Food Creates Community: A Night in the Garden

I never would have guessed, while we were traipsing through a soggy backyard in April 2009 to attend an underground supper with a group of total strangers, that we were at the beginning of many suppers to come and a wonderful friendship with a talented young couple.

Yes, tradition and friendship did start that evening. And Saturday night, we found ourselves once again at a Food Creates Community meal, enjoying wonderful food and good fellowship in a tucked away cafe in downtown Dallas.

Note to Dallasites: You must visit the Garden Cafe. Right now it's only open for breakfast and lunch, but it's also available for private rentals in the evening. The location is quaint, the garden lush and sky filled with fireflies. What more could you ask for in a magical evening?

Seriously - how sweet are the vine-draped archways?

Our talented chef, good friend and gracious host, Jordan Swim, discussed the meal's theme (Spain), introduced each course and the local orgin of the ingredients. He always does this and I'm grateful - it reminds me that there are wonderful local food resources in the Dallas metroplex.

Though I didn't take a photo (for shame, Shannah!), we were blessed that Jordan's wife, Emily, sat next to us for the meal. She's usually busy at work, hosting and serving. But the impending arrival of Baby Swim is slowing her down and we were the better for having her company while we ate.

The meal opened with an amuse bouche of honeydew melon soup, drizzled with serrano pepper sauce and a bit of fried Serrano ham. I'm not normally a fan of honeydew (aka the fruit that I avoid in any fruit cup), but the slight sweet paired nicely with the burn of the serrano pepper and the slight salt-crisp of the Serrano ham.

Our opening course was fresh Texas Gulf shrimp - two days out of the water. (We're in the heart of Texas shrimping season.) It was boiled, lightly seasoned with pepper and served over a zucchini and (I think) radish salad, drizzled with a light vinaigrette, and first-of-season yellow tomatoes.

Side note: is there anything better than perfectly ripe, farm-grown tomatoes?

Second course was a riff on a Spanish tortilla de patatas. It was layered with farm-fresh eggs, new potatoes and polk salad greens. Then, brilliantly, it was topped with a poblano pepper aioli and fresh spring pea shoots.

This was one of my favorite courses. Seriously, could have just eaten this all night. Glad I didn't, because the next course was pretty special.

Third course was a lamb taco, seasoned with Mediterranean spices which gave the meat a slightly sweet flavor. The lamb was drizzled with a cucumber-yogurt-cilantro sauce and sprinkled with fried garbanzo beans and a touch of feta.

Fourth course - roasted rabbit and chorizo with Valencia rice and herbs from the Garden Cafe's garden, cooked paella style. Jordan said: "This is comfort food, Spanish style."

And the Hayleys said, "Why can't all comfort food taste this amazing?"

The only way I could eat another bite was knowing that we were on the fifth course - dessert.

Coconut cake (made with coconut milk, not flake) with lime zest, topped with thin slices of dried mango, maple whipped cream and a piece of macadamia nut toffee. (Really regret eating the toffee first, because it was all I could think about afterward. So.Good.) Balancing out the cake (or just pushing it over the edge, depending on your stomach capacity at this point) was a compote of fresh pineapple and mango.

Thank goodness I had a cup of black decaf coffee (from a local microroaster, Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters) to balance things out. Or wash things down. Whatever.

All in all, an amazing, amazing dinner.

Not that I expected anything different, but it's wonderful when reality lives up to your expectations. Kind of like watching our beloved Dallas Mavericks sweep the LA Lakers the very next afternoon. This weekend could not have been any more perfect.