The menu - and a massive one, at that - has been released for “A Wild & Wonderful Table," sponsored by Bridgeport Farmers Market and to take place 5-8 p.m. Sept. 10 in Sutton.

 

On the menu are sweet corn bisque shooters and rabbit hand pies prepared by Chef Geoff Kraus; cantaloupe gazpacho with lime, star anise dust and huckleberry, pork belly shoyu ramen, fried cauliflower, char-grilled honey chicken skewer and Japanese braised pork prepared by Chef Cody Thrasher; cape gooseberry Bavarian Jaconde prepared by Chef Pamela De Laude; smoked ham and rosemary biscuit sliders and hickory smoked chicken on grilled eggplant, prepared by Chef Michael Diethorn; pork rillettes crostini, chicken & waffle bites and pinto beans and cornbread nippins prepared by Chef Joseph White and duck, pistachio and dried fruit terrine and blackberry Chambord flambe prepared by Chef Jay Mahoney. Also involved in the meal preparation are Chef Tim Urbanic and Chef Richard Arbaugh, as well as culinary students of Pierpont Community & Technical College.

 

The annual Bridgeport Farmers Market community dinner is a chance for local supporters to gather around the table. Last year, the event took place at Bridgeport Conference Center. This year, organizers are switching it up a little.

 

The Sept. 10 dining experience in Sutton will feature food from the market’s finest local farms, prepared by the state’s top culinary artists. To put it simply, the premier dinner – titled A Wild and Wonderful Table - will take those who attend to the heart of our state, said Debbie Workman of the Bridgeport Farmers Market Association board of directors.

 

“It’s the perfect time to wrap up the 2016 growing season, share remarkable food and drinks and celebrate the good things sourced here in our Appalachian home,” she said.

 

At $75 per person or $140 per couple, the event serves as a fundraiser for Bridgeport Farmers Market which hosts weekly outdoor markets from May through October and indoor monthly markets November through April. The winter markets are held inside Bridgeport Conference Center and regular season markets are held on the market grounds at Charles Pointe.

 

Workman and her BFM team work hard to bring in a variety of vendors. In the height of the season, the market hosts as many as three dozen vendors - those selling everything from fresh produce and flowers to baked goods and artisan wares.

 

When founded in 2009, Bridgeport Farmers Market featured just six vendors and has grown to be one of the state’s premier markets, drawing people from throughout North Central West Virginia, Workman said. Recently, the American Farmland Trust recognized BFM as the best farmers market in the state and the 14^th best market in the nation.

 

The market’s mission is to create and sustain a community of local vendors and supportive customers in order to cultivate the local economy and provide fresh, healthy food options for local families. Adding talented artisans, musicians and authors to the mix is an extended mission of the market, Workman said.

 

In addition to the dining experience, the Sept. 10 event will feature live music, craft cocktails and specially curated wines.

 

Seating is limited.  Purchase tickets at www.bridgeportfarmersmarket.com.  

 

Editor's Note: Pictured right from top are Jay Mahoney and Cody Thrasher, two of the many chefs who are preparing foods for "A Wild & Wonderful Table." Pictured left is the property in Sutton where the dinner, hosted by Bridgeport Farmers Market, will be held.