Lavande July 2018

Wow! What a night we had.
I cannot thank you enough for joining us for our Lavande dinner.
Putting together these dinners are so very special. Every aspect of the evening is tailored to fit the experience we dream up. Chef Tara Lynch worked her magic and created a menu to dream about.

When planning this dinner we were hopeful the Lavender fields would hold out for us, but with the extra hot weather, the flowers were ready to harvest. Alas we were able to harvest close to 40lbs of the beautiful purple flower!

As everyone arrived to the beautiful Teglach Farms, you were greeted with a welcome cocktail, Lavender Lemonade featuring Heritage Lavender Vodka, warm glow of candlelight, crooner music, and the sound of new friendships forming.

Through the dreaming process of Portland Secret Dining Society, a LOT of dinners were held, a LOT of food was consumed and even more wine drank. But one thing that became a custom of our gathering was Sabering a bottle of champagne to mark the start of a special and exciting time together.
Is there a better way to start a marvelous evening than to sabrage a 2011 Argyle Vintage Brut? We think not!

With a glass of Lavender infused Sparkling Chardonnay in hand we sat to embark on our adventurous dining journey

Our first course; Peasant bread - Triple cream cheese, grilled apricots, and lavender honey. For this delectable dish we paired the Penner Ash 2017 Viognier. The smell honeysuckle and jasmine the Viognier ignited our senses. As you experienced the fresh honeycomb sweetness and crisp white apple of your wine, your'e over taken by the delectably creamy cheese, earthy honey, and perfectly grilled apricots.

Our second course; Compressed watermelon - feta, and cherry gastrique. YUM! This dish was something special. The compressed sweet watermelon brought out notes of strawberry compote and plum in the 2014 Penner Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. As you tasted through the earthy feta cheese and tart cherry gastrique your palette came alive with vanilla, brown sugar tannins and just a hint of cedar. With a linger in taste you settled in for the 3 courses.

For this next course we ventured to Fairsing Vineyard. We paired the 2015 Sullivan Pinot Noir. This Playful and bold Pinot partnered precisely with our Heirloom tomato and goat cheese galette. The smooth full mouth feel, generous red fruit, and subtle vanilla finish took the crimp dough and tart tomatoes to the next level.

Surprise! We were greeted with a secret intermezzo course, house made Lavender and Grapefruit sorbet. It was plate licking delicious.

For the main event, Chef Tara Lynch pulled out all the stops. She spoiled us with a Lavender butter roasted chicken with duck fat potatoes and luscious pan sauce.
As we tried not to inhale the perfection that was our main course, we sipped upon Stoller Family Estates 2015 Reserved Chardonnay. Crafted from Stoller's oldest Dijon vines on the property which were planted in 1995, this wine expressed aromatics of lemon curd and white flower. The palate meets the aroma and reveals a luxurious mouthfeel.

To finish the evening we plunged into a a fun twist on a classic: Ice Cream Cake! This wasn't your ordinary ice cream cake. Lavender cake with a house made fresh pick blackberry ice cream. We partnered this piece of heaven on a plate with Fairsing Vineyards 2017 Rose of Pinot Noir. It was rich of peach, cherry, and vanilla aromas and brought a bright, crisp, rich and round berry taste. A perfect finish to a perfect dish.

The night was as beautiful as it was delicious. We cannot thank you enough for dining with us, and allowing us to share our passion with you.
We look forward to having you at our table again.

-Remington