Homespun: Gather, Eat, Share

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

As some of you may have noticed, we have a new guest chef featured on our menu this week, Jason Jiminez. We are excited to share a new partnership with Homespun this month! I love Homespun because it captures what I love about food - the gathering. Homespun hosts dinners with a fresh, seasonal meal prepared with love, and the best hand-selected ingredients from local farmers. But what I love most about Homespun is as they say “the experience is not just to dine but rather break bread and share life."

Danielle and I met Jamie & Jason, the husband and wife team behind homespun, earlier this year at Morningside Farmers Market and were enchanted from the start. As Jason described the mission & the dinners they hosted I found myself nodding in agreement with every word he shared. Knowing our missions are so aligned, we knew we had to partner to share Homespun with all of you. But of course, we had to experience it ourselves first! (Perks of the job!)

It was no surprise that on the morning of the dinner, Jason & Jamie stopped by our booth at Morningside Farmer’s market to say “Hello” while they were picking up their produce for the day. Peeking inside his bag of broccoli sprouts, swiss chard & La Calavera bread and hearing the plans for the menu my stomach started to growl. Our menu that evening featured not only our Morningside favorites but delicacies like Gum Creek Farm pork bellies, Riverview Farm polenta and delightful wild mushrooms. Its hard to say what exactly went down as the most memorable dish, but I have been dreaming about those blondies with candied lemon and oranges for a month now.

While the food was wonderful, the gathering itself is what made my evening. When we sit together and share a meal, we share in a common experience. Different from most restaurants where we can all keep metaphorical boundaries with separate dishes that we have chosen. At Homespun, like in your own home, there is a connection around the food. Because we are there dining with the chef and hearing the story and inspiration behind our meal, we could feel the love in their cooking - just like when we cook for our friends and family at home. When we cook, we can give the gift of nourishment and delight, and when we are guests, we get to receive. I know it sounds corny, but I really believe in the power of this experience. Rarely do I feel a connection with strangers so quickly that they felt like friends by the time we parted. I know gathering has this power. 

We are so excited to be able to share this sort of dinner with all of you. I know you’ll fall in love with Homespun from first taste, and the community they bring to life will have leave you filled with warmth. Join us!