Fryed House

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting our last Farm-to-Fork Dinner of the year with Donna Link, a local gardener/creator/producer located in Lexington, Oklahoma. Donna’s attention to detail and decor was phenomenal and she and her husband Gerald created the perfect setting for our guests to enjoy themselves.

Each plate at the table was adorned with forest-green cloth napkins, upcycled glass bottles glowing with tiny fairy lights inside, and foraged plants from around her property. Guests enjoyed guided archery and hatchet-throwing, foraged wreath crafts and live music in between each delicious offering.

We’re getting better at sourcing more and more local ingredients for these dinners and we’re incredibly proud of how our community came together for this one. We’d like to thank each and every farmer/producer who helped provide us with the freshest ingredients that we could find. Some of them offer their goods through their own online stores as well as our local Farm Market and we’re so grateful for them. We’ve linked the ones that we could find so you can check them out!

Final Flowers Dinner Producer List:

Mixed Greens – Tru Grit Farmstead
Spinach, Swiss Chard – Tanglefoot Farm
Honey – Nature’s Harmony
Elderberry Syrup – Scherer Homestead
Sweet Potatoes, Radishes – Sarah’s Choice
Onions, Red Potatoes – Bucky’s
Herbs – RHM Farm
Microgreens – Fabled Fox
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin – Highway 9 Produce
Scallions, Jalapenos – Old Salt’s Plants
Live Music – Kaitlin Kendel & Marcus Jackson

Miscellaneous Producers:
Goat Meat – Donna’s Neighbor
Focaccia – A booth we can’t remember at the Farm Market
Turkey Eggs – Same
Venison – Donna’s Son

With these events happening directly “on the farm”, we’re learning how to improvise, how to use our resources, and how to make them more efficient and enjoyable. We pulled off FIVE Farm-to-Fork Dinners in the span of SIX WEEKS. That feels almost impossible when we look back at how much it took to make it happen. It’s hard not to feel feelings about our final farm event this year, but to say that we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished would be an understatement.

Every party, every event big or small, has sustained and supported our family and our local community and we cannot say “thank you” enough. We believe in feeding ourselves better and that everyone deserves the opportunity and the resources to do so for themselves. We believe that food is a catalyst for friendship and camaraderie, as well as a source of nourishment and healing.

It takes us an IMMENSE amount of work to pull this off. We’re just a husband and a wife with a minivan and a TON of cooking supplies. When we’re planning these events, we have multiple lists going, with Post-It Note lists attached, and we’re constantly scanning and revising them. Honestly, we look like crazy people, but it always comes together in the end. Even if we have to make some last minute substitutions.

The temperature dropped noticeably as the sun went down, but the comforting music from Kaitlin and Marcus combined with hot coffee and the crackling firepit nearby was enough for everyone to feel comfortable. As we said our goodbyes, it truly felt like a final farewell to our warmer weather, to this brief fall we’re experiencing, to the many successes and mishaps of this past year, and maybe a gentle farewell to who we were before we became who we are today.

When we decided to take Fryed House on full-time, we had no idea how quickly it would grow. We didn’t understand the need for that connection to local, farm-fresh ingredients, how to find the solution, or how important it is to support our local farmers and producers. They are the forgotten backbone to our own sustainability, to what we were capable of before everything was commercialized and mechanized. They hold the key to who we will be in the future.

If you take the time to speak with any of these farmers, they all have a story – a story that is deeply entrenched in the depths of their struggle to sustain their families while providing healthier food to their local communities. Stories of trauma, incredible triumphs and miracles, immense hardships, lost connections and re-connections, and the knowledge and wisdom that can only be gained through an ancestral combination of personal and generational experiences.

That being said, it is an honor and a pleasure to do what we do. Although this year’s ending brings a little sadness, it also brings us a feeling of accomplishment and excitement. The year ahead of us is going to be AMAZING and we’re thrilled that you’re joining us for the journey.

If you missed this event, don’t worry. Cold weather, rain, or snow, you can join us at The Diner on Main Street on December 15th for a Holiday-inspired dinner! Although it’s not being held on a farm, we’ll still be using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible!

This event will be an exciting blend of our cooking demonstrations and plated farm dinner events and we don’t want you to miss it. The Diner has celebrated over 100 years of serving our community some of the best breakfast and lunch dishes we’ve seen and we’re really looking forward to this collaboration.

Don’t forget that we’ve got a FREE Digital Cookbook – Autumn Comfort Foods for Cozy Evenings! It’s got a few of our most favorite warm, comfort foods that are perfect for sharing with loved ones as you gather for the holidays. Click here to download it for free!

Thank you again for joining us. Happy Eating!