22 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Discover the bounty of Oregon crops
Pop-up farmers
market and dinner
set for Aug. 4
ASTORIA — Oregon-grown
specialty crops will be the fo-
cus of a special pop-up dinner
and farmers market taking
place Aug. 4.
The event is part of the Crop
Up Dinner Series and Market
Showcase put on by the Oregon
Department of Agriculture
and Oregon State University.
The series offers events in
ive Oregon communities —
Aurora, Astoria, Hermiston,
Portland and Medford — and is
designed to bring together local
growers, food buyers, chefs and
the public.
“We are hoping to educate
attendees about Oregon
specialty crops,” says Julia
Turner, an ODA international
trade manager who, along
with OSU Research Chef
Jason Ball, has been orga-
T he
Illah
ee
A partm ents
nizing the series. “Oregon
produces more than 200 dif-
ferent crops and most of them
are specialty crops. That’s
pretty impressive. We hope
to promote these crops, teach
people where they are grown,
how you can cook with them,
and how they can be enjoyed
in various recipes.”
The Aug. 4 event in As-
toria will take place at OSU
Seafood Lab, located at 2001
Marine Drive.
The market will start at
5:30 p.m., giving attendees
the chance to meet local farm-
ers and learn about specialty
crops. Vendors will include
Lazy Creek Farm from
south of Astoria, R-evolution
Farm from Manzanita, Gales
Meadow Farm from Forest
Grove, Blossom Vinegar
from Portland, and more. Fort
George Brewery will provide
beer, and musician James
Clem will perform.
After the market, attendees
will sit down for dinner. The
seasonal menu, crafted by
Ball in collaboration with Fort
George Chef Jeff Graham,
will highlight Oregon spe-
cialty crops. The three snacks
and eight courses will feature
dishes like barbecued carrots
or fermented cucumber salad
served with fresh dill and
smoked ish.
“The purpose of these
dinners is to highlight specialty
crops, which are deined as
fruits, vegetables, tree nuts,
and products made from these
sources. Therefore a lot of our
dishes will be vegetarian. We
will have seafood on the menu
in Astoria, of course,” says
Turner. However, the seafood
will act as an accompaniment
rather than the star of the dish.
The series is funded
through federal Specialty
Crop Block Grant funds. In
Oregon, nearly $2 million
is funding projects that help
boost the competitiveness of
the state’s fruits, vegetables,
tree nuts. Attendees will be
able to enjoy a variety of these
crops largely supplied through
donations from commodity
commissions, food companies
and local farmers.
Admission is $20 per
person; there are 100 tick-
ets available. Each ticket
provides access to the market
as well as the full dinner and
entertainment. To purchase
tickets, contact the Food
SHANGHAIED
IN ASTORIA
3 2 N D
SE
AS O N
Tickets on sale ONE HOUR before all shows!
SHOW RUNS THRU
SEPTEMBER 10, 2016
Thursdays to Saturdays 7pm (July 7th-Sept. 10th)
and Sundays 2pm (7/24, 8/14, 9/4)
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED
A s G ood A s It G ets
In D ow ntow n
A storia!
1046 Grand Avenue
Astoria, OR 97103
503-325-2280
For tickets go to
astorstreetoprycompany.com
Or by phone: 503-325-6104
ASOC
PLAYHOUSE
129 W. BOND ST
(UNIONTOWN)
ASTORIA
(Behind the Chamber
of Commerce)
MARKET AND
DINNER
5:30 p.m. Thursday,
Aug. 4
OSU Seafood Lab,
2001 Marine Drive,
Astoria
Tickets $20 each
Only 100 tickets sold,
available by calling
503-872-6680 or
through eventbrite.
com
Innovation Center at 503-872-
6680 or visit eventbrite.com
For more information, con-
tact Turner at 503-872-6603
or Ball at 503-872-6674.
“Anyone in these ive
communities that is interested
in food, interested in support-
ing local farmers and growers,
and interested in having a fun,
unique experience should at-
tend,” says Ball. “People most
likely have been to a farmers
market and they certainly
have been to a dinner. But to
have a farmers market and
dinner happening side-by-side
is really cool.”
Life is c o a o l t m
h,
and sm s to
thank
es
Mr. Doobe
SUBMITTED PHOTO BY KATHRYN ELSESSER
The dinner will feature local produce in a menu crafted by OSU
Research Chef Jason Ball and Fort George Chef Jef Graham.
SUBMITTED PHOTO BY KATHRYN ELSESSER
A trial run last year at the Food Innovation Center in Portland
helped encourage this year’s full series of dinners and markets.
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