7/7 Pastoral's CULINARY DAY TRIP

As soon as I got the email from Pastoral, I signed up within 24 hours, this sounded so delicious. And, no driving on my part! Just wanted to share in case anyone else is interested, they still have space as of this posting. Pastoral is located at 2945 North Broadway. As cut and pasted directly from the website:

Summer 2007 Culinary Road Trip To Illinois Farm Country

"Join Pastoral for our Summer 2007
CULINARY DAY TRIP
“Down On The Farm”
To the Heart of Illinois’ Sustainable Agriculture!

Saturday, July 7, 2007 - $100/person* (Rain or Shine)

If you live in the Chicagoland area, it’s easy to forget where your food comes from and also that America’s bountiful farm belt is in our own backyard; where some of the world’s finest fresh foods are produced for us all to enjoy. Summer’s here and it’s time to hit the road!

Take a day trip with Pastoral to our own “backyard” and experience it all: from fresh artisan goat cheese, to pick-your-own berries to the summer’s finest in-season produce for purchase at one of the state’s largest farmer’s markets. Join Chef Iren Aiken of Champaign’s renowned Café Luna for a luncheon of locally produced food from the market featuring the season’s freshest and finest and even help him prepare it in the kitchen if you wish!

Our trip begins bright and early Saturday morning with a 7:30 AM sharp departure in a brand new luxury mini-coach where we will offer a continental breakfast enroute to the downstate Urbana-Champaign area where our stops will be:

* Urbana’s “Market on the Square” weekly farmer’s market, featuring some of the season’s freshest offerings right off the farm. In early July, we should expect to find some amazing sweet corn and a host of other delicious locally produced food. If you would like to purchase some to take home — Pastoral will provide a limited amount of shared cooler space.


* Enjoy the fruits of the land in a wonderful lunch at Champaign’s Café Luna, which is opening especially for our group! Chef Iren Aiken will prepare locally produced food he gathers that morning at the market and you are welcome to pitch in and help prepare the feast under his direction if you like!


* After lunch we head to Champaign’s Prairie Fruits Farm, Illinois’ 1st artisan goat dairy which also produces the finest in season berries for a “pick-your-own” experience! See how Leslie Cooperband & her husband Wes Jarrel make their creative and delicious goat cheeses; served in Chicago’s finest restaurants & Pastoral!


At day’s end, we head back to Chicago and will enjoy cheese & wine enroute for an early evening arrival back to Pastoral.
Note: We cannot guarantee an exact return time due to traffic and potential road construction.

* Ticket price includes round-trip transportation from Pastoral to the above locations including tips & fuel. Additionally, price includes lunch at Café Luna including one (1) soft drink. Alcoholic beverages are additional; to be billed by the restaurant.

Pastoral will provide a continental breakfast and a snack on the return trip. The Mini-Coach does not have a restroom but a brief rest-stop will be made on both outbound and return trips.

All additional purchases at any destination are the responsibility of the attendee. Pastoral will provide limited shared-cooler space for perishables.

If there are any other dietary restrictions needed, please email or phone pastoral in advance of the trip. We will try our best to make accommodations, but can not guarantee availability.

We regret that there will be NO refunds for this trip due to a customer's cancellation, unless Pastoral is able to find a replacement in time."

I live 2 blocks away from the Urbana Farmer's Market. I think its a little too early in the season for sweetcorn. But there should be greens (kale, mustard, collards, chard), beets, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, herbs, onions, peas, summer squash etc. Also banana bread from the Muffin Man, local duck and chicken eggs, and local organic meats.

I would love to welcome lth-ers to our humble market but I'll be up in Chicago sampling what the city has to offer.

Enjoy!