This was our second year attending Feast of Fields. The “annual local food celebration and fundraiser, held each year on a different farm in Metro Vancouver, on Vancouver Island, and in the Okanagan Valley” (As taken from the website).
Proceeds raised from these events allow Farm Folks City Folk “to develop and operate programs that connect, empower, and inspire people to strengthen BC’s sustainable food systems.”
For its 29th year, Metro Vancouver’s Feast of Fields was hosted at Athiana Acres in Richmond with Tourism of Richmond as a sponsor.
With the colourful wild flowers scattered around the property, (that they actually sell), this was a dreamy setting for this literal farm to table event.
Ticket holders have the run of the space, with the ability to bounce around from vendor to vendor, table to table sampling small bites and loaded sips.
“With a wine glass and linen napkin in hand, guests stroll across farmers’ fields, through barns, past tractors, and around chicken coops, listening to live music, and tasting gourmet creations from top BC chefs, farmers, fishers, ranchers, food artisans, and beverage producers.”
And in-between it all you have the ability to linger and enjoy the farm-scape, either claiming one of the ornamental hay bails as a seat, or bringing your own chairs or picnic blankets to use.
But to beat the heats guests were able to stand by the tables within their glass green house. This was ironically the most cool spot on the farm. Here, they have 4 different types of cooling systems, and past a certain temperature the speciality glass refracts heat. They regularly use the space to host events like private long table dinners and the occasional wedding.
As for today’s event, you have 4 hours to explore and the ability to revisit favourites. There is plenty to try and enough to fill in place of a sit down meal, but I highly recommend adding on the VIP experience if you planning on visiting next year.
You start 30 minutes before the event and are treated to a speciality tasting menu. This year this was hosted by the chefs at Bar Gobo in Chinatown.
They were the perfect spokespeople for the occasion considering they work with sustainable farmers, and local producers and foragers. Today’s entire menu was based around local meat and produce.
But first we started with drinks. VIPs had the option of either sparkling rose or an effervescent cider to pair with the three course tasting menu. The former was from Evolve, its bubbles a sweet strawberry that washed the pepperiness of our first course. Their wines are of the champagne variety and this in particular was a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, plus 2% Syrah.
The latter an apple based spirit from Seacider that has the acidity of a dry grape white. Their Platinum is dedicated to their 20 years made from bitter sweet and bitter sharp apples.
With drink in hand and after the customary VIP cheers, the courses started coming as we watched our two guest chefs assemble each before our eyes.
The first course was a Nasturtium Tartare Tart with beef tenderloin, green blueberry capers that the the restaurant has been brining for 3 months, dill pickles that they have brined themselves, walla walla, and nasturtium Dijonnaise.This was a clean and spicy bite, there was no hiding the freshness of each of the individual ingredients. Quality beef nestled on top of a crisp tart cup. A perfect 2 biter to leave you wanting more.
The second course was a Shiso wrap of sorts, filled with cured Fraser Valley duck, black garlic gomae, prune plum, and pickled radish. It carried Asian flavours in a plant wrap. The bitterness of the leaf balanced out by the hoisin-based sauce.
Smoky saltiness with sweet pops from the juicy plum. I would have liked more fruit coupled with less of the sauce that over powered. I also wished I got more from the cured duck that resembled a thick cut prosciutto.
After it, it was nice to have the glass of sparkling to wash the mouth clean before the third, and my favourite course.
As a forager I was excited to read and see Lobster Mushroom on the menu. Szechuan & pickled pepper glaze, savoury clam xo, tropeana shallot, and Thai basil.
These meaty mushrooms with a fishy fragrance were foraged locally. Seasoned in Gobo’s house made savoury clam xo sauce that utilizes an invasive species. It had an amazing meaty texture that left me wanting a starch to enjoy it with, especially as there were additional chunks of lobster mushroom in the vegetable mix they were served with. A risotto would have been ideal.
And for dessert Cassandra Cake Co. prepared a berry galette. Blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry over a buttery crust. We ate it without cutlery and licked our fingers clean as a result.
There were also Filipino style shortbread cookies from Goldilocks. Either the original buttery, condense milk sweetened original or a flavoured cookies and cream.
During our VIP experience we would also hear from the farm’s owners and operators and were invited back for a private tour later. More on that below.
Fully satisfied and utterly impressed, I knew this would be hard to beat and I was right. The following are the bites and sips we had at the general event.
Cassandra Cake Co. also prepared rich and gooey flourless, chocolate brownie morsels with salted caramel for the general event. We enjoyed a piece each.
