Report: 2009 Heartland Gathering in Kansas City

[moosnsqrl]

Bay Scallop with Crum's heirloom beets, prairie birthday arugula and coriander-champagne vinaigrette

This is the one combination that didn't work for me, for a couple of reasons.  Even though I enjoyed the bay scallops and the beets individually, I personally couldn't appreciate the flavors together.  The combo was more discordant for me than complementary.  Also, even though the onion element on this plate was relatively small, it was a bit overwhelming.

See I thought this dish was a home run. It was my favorite of the evening. I think this was just one of those risk-taking dishes that people are going to love or hate. But to me it was brilliant.

Sous Vide Peaches with oatmeal streusel cake, cream fraiche, ginger gelee, caramel-peach foam and gingersnap wafer

Here, the cake, the peaches and the wafer were all delicious without being overly sweet but I had trouble picking up the flavor notes in the foam.  Still, I'd count this dish as a success.

I also couldn't really taste the flavors and I thought the cake was dry. This dessert just didn't work for me.

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As painful as it is to agree with Fat Guy, I :wub:'d the beet dish - I loved the counter point of sweet (beets, scallops), slightly spicy (arugula, well-rinsed onion) and [searching for words here] semi-astringent (radish - in this case, not as a rule) and the blossoms. In fact, I just did something similar as an after-salad to cleanse our palates from red curry leftovers, which rocked!

Paula, our venue manager/hostess, treated their small staff to curry for lunch today and told me that she probably should have paid us (vs. us renting the space) in light of her enjoyment not only of the food but the people she shared a table with and opportunity to learn from everyone. I think she intends to amend the rental contract to ensure she is an "invited guest" at all future events, but the catered ones won't be nearly as interactive as what she was subjected to Saturday. She looked here for pix from the event and will likely continue to do so, so bring 'em on! Also would appreciate recipes (esp curry, Kerry )

[torakris]

The Bluestem meal was really incredible and I loved every dish, the walu was what blew me away though. Every part of that dish, the fish, the beans, the broth was superb. I often prefer fish to meat but rarely order it when I am the midwest because I have been disappointed too many times. I could go on for days about how much I loved that dish.

[Kerry Beal]

I also want to thank Judy and Aaron for organizing this and for their equanimity throughout the weekend. I don't think I could have remained so calm and organized (actually I know I couldn't - given my chicken with head cut off routine the first day of the chocolate conference).

I have just arrived back at 8:10 this morning - my day of call starting at 8am - but I got caught by the swing bridge opening to let a sailboat through. I'm a bit of a bag from a very long day in airports yesterday - one plane cancelled, too late for my connection to Sudbury - the later flight being delayed until almost midnight due to mechanical problems... I stayed in a hotel in Sudbury overnight rather than risk the drive on the dark moose infested roads of northern Ontario. My luggage is still vacationing in Chicago. I long to see my hairbrush again.

A little later today - if call allows I'll download what few pictures I have and post.

Meanwhile - the single batch version of the Thai Red Curry

Thai Red Curry with Lychee and Pineapple

Recipe By : me

Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Main dishes Asian

International

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 can coconut milk

2 tablespoons red curry paste (Mae Ploy brand is ideal)

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 teaspoons palm sugar

1 can lychee - drained

1/4 pineapple - chunked

4 chicken breasts, skinned and cut bite size across the grain

2 kaffir limes leaves - chiffonade

thai basil to garnish

Divide coconut milk, put fat in pan and fry with curry paste until separates and smells good. Add remaining coconut milk and fish sauce and palm sugar to taste. Cook the pineapple pieces a couple of minutes in the microwave. Add sliced chicken to coconut mixture, cook about 10 minutes, then add the pineapple and lychee.

Garnish with thai basil and kaffir lime leaf.

[Marmish]

I also want to thank Judy and Aaron for organizing this and for their equanimity throughout the weekend.  I don't think I could have remained so calm and organized (actually I know I couldn't - given my chicken with head cut off routine the first day of the chocolate conference). 

I have just arrived back at 8:10 this morning - my day of call starting at 8am - but I got caught by the swing bridge opening to let a sailboat through.  I'm a bit of a bag from a very long day in airports yesterday - one plane cancelled, too late for my connection to Sudbury - the later flight being delayed until almost midnight due to mechanical problems...  I stayed in a hotel in Sudbury overnight rather than risk the drive on the dark moose infested roads of northern Ontario.  My luggage is still vacationing in Chicago.  I long to see my hairbrush again. 

A little later today - if call allows I'll download what few pictures I have and post. 

