I was invited by good friends Dann and Martha Paquette of Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project to attend another beer dinner with them featuring their beers. This concept was very unique and cool. It was called the "50 Mile" Vegetarian Beer Dinner. All of the ingredients used were found from farms with in 50 miles of the Armsby Abbey in Worcester, Ma. The awesome bar and restaurant of some of our other good friends Alec Lopez and Sherri Sadowski. They also own the Dive bar and soon to open a small bakery called Crust next to the Armsby Abbey.
Pretty Things is brewed in Holyoke, Ma. All of the vegetables were picked the day before and on the same day as the dinner. Freshly made cheeses were also found within the 50 mile range. As well as homemade ricotta cheese was made for the dessert course and the butters used in some of the dishes was hand churned by the owner Alec Lopez. Honey was used quite a bit and was found within the 50 mile range from local producers. This was a truly local dinner and fresh beyond belief. You will notice reoccurring themes with flavors and descriptions through out this blog post. Fresh, crisp, refreshing, earthy, sweet and naturally sweet. Between the freshness of the beers and excellent quality of the local produce it was a delicious meal.
This is the way you want to approach vegetarian if you are a hardened carnivore such as myself. The entire menu was filling, rich, flavorful, and you won't find yourself missing meat at all as impossible as that might sound. Best off all the pairings worked really well with beers. This was a scramble for the chefs and owners of the Armsby Abbey as they were getting fresh ingredients last minute. It takes a real knowledge of food to pull it off that close to the wire.
The menu:
The opening began as kind of a mixer. A way to meet new people instead of rigid times and courses. They set out in the middle of the restaurant a raw bar of fresh vegetables, pickled veg., fresh baked breads and crackers made with spent grains from Antul Aleworks, the freshly churned butter, and a goat cheese dip.
This course included: Patty Pan Squash from Morse Farm, Purple and Green Peppers from Woodstock Orchards, Cousa Squash, Summer Squash, Broccoli, Heirloom Tomatoes and Cherry Tomatoes from Berberian Farm.
Served with a creamy chevre dip from Crystal Brook Farm. It was make with roasted heirloom garlic and basil.
House pickled yellow beans from Morse Farm. Cucumbers, beets, zucchini, summer squash, Anaheim peppers, and green beans all from Berberian Farm. They were pickled with Pretty Things Confounded Mister Sisyphus.
House baked french breads and warm brown breads as well as spent grain crackers and the house churned butter with local milk used, were set for this course. A raspberry, honey, and Anaheim pepper preserve was also presented. Honey used in the preserve from Honey Ect.
The beer paired with the fresh vegetable raw bar was Pretty Things American Darling - Good Time Lager. A 7% abv pale lager with Crystal and whole-leaf Hallertau hops in the kettle and dry hopped.
Very clean, refreshing, pale lager with gorgeous hop character. It was fairly humid on this day and starting out with the refreshing beer was a very nice way to kick things off.
{First Image via walknboston}
The joke about this beer is that it's supposed to be the un-lawnmower beer. Where normally after you have mowed the lawn and it's very hot outside you want an ice cold American Lager to slam back and not really take time to appreciate. Pretty Things thinks you should skip the lawn and drink the beer instead. Notice the label has overgrown grass and not freshly cut.
Please take note that all the labels of Pretty Things Beers are hand drawn by Dann Paquette.
My absolute favorite were the beets. In the very first picture of this post, I love how it came out nearly angelic and ethereal because these pickled beets were fabulous. I love how fresh and delicious they were, earthy and dirty tasting and fantastic. Ever since the L'Espalier Beer Monday Beer Dinner, I can't get enough of them. And knowing that they were picked the day before and now on my plate was a wonderful thing.
I also found the American Darling was a classic example of lightly hopped and freshly crisp ales work with simple things like fresh tomatoes and basil. Pale ales/lagers work just as well as Czech Pilsners. It's the same concept. The fresh hops, light but sweet malts and crisp carbonation allow the sweet flavors of these delicious tomatoes to pop. It's just so fresh and gorgeous you can't beat it. It's so simple and clean, it's the epitome of a classic and easy pairing. As simple as it is, there simply isn't a way to do this pairing any easier or better.
First Course:
Arugula and Black Seeded Simpson from Berberian Farm, fresh nectarines picked at Tougas Farm dressed in a basil-honey vinaigrette made with Pretty Things American Darling and Wildflower Honey from Honey Ect. Topped off with Westfield Farms Classic Blue Goat Cheese and served a spent-grain crisp from Antul Aleworks. Paired with Pretty Things American Darling.
This course was paired again with the American Darling, but it was a simple transition and we only had 5 beers to work with. The nectarines were so tasty and ripe. Again this is where the hop balance and crisp carbonation balance with the sweet ripened nectarines, the earthy, raw, dirty, green taste of the arugula allowed for the malts to come out and play and sweeten the dish. The basil-honey vinaigrette was barely noticeable sadly, but all of the other flavors were fairly dominant for such a light dish.
