July 26th Table Champêtre: Talking about the 'Country Table" with Chef Ronald St. Pierre of Locals Restaurant

by hans peter meyer

Locals Restaurant, with the help of some key partners, is hosting a Table Champêtre at Tannadice Farms on July 26, 2009. I interviewed Chef Ronald to ask him about this event – what it's about, why it's more than just another opportunity to enjoy great food and great cooking, and why it's important now. This event should be of interest to foodies (and that includes those who produce food as well as those who enjoy eating it!) on Vancouver Island, and particularly the greater Comox Valley-Campbell River region. But I'll let Chef Ronald tell why.

H: Ronald, where did the idea for this Table Champêtre event come from?

R: Table Champêtre events started about 25 years ago in Quebec, which is where I am from. Basically its a farm dinner hosted at the farm by the farm owner. These are private dinners which usually have 12 people and at least 60% of the food is produced at the farm. It is a concept that is being very popular back east and that is not yet known here in BC. So the Table Champêtre is something I wanted to start introducing here on the west coast, because we have so many producer and so many places that have the potential of doing such things. It's an important thing, to make some people who really love food to be more aware of what is available around the area.

H: But this event isn't a typical Quebec Table Champêtre, is it?

R: No. In this event we're doing a partnership with Tannadice Farms. Allen and Heather McWilliam of Tannadice are hosting it at their farm. At Locals we use product from Tannadice, and they approached me and enquired about doing something at their farm to raise awareness about what they are doing and the product they have available for the people to purchase. They are doing the (Comox Valley) Farmers Market and so on, but they wanted a higher profile for what they are doing. It was just a natural partnership for me to go on and and do it with them.

As for the way we do the Table Champêtre, when we started here, when we started to do the food and wine pairing dinners at Locals, I did call them Table Champêtre [pronunciation: shäⁿ(m)-ˈpetrə] – and it is a challenge to the English pronuciation! – because I wanted start to start to show the feel at the farm. I already knew, it was something I already knew I wanted to do, this Table Champêtre, which means 'country table.' It was to educate the public, and knowing about what the concept means, you know? And I wanted to know if we can develop it in this area, and that would be great. Then, if people travel across the country they are have an appreciation of this way of presenting and sharing food. Then they begin to know what it is all about.

H: Besides the McWilliam's, who are some of the other partners or places that you are featuring with this particular Table Champêtre event?

R: Yes. There are several other important partners and producers involved. Not only are we going to feature pork and poultry and beef from Tannadice Farms, but all the food and beverages are going to be local – and that includes the Vancouver Island being "local," not just the Comox Valley. So we are going to be showcasing a Blue Moon Winery, with their blueberry wine in a cocktail. Another featured winery for the evening is going to be Averill Creek which is on the south side of Mt Prevost in the Duncan area. We also have the Beaufort Winery that is here in the Comox Valley. We are going to showcase local shrimp and crab from our local fisherman, Qualicum Bay scallops – these are beautiful, big, fresh scallops. Patterson Farms from Black Creek will be our source for their plentiful, fresh organic produce, as well as Natures Way Farms and their berries for the desserts. We are also going to use products from Natural Pastures Cheese here in Courtenay and Little Qualicum Cheeseworks down in Parksville.

H: I love it! Lots of Island producers, a beautiful farm setting, and your kitchen team! But why are you doing this now?

R: Why do I do this now? Because it's a natural thing! It's something that I have been wanting to do for a long time and this summer is a great opportunity, it's just the right time to do it. And well, there is a growing demand – yes? There is a growing momentum around culinary tourism in the Comox Valley, and I think by doing things like this, the Table Champêtre, that we are going to put the Comox Valley on the map. And this year I decided to do this event. The time is right I think.

I hope that for in the future people will also see what we are doing – Locals working with Tannadice and other producers to host a special event. I hope they see this and say, Hey I want to do that too! Hopefully we are going to start something, so that people – other chefs and producers – that they want to do it as well. There are so many farms here and through the Island, and so many products here in the Comox Valley especially. We have so much potential for people to be doing these things. I thought it would be good educational thing to do. And it is fun too!

H: I was just at the Blue Moon Winery Open House and tasted some of their fruit wines. You're both telling me that one of the wines will be in the featured cocktail. Tell me about it.

R: I can't do that – it's a surprise! You'll have to wait until July 26th to find out.

H: What can you tell me about the afternoon and evening of July 26th?

R: Well, the way that this is going to unfold is starting with the cocktail reception at 4pm. So we're going to welcome the people with beer from Surgenor Brewing in Comox, as well as wine from Blue Moon Winery and Averill Creek's Somenos which is their rose and then were going to have an assortment of hors d'oeuvres that we'll be passing around. We will have live music to cocktail by, and after the cocktail reception, which will be about 45 minutes, the people will be invited to be able to go into groups to have the farm tour. This is going to be about an hour. When they come back from the farm tour everybody will be invited to sit down for dinner and we'll start with the 5 course food and wine pairing dinner. This will be served the same as if they were to come to the restaurant.

H: What time does this event end?

R: The Table Champêtre should end around 9:30 because by than the were going to be losing our natural sun light.

H: And this is taking place on Tannadice Farm on Burns Road?

R: Yes. On Burns Road. Right across from the Dove Creak Hall. On Sunday, July 26th.

H: And for more information people should go to the Locals website?

R: Yes. For more information they can check the website on the "events" page. We also have a poster, and the menu, and a little blurb about it. If they want, they can also inquire here at the restaurant. The tickets have to be pre-purchased. Tickets available here at the restaurant, but there are also tickets available through Tannadice Farm and at the Beaufort Winery.

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Next week I'll be interviewing Chef Ronald about the menu and the team he's pulled together for this event.

You can also keep yourself posted by joining the Locals Restaurant Facebook group, and check out the Facebook Table Champêtre "event" page.

About the author:
hans peter meyer is a writer, photographer, and social media fan(atic?) who lives, breathes, and eats Vancouver Island. You can follow him on twitter at @hanspetermeyer (or @EdibleVanIsland, if food stuff is your passion). You can follow his land and community writing at his Development Issues blog, or you can catch his food and lifestyle related writing at the Bon Vivant Vancouver Island blog.