Oh, Kerry! What an ordeal. I hope they don't call you in today.

[jgm]

Kerry, my friends and co-workers are nipping at me about the bacon chocolate. It's a matter of tempering the chocolate, adding the ingredients, and spreading it onto parchment, right?

Would you also list the ingredients, the relative amounts, and the brands you used? I remember the bacon is Ronnie Suburban Special Reserve but I didn't catch the brand of smoked salt, and I've slept since you told me the brand of chocolate. I do remember that you mixed and milk and the dark.

Jenny

[judiu]

Others' pictures of the food are much better than mine.  I'm still undecided as to which I enjoyed more:  the people or the food.

Tino27 sprinkling salt on foccacia dough

Note: catching the salt in midair is more a function of serendipity than expertise on the part of the photographer.

Kerry's bacon chocolate probably should be illegal, and just might be one day. 

When nyokie6 and Lora started posting about having some cheese, etc. during the day, I thought "Oh good.  That'll be nice to nibble on while we're working."  The appetizers alone probably would have feed the entire group for a week, but no one complained.  Incredible, opulent, wonderful.

See what I mean?

A reporter and photographer with the Kansas City Star were "embedded"    with us for the weekend, and I do believe we impressed them in several ways.

When talking to them, I found myself struggling to find words when trying to describe how eGulleters tend to develop a fondness, respect, and attachment to each other, despite the fact most of us have never met.  I tried - and didn't really succeed - to describe what it's like to belong to this group, and how on fortunately rare occasions that we lose a member and find ourselves grieving deeply for someone we've never laid eyes on.  We share each others' joys, failures, and accomplishments, and we get to know each other in ways that people in other online communities often don't.  We learn from each other, challenge each other, and share the misery of various culinary disasters and frustrations.  But I just couldn't find a way to describe how all this really works.  I guess what it boils down to, is that eGullet isn't about food.  It's about people who love food.  We understand that food is more than fuel for the body; it's also nourishment for the soul, and we connect with each other on that level.

I probably should just leave it at that. 

Jenny

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Serendipity nonwithstanding, those are some GREAT pictures, Jenny! Thanks for the views

[Kerry Beal]

Kerry, my friends and co-workers are nipping at me about the bacon chocolate.  It's a matter of tempering the chocolate, adding the ingredients, and spreading it onto parchment, right?

Would you also list the ingredients, the relative amounts, and the brands you used?  I remember the bacon is Ronnie Suburban Special Reserve  but I didn't catch the brand of smoked salt, and I've slept since you told me the brand of chocolate.  I do remember that you mixed and milk and the dark.

Jenny

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Belcolade chocolate - probably about 5 or 6 parts milk chocolate and 1 part dark chocolate - tempered. Lots and lots of crispy fried bacon (not sure what that is in amounts) crumbled, maybe a tsp or 1 1/2 tsp of the Salish smoked salt or any other nice smoky salt.

Always best if you can use Ronnie Suburban Special Reserve - but in a pinch the real bacon bits in the jar given a few extra seconds in the microwave to crisp them up work fine. Watch though, they tend to explode in the microwave.

[chileheadmike]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned the impromptu lunch some of us had at El Camino Real in KCK. I mentioned that my daughter and I were “heading over to the “Dotte for some tacos”. There sure were a lot or me too’s. Aaron and I discussed the merits of Laura’s, El Taco Nazzo, and El Comino Real and decided on the later. Good choice, it may in fact have better tacos than my favorite El Taco Nazzo. May.

First off they press and grill the tortillas to order, which is awesome. Between about 12 of us we had

Al pastor

Cabeza

Carnitas

Lengue

Some sort of Mexican sausage that I can't remember (not chorizo)

Pescado

The Al pastor were great, grilled on a vertical spit with a pinapple on top and sliced like gyro meat.

Cabeza were also great, beefy gelatinous goodness

The canritas were good but the Cabeza and Al Pastor were tough competition.

My daughter had the Pescado, a whole filet grilled and chopped up. She really enjoyed it.

Sad to say I didn't have any of the sausage, but those who did really enjoyed it.

It was pretty funny watching a bunch of white guys with cameras running around the place taking pictures of everything and the staff looking at us like WTF? But they seemed to enjoy our enthusiasm as much as we enjoyed the tacos.

ETA, they served the tacos with separate sides of chopped onion, cilantro, a pico di gallo, and a hot sauce in a squeeze bottle. Niether the pico nor the hot sauce had much of a punch, my only dissapointment. I mean even my daughter thought it was on the mild side.

