January 15, 2025
Red wine braised lamb shank, cold-smoked rockfish, hazelnut dacquoise; while these dishes sound worthy of a fine dining restaurant, they were crafted here at Oregon State as part of a recent Chef’s Table event held at Marketplace West dining center. The Chef’s Table is an event series hosted by the talented chefs within University Housing & Dining Services, with each occasion focused on a unique theme.
Recently, the team at Marketplace West showcased their culinary skills with a five-course dinner that highlighted the bounty of local ingredients available here in the Pacific Northwest. Chefs Richard Bennett, Jonathan Harthorn, Elizabeth McNerney and Noah Mewes developed a menu featuring local hazelnuts, elderberries, wheat, lamb, cranberries and more.
This Chef’s Table event offered a chance for guests to discover the vibrant and versatile ingredients available in our region. Hazelnuts used in multiple dishes were sourced directly from Oregon State’s Hazelnut Breeding Program. This program focuses on developing hazelnuts that offer greater longevity in the field with a special focus on Oregon hazelnut crops. Hazelnuts used for the dinner were shelled and processed in-house. The nuts were utilized in multiple dishes and the shells were used to smoke the rockfish used in an additional menu item.
Local grains played a key role in the menu as well. Streaker barley, cultivated by the OSU Barley Project, and flours from Shepherd’s Grain were used to create homemade pasta and a barley mushroom pilaf. Both of these products represent a dedication to innovative agricultural practices. OSU’s Barley Breeding Program aims to develop barley varieties that provide higher quality and have greater resistance to disease. Shepherd’s Grain procures wheat from farmers who use regenerative agricultural practices to produce quality grains while improving soil quality. This includes no-till farming which keeps the cover crop in place to avoid topsoil loss.
Marketplace West chefs also incorporated elderberries harvested from the Callahan Food Forest (an on-campus organic garden), grass-fed lamb from Pacific Northwest-based Anderson Ranches and cranberries from Bandon, Oregon. All four chefs collaborated and coordinated on each dish rather than creating their own individual dishes. “We all talked to each other about elements in each other’s dishes, which made it all flow together well,” said Chef Jonathan.
The Chef’s Table event series is a favorite among students and UHDS culinary team members. It offers our chefs an opportunity to showcase their extensive skills and provides guests with the chance to enjoy an evening of fine dining on campus. “Chef’s Table is about showing students that our team can create more than burritos, burgers and fries,” said Chef Noah. “Our trained chefs freshly prepare meals every day in our dining centers with a focus on quality, flavor and nutrition.”
Due to the nature of Chef’s Table events and the preparation required for them, seating is generally limited and reservations are required. To attend a future Chef’s Table event, follow @osuhousing on Instagram and look for event advertisements in the dining centers.