Local Harvest Beer Dinner - 8.14.11

Sunday, August 14th at 6:30pm Beer Kitchen will be hosting the Local Harvest Beer Dinner - a meatless feast featuring some of McCoy's secret stashes and exclusive brews paired with fresh produce from Bates County Farms - an Old World Mennonite farm in Rich Hill, MO.  The Mazlin family raises thousands of pounds of fruit & vegetables without the use of electricity or running water on their farms; they use wind power to pump well water for irrigation and harvest their crops on steel-wheeled wagons drawn by Belgian horses.  Some of the Beer KC crew - beer director Randyl Danner, executive chef Alex Weidt, co-owner Mark Kelpe and corporate chef Michael Peterson - took a trip to the farm located about an hour and a half south of KC to check out their fascinating approach to farming and living. Here's a quick peek into what they saw - and what we'll be eating:

The pristine farm land in Rich Hill, MO

The windmill used for pumping well water; several birdhouses are strung together to help control insects

The inside of the tomato house

Fresh harvested canteloupe

The horse-drawn wagons used for collecting & distributing crops

More birdhouses

Heirloom tomatoes

Inside the tomato house - this wood-fired steam boiler pushes steam through underground pipes that run along the tomato plants.  The steam keeps the roots warm in the winter, so they can plant their heirloom seeds on New Year's Day and have ripe tomatoes by May 1st.  Someone has to wake up in the middle of the night each night to reload the wood boiler

The grapevine

 

Striped Delicata squash and red curry squash

The jarring/pickling station

Jars of their "million dollar pickles" and sweet corn & pepper medley

The "jelly house" containing the jarring/pickling operation

Lunch!

The Mennonite produce store

Beer KC co-owner Mark Kelpe, corporate chef Michael Peterson, executive chef Alex Weidt & beer director Randyl Danner

We're very excited to be offering this unique opportunity to try some very rare McCoy's beers and some of the freshest locally-sourced produce available. Here's what's on the menu:

- Cerveza de Verano - a summer cocktail of McCoy’s Cerveza, lime & mint-infused vodka with Twin County Family Farms “Raw Bar” featuring patty pan squash, purple peppers, yellow wax beans, Kirby cucumbers, house-pickled yellow beets & heirloom tomatoes served with Ms. Fit Farms Malabar Spinach dip & Green Dirt Farms goat cheese dip

- Pineapple-Cilantro Ale - exclusive tasting of our first batch ever - paired with savory avocado sorbet with chipotle-grilled Montauk corn & blue corn tortillas

- “Secret Recipe” Sticke Altbier - our first ever collaboration with Gordon-Biersch - served with candy onion, Prairie Tomme & Cauliflower Tart with Ms. Fit Farms arugula, Malabar spinach, golden beets, Green Dirt Farms goat cheese & Heirloom Yellow Sun Drop cherry tomatoes

- Double IPA made with local wildflower honey paired with coriander-scented Red Curry squash & roasted Poblano fritters with spicy Heirloom tomato chutney & yogurt drizzle

- Ursa Major Russian Imperial Stout with warm sorghum spice cake with Shatto Dairy chocolate milk gelato, 
almond butter fudge truffle & Missouri pecan-granola tuile cookie

Produce varietals may vary due to temperature growing conditions.  Tickets are only $38 per person - including tax and gratuity - and are available at all 3 Beer KC restaurants or by calling Beer Kitchen at (816) 389.4180. Also, don't forget the Green Flash release party at the Foundry this coming Sunday.  See you soon - cheers!