Edited July 28, 2009 by chileheadmike (log)

[Fat Guy]

It would be hard to overstate the extent to which using made-to-order tortillas improved every taco. The tortillas at most taquerias are cardboard by comparison.

Of the tacos I tried I think my favorite may have been the picadillo. I liked it as much as or more than the al pastor.

[Aaron Deacon]

It would be hard to overstate the extent to which using made-to-order tortillas improved every taco. The tortillas at most taquerias are cardboard by comparison.

Of the tacos I tried I think my favorite may have been the picadillo. I liked it as much as or more than the al pastor.

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Longaniza was the other unnamed sausage--I didn't try it but it looked terrific.

And yes, the picadillo, what a pleasant surprise. I find it so hard to order anything but the pastor here, I really haven't plumbed the depths of the menu (though one time they were prepping some bacon-wrapped shrimp that looked delicious).

But the picadillo...often just a serving of lightly seasoned ground beef, here was a real picadillo, like you might use for stuffing peppers of something, gently seasoned with garlic and spice, but more of the flavor coming from the finely diced carrots and potatoes, all coming together in a rich, velvety sauce. Sort of like tacos de bolognese Mexicano, or some such bastardization. They were delicious.

Appreciate all the thank yous, it was really a blast to put together and enjoy the weekend, and meet so many interesting and enjoyable people. I've got part of a more comprehensive post written that I'll post as time allows.

[Lady T]

Wow. Just...wow. I see what you meant about the appetizer courses(s) at the Gathering: I'd easily make the same error I made last year, and fill up on the yummy cheeses and such before the main courses were served.

I'm with you, Maggie: as soon as I have a job, I'll start saving up for next year.

[tino27]

Sorry I haven't said much since I returned, but it's just been a whirlwind of activity. I finally had a chance to sit down at the laptop, process all the pictures, upload them to the blog, blah, blah, blah. I'm intending to write a six-part series that will start this Friday and will cover pre, during, and post Heartland Gathering events.

As many others have said, I wanted to thank Aaron and Judy for an outstanding job. I was only fortunate enough to be at the Saturday dinner and the Sunday brunch, but it was enough to remind me of why I return every year for the camaraderie, the fun, and the food. And of course, as always, there was never a short supply of any of them.

Honestly, the thing that scared me the most was that my simple salt & pepper focaccia that I made for the cheese and hors d'oeuvre course would get lost amongst all the other breads and crackers that had been brought. I needn't have worried. By the time I remembered to get a shot of the interior crumb of the bread, only four squares were left.

The dinner was also nothing short of amazing. I think we as a group have really started to grasp the concept of better portion control. It was also a blast helping out Edsel with his meat course. I never knew what it was like to rice 20 pounds of carefully cooked, cooled, and then reheated potatoes before last weekend. Now I know.

I also wanted to extend a personal thank you to Mr. Shaw, who finally managed to convince me that I would be missing something very important if I didn't come to Kansas City this year.

I'm not going to share a ton of the pictures that I took here on eG, simply because so many others are going to be sharing similar photos. Well, that and if I shared them all here, why on earth would you come visit my blog to see them there!

However, one shot that I will share is probably one that is self-serving, but clearly demonstrates that you can make good bread in a professional kitchen as well as a room at the Best Western:

Side shot of the rosemary and garlic focaccia crumb. From course #1 of the dinner on Saturday night.

And don't worry, I plan on sharing the recipe and technique (words and pictures) for the focaccia bread on the blog so that anyone who'd like to try it is more than welcome to.

[maggiethecat]

I've been around here for a long, long time, seen friends come and go, but the Heathland Gathering is a given. The first Heartland Gathering took place In Grand Rapids, Michigan, in, what, 2002? Maybe twenty people hanging at Matthew Beaverson's house after enjoying the night before, a tremendous dinner at the best local restaurant arranged by eGullet member Alex.

It was such a funky small gathering that we crashed at local friend's houses, and cooked straight from the Farmer's Market. In a friend's kitchen. Matthew had a wall of Maker's Mark and the good times rolled.

The Gathering is much more organized, better attended and frankly, freaking amazing. But as a history geek, I feel I have to describe the beginnings.

And as I've thought, year after year, why doesn't another forum take on something so glorious?

[moosnsqrl]

I also wanted to extend a personal thank you to Mr. Shaw, who finally managed to convince me that I would be missing something very important if I didn't come to Kansas City this year.

I thought it was *I* who convinced you. Sniff, sniff.

you can make good bread in a professional kitchen as well as a room at the Best Western

You call that *good* bread? Dude, we could've gotten that out of a freezer case and thawed it!

