Promoting local foods and celebrating sustainable food producers, chefs and food in Idaho, Idaho's Bounty will hold its third annual Taste of Idaho's Bounty fundraiser and local food fair on Thursday, Nov. 4, from 4-9 p.m. at Elkhorn Springs Restaurant in Sun Valley.
Food will be served from 4-8 p.m. and attendees are invited to stay until 9 p.m. to enjoy live music as well as wine and beer.
"It's really exciting for me since I have been involved in the planning for all three years," said event coordinator Julia Augustus. "Elkhorn Springs Restaurant is a beautiful space and it will be nice to have a kitchen area for the chefs."
The family-friendly event will have a cider press and meals created for kids as well as kids activities from 4-5:30 p.m. The festival will feature several local food producers, including Mike Heath of M&M Heath Farms, Tona and Clarence Stilwill of Fair Mountain Farm and Carol Rast of Prairie Sun Farm. Other local food producers will include Stacey Ballard of Ballard Cheese, Gail Ansley of CA Bull Elk Ranch, Gena Herzinger of Green Grass and Sunshine, Tim Sommer of Purple Sage Farms, Evelyn Simon of Simon Boers Chevon, Chad Thomason and Sarah Asher of Sugar Loaf Farm and Kurtis Williams of Waterwheel Gardens.
The event is designed for participants to learn and become aware of the local farmers and ranchers who will be in attendance. Delicious "locavore" dishes will be prepared by valley chefs including Chris Kastner of CK's Real Food who will prepare roasted organic chicken with a salad of Russian red kale, honey crisp apple, sweet onion and pine nuts.
Tyler Stokes of Globus will serve a green curry with local basil, butternut squash, golden beets, spinach with red onion and apples over jasmine rice. Scott and Anne Mason of Ketchum Grill are planning to present grilled sturgeon and panna cotta with local pears.
Mike Diem of the Valley Club will prepare beef and lamb sliders and Idaho potato chips. Nourish Me will have local veggie soup and Glow's Brooke Hovey will have lentil salad. Nancy Rutherford of Rolling in Dough will bring a tasty dessert. Private chef Becky Ludwig will present a dessert and Brent Barsotti will whip up homemade fava bean tortellini.
There will be a wide variety of foods to choose from, including local meat, kids meals and vegetarian dishes. Sample or purchase local wine and beer from 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards, Holesinsky Organic Vineyards, Frenchman's Gulch Winery and the Sun Valley Brewery.
Advance tickets are $30 and can be purchased at Nourish Me in Ketchum or online at idahosbounty.org. Children 12 and under are $10, and children 3 and under are free. Tickets will be available at the door with cash or check for $35.
"I love Idaho's Bounty because it helps to create a real community around local food," Augustus said. "It helps people get to know the farmers and it helps create the connection between farmers and consumers as well as helps Idaho's Bounty establish a connection to the food—who grows it and where it comes from."
Idaho's Bounty is a nonprofit Internet cooperative founded in 2007 that links food producers with consumers.
For details, call 721-1412, visit www.idahosbounty.org or e-mail jaugustus@idahosbounty.org.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Enjoy the delicious creations of valley chefs and Iocal Idaho food purveyors at the third annual Taste of Idaho’s Bounty. Photo by David N. Seelig
