends only (Fri/Sat/Sun) from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Bolognese Eggplant Stack © Laura Frank Hale

Bolognese Eggplant Stack

Bolognese Sauce

3 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp onion, minced 2 Tbsp carrots, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb. ground beef, local 1 cup half and half 1 cup dry white wine 28 oz whole tomatoes (San Marzano or frozen heirloom tomatoes) seeded and skins removed 4 basil leaves (chiffonade) 1 tsp fresh oregano Salt to taste

Eggplant Stacks

2 medium sized local eggplants 3 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp garlic powder Coarse salt and fresh pepper, to taste

8 oz Burrata cheese Fresh basil to garnish 1.In a heavy bottom pan (Dutch oven), melt the butter. Add onion, carrot, and garlic. Sauté until soft, but not browned. Add the beef and break apart to cook. 2.Add half and half and simmer 15 minutes or until milk evaporates. Add wine and simmer 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and oregano. Simmer on low for 3 hours. Salt to taste. 3.Turn grill on medium heat. 4.Wash the eggplant. Dry and slice into disks, about ½ inch. Brush with olive oil and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 5.Grill both sides until grill-marks are achieved and the eggplant is tender. 6.Make stacks layering Bolognese, one piece of eggplant, burrata, Bolognese and another slice of eggplant. Top with basil to serve.