The Grand Community Gardens are partnering with the Dean Public House in Hot Sulphur Springs to hold its 5th Garden to Table dinner on Friday, September 6, 2019.  At its heart, garden to table means that the food on the table came directly from a specific garden without going through a store, market, or distributor along the way. In this case the meal will feature Grand County produce, meats, and spirits. Vegetables come from three different sites of the Grand Community Gardens – Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby and Fraser; lamb and pork from the 4H sale that followed the Middle Park Fair.  Spirits are from our local breweries and distilleries.

The Grand Community Gardens came into being in 2008 through the hard work of many individuals, the generosity of local businesses and a grant from The Grand Foundation.  In 2010 Grand Community Gardens became a part of the Colorado State University Extension located in Kremmling. The alliance with CSU Extension provides administrative support, access to extensive educational resources and close ties to the Master Gardener Program. The mission of the Community Gardens is to enrich the individual, social and environmental health of Grand County through gardening education and providing residents the opportunity to learn how to grow their own food.  The Garden to Table dinner is meant to showcase all that can be grown in our short season and is the Community Garden’s main fundraiser.

Planning for this special dinner began in January when representatives from the Community Gardens met with the managers and chefs of Dean Public House.  The vegetables were selected and gardeners from each site volunteered to maintain the different beds. This can be nerve wracking given our unpredictable weather.  Seeds were ordered, gardening beds prepared and planting began in the spring and continued into the summer. Harvesting has just begun and will continue until the day before the September 6 dinner.  The Hot Sulphur Springs site is contributing onions, carrots, radishes and salad greens. The Fraser and Granby community garden sites are providing potatoes, beets, Swiss chard, fresh herbs, and flowers. The Dean Chefs, Chad Callaway and Mark Gorman, will create a three course meal that is sure to be outstanding.  Bar Manager, Carrie Van Lanen will be preparing drinks to complement each course that will showcase different flowers and herbs. “First off, it helps us feel connected with the community that we serve…” Carrie said about the Garden to Table Dinner. “It also helps us feel connected to our environment and learn about growing and harvesting food in this climate and elevation.  We’ve learned a lot from the community gardeners and other local gardeners that has helped us to start off our own green house and garden projects to supplement our restaurant.  Finally, it’s exciting to have fresh, locally grown or harvested products to drive our creativity.  After being in the business for as long as we have it’s fun to ‘keep it interesting’.”

There will be two seatings for the dinner at 5 pm and 7:45 pm. Cost is $35 per person or $55 if you choose the craft cocktail pairings with each course. Email info@deanpublichouse.com to make your reservations. Credit card reservations are required as there is limited space available. Any cancellations within 48 hours of the event will be assessed a cancellation fee. Tickets are transferable. For more information on the Community Gardens go to www.grandcommunitygardens.org

We hope that you can join us for this incredible meal made with some of the freshest ingredients you’ll find anywhere!