Lost Creek Farm hosted an Appalachian Spring Dinner at Rising Creek Bakery on May 8. I've had my eye on Lost Creek Farm, which is a historic family farm located in Harrison County that travels around offering Appalachian-inspired dinners.

Mike Costello is a chef at Lost Creek Farm, which he operates with his partner, Amy Dawson. Located in southern Harrison County, West Virginia, the farm has been cared for by Amy's family for over 150 years. Lost Creek Farm's traveling Appalachian kitchen takes Mike and Amy across West Virginia and the eastern U.S. for their renowned Farm and Forage events, highlighting regionally-inspired foods and traditional ingredients either grown or wild-harvested from Lost Creek and other nearby small farms. In late April, Lost Creek Farm visits Rising Creek for a seasonal five-course dinner. An abundance of wild ramps and woodland mushrooms will pair with spring greens, pastured local meats and a variety of early-harvest vegetables for a unique menu defined by the fresh, bright flavors of spring. 

It's really a lovely combination - these folks who are espousing the virtues of Appalachian cuisine paired with the very traditional Appalachian art of salt-rising bread. It's especially exciting that so much of the products used for the meals are directly from the farm; I think that speaks to that this place-based cuisine.

The five-course pop-up dinner was absolutely delicious. It featured seasonal and foraged items from their farm. That's pretty incredible. Plus, of course, there was lots of salt-rising bread!

1) Wild nettle and WV buckwheat raviolo with caramelized ramp garlic ricotta || wild mushroom brown butter || radish sprouts
Absolutely divine. Who has ever had a caramelized ramp? Just delicious. Plus, this raviolo press was an antique from their farm.


2) Lamb sausage and wild mint soup with roasted farro and charred spring onions
So far, I'm learning that they are very in tune with texture because the nice chew of the raviolo was amazing, but this farro was really great too. I had never had farro before, but it combined with the lamb sausage was beautiful.

3) Spring panzanella salad with Rising Creek salt rising bread || shaved asparagus || baby greens || buttermilk ramp dressing
This was very fresh and very tasty. Plus, buttermilk ramp dressing = rampch. New favorite word.

4) Heirloom blue corn crusted trout filet with knotweed confit || mashed turnips with ramp butter || pureed maple braised collards || salt roasted spring carrot || woodland herbs
Those mashed turnips blew my mind with the ramp butter.

5) Salt rising bread pudding || buttermilk ice cream || dandelion flower syrup || candied flowers from the field
I am a bread pudding lover, and this one did not disappoint.

If Lost Creek Farm is coming to an area near you, definitely check it out. They're doing Appalachian cuisine right, and I can't wait to see what else they have in store.