On Thursday, September 24 Durham College (DC) hosted its first-ever Harvest Dinner at the Centre for Food, in celebration of the fall season. One hundred members of the community gathered to enjoy a meal featuring a variety of food, including produce and herbs that were planted, picked and prepared by DC students and to celebrate the college’s first crop yield.

The multi-course meal, served family style, was inspired by the CFF’s field-to-fork vision, which is based on the harvesting, storage, processing, packaging, sale and consumption of food – in particular the production of local food for local consumers. CFF ambassador and celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy was on-hand to assist with menu planning and worked with the culinary students in the kitchen while guests dined under the stars, surrounded by the CFF’s fields and greenhouses.

“Not only was the Harvest Dinner an excellent opportunity to celebrate the fall season with the community, it was also the culmination of several years of hard work on the part of Durham College employees and students,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “The vision has also come together through the generosity of the broader community. We now have the dedicated resources and energy to bring the field-to-fork vision to life and it’s thrilling to see it all coming together.”

Highlights from the dinner included smoked loin of Ontario pork (beef and chicken were also available) with a beet and apple chutney, Linwood Acres trout with lemon geranium and chili peppers and a harvest vegetable medley consisting of carrots, cauliflower, roasted baby corn, Brussels sprouts, green beans and onions. Dessert consisted of several tarts, pumpkin cheesecake and strawberry rhubarb mini pies.

“As the ambassador for the Centre for Food, I was very excited to be part of this harvest celebration,” said Chef Jamie Kennedy. “Celebrating fresh, seasonal and local food is at the heart of my culinary philosophy and fall is a one of my favourite times of the year. It was great to be able to share the season with the students and wider community.”

For anyone who missed out on the Harvest Dinner, they can stop by Bistro ’67, the CFF’s green-certified, teaching-inspired restaurant, to enjoy more of the centre’s produce yields. Chef Kennedy will be onsite on select Thursdays throughout the year for a special dining experience. These evenings will feature great food, inspired by Chef Kennedy and the CFF’s philosophy, served in a creative learning environment that represents what happens when communities, local farmers and education work together. Upcoming dates include Thursday, October 22 and Thursday, November 19.