This Farm to Table Dinner Will Make Your Mouth Water

​Johnny Harrison of Terrapin Farms shows chef Laura Davis of Tide and Thyme some ingredient options for her salad course.

From onions to oysters, and from clams to coffee, Eastern Shore farmers, growers, and roasters provide a variety of delicious goods to please the palette. On August 19, chefs and farmers will come together in the second annual Serving Up the Shore, a farm to table dinner presented by Chincoteague Bay Field Station that showcases one of the best parts about living on the Eastern Shore--the food.

The local food movement has grown in popularity in recent years, and for good reason. It not only supports the local economy, but food also spends less time travelling and is therefore fresher. Serving Up the Shore celebrates these locally-grown and produced ingredients by putting them in the hands of popular chefs from around the Eastern Shore.

​Chefs include Laura Davis of the popular Tide and Thyme blog, Bill Wainwright of 45th Street Taphouse in Ocean City, Desmond Edwards of the Jackspot in Chincoteague, and Rosie Moot of Pico Taqueria in Chincoteague.

"Local foods are my passion," said Edwards. "Supporting local farms and just trying to focus on community I feel is the vision behind this dinner, and I'm very excited to be part of it."

As the chef in charge of the main course, Edwards plans on making pan-seared rockfish, with tomatoes, potato soubise, chicken pate, nasturtiums, and clam broth with clams from Chincoteague's Ballard Fish and Oyster Co.

Other featured ingredients for the meal include coffee from Eastville's Eastern Shore Coastal Roasters, microgreens from Terrapin Farms in Berlin, and fresh vegetables from Perennial Roots Farm in Accomac, Va, among others.

​All proceeds from the event go toward environmental education programs for local students. Tickets for the farm to table experience are on sale now for $75. You can get your "locavore" on by visiting the Serving Up the Shore webpage, or its Facebook event page. Stay tuned for dish announcements and profiles of the farms and chefs.