Tonight we were at Lakeland Flowers to enjoy their latest seasonal bloom: Lupins. These are towering flowers with a long stem and individual bulbs surrounding it, like bells hanging in a cascade. Today they grew in shades of purple, pink, white, and some even had a gradient blend of the three colours.
They and this field were three years in the making. The seeds planted the same way as they crop grain. It takes a year for the lupins to grow strong enough to flower and in its third year, enough to be a field full of them. The farmers haven’t done anything to the field since last June, as the plants come back on their own, making them far less work than their famed tulips.
Like with their tulips, there is a roped line fencing them off, but you are able to wade into the field to capture yourself in a sea of lupine.
The evening was a celebration of spring’s whimsical magic that included art, music, and beautifully-curated bites. All designed to feel like a living painting, as the fields before us were described as a Monet painting.
The featured activity was painting with Olivia Harks. Our local artist lead guests through an edible painting experience where we used pastel coloured frosting to paint on a cake for a canvas. We spackled and smeared inspired by the lupins that surrounded us. I have done artist led canvas classes before, but there is something so much more fulfilling about finishing your art work and then being able to eat it after. Our canvas being a light vanilla cake at its base.
The evening’s small bites were provided by the award-winning White Table Catering, famed for catering Jillian Harris’ wedding. And the very Executive Chef who campaigned the whole affair was in attendance today. Today’s menu was themed to the flowers and the natural aspect of us being at Lakeland Farms.
There were passed canapés and self serve food stations. The latter were called “brushstroke bites”, in consideration of the artsy theme and that they themselves were works of art.
The Whipped Feta Paint Can was macedonian feta, pomegranate molasses, pickled mustard seed, fresh herbs, and lavash cracker. I loved how bold the flavour of this salted dip was, but could have used a thicker and heartier cracker to carry it and all the pooled olive oil. The sesame crusted crisp easily snapped under the weight of the dip as a scoop, and it was consumed by the richness of everything else in the paint can. This would have been better paired with vegetables.
Whereas the Crayola Crudite would have been nicer with such a cracker. This was a cute concept and had a playful look, served in mini disposable paint cups. Mini rainbow crudites, poster paint dips of yellow curried aioli, green herb emulsion, and pink beet hummus. I loved how cute the little nubs of carrots and beets were, but found them still too thick to reach the dip meant to give it flavour and some personality. There were also more dip than vegetables so you ended up running out of one without getting to the other. Once again a switch up with a breadstick of some sort, might have been a more practical pairing.
And to drink there were glasses of wine, bottles of house made Lavender Lemonade, and/or infused water with cucumber, mint, and sprigs of fresh lavender.
As for the passed canapés, as a foodie, I really appreciated how each serving dish had the actual dish’s name signed on it for easily visibility and identification. Although I didn’t think that the names described the dishes well. For instance, the Shepard’s Pie was nothing like I know the dish to be. No mashed potato or ground beef, instead a base of baked and fried potato and a curl of roast beef. Tasty, but it did not satisfy my then desire for a warming bite of comforting shepherds pie.
I liked their take on a travel ready Gazpacho, however this was the same case as above. I would not consider it chilled soup seeing as it this wasn’t a liquid, but seasoned slices of cucumber on a cracker, topped with crushed nuts and micro-greens. I guess it was more about the flavour profile and how they elevated it into a canapé.
The King Kuterra Salmon was served in a moss-lined shadow box like a treasure. Delicately sliced and rolled salmon on a rice cracker with edible flowers. I found the flavours peppery with warming spice.
The Spring Garden Risotto was prepared on the spot, over a heated coil. A light and cheesy mix perked up by the freshness of asparagus tips, snap peas, and extra-virgin olive oil. Finished off with freshly grated grana padano. This was the comforting and filling dish I was looking for above.
The star of this roaming dinner was definitely the Paint Palette Poached Chicken Terrine with baby gem lettuce, caesar emulsion, and pastry crouton. This was like a hearty slice of chicken cake with its layers varied in their textures and flavours. Together with the sheets of crispy and dressed lettuce it reminded me of a chicken Caesar salad.
And for dessert it was a beautiful collection of cheesecake tarts and creme burlee bites in flavours like matcha, blueberry, and mixed fruit. They looked like they too came from the garden.
In short, this was a magical night and a beautiful way to experience lupins.
Lakeland Flowers
3663 Marion Rd., Abbotsford, BC V3G 2J6
lakelandflowers.ca
