BETH ROONEY

Dinners on the Farm

Prairie Fruits Farm, Illinois' first farmstead cheesemaking facility, hosts dinners on the farm throughout the growing season. They feature all-local ingredients, and emphasize the diversity of food grown in central Illinois.

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Leslie Cooperband--co-owner of Praire Fruits Farm carries tomatoes to the kitchen.
   
Praire Fruits farm, was host to 45 people who came to enjoy the Local Game dinner.
   
Moore family farm tea smoked duck terrine with pickled beets.
     
  
The dairy herd consists of Nubian and La Mancha goats.
   
Venison and bison summer sausage on rosemary crackers with gooseberry mustard.
   
House made pickle plate: heirloom cucumbers, golden beets, beans, carrots and radishes from the garden at the farm.
     
  
Guests enjoying their hors d'oeuvres before the farm tour.
   
A cheese course featuring three of the farms' cheeses. Served with farmstead honey and quince preserves.
  
Guests share a cheese course featuring three of the farms' cheeses. Served with farmstead honey and quince preserves.
     
  
Mouton Frais, Moonglo cheese, and Roxanne cheese served with quince preserves and farmstead honey.
   
Leslie explains the hors d'oeuvres with a guest before the farm tour.
   
Molly, a chef and cheese maker at the farm, picks flowers for the tables before dinner.
     
  
A plate of hors d'oeuvres.
   
Cable Farm rabbit pie with caprino romano crust and poached pears.
   
A bumper sticker on the back of a guest's truck.
     
  
Alisa, the head chef at the farm, helps plate the herb and watermelon salad.
   
Herb and watermelon salad with Marigold vinegarette. The salad includes: mint, parsley, garlic chive blossoms, lovage, lemonbalm and tarragon topped with marigold and nasturtiums.
   
Laura Huth and a baby goat greet each other during the farm tour.
     
  
Lieb farm bison moussaka with zucchini, eggplant and goat milk yogurt custard.
   
Wes, co-owner of the farm, gives guests a tour of the farm.
   
Pan-roasted marinated sirloin tip Pea Ridge elk steaks with black currant wine sauce, served with a goat cheese tartlet topped with heirloom tomatoes and fennel.
     
  
Praire Fruits Farm is located in Champaign, Illinois.
   
Alisa, the head chef at Praire Fruits Farm explains items on the menu.
   
Sunset on the farm.
     
  
Simple yogurt-orange thyme cake with organic spiced pear compote and chantilly Kilgus Farmstead cream.
   
Guests listen as Leslie explains how she and her partner, Wes, purchased their farm and started their business.