Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
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local cuisine "it combines community, farm, food…and a hint of nostalgia" At each dinner, there is a short speech about what is new at the farm. The speaker rotates between farm staff, executive staff, board members, and occasional outside guests. In June, Melanie Hardy, the farm manager, spoke about her excitement for the upcoming season. She says that donors' recent investments in the farm have allowed them to build a new greenhouse, which she felt was sure to lead to a great tomato crop. "We try to limit the speaking part as much as possible and rotate speakers. The goal is to connect our diners with what is happening in town or at Land's Sake. For example, World Food Day is in October. At our October Supper Club, we will have someone from Oxfam speak about World Food Day, " Barker says. The other key speaker at the event is the chef. For the first two years, the chef was Sam Hunt. Land's Sake is currently working with Chris Chung and Christian Tousche at AKA Bistro in Lincoln. Chung will address the diners and speak about the night's meal, its prepara- tion, inspiration, and what was provided from Land's Sake, in terms of produce. "It is a great opportunity for our guests to learn how to prepare different vegetables…such as kohlrabi or radishes," says Barker. Even during the winter, Barker says, the chef will use a lot of the farm's produce. "More of our food is used than you might think. We provide a lot of vegetables from the root cellar, including beets, squash, potatoes, and such. " Some of Marchiony's favorite memories of the Supper Club come from the chef's notes. He remembers when Hunt thought it might be interesting to smoke the meat in fresh straw, to add a brassy aroma, and then flash sear it by lighting the straw at the end. "Hunt laughed that it didn't work…but it was great to hear of the different experiments chefs do," says Marchiony. Because the Josiah Smith Tavern does not have a commercial kitchen, most of the food is prepared by the chefs off site and heated at the Tavern. Last minute prep work is done in the kitchen off the dining room. (It is important to note that the chefs can accommodate 174 food allergies, as long as they are made clear when one registers for the dinner.) "The Supper Club is at a pivotal point," says Barker. "The town is looking at different proposals for the Josiah Smith Tavern, including proposals to turn the tavern into a café, bed and breakfast, and condos. We don't know if it will be six months or six years until these changes are decided upon…but we are exploring new options for the next iter- ation of the Supper Club. " While Barker would not share what the options are, he was adamant that Supper Club would continue in some form. "It is too popular for the town and too important for us." As a recent attendee, I can add that Land's Sake Supper Club is something that you would dream of a town like Weston having. It com- bines community, farm, food…and a hint of nostalgia that, perhaps, the Tavern or the family style seating add. To register for the Supper Club please visit www.landssake.org/events. The cost is $70 for non-members and $55 for members. It is BYOB. WellesleyWeston Magazine | winter 2012/2013 COURTESY OF JOHN MARCHIONY