Seeing the ladies at Anh and Chi we bee-lined it to their booth to try their bottle sauces and newer chilli oil collection. Used as a dressing over a taster bowl of vermicelli, slaw, and organic tofu. I enjoyed mine with all 3 condiments combined: fish sauce, chilli oil, and soy.
Another familiar restaurant was H-Tasting Lounge. On their sample table was their Bayshore Honey & Soy Glazed Duck Confit Rillette. A two-bite grilled flatbread, topped with sweet & sour plum gel, North Arm Farm radish salad, ginger & scallion oil, and Bayshore cultivated micro greens. This was a hearty morsel that I wish was more heavily seasoned. A little bland as is, this could have used a sweet and spicy dressing like the sour plum gel I could not taste.
Not just small bites, there were also product samples Costco style. A gluten-free plant based salad dressing from Kelowna.
A whole lemon garlic shrimp from Bayside sustainable seafood products.
I was excited for and happy with the Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese from Market 49 fine foods. This was a saucy and delicious classic mac & cheese. This I could have eaten a whole bowl of. Tasty as is, I didn’t think it needed its topping of tender pulled pork. It felt like its own bite, having been smoked for 8-hours in house with a blend of woods and spices, and accompanied by their house-made BBQ sauce.
I also liked the vegan toasta from Folke Restaurant. Refried eggplant, padron and tomatillo salsa, semi-dried zucchini, sungold tomato, a melon vinaigrette, and smoked paprika. Fresh grilled veggies just taste better on the farm they grew on. Tender and soft, they contrasted the crispy chip base perfectly.
Kizzy’s macarons is a fan favourite with their familiar flavours the likes of mint chocolate, lemon raspberry, and lavender & honey. Their Winnie the Pooh character macarons really stole the show for me.
There were also drinks like Kindred probiotic kefir for sampling and much more wine and beer.
We sipped on Hester Creek’s Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the first they have seen in over 12 years, and it speaks to their bumper harvest in BC. It was just released outside of the winery a week ago, and we got the scoop at Feast & Field.
And we reup-ed on more Seacider, sampling their other varieties including the cherry based on.
Nature’s Fare Market had a vegan and gluten-free Smoked Carrot Lox on Poached Potato for tasting. Crispy vegetables with a pickled tang, providing a great acidic freshness over a nice starchy biscuit-like potato product.
The Apron had a Chicken & Truffle Croquette with sour apple purée and porcini powder. These were great bricks of moist chicken under an even coating of light breading. I just wish I got more of the promised truffle in the name.
Did not get to try everything, but would end our time at Feast of Fields with the promised farm tour. Here we learned more about Athiana Acres from the man who helped take the then 30-acre blank state to the certified organic and soon to be regenerative farm that it is today. This was years in the making transforming the land that was once a seasonal, public skating rink.
They grow an over 300 variety mix of colours and spice levels of herbs, vegetables, and flowers. Most of it they provide to well known restaurants, from Michelin star rated ones to your favourite mom and pop. They also make their flowers and produce available for sale at their on site market.
They want to take their certified organic practices of using no chemical, GMOs, or treated seeds and go further. They grow fertilizers to help improve soil health and biodiversity. Instead of purchasing compost they work on close loop farming, where they grow everything themselves, including crops not for harvest. These are known as cover crops, and are meant to be grown then mowed, and done so repeatedly to help foster the soil quality.
The Athiana Acres team has a huge sense of responsibility to give back to their thriving ecology hub, where nature can get into rhythm. Through their actions they are seeing more birds and bugs, plus different varieties flocking to their fields. There are eagles and coyotes, and thankful no bunnies and rabbits, which are ironically commonplace in Richmond.
They are grateful for the clay soil that enriches the farm land, known for holding water and nutrients well. To protect it they are find natural means to help kill off pests. For example, planting species that will attract insects and animals that are natural predators.
From here we took a peak into each of their tented green houses. Learning that onions need to cure in order to have the best flavour and to be able to store them for months longer.
We saw different varieties of ginger and cucumber that hung. The latter included a yellow bulbous lemon cucumber that I have never seen before.
We spent extra time studying the various tomatoes on vine and were even invited to pick our own for tasting. We had our choice of tomato and were able to pair it with one of their leafy herbs like basil or Shisho for a tasty mouthful. This was the highlight of the event for me, setting the bar high for quality produce grown on a certified organic and regenerative farms.
This was another successful Feast of Fields, and I am so thankful I got to experience it all the more as a VIP. This is an event I highly recommend you look into and bookmark for next year.
