The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Former 900 Wall chef de cuisine Chris Leyden and wife, Emma Reko, who are owners of The Feast Food Company in Redmond will be preparing the dishes for the Seed to Table Fall Harvest Dinner. The event is on September 10 and takes place at the Seed to Table (S2T) farm. Chef Chris is thrilled to prepare the feast featuring S2T produce and locally grown products. There will be three courses featured in a family-style format. Tickets for the event are still available but usually sell out quickly.

The dinner takes place on the S2T farm nestled near the crops that have been feeding the community all season. There will be farm tours during the evening and an opportunity to meet S2T staff and board members, as well as the guests seated at a long, family-style table. S2T Executive Director Audrey Tehan is excited to finally host the event after several years of pandemic-related cancellations.

“I’m excited about the food,” said Chef Leyden. “This harvest dinner is really a celebration of the culmination of the year and all the hard work of our team, partners, and community members to grow and distribute all the produce. Fall is the most bountiful time of year, and it takes a huge effort to get here… there’s no better way to celebrate. This dinner acknowledges and heralds the people and community members who make all the locally grown produce possible.”

For Tehan and the S2T board, the evening is also about thanking the community and the many ways people have supported S2T whether through volunteering on the farm, partnerships, donations, CSA memberships, or sponsorships by local businesses.

“Everyone is invited to purchase tickets,” said Tehan. “We love celebrating the harvest with folks who are closely related to S2T as well as those who are just becoming acquainted with what we do.”

Cooking for the event comes easily for Chris and Emma, who share S2T’s philosophy and efforts to provide locally grown foods that promote sustainability and carry a low carbon footprint.

“All of this is really dear to my heart,” said Leyden. “I let the harvest drive the menu. After Audrey sent me a list of what was available, that shapes the menu choices. It’s exciting to present my food to so many people. I want them to know that we provide dishes for everyone whether it’s vegetarian or vegan or animal proteins. We see ourselves as freestyle contemporary American cuisine. We let the food dictate what we create. We keep it open and have food for everyone. The food becomes the inspiration.”

The Seed to Table Harvest Dinner will be on September 10, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through the S2T website at www.seedtotableoregon.org/fallharvestdinner while they last. Tickets are $75 each and include beverages.