Top Chefs Come Together for CUESA’s Sunday Supper Fundraiser on October 2nd
September 26, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Liz Hunt
Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator
Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture
Phone: 415.291.3276 ext 105
liz@cuesa.org
Top Chefs Come Together for CUESA’s Sunday Supper Fundraiser on October 2nd
Tickets are on sale for the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture’s 9th annual fundraiser featuring local food system luminaries and top chefs for an elegant whole-beast feast
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 6, 2011)—The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA), operator of the acclaimed Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, presents its 9th Annual Sunday Supper on October 2, 2011, a gala fundraising event with a star-studded chef lineup. Guests will dine at communal tables and enjoy one of six distinct four-course feasts prepared by the Bay Area’s top chefs.
Local favorites such as Michael Tusk of Quince and Cotogna, Mark Sullivan and Walter Abrams of Spruce, Chucky Dugo of The Slanted Door, and Craig Stoll along with his chefs Lane Milburn of Delfina & Pizzeria Delfina and Anthony Strong of Locanda Osteria and Bar, will join over 25 other chefs in creating an unforgettable meal.
“Every year the Supper gets more exciting,” says Dave Stockdale, CUESA’s Executive Director. “What I like most about this event is that you are experiencing the system in action. Food from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market farmers—some of whom are there at the event—is being prepared by some of San Francisco’s best-known chefs. These chefs shop regularly at the market and have personal relationships with the farmers. They know and love the products and bring them to the table in exciting and innovative ways. The whole-beast theme is directly tied to our mission around supporting a sustainable food system.”
For the entrée course, chefs including 4505 Meats’ Ryan Farr, Poggio’s Peter McNee and flour + water’s Thomas McNaughton are embracing the whole beast. They will be performing tableside carvings, serving an impressive range of sustainably raised meats—from pork to beef to boar.
This year Melissa Perello of Frances is preparing a whole Watson lamb. Event Chair Staffan Terje of Perbacco and barbacco eno trattoria has teamed up with Brett Cooper of Outerlands, Ravi Kapur of Prospect, and Michelle Polzine of Range. Dubbing their group, “Team Goat,” these four talented chefs will be featuring all things goat in their four-course presentation.
Cathy Curtis, a member of the CUESA Board of Directors and Program Director for the Bay Gourmet Forum of the Commonwealth Club of California, has attended the event for several years. For her this is a not-to-miss occasion: “Each year I am so impressed by this event and the incredible caliber of food, wine, and cocktails. The chefs put out their very best effort for the Sunday Supper. It’s the finest food you could imagine and the best part is you’re supporting a wonderful cause.”
The chefs are starting to reveal their menu items, inspired by seasonal produce from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Scott Youkilis of Maverick and Hog & Rocks will prepare a ricotta agnolotti with zucchini, raisins, tomatoes, and dill served in a parmesan broth. Jason Fox of Commonwealth is creating a Bolinas cod brandade with stuffed squash blossoms. Bruce Hill of Bix and Zero Zero, along with his chef Jared Rogers from Picco, will make mesquite grilled local calamari with an herbed shelling bean salad, and roasted pepper relish. Chanan Kamen of Osteria Coppa’s dish will feature homemade ravioli with wild mushrooms.
Guests will enjoy a pre-Supper reception with local food system luminaries Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, and Cowgirl Creamery’s Peggy Smith and Sue Conley. The emcee will be Liam Mayclem, Emmy award-winning host and a producer for CBS 5 TV’s Eye on The Bay.
The evening’s live auction will feature incredible culinary experiences, such as: a SF Giants VIP Experience for 20 including a tour of the ballpark and dinner and drinks provided by Chef Traci des Jardins and Bon Appétit Management Company; a private dinner for 12 with guest author and professor Michael Pollan, prepared by Chef Loretta Keller of COCO500 and The Moss Room; an exclusive farmers market shopping trip and cooking class with Perbacco’s Staffan Terje, plus dinner at the restaurant’s Chef’s Table; and a dinner party for 12 at flour + water’s private Dough Room including a five-course tasting menu with wine parings prepared table-side by Executive Chef Thomas McNaughton.
CUESA’s Sunday Supper supports the operation of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, a trusted partner for over 120 small-scale, local farmers and artisans, as well as the eaters who rely on them. This event helps fund CUESA’s education programs, including free cooking demonstrations, low-cost kitchen skill-building classes, the new Schoolyard to Market program, and sustainability scholarships that help farmers become leaders in their field.
Farmer Joe Schirmer of Dirty Girl Produce looks forward to the event every year and enjoys this unique opportunity to connect with the community that supports the market and ultimately his farm; “For me this event is a time to sit back and enjoy the efforts of the many chefs that I have weekly interaction with at the markets as well as some of the customers who frequent my stand. This event is a chance to build community in a different way, and highlights the symbiotic relationship between farmer and shopper – the shared voice – and ultimately a commitment to supporting local farmers.”
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For more information about the event, please contact Jenny Cole at jenny@cuesa.org.
The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) a non-profit whose mission is to cultivate a sustainable food system through the operation of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and its educational programs.
Topics: Press release