By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — The flavors of foods grown here in Aroostook County will be on display as the County Co-op and Farm Store hosts its first “Taste of Winter” event this Saturday.
Held at 53 Main St., from 6-9 p.m., the evening will feature a wide variety of locally grown produce, meats, vegetables and dairy products.
Meg Scott, one of the event organizers and primary forces behind the creation of the County Co-Op, said the dinner is just another in a series of events slated to spread the word about the group. Their first event, a Farm-to-Table dinner, drew 80 individuals.
“The Co-Op is very interested in entertaining and spreading the word about what we are all about,” Scott said.
The Taste of Winter event will features not just a variety of tastefully prepared foods, but information from the producers about how the food is made. Locally-sourced gourmet appetizers and desserts will be available and live music from local musicians will also be offered
The menu for the evening includes Lori Weston’s famous bacon rolls; wild blueberry quinoa salad; ham and spinach quiche; wheat berry vegetable salad; stuffed mushrooms with summer sausage and goat cheese; coq au vin; chicken pot pie; bestilla phyllo turnovers; roasted butternut squash lasagna; beet pickled devilled eggs; beef empanadas; squash tartlets with kale pesto; caramelized onion lasagna; cream of carrot soup; beef burgundy; focaccia; assorted artisan cheeses and crackers; and a variety of desserts
“Just about everything we will be serving is made from items grown locally,” Scott said. “We are working really hard with local producers to get to know them better. They are really excited about this whole movement.”
Among those vendors who will be supplying food items for the event are: Sonnental Farms, Smyrna; Orchard Hill Farm, Woodland; Sunnyside Farm, Linneus; Hilty Family, Smyrna; Circle B Farms, Caribou; Speichers, Smyrna; Esches Family Farm, Smyrna; Aurora Mills and Farm, Linneus; Nature’s Circle Farm, New Limerick; Boyman Acres, Amity; Schools Farm, Houlton; Sweet Sue’s, Houlton; Gould Family Farm, Sherman; Gardiner Farms, Stacyville; and Houlton Farms Dairy.
Others featured for door prizes or displays include Pleasant View Tree Farm, Hodgdon; Bee Morse Farm, Houlton; Naturally Bee-ewtiful, Linneus; Michele Bye, Linneus; Feet, Face and Fanny, Oakfield; Fiddlehead Farm, New Limerick; Took A Leap Farm, Houlton; and Promise Pretzels, Houlton.
“This evening is a chance to get to know your producers face-to-face,” Scott said. “There will also be a lot of displays showing what they have to offer. The Co-Op can truly be a powerhouse for the community because it is all local.”
The County Co-Op and Farm Store was founded in July of 2013 after researching several other similar groups around the state. A consumer-based group, the County Co-Op is a member-owned and controlled retail outlet featuring mostly locally sourced foods, goods and products.
The Co-Op plans to open a storefront for its producers at 53 Main St. by fall 2014. For more information on the evening, contact Scott at megscott@live.com or 592-1476.
