If you love cooking shows and farm-to-table food in the Hudson Valley, you will love this fundraising event. Here is the info:
Spend an intimate evening of food, wine and storytelling with the infamous Frank Serpico and Chefs Noah Sheetz of the Chefs Consortium and Robert Turner, Executive Chef of Omega Food Works.
Green Peas TV (www.greenpeastv.com), the Hudson Valley’s premiere online cooking show, will celebrate nonconformists in "Against the Grain,” the first show in a series of three filmed at the new Saugerties Performing Arts Factory (SPAF) on March 31, at 7pm.
Enjoy wine, tapas, chocolate and, of course, storytelling with Serpico, the former New York City police officer and subject of the movie “Serpico” with Al Pacino, Chef Sheetz of the Chefs Consortium (chefsconsortium.com), a group of Hudson Valley chefs dedicated to farm-to-table and sustainable farming and Chef Robert Turner, Executive Chef of Omega Food Works (http://eomega.org).
Audience members will watch as the trio prepares such culinary delights as handmade gnocchi, winter greens salad topped with toasted goat cheese and stracciatella soup and then they will get to sample! The menu will be topped off with specially created chocolates by chocolatier Oliver Kita (oliverkita.com) whose secret ingredient will not be revealed until the night of the event! Each course will be accompanied by a perfectly selected wine from Whitecliff Vineyard. The event is sponsored by Chronogram Magazine.
This premier event will be held at The Saugerties Performing Arts Factory (SPAF), located in the beautiful village of Saugerties, a 21,000 square-foot gem that has been completely renovated and is Hudson Valley’s newest sound stage (call845-247-3070 or visit www.thespaf.com). “Against the Grain” will mark the opening of this arts facility.
A percentage of ticket sales from this event will be donated two Saugerties' soup kitchens and pantries. Tickets are $75 and MUST be purchased in advance by calling Stella May at 845-247-3070; www.stellamayproductions.com
Green Peas TV takes chefs of the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires out of their restaurants, out of their comfort zones, and creates a farm-to-table experience in an unusual setting which highlights the beauty of the region. Often it’s an unusual setting and can often have no running water or electricity. Green Peas TV promotes agritourism and support of the local farms as 95% of ingredients used at these events, including condiments, beverages, meats and produce, are sourced from local food producers.
With Against the Grain, Green Peas TV turns its attention to the people of the Hudson Valley --who are just as interesting, quirky, and fascinating as some of our past food adventures. Frank Serpico (www.frankserpico.com) is a perfect example of an iconoclast who challenges conventions and whose passion for what he does transforms the culture around him. Today, he’s just as committed to finding truth and restoring honesty in the food system as he was in fighting NYC police corruption. He advocates simple, fresh and healthy foods and is a regular customer and supporter of several Hudson Valley farm markets. He’s paired with Sheetz, a local chef whose passion is the local food market as well. It makes for a great evening out!
Green Peas TV previous events include a harvest dinner in the Astor Estate to benefit the Rhinebeck winter farmers market, dinner on Bannerman Island amidst the castle ruins to benefit its restoration and preservation, a cocktail party in the Hudson Athens Lighthouse to benefit its restoration and preservation, dinner at Oak Terrace, the abandoned estate above the Hudson River where Eleanor Roosevelt lived as a child with her grandparents, benefiting Val-Kill, Eleanor’s Hyde Park home, now a national park and ARCS. Pre-prohibition cocktails were served in the house using FDR's private martini recipe and a full five-course dinner followed. To see a video, visit http://greenpeastv.com/teasers/the-essence-of-green-peas.
