Behind The Scenes At Outstanding In The Field
Driving down the dirt, clamshell-studded driveway under an allée of shady trees, it appeared just like any other midweek day at Westport Rivers Vineyard in Westport, Mass. A few cars were parked beside the farmhouse tasting room, where inside, a small group of couples sipped their way through a flight of wines. Just behind the tasting room, all was quiet inside the giant barn. The only evidence that a grand dinner party for 160 guests was to take place in just mere hours was the mass of large water dispenser jugs beside a makeshift counter made of wine barrels.
Click here to see the Behind the Scenes at Outstanding in the Field Slideshow.
I've been following Jim Denevan's Outstanding in the Field (OITF) project — and the team's brilliant red bus — on their annual cross-country treks since day one, back in 1999. Starting out from the Santa Cruz, Calif. area every summer, the small team would begin a cross-country trek with tens and tens of chairs, boxes of lanterns, and all the essentials needed to set their iconic table. Every couple of days, the hosts (and adventurers) would stop at a pre-determined farmer's field, a coastal vineyard, or a challenging location like a beach accessible only at low tide, to host a dinner that has become a true example of what farm-to-table dining should be. They're literally bringing the table to the farm.
In the early '90s, the influence of Alice Waters and her shop locally, dine organically philosophy was on the rise, particularly in California. Then a chef (and artist/surfer) himself, Denevan observed how chefs were starting to put farm names on menus. But instead of just following suit, he decided to go directly to the source of where his food was coming from, exploring this farm-to-table connection at an all-new level.
Click here to see the Behind the Scenes at Outstanding in the Field Slideshow.
"I wanted to bring the farmer and chef closer together," Denevan explains, "in a place where the public could experience firsthand just where the ingredients in front of them were coming from." For a farmer or producer, the dinners are more than a mention on the menu, says Denevan, "It's an opportunity to tell each ingredient's story." As a former chef himself, he knows what it's like to be inspired by farm-fresh ingredients. "To then serve a meal on a farm where the food came from is inspiring," he adds, "and guests can feel that enthusiasm, too."
As I wandered down the grassy lawn, where cocktails were to be served in just hours, towards the grapevines, I had a vague sense of where the OITF team might be hiding. The curl of smoke drifting through the wind in the hot summer air wasn't my only indicator. I had done my homework and knew roughly where the sun would be setting. And that sunset isn't something you'd want to miss when dining in a field on a cloudless day.
Rounding the corner, I spotted Beau Vestal, chef at New Rivers in Providence, R.I., firing up the grills. By now, Vestal was an old pro at cooking under an EZ-Up tent in the middle of a field, with no running water, electricity, and today, a seriously strong wind. Vestal found OITF through his friend and fellow chef Matt Jennings, of Farmstead and La Laiterie in Providence. "I did a dinner last year and it apparently was one of the best dinners to date," says Vestal. "They signed me up for this year's event just after last year's finished — all I had to do was find a location."
Vestal is a frequent visitor to the area around Westport Rivers, a small, family vineyard run by father-and-son duo Bob and Bill Russell. The Russell's wines have been on the menu at New Rivers for years. Vestal often makes the one-hour drive from Providence to the area to source ingredients from local farmers, like Eva Sommaripa of Eva's Garden and T Viera at 'Round the Bend Farm, just to see firsthand what's in the ground and to hear from the farmers what they are most excited about. Located along the coast of the East Branch of the Westport River, the vineyard is surrounded by verdant fields and has a great sweeping view to the southwest; Vestal couldn't imagine having the next event anywhere else.
OITF is quite unlike any other farm-to-table dinner party. Everything that the team needs for the next meal packed up into their distinctive red bus at the end of the night. The ingredients are sourced by each dinner's guest chef (more than 14 local purveyors were featured the night Vestal cooked).
"The meals have been the same from the beginning," Denevan explains. Instead, it is about the setting and the food — their signature table and serving style remains consistent. Each night begins with cocktails, followed by a farm tour, ending with a walk to the table. Another enduring tradition is that guests are asked to bring their own plates for dinner (don't worry if you forget — they have plates to use, too). But there have been a few tweaks over the years. "We used to have guests pick flowers for the table on the way to dinner," Denevan explains, but as the number of platters have proliferated, it's easier to just keep the tables clean. "It's just more visually compelling."
Click here to see the Behind the Scenes at Outstanding in the Field Slideshow.