Gathered & Grown dinner celebrates years of farm-to-table sourcing, inspiration in downtown Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — Treasured olds, something new, cuisines borrowed, diners wearing blue.

Sunday’s “Gathered & Grown: A Feast of Five Seasons” celebrated 20 seasons of local cuisine, locally grown produce and the producers who make it possible.

The special event, directed by Cobble Hill Chef Andy Schumacher, was in ways an embrace of Cedar Rapids’ slogan: “Welcome is Our Language.”

Through several courses, he showed us the world’s diversity without making us leaving our backyard. Seaside delights, high-end luxury, a pan-Asian main course and classical desserts were all made with ingredients from several local producers.

“There’s an inherent challenge in doing (farm-to-table cuisine.) It requires a lot of flexibility and improvisation,” said Schumacher, who has been leading Cobble Hill’s seasonal approach since it opened in 2013.

By going with the flow, diners are rewarded with the best of each season, he said — a superior product.

But with a limit of 150 attendees and a ticket price of $150, not everyone could attend.

“Gathered & Grown is not just a dinner — it’s a celebration of the vibrant food culture and sense of community that the Downtown Farmers Market has cultivated over the past two decades,” said Jenn Draper, events contractor for the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, who organized the dinner.

Who knows — maybe the event will become an annual treat to look forward to.

Tomato Tart

  Buy Photo

An amuse bouche initiates the leisurely tour of summer’s bounty with a surprise.

Lemon ricotta piped beautifully over the pressed tomato delivers a bright vigor, similar to the notes you might expect in a lemon meringue.

Right after, homemade sourdough bread and butter with sea salt on top delights the table with another muse while we wait for an appetizer. It’s some of the best bread and butter I’ve had since I tried The Local Crumb from James Beard semifinalist Aaron Hall.

Lobster Tortellini

  Buy Photo

I do find irony in lobster being part of an Iowa farm-to-table meal. It is one of Iowa’s culinary Achilles' heels.

But this lobster tortellini made the crustacean feel right at home as we perspired in the corn’s humidity. Pasta, and in particular gnocchi, is a specialty Cobble Hill does well; this was no exception.

Lobster sauce reminiscent of a bisque lingers around the nostrils as my teeth sink into the first al dente bites. Cherry tomatoes on the plate are lush and juicy with a sophisticating char.

The acid of the tomato, crunch of the corn and basil leaves offered a unique profile finishing each bite.

It’s an Iowa take on “surf and turf,” with corn serving as turf.

Coconut Green Curry Pork Shoulder

  Buy Photo

A feast of every color, texture and flavor availed itself family style for the main course. That in itself, I believe, qualifies as a social experiment — sharing food so delicious if you’re at a table with strangers.

  Buy Photo

Watermelon and cucumber salad was an explosion of flavor Midwesterners are sure to underestimate at the helm of nuoc cham. This unexpectedly stole the spotlight from the course’s namesake.

The marinade’s blend of fish sauce, sugar and citrus is steeped in Vietnam’s history of the former. It’s something found on the tables of many Asian restaurants today, but often avoided by mainstream diners unfamiliar with it.

Think of it as a bit of a “pickled” taste you can take advantage of well before we need to rely on jarred goods to satisfy our cravings for fresh tasting vegetables. In this case, the vegetables are playing a game that volleys tangy and sweet.

Szechuan green beans with toasted garlic offer new depths of sweet soy flavor, which makes a wonderful dipping sauce for their neighbor — slightly floral jasmine rice cakes gently fried in a coating of sesame seeds.

Smoked tamarind eggplant offers a contrast with a very soft, almost mushy texture peppered in what looks like chili oil. It’s a savory texture with earthy roots that didn’t seem to be as popular, judging by the leftovers collected from the table.

Pork curry is gentle, but vibrant. It runs on island time with hints of coconut washing over pork fat that melts on your tongue. Following closely behind are slightly peppery notes from the curry — a friend who gently reminds the pork that he is on a schedule. I sensed sweet notes of maple peek through a couple times.

Even in the heat, it’s a charming protein.

Ebert’s Caramelized Honey Tart

  Buy Photo

This one will leave Pooh saying anything but “oh, bother.”

A rich, unrepentant honey brings us our sugary vice in a centerpiece flavor I don’t encounter often. Usually, honey is saved for a drizzle on top or an accessory to other flavors.

All of it is enveloped in white chocolate cremeux, a tender crust and garnished with berries and basil.

Each bit of honey custard serves an excess of sweet that drives me to take a dip in the pool of raspberry puree, set to the side, for a little contrast.

Peaches and Cream Macarons

  Buy Photo

One dessert is rarely enough for me, and Cobble Hill had my back. When I dine there, my table usually orders at least two desserts to try everything new.

A finale delivers uber soft and chewy maracons, which are a regular fixture on their menu for good reason. Each bite is pure cream with an undertone of peach.

In the center, each one was a delightful surprise — more raspberry puree from the last course, which added a slightly more tart note to punctuate the meal with gusto.

My section of the very long table did not let the leftover macarons go to waste.

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.

Get the latest restaurant news, food reviews and insider tips from the Chew on This newsletter.