I am obviously KIDDING and, again, can't tell you how much it meant to the Gathering that you made the herculean effort to drive all the way down and produce such incredible edibles for us. i think we're almost even for the foie in Ann Arbor.

I think you should sell your story and become an ad rep for Best Western (think "no, but I slept at a Holiday Inn last night!"). You're the best. Again, thanks for being such a trooper.

[tino27]

I also wanted to extend a personal thank you to Mr. Shaw, who finally managed to convince me that I would be missing something very important if I didn't come to Kansas City this year.

I thought it was *I* who convinced you. Sniff, sniff.

you can make good bread in a professional kitchen as well as a room at the Best Western

You call that *good* bread? Dude, we could've gotten that out of a freezer case and thawed it!

I am obviously KIDDING and, again, can't tell you how much it meant to the Gathering that you made the herculean effort to drive all the way down and produce such incredible edibles for us. i think we're almost even for the foie in Ann Arbor.

I think you should sell your story and become an ad rep for Best Western (think "no, but I slept at a Holiday Inn last night!"). You're the best. Again, thanks for being such a trooper.

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OK, it was a combination of Mr. Shaw's encouragement and your well-meaning harassment that changed my mind. And I'm beginning to think that it was one expensive piece of foie gras back in Ann Arbor (3 years ago, I might add) that I have now ALMOST paid back to you. Goodness, you're like a loan shark!

Seriously though, I really had an outstanding 36 hours in Kansas City and between the dinner on Saturday and the brunch on Sunday at Crum Farm, I would totally do it all over again in a heartbeat.

I also agree with MaggieTheCat ... why don't other regions do gatherings of their own?

[Kerry Beal]

In spite of a night of call I now have a night's sleep under my belt - thank you nurse Terry! I'm starting to feel a little human again.

Luggage showed up at 4 pm, and in spite of an apparent inspection - my Makers Mark and Cynar seem to have arrived with my luggage. I guess those 2 bottles, 3 bottles of BBQ sauce and 4 tins of Maesri Red Curry Paste explain why the luggage weighed so much. Cecelia - Rona's mom - recommended the Maesri - said it was even better than the Mae Ploy. I'll be in search of their Masseman version when I get back home.

My pictures are pretty weak this year - no camera at Manifesto or the farmers market, no charged battery on the BBQ crawl, and spending all my time cooking on Saturday - means I didn't get very many shots. Last year I had Stacie - Santo Grace's guest to use my camera for me. Hope she's around again next time!

Here's a classic eG picture - FG describing the course and Tobi photographing the food.

Kristin frying tempura (not in bare feet this year!) and Chris Hennes praying to the cleaning gods that they won't bring any more dishes.

Aaron's oldest admiring the chard at Crum farm.

And totally thrilled with the little zucchini he found.

Lucas's 'eggplant with nose'.

[Marmish]

Can someone list the crops in the Crum's fields? I didn't make the walk all the way up to the back and regret it. Tomatoes, chard, eggplant, herbs, potatoes, and ...

[torakris]

Kristin frying tempura (not in bare feet this year!) and Chris Hennes praying to the cleaning gods that they won't bring any more dishes.

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That is a great picture of Chris and it really does look like he is praying! He did an excellent job on those dishes.

Chris, did you and your wife ever make it out of the kitchen and get a chance to eat??

[Kerry Beal]

Can someone list the crops in the Crum's fields?  I didn't make the walk all the way up to the back and regret it.  Tomatoes, chard, eggplant, herbs, potatoes, and ...

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Let's see, chard of several varieties - the chef's in town like the green stuff best because the red stuff 'bleeds'. A row of a couple of varieties of kale. Some cabbage, broccoli, summer squashes of several varieties, eggplants, peppers, onions, garlic, asparagus closer to the house. I'm trying to recall what she told me was in the greenhouse - I think it might be rhubarb starts.

She wants strawberries next year and is clearing a spot where the old compost heap had been.

There must be potatoes because they were in the root cellar. And of course tomatoes - tons of the cherry varieties especially. There was also an apiary - apparently taken care of by a neighbour. I did get some pictures of that.

Got to be lettuce in there somewhere too - but I didn't recall seeing it - must have been behind the fence to keep the critters away.

They planted some fruit trees last year - apple and pear as I recall - a couple didn't survive the winter.

I actually have more pictures of the crops and various tress than I have of people - what does that say about me as a photographer?

