July 13, 2012
Unpolluted lakes, rivers, tributaries, and groundwater are the "guests of honor" at a pop-up dinner being held this Sunday in a converted church building in Hector. The dinner will feature local foods donated by several area farms, and proceeds will benefit the Finger Lakes CleanWaters Initiative.
Artist and wine fanatic Amy Cheatle is hosting the dinner, alongside an exhibition of her large-format paintings at Gallery Belle, the exhibition space on the second floor of the repurposed church on Route 414. Chef Gentry Morris of Mercato Bar & Kitchen will prepare a five-course locavore meal to be paired with Finger Lakes wines, and The Andersons will provide musical accompaniment.
The menu features an onion tart with herb salad and Lively Run cheese, ham hock terrine with duck egg gribiche, a stuffed pork loin with succotash, Keeley's "Across the Pond" cheese with fruit and nuts, and blueberry clafoutis with creme fraiche. Vegetarian alternatives for the two meat courses are vichyssoise with chive oil and farro nicoise.
Food and wines have been donated by 6 Circles Farms, Westhaven Farms, Autumn’s Harvest, Keely’s Cheese, Humming Bird Hill, Daring Drake Farm, Damiani Wine Cellars, and Sheldrake Point Winery. The dinner is at 6pm on Sunday, July 15th.
Gallery Belle will be open Sundays from 12:30-6:30pm in August, and by appointment. An artist's reception will be held Friday, August 3rd, at 6:30pm.
Seating for the fundraising dinner is limited, but a few tickets are still available online. More information about the event and the art is available at www.amycheatle.net. The Finger Lakes CleanWaters Initiative is a citizens group seeking to protect "New York's number one economic resource" from unsafe gas drilling.
