Bainbridge chefs will cook up a storm for a charitable cause

Anne and Peter Weber have a delicious way of raising money for charity.

Their first “fabulous night of friendship, food and fun” last year at their Farmhouse Organics farm in Poulsbo raised almost $17,000 for the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.

“We were able to donate 100 percent of our proceeds to such an important and needy cause, all the while celebrating the special community we share here in the Northwest,” Anne Weber said.

They hope to do even more for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the beneficiary of the Webers’ second annual Farm Harvest Wine Dinner, set for Sept. 17.

“With everything that is going on in the world, we wanted to focus our fund-raising efforts locally and for kids,” Weber said. “Make-A-Wish is an organization that really helps courageous kids battling life-threatening medical conditions.”

Nearly half of the dinner’s 100 seats already have been snagged.

“I have been too busy to even try and sell them. I gave everyone a chance to buy them that attended last year,” Weber said. “That was my goal, so now the rest are up for grabs.

“It’s so much easier this year. Last year with Katrina, it was such a frenzy,” she added. “For Make-a-Wish it will be nice. We can request the money stay around the Poulsbo/Bremerton area. They’re so well-known.”

The Webers again have amassed a four-star lineup of culinary purveyors. Bainbridge chefs Jeannie Wood and Tom Loverich will join kitchen celebs from Mor Mor Bistro, Art of the Season Catering, IslandWood and Michael’s Cafe in preparing a dazzling array of dishes, from appetizers to desserts.

Offerings include Heirloom Fresh Bean Salad With Sorrel Citronette, Emerald City Cheesecakes, Smoked Salmon With Tarragon and Dijon Glaze, Toasted Crostino With Chevre and Organic Sun-Dried Apricot, Classic Caesar Salad With Farmhouse Organic Greens and Truffled Beet Salad With Portuguese Sea Salt and Thyme.

Among the entrees are slow-roasted pork loin rolled with local kale, garlic and rosemary and, for vegetable lovers, herbed vegetable quinoa and a pave of vegetables, herbs and manchego.

Peach bread pudding, autumnal squash tarts and chocolate hazelnut torte will highlight Wood’s dessert tray.

“The food will be amazing. Central Market donated 100 pounds of salmon again and (there is) local wine,” Weber said, courtesy of Bainbridge Vineyards and Winery and Eleven Winery of Bainbridge Island.

Balboa Winery in Walla Walla also is supplying vino. The winery is owned by Tom Glase, with whom Weber went through Bainbridge schools from kindergarten through high school.

Another friend, music promoter Norm Johnson, is donating the sound system and his time for running the audio portion of the evening’s musical entertainment.

Johnson also found the musicians: the string quartet Verde, which will play as guests arrive; the Arkansas bluegrass band Thunder Breakfast which, by pure happenstance, includes Colin McCrate, who worked for the Webers last summer; and singer/songwriter Eric Miller.

“It will be a great night with wonderful food, wine and music, as well as a jam-packed silent auction and raffle with lots of wonderful items and services,” Weber said.

“I feel great about this event. The cool part is that everything is donated. That means that we get to give away all of the money we make on the ticket sales, the raffle and the auction.”

Before the Harvest Wine Dinner takes place, the Webers hope some of their own wishes come true. They need donated tables, chairs and a huge party tent, as well as auction items from local businesses.

The Webers are philosophical about their undertaking.

“Peter and I have been trying to verbalize why we are doing another fund-raiser at our farm. This community supports our small family farm. We feel that as farmers, we have an obligation to share our farm with the community,” Weber said.

“Honestly, there are not a lot of farms around here. We have two small children, ages 2 and 5. We want to teach them that they can do great things in small ways.”

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Wishing well

The second annual Farm Harvest Wine Dinner will begin at 4 p.m. Sept. 17 at Farmhouse Organics in Poulsbo. All proceeds from ticket sales, the silent auction and the raffle will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Tickets are $100 tickets each. For reservations, or to donate tables, chairs, auction items or a tent, contact Anne Weber at (360) 394-7754 or farmhouseorganic@aol.com. See www.farmhouseorganics.com and www.makeawish.org.