Last night COOK had the pleasure of hosting Meritage chef Anne Coll for a truly delicious dinner celebrating local produce. For her “Farm Fresh” class, she brought along a bunch of just-harvested veggies to create a simple yet original meal that showcased the best quality area produce. Anne lives just outside Lancaster on a farm — she has a pet pig named Jenny! — and all of us were able to take advantage of her green thumb, as she even brought in some stuff she grew herself!
Anne’s amuse bouche was an immediate hit: She served deviled farm eggs, garnished with chives blossoms grown in her own garden and bacon-infused trout roe. The yolks of the eggs were also improved upon with bacon and bacon fat. Next was simply roasted Lancaster County asparagus, which had just been picked that morning, along with whipped ricotta. For her second and third courses, Chef Anne prepared Amish chicken, cooked confit in duck fat and served with pickled local rhubarb and her own lettuces; and seared Jersey scallops with a beautiful spring salad of asparagus, peas, radishes and mint. For dessert, another crowd favorite: almond cake with strawberries and lemon curd, a sweet treat many guests were surprised to learn was both gluten- and dairy-free.
Check after the jump for photos and recipes from this amazing evening!