The goat cheese I have to admit was a little rough for me. The blue rind was completely overwhelming to my palate. But having said that, I have a sensitive palate to blue cheeses. The center was fine for me though as it still carried delicious fresh lemon and goat cheese flavors with the blue still permeating the center. The hops in beers are what make beer and cheese pairings so wonderful. The alpha acids cutting right through the creamy texture allowing the raw flavors of both the beer and the cheese to come out. From the grains in the beer to the grasses and leaves the goats fed on.
Normally for something so blue you would want to go bigger with the hops and malts. A double IPA for example. But in this case the rest of the ingredients helped tone down the cheese and make it all wonderfully balanced.
The cracker was salty and a little buttery tasting, loaded with earthy tasting spent grains. A nice way to break up the textures on the plate.
I could have just had nectarines and American Darling for the rest of the night and been happy.
Second Course:
Creamy baked corn and chevre pudding. Featuring chevre from Crystal Brook Farm, green pepper from Morse Farm, butter/sugar corn and scallions from Berberian Farm topped with Cilantro.
Paired with Pretty Things Confounded Mister Sisyphus. A 7% abv golden ale with a bright orange color, loaded yeasts and bacterias, and Vienna-style lager malts, leafy hops and grains.
With no meat in sight, I was not complaining or missing it one bit at this point in the dinner. This corn and chevre pudding was delicious. Sweet corn sugars and salty cheese flavors from the creamy blended in goat cheese balanced this dish. The only issue with the dish for me personally was the cilantro. You either love it or you hate it. To me it was completely overwhelming because the flavors were so robust as the cilantro was very fresh. It was on top of the dish so thankfully I was able to push it off. That doesn't mean it ruined this dish. I was able to eat little bits of it with the dish and understand the flavor profiles and why it was used for this dish. Little doses are good for me, otherwise it would be like eating soap if there was anymore on it. For me anyway.
{First Image via walknboston}
Confounded Mister Sisyphus was a crisp clean beer made with Hungarian Balaton Cherries grown in Michigan. This beer initially had a light peppery taste going on for me. That is an effect that can be produced by some of the natural bacterias used in this beer.
{Eric and Ann Starbard of Crystal Brook Farm.}
The cherries were very subtle. Some can either taste while others might not get the flavors at all. Despite having fruit in it, Dann was careful not to make this a fruit beer. To me I noticed quite a bit of the cherries as it warmed closer to room temp. They became more pronounced and not overwhelmed by the strong flavors of the chevre and the corn. The sweet corn brings out the lager malts instead of trumping it. The beer also had a dry tannin finish that was able to add more depth to the creamy goat cheese. Again the same efect of the carbonation and hops cutting into the cheese and allowing that rich lemony flavor to come out. If you were lucky enough to have tried this beer or have a bottle of it you might be sitting on, enjoy while you can as Dann will no longer be making this beer. It's time for them to move on in their ranges of beer and add more to their profile.
Alec said we would be confused by this dish, as none of these flavors would seem like they would work at all. Goat cheese, cherries in the beer and hops, with sweet corn and cilantro. Yet somehow it more than worked.
Mr. Sisyphus' Bed Time Story:
A gentle breeze blew through the forest. The leaves fluttered, and the ripe cherries on the Sisyphus tree bumped against one another. Then all was still. A tiny, contented sigh then came. It would only have been audible to a bird close by, or perhaps a child standing amongst the blossoms near the ground. But a sigh it was, and a most extraordinary sigh, for it came from Mr. Sisyphus.
If you stand at the bottom of the Sisyphus tree, close in beside the trunk where leaves surround you, and gaze up into its depths, you might notice that amongst all the cherries hanging there, one is not quite the same as all the others. Perhaps you will notice a tiny foot, a twig-like hand, or even, if your crane your neck, an eyeball twinkling there amongst the hanging balls of fruit. Unpluckable, never picked by hand, nor pecked by bird, nor pitted and preserved in a pie. Never to fall gently and bounce on soft moss, to be planted and grow again. For there hangs Mr. Sisyphus, the cherry who cannot fall.
Third Course:
Lightly seasoned, roasted corn bisque featuring sweet butter/sugar corn and leeks from Berberian Farm, heirloom breakfast onions from Rachel's Garden and an assortment of herb roasted potatoes from Morse Farm, served with squash fritters made with a variety of locally grown squash and Smith Farm extra sharp cheddar.
{Image via uplandporter}
Paired with Pretty Things Jack D'Or. A 6.45 % abv American style saison. An American farm house style ale with a fairly big hop presence. The big hops being so typically American now. Oh and it's pronounced Jack "Door" not Jack "Dior." I know, that apostrophe makes it seem likes it sounds like the famed Fashion designer Christian Dior. But it's not. D'Or = Door.
More glorious sweet corn. A hint of mint added to this dish just to keep it curious. It added a barely there cooling effect to the hot corn bisque. The sweet natural sugars made the mint pop. The fitter was dipped in a batter with spent-grains and corn meal and added this unique raw grain character that was totally unexpected and quite delicious. The cheddar was lightly there but a nice hint of it in the fritter added a nice saltiness to the dish.