[moosnsqrl]

Can someone list the crops in the Crum's fields?  I didn't make the walk all the way up to the back and regret it.  Tomatoes, chard, eggplant, herbs, potatoes, and ...

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Let's see, chard of several varieties - the chef's in town like the green stuff best because the red stuff 'bleeds'. A row of a couple of varieties of kale. Some cabbage, broccoli, summer squashes of several varieties, eggplants, peppers, onions, garlic, asparagus closer to the house. I'm trying to recall what she told me was in the greenhouse - I think it might be rhubarb starts.

She wants strawberries next year and is clearing a spot where the old compost heap had been.

There must be potatoes because they were in the root cellar. And of course tomatoes - tons of the cherry varieties especially. There was also an apiary - apparently taken care of by a neighbour. I did get some pictures of that.

Got to be lettuce in there somewhere too - but I didn't recall seeing it - must have been behind the fence to keep the critters away.

They planted some fruit trees last year - apple and pear as I recall - a couple didn't survive the winter.

I actually have more pictures of the crops and various tress than I have of people - what does that say about me as a photographer?

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you took a pretty good shot at it - I'll add a couple of notes . . .

They do grow potatoes but on some leased land a few miles away (quite near me); the corn is also grown there.

I believe there is/was fennel in addition to what you listed.

It's way too hot for lettuce here now; when Aaron and I visited in June they had a beautiful patch of lettuce that was already too bitter to do anything with - same thing happened to me this year due to an early hot spell. We'll try again in the fall.

Believe it or not, I am alrealdy looking forward to the heirloom dinner at Starker's. I couldn't make the bluestem one last night - just too soon after the 4 days of gluttony - but I think by next Monday I'll be ready to climb back on the horse.

Did you ever figure out what the trees were?

[Chris Hennes]

Chris, did you and your wife ever make it out of the kitchen and get a chance to eat??

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We did (though I admit we ate several courses standing in the kitchen—we were the world's worst table companions, very bad about holding up our end of the conversation! Sorry mamagotcha!). I think at that moment I was probably actually praying to the plating gods that we would have enough of that smoked Salmon .

[Kerry Beal]

I believe there is/was fennel in addition to what you listed.

Did you ever figure out what the trees were?

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Yes, forgot the fennel - someone left with some didn't they?

The trees with the sawtooth edges were mulberry - we actually got some berries from them which were quite delicious.

I'm going to put a picture of the other leaf up - maybe someone will recognize it.

[nibor]

Looks like the tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera.

[erasingclouds]

Such a great time this weekend - nice to meet everyone! Sometime I'll maybe gather some more specific observations/memories on the two days I participated (Thursday and Saturday), but everyone else seems to be doing a good job of recounting. I'm enjoying seeing the pictures, wishing I had brought a camera along. Saturday was quite the feast - I keep thinking about that cheese array alone, not to mention everything else.

[prasantrin]

I finally got my pictures up from the weekend. It's all Kansas City, though not all eG stuff. I got a lot of pictures at Crum Farm, but not much of the other eating. Oops. Pictures are on flickr.

I want to add my and my mother's thanks to the organizers--it was a fantastic weekend. Crum Farm was our favourite meal. The food was great as was the company, but the setting and the Crum family (including my new friend "Buddy" and my new human friend Isaac) really made the meal special.

Saturday's dinner was spectacular, and Toby's cheese course was outstanding. Being cheese-deprived in Japan, I really took advantage of the abundance in volume and variety offered. Yes, I'm a pig! And Toby was especially kind in picking up 4 kinds of root beer for me to try! Lost Trail was the winner of the night, and Foster's was the loser ("natural" doesn't belong next to "root beer"). I didn't try the diet one which I think was Virgil's. The special Virgil's was in a really cool bottle, and it was second in my taste tests.

And Tom needn't have worried about the focaccia being lost next to the other crackers and bread. Once I saw the focaccia was out, I used it exclusively as a carrier for my cheeses, and I ate some naked (the focaccia, not me) just to appreciate the beauty of it. I got most of the leftovers of the second batch of focaccia. First my mother took about 1/3 of the batch, and then I went back and took about 2/3 of what was left. There was still a little left, and Tom offered it to me, but I was too embarrassed to take it, so I said, "No no, it's OK, we have lots." My mother wanted to take the rest, too, but she was also too ashamed to do it. Then today we were talking, and we said, "We should have just taken it! Who cares if we looked like pigs!"

And I for one appreciated the break between Kerry's curry and Edsel (and Tom's) meat dish. I was approaching explosion, and the break helped the food in my stomach digest a little, so I could make room for more food and dessert!