Slow Food Picnic At Harn Homestead

Sunday afternoon, I was one of the fortunate persons to know about ,and have a ticket to the Slow Food Fall Picnic and Festival at Harn Homestead (thanks to my good friend Vivian Boroff).

The weather was breathakingly perfect at 1721 N. Lincoln, just a stone’s throw away from the Capitol building downtown.  You’d never guess you were downtown, however, due to the charm of the location.  I mean where else but Oklahoma City can you have a barn and a Capitol building in the same picture?

The purpose of the Slow Food Picnic is to bring together producers and the vendors who use them. 

For example, Wagon Creek Creamary and Peach Crest Farm teamed up by supplying produce and dairy, while local Chef  Barbara Mock from Kam’s Kookery created some amazing sweet potatoes and salad out of them.

And we, the guests, were the fortunate recipients. 

Sprawled out on the lawn of The Harn Homestead acreage, were dozens of green-checked lined tables.

Guests were served homestyle platters by volunteers created by local restaurants and chefs who were busy whipping up goodness in the weathered brown barn, where behind the scenes, servers dished up loads of platters and bowls with delicious, local-grown food.

The food was brought out plate by plate for us to pass down the tables.  We began with Meatballs – Tabbouleh Style Lamb and Roasted Pepper Garlic Meatballs by W  Bar M Lamb, Cattle Tracks Beef and Guilford Gardens, and fixed by Chef Alain Buthion of La Baguette Bistro. Unfortunately, I was at the drink station when my table received this and this is what I came back to.

One measly (but delicious!) meatball and some lovely watermelon radishes. 

Then we were served this concoction which piqued all our curiosity.

This was a Butternut Squash Pickle (furnished by Sodexo) that was filled with cloves, and had stems of herbs tucked down into it.  It was scrumptious.

And then there was Caponata, supplied by Guildford Gardens and whipped up by Chef Brian McGrew of Stella Modern Italian Cuisine.

Typically a Sicilian salad made with fried eggplant and capers and soaked in a little vinegar, ours had chickpeas and olives I believe and was served with Cheddar Biscotti.

Again…wonderful!

Next came a mouth-watering platter full of Slow-Roasted Buffalo Short Ribs (Wichita Buffalo and Chef Bill Hart of Kam’s Kookery) surrounding a mound of Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Butter, Thyme, Roasted Garlic and Asiago Cheese and also some Roasted Zucchini and Yellow Squash (both from Peach Crest Farm & Wagon Creek Creamery and Chef Barbara Mock of Kam’s Kookery).

I was pleasantly surprised by this version of savory sweet potatoes.  The kid in me must be growing up because I much preferred the flavor of these to the sickening sweet ones we usually are offered elsewhere.

Then Big Truck Tacos and Chef Cally Johnson, always a crowd pleaser, dished out some Slow Roasted Brisket Tacos (supplied by No Name Ranch).

Vegans were offered Eggplant Parmesan by Guildford Gardens and Chef Kamala Gamble of Kam’s Kookery (no picture) and also I believe there was an Heirloom Lasagna for Vegans by Guilford Gardens and 105 degrees Restaurant.  No one at our table opted for this, so I missed out on pictures!

This was absolutely delicious and one of my favorite things of the evening. 

A salad of Local Greens, Russian Kale, Cantalope and Feta Cheese with smooth, light vinaigrette dressing.  I sat next to Kristy from T, an Urban Tea House, and we passed this back and forth continuously. 

We loved it.  (Supplied by Peach Crest Farms, Wagon Creek Creamery and again created by Chef Barbara Mock of Kam’s Kookery).

We also had a Spicy Okie Bok Choy Cole Slaw supplied by Organic Gardens and dished up by Chef Ian Wagner.

I loved the contrast of textures in this and also the addition of cilantro.  Yummm.

We also had  Prairie Harvest Levain bread complements of Earth Elements Farm Flour and Prairie Thunder Baking Company.

It was served with butter and more of those beautiful watermelon radishes.

The children weren’t left out either.  They dined on Grilled Hot Dogs from Downing Family Farm and were the lucky recipients of Sage Original Mac & Cheese from Sage Gourmet Cafe & Restaurant. (again – no picture, well, cuz I wasn’t a kid!)

And for dessert?

Wagon Creek Creamery, Peach Crest Farms, Lasley’s Peanuts and Chef Katy Reddick and Platt College gave us Parisian Chocolate Macaroons, Warm Apple or Pear Cobbler and some little tarts that seemed like a cross between pumpkin and pecan pie. 

And we weren’t without beverage!

Local Beer & Wine folks were there!  Coop Ale Works and  from Krebs Brewering Co. (Choc Beer) were serving up beef and North Oaks Wines & Spirits were pouring up wine.

Elemental Coffee supplied coffee – (Chris Holliday. left, and Laura Massenat, right) with Kristy Jennings (in the middle).

And Cafe Evoke was whipping up Espresso Machiatos, Cappucinos and a whole lot more just inside the brown barn.

After seeing their new baby pictures only on Twitter, it was great to see their new bundle of joy with them!

And there wasn’t just food at this event.  This was a great family event as well…the kids had run of the acreage as well, with everything from potato sack races…

To pony and horse rides.

To facepainting…

Hold-up! 

Kids? Well, apparently this event made everyone feel a little young at heart!

Watch for this event next year! I’m sure it will be bigger and better and you don’t want to miss it!  It was pure enjoyment!

Just livin’ finely in Oklahoma,