Dinner for the Birds: Surprising Revelations from Foster Farms
A table dressed for a chicken dinner
If you follow me on Twitter or are a fan on Facebook, you’ve been hearing me go on about my disbelief over how only 5% of consumers purchase whole chickens. During this tough economic time, even though we hear complaints and concerns about the rising cost of food, the consumer is not making economical food choices. The consumer is choosing to pay more for parts.
This is one of the interesting and surprising facts that I learned from Jamie Peha during a Seattle Food Community Dinner hosted at the home of the charming Anne Nesbit. Anne, a true example of the gracious hostess, had spent the last day preparing a fantastic multi-course dinner for us featuring chicken. Why? I have to admit that when I first received the invitation I said to the hubby, “I wonder if the company that uses chicken puppets in its commercials is finding that consumers don’t take them seriously?”
Foster Farms chickens - photo courtesy of Jamie Peha
I don’t know for sure if that’s the case. However, a recent survey does reveal that 74% of consumers were unaware that the Foster Farms fresh chicken sold in the Pacific Northwest is grown by 32 independent family farms in Oregon and Washington. Did you know that because of that network, Foster Farms fresh chicken can be delivered to our neighborhood stores in 48 hours or less? Meanwhile, some fresh chicken sold in grocery stores takes four days or longer from the time it is packaged to the time it reaches shelves. That’s because about nearly half of the fresh chicken sold in Pacific Northwest grocery stores is shipped in from states outside of Oregon and Washington.
Menu for a Chicken Dinner
Anne prepared dinner with whole fresh chickens she received from the Ged Evers Farms in Dayton, Oregon, a third generation family-owned and operated farm. Here is her menu of comforting goodness.
- Appetizers -
Buttermilk Chive Biscuits with Chicken Sausage
Chicken Rillettes, Flatbread
- Dinner -
Avgolemono Soup
Forgeron Cellars 2008 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley
Chicken Roulade with Goat Cheese and Chive Pesto
Farro, Roasted Asparagus
R. Stuart & Co. 2007 Autograph Pinot Noir,Willamette Valley
- Dessert -
Vanilla Meringue with Citrus Cream, Strawberry Syrup
Chicken “Fostering” Community
Are you licking your lips yet? Well, if you are feeling inspired by this menu, here is some more food for thought. Foster Farms is helping develop a Seattle Sundays movement to help us get back to the table with our family one day a week to cook and eat only locally-grown foods. After all, if everyone in the Pacific Northwest dedicated Sundays to eating only locally grown food, it could mean an additional $4.46 billion in annual food sales benefiting the Pacific Northwest region and its residents. They do it on the blog Cook Local all the time, so maybe the rest of us should give it a try.
Need more inspiration to gather around the table? Here is a sampling of recipes from some of the charming and talented companions I spent an evening around the table with at Anne’s home.
Snacking in the Kitchen mixes things up with an Everything Fusion Chicken Salad. I bet that would be lovely with a slightly off dry rosé.
Seattle Bon Vivant heats things up with Curried Chicken And Squash Soup With Meyer Lemon & Ginger. I’d like to try that with Coyote Canyon Viognier or a nice Gewurztraminer.
When I’m in the kitchen, I’ve been know to prepare a Truffled Roast Chicken that I like to serve with Cabernet Franc or Pinot Noir.
I like this Seattle Sundays idea. In fact, I’m going to up the ante. I challenge you to prepare a meal at least once a week cooked with fresh local ingredients AND serve it on your good china. Are you in?
Related posts:
- Birthday Dinner Truffled Roast Chicken
- A Birthday Wine Dinner
- Ribs and Wine Birthday Dinner
- Viva Italia Dinner
- A Menu for a Dinner Party
Tags: Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Chicken, Coyote Canyon, Forgeron Cellars, Foster farms, Gewurztraminer, Pinot noir, Rosé, Viognier