This dish was hearty. I couldn't even imagine a meat course after this and we still had two more courses to go.
The beer again was fitting a pattern of fresh clean summery beers. An American Saison with beautiful hop characters that are rarely seen on sasion styles. Crisp and refreshing, Jack D'Or was the kick off beer to Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project. (Not at all like Russian Budweiser! An inside joke that I am quite sure has mortified Dann as it has made it's way into this post.)
The pairing worked really well together. Potatoes, onions and grainy squash fritter all made the malts come into to play while the carbonation cleaned the palate and let the hops and sweet natural sugars of the corn play together on the palate.
Fourth Course:
Homemade whole wheat popover filled with locally foraged sauteed Black Trumpet and Chicken of the Woods mushrooms, house made butter, baby sweet onions from Morse Farm, carrot and parsnip mint puree and St. Botolph's blanched green beans from Berberian Farm.
Paired with Pretty Things St. Botolph's Town. A 5.7 % American brown ale ode to English-style, more specifically Yorkshire brown ales. The story of St. Botolph's Town is much better told through Dann and Martha. Read about it here.
First thing to say about this course was that the chicken of woods mushrooms tasted just like chicken with the same exact texture of sliced chicken breast. It even looked like chicken. It kind of freaks you out a bit. I can only imagine a vegan or strict vegetarian eating these. It tricks the mind.
The popover was sweet due to the whole wheat flour. The green beans were by far my favorite, but had more of a butter taste than it did a beer taste. And more sweetness from the carrot and parsnip puree with mint. Though this time the mint didn't add that curious cooling effect it had on the third course. This course was rich and filling as the mushrooms texture tasted like and sat like chicken.
{First Image via walknboston}
The deep, rich malts on the beer and slightly dry finish really enhanced this dish. The sweet flavors from the carrots and parsnip mint puree brought out the huge roasted malts on the beer. The malts taste like rich bitter chocolate malts.
This is another course where I would have been happy with just the beans and the beer for the rest of the evening. My stuffed belly would have agreed but alas we had one more course to go.
The Palate Cleanser:
Freshly picked blackberries from Tougas farms. Blackberry sorbet made with honey and Confounded Mister Sisyphus.
Fifth Course:
House made ricotta sweetened with Wildflower Honey set in a crust of spent-grain and whole wheat flour, topped with caramelized peaches from Tougas Farm and a glaze made with Baby Tree served with a lavender infused whipped cream.
Paired with Pretty Things Baby Tree. A Belgian-style quadruple 8.7% abv made with California dried plums.
Starting with the fact that no sugar was added to this course, it filled a need for a rich sweet dessert after all the savory courses. The natural sugars of the peaches tamed the big bright malts of the beer. The ricotta tart had a very dry texture that wiped the slate/palate clean with every bite. I didn't like the texture at first but the cleaning effect it had gave way for the prunes to become more pronounced on the beer.
{First image via walknboston}
The lavender house made whipped cream and honey-Baby Tree glaze just made you want to dip your fingers in it.... Okay more like pick up the plate and lick it clean.
Baby Tree is one of my favorite beers from Pretty Things. It's a delicious Quad that is so fresh and drinkable. My palate has seemed to have left behind the big sweet malt bombs and sugary sweet Belgian candy sugar beers. So when something balanced and clean, not cloying comes along like this, I am all over it. Again the natural fruit sugars made this beer refreshing and delightful to end the evening with.
And to finish the night off a poem about the Baby Tree:
Participating farms:
Gibson Dairy Farm (Worcester, Ma.) Organic local eggs, cream and milk.
Berberian Farm (Northboro, Ma.) Cucumbers, beets, cousa squash, summer squash, zucchini, broccoli, arugula, black seeded simpson, scallions, parsnips, green beans, Anaheim peppers, dill, basil, cilantro, mint, butter/sugar corn, heirloom, beefsteak, and cherry tomatoes.
Michael Porter's Garden (South Grafton, Ma.) Fresh lavender.
Tougas Farm (Northboro, Ma.) Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines.
Westfield Farms (Hubbardston, Ma.) Classic Blue Chevre
Morse Farm (Southbridge, Ma.) Patty pan squash, green peppers, baby sweet onions, yellow beans, heirloom garlic, carola, red creamer, yellow finn and yukon creamers potatoes.
Woodstock Orchards (Woodstock Ct.) Purple and green peppers.
Rachel's Garden (Moosup, Ct.) Heirloom breakfast onions.
Duhamel's Garden (Woodstock, Ct.) Carrots.
Smiths Farm (Winchendon, Ma.) Extra sharp cheddar.
Crystal Brook Farm (Sterling, Ma.) Chevre.
Honey Ect. (Princeton, Ma) Wildflower honey.
Antul Aleworks (Worcester, Ma.) Spent grain.
Wayside Inn Gristmill (Sudbury, Ma.) Whole wheat flour and corn meal.
Dann and Martha Paquette and Alec Lopez discussing the beers and farms and ingredients between each course.
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