Summer Solstice Feast in the Field

Photos by Rachel Martin, Jonathan Adams and Vicky Moon

Friends of The Oak Spring Garden Foundation recently gathered in the walled garden of the Biocultural Conservation Farm (BCCF) for a Summer Solstice Feast. Seventy-plus guests gathered first for a drink or a signature cocktail Fino Bee Cobbler or Elderflower Rose Spritz followed by a family-style dinner curated by Chef Jason Neve with an impressive assortment of summer crops grown at the farm, which was originally owned by Bunny and Paul Mellon.

Jason was born and raised in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where he was submerged in the tropical surroundings of mangrove islands, sandy beaches and the wide-open sea. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has worked at an impressive list of fine restaurants in New York and Las Vegas as well as serving as Chef-in-Residence at the Robert Rauschenberg Residency in Captiva Florida. Jason joined the Oak Springs Garden team as Chef and Head of Culinary Services in 2022. He now cooks for residents and guests by showcasing the bounty of the BCCF farm.

“I let nature tell me what to cook,” he said. “In reality, I start with an availability list of products from the farm and let those items guide the path. Generally, I’ll have lots of ideas and images pop to mind that I scribble in a notebook. I’ll let all that percolate for a bit, making sure dishes will work in terms of execution--especially important when you’re cooking in a field--and then fine tune everything to form a final menu.”