Museum ‘Collectors’ find culinary masterpiece

At Blackberry Farm, the chip and dip appetizers involve caviar!

At Blackberry Farm, the chip and dip appetizers involve caviar!

We were reminded once again recently that if you pay attention and remain flexible, awesome cultural opportunities can come your way in our little part of the universe. The most recent example: a five-course dinner at Blackberry Farm complete with wine pairings with well-known artists Red Grooms and Andy Saftel.

It seems the good folks at Blackberry Farm turned up with some extra dinner reservations available for an “Artists in Residence” program they had lined up exclusively for Blackberry Farm guests. In order to fill the slots and provide an opportunity for some local art lovers, Blackberry Farm offered members of the Knoxville Museum of Art’s Collectors Circle a chance to buy them. They weren’t cheap. But we thought it was worth $175 each for the over-the-top food and wine for which Blackberry Farm is famous. This is a great example of a win-win-win. Blackberry sold their dinners, Collectors Circle members got a great evening with two popular artists, and Blackberry’s guests got a chance to mingle with some local art lovers.

Susan and Lee Hyde snapped up two of the dinner reservations. Susan is director of development at the Knoxville Museum of Art.

Susan and Lee Hyde snapped up two of the dinner reservations. Susan is director of development at the Knoxville Museum of Art.

So did Myron and Jayne Ely. (We all agreed Blackberry serves up a mighty fine martini!)

So did Myron and Jayne Ely. (We all agreed Blackberry serves up a mighty fine martini!)

More locals during cocktails: Stuart Worden and Lane Hays.

More locals during cocktails: Stuart Worden and Lane Hays.

Here's a Red Grooms piece in the cocktail area of The Barn at Blackberry Farm.

Here’s a Red Grooms piece in the cocktail area of The Barn at Blackberry Farm.

Detail of the three dimensional squirrel.

Detail of the three-dimensional squirrel.

Fennel onion marmalade was another tantalizing appetizer.

Fennel onion marmalade on sour dough was another tantalizing appetizer.

This is a rye crisp with carrot mint pesto. Very unusual and delicious.

This is a rye crisp with carrot mint pesto. Very unusual and delicious. Perfect for summer.

Another Red Grooms piece.

Another Red Grooms piece.

Seating was in the wine cellar of The Barn.

Dinner seating was in the wine cellar of The Barn.

First seated course was a garden tomato and benne salad.

First seated course was a garden tomato and benne salad.

Blackberry Farm proprietor Sam Beall explained that benne is a kind of sesame seed that is indigenous to the South. The tomatoes, from Maryville, and benne were served with barrel aged soy, grilled beans and red mizuna, a kind of lettuce. The soy was made in Kentucky in aged bourbon barrels. This was served with a 2013 Cep sauvignon blanc from Hopkins Ranch in Russian River Valley. Beall said the winery only makes two barrels of it each year.

This is artist Red Grooms and his wife, Lysiane.

This is artist Red Grooms and his wife, Lysiane. Grooms is from Nashville but has lived in New York City for more than 40 years.

Sam Beall giving us the lowdown on the food and wine.

Sam Beall giving us the lowdown on the food and wine.

“A community has less identity without the arts,” Beall said. “This is a new effort on Blackberry’s part to put a focus on the arts.”

Caramelized diver scallops served over charred zucchini puree, squash and basil.

Caramelized diver scallops served over charred zucchini puree, squash and basil.

This course, my favorite, was served with a 2006 Leth roter veltliner from Wagram. “Austrian white wines are some of the most exciting in the world,” Beall shared.

The other artist in Blackberry's weekend program was Andy Saftel, at dinner here with his wife, Susan Knowles.

The other artist in Blackberry’s weekend program was Andy Saftel, at dinner here with his wife, Susan Knowles. They live in rural East Tennessee’s Sequatchie Valley.

Here is an Andy Saftel watercolor called My Fruit. He created it this year. (I got this photo off his website. I didn't see this piece at Blackberry.)

Here is an Andy Saftel watercolor called My Fruit. He created it this year. (I got this photo off his website. I didn’t see this piece at Blackberry.)

Slow cooked farm egg eith mushroom broth, green onions and crispy hen of the woods mushrooms.

Slow cooked farm egg with mushroom broth, green onions and crispy hen of the woods mushrooms.

When they say “slow cooked,” they mean it. Beall said this egg was cooked at a very low temperature for 2-1/2 hours! As for the rest of the dish, “It’s a mushroom moment right now!” he said. This was served with a 2012 Failla pinot noir from Sonoma Coast. Great match.

Romilly and Peter Newman. She's a food blogger from New York City.

Romilly and Peter Newman. She’s a food blogger from New York City.

Painted Hills beef ribeye with potato puree, sweet corn, chanterelles and fava beans. All the vegetables were from Blackberry's garden.

Painted Hills beef ribeye with potato puree, sweet corn, chanterelles and fava beans. All the vegetables were from Blackberry’s garden.

Wine was a 2001 Lail Blueprint red blend from Napa Valley.

John and Sue Finney with Sam Beall, right.

Jay and Alison Hicks with Sam Beall, right.

Dessert: toasted marshmallow, crispy mousse, smoked ice cream (!) and bacon graham.

Dessert: toasted marshmallow, crispy mousse, smoked ice cream (!) and bacon graham.

So, there you have it. An unexpected treat on a Monday night! Our town is so much fun!

Click here for info on joining the Knoxville Museum of Art’s Collectors Circle.

 

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4 Responses to Museum ‘Collectors’ find culinary masterpiece

  1. Alan Carmichael, on August 26th, 2014 at 2:26 pm said:

    Another great dinner and what a treat to meet Red Grooms. He was sketching during the dinner.

  2. Georgiana Vines, on August 26th, 2014 at 2:36 pm said:

    I’m curious about the slow-cooked egg. Was it rubbery?

  3. Cynthia Moxley, on August 26th, 2014 at 2:42 pm said:

    Hey, George! No, it wasn’t rubbery. It was soft-cooked, kind of like a poached egg. My question is why you’d want to cook it so long when you can poach an egg in just a few minutes. But I’m not a chef! I’m an eater!

  4. Gay Lyons, on August 26th, 2014 at 8:13 pm said:

    Carrot mint pesto? OK, I’ll give that a try at one of our progressives.

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