July 19, 7:00 P.M. Dinner: Tasting the Georgia Coast with Chefs and Farmers Matthew Raiford and Tia Raiford
July 19, 2024 07:00 PM
A Sea to Table Dinner Highlighting the Aquaculture of Georgia
25 11th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA
Matthew Raiford is a sixth-generation farmer and chef living on and working the land on Gilliard Farms, the organic farm that has been in his family since 1874. Raiford, a James Beard Award Best Chef semifinalist and the author of Bress 'n' Nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth-Generation Farmer, has dedicated his career to supporting the biological diversity of the region and preserving the Gullah Geechee recipes that are part of his family’s heritage. Joined by fellow chef and slow-food champion, Tia Raiford, this husband-and-wife duo will create a dinner that honors the sustainable aquaculture of their coastal land in Georgia and the products grown on their farm. From local oysters farmed on the coast to a gin cocktail made with Gillard Farms botanicals, “CheFarmers” Matthew and Tia Raiford invite you to experience their story, told through Gullah Geechee foodways and native ingredients
Dining Table $170 | Internal Chefs Counter $185 | External Chefs Counter $150
MENU
Hors d’Oeuvre
Oyster Middens > Grit-Fried Oysters with Fried Rice
Contains shellfish
Okra–Red Pea Fritter
Paprika-Smoked Guinea Hen–Pork Belly Skewers
Hibiscus Gin Rickey with Simple Man Distillery Gullah Geechee Gin
Ginger–Persian Lime Shrub
Dinner
Collard Greens Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette and Red Onions
Gilliard Farms Elderflower Liqueur and Citrus Spritz
Black Sea Bass Sausage with Smashed Yucca Fries
te Pa Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Low Country Boil with Blue Crab, Shrimp, Beef Sausage, Sweet Corn Crema, and Blistered Cherry Bomb Tomatoes
Contains dairy and shellfish
Old Westminster Origins Red Blend 2021
Dessert
Lemon Curd–Sweet Cream Biscuit with Southern Huckleberry Gastrique
Contains dairy and gluten
Gin generously donated by Simple Man Distillery.
About Matthew Raiford:
For the past decade, CheFarmer™ Matthew Raiford has been working on his own family farm. He is the sixth generation to be farming land that has been in the family since 1874. He has been creating pastureland and working on soil regeneration and bioremediation using red wiggler worms and black soldier flies. Raiford has made it his mission to work alongside farmers and chefs to bridge the gap between the seed and the table. Raiford returned to his family land in 2011, farming diversified crops of sugarcane, sweet potatoes, carrots, Thai basil, and hibiscus, and animal husbandry including laying hens, goats, and Kune Kune pigs, with a focus on terroir and flavor led Raiford to work with the University of Georgia Food Science Program Flavor Profiles for Foodpreneuers. Before his return home to Gilliard Farms, worked as a chef on opening culinary teams for large hotels, as the executive chef at the House of Representatives, and served as program coordinator for the Culinary Arts Program at the College of Coastal Georgia. Matthew attended the University of California Santa Cruz CASFS (Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems) where theory meets the soil. CheFarmer™ Matthew uses the learnings from the CASFS program to help further the idea of what it takes to create a regenerative-sustainable food system. It takes pollinators like bees and bats to ensure the soil is treated as a living organism while ensuring that no matter where the land is located, it is constantly being fed. He also opened and ran two restaurants in Brunswick, The Farmer and the Larder, where he was a 2018 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast, and the second restaurant named Strong Roots Provisions.
About Tia Raiford:
As a professional chef, Tia Raiford has cooked in some of the country’s top kitchens, including New York City’s Oceana and Gramercy Tavern, leading to a highpoint role in her career as senior executive chef at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China where she was responsible for creating 14,000 meals a day for the media support. In 2006, she moved to Philadelphia to serve as the campus executive chef at the University of Pennsylvania. This ultimately led her to a career-changing role when, as culinary director for Vetri Community Partnership where she built culinary and educational programs and experiences under the guidance of the USDA’s National School Lunch Program. She then moved to the role of culinary director under chef Vetri’s company, leading opening teams on new restaurants and procurement solutions for a 15-unit fine dining brand located across the country. Raiford then moved on to become the culinary director for Elior North America where she oversaw the development of food for K-12 across 245 school districts.
Tickets to events held at Platform at Pier 57 by the James Beard Foundation cover the cost of food, education and a unique dining experience. Meals are prepared by culinary masters from all regions of the United States and around the world. Unless otherwise stated, alcoholic beverages are provided on a complimentary basis and are not included in the ticket price.
James Beard Foundation events permit guests age 21 years and older to attend events where alcoholic beverages are served.