Heather Anne Leavitt and Roberto (Beto) Dominguez: a perfect combination of talent & taste

We love having new chefs at FM @Selma.  Heather Leavitt, an amazing cook and fabulous cake baker joined forces with Beto Dominguez, a cook at eve: the restaurant, to offer us a couple of savory, spicy, delicious specials, followed by a sample of the best tres leches cake with almond brittle that I have ever enjoyed. 

Heather and Beto made pork tamales that were melt in your mouth lucious, and, as if that weren’t enough, the other option was two fried eggs served on a house made corn tortilla with a side of greens and salsa. 

The tres leches treat was a little something that Heather whipped up last minute because….well just because Heather is a wonderful, generous person who loves to please people with cake! 

Thursday night was busy, but calm thanks to the prep volunteers including Kevin Hawkins, (welcome back!) Elizabeth Edwards, Marc Berman, Garin Fons, Olivia May, Brian Steinberg (upcoming FM @Selma chef this week!) and Nevon Clark.  This was a particularly prep intensive evening, and this group of folks really came through. Thank you!

We had big numbers again on Friday–close to 100 guests, so the Friday volunteer servers and support crew really worked hard.  First, special thanks to Marc Berman, who stepped up as tortilla fryer, bacon cooker, butter melter, dish washer and any number of other tasks he was asked to take on.  Marc did it with a smile and a great attitude.  Shaelyn Smith, Elizabeth Edwards, Ines and Eric Storhok, Joanna Campbell, Carolyn Christopher, Laura Kowal and Nevon Clark rounded out the morning in their usual style– working together,  laughing it up, being everywhere at once and staying cool under pressure.  What a crew!! Huge thanks to one and all.

There is always room for more volunteer help.  If you haven’t helped out to make FM @Selma happen, please consider it!  It’s fun, the food and company are great, and you get the oppportunity to support the local food and farm community in a direct, measureable way.

Whether you are a volunteer, or a guest, I hope to see you around the kitchen soon.  ~Lisa

Linda Diane Feldt answers our call!

***Susie came through once again with a list of volunteers who helped Selma happen on Thursday evening prep:

Jeff Tenza
Dawn Tilbury
Janet Shane
Erin Shumacher and her mom
Rob Foley
Christine (JD’s mom)
JD Rubin
Emily Stearns
Nevon Clark
Shaelyn Smith

AND Friday morning:

Becca Brooke
Rachel Chadderdon
Sarah Burns
Judy Stone
Shaelyn Smith
Laura Kowal
Nevon Clark

Thanks everyone!!

Big thanks to Linda Diane for leading the way in our search for new Selma chefs.  With help from her friend Gary Hochgraf and a cast of thousands (really more like 15 of us food prep volunteers), Linda Diane made the vegetarians happy, and the rest of us too.

Did you notice my “cast of thousands” comment?  I spent some time this afternoon looking in all the likely places for my list of volunteers from both Thursday night and Friday morning, and it’s no where to be found.  So I tried to avoid having to confront my error by side stepping it with the cast comment, but the thing is, I’m really  sorry I can’t individually thank everyone, since it was an extra big, extra fun group!  My memory is bad enough where I might just miss someone if I try to recreate the scene in my head of all of us gathered around the dining room table Thursday evening, noshing and imbibing and laughing and talking…sounds like fun doesn’t it??  It is! Come join us some Thursday soon and see for yourself.

Anyway, where was I?  Right, since my memory can’t be trusted, please let me know who I am forgetting, and I’ll update the post when someone, namely Susie tells me who was here.  Hey, Friday was great too, with lots of servers and helpers for an easy and relaxed time, rain and all–but my memory isn’t any better about that either!  Susie, you out there?

Back to Linda Diane!! She came up with two very different specials–both warm and comforting and toothsome, which is just what people needed on one of the first really cold and rainy Fridays we have experienced this fall.  The first special was a potato and corn polenta,  layered with kale, red beans and a cumin flavored cheddar cheese, served hot with a tasty tomato salsa on top.  The second special was  slow cooked oats with raisins and almonds, served with honey, yogurt and wild apple sauce.  Wow! I started the morning with the oats, and took the polenta with me to work so I could have it later for lunch.  What a treat! Both specials were equally delicious in their own ways.

We also offered blueberry and raspberry bread puddings served with bacon, whole grain waffles served with bacon and fruit, and Tantre’ Farm house made raw milk yogurt served with fruit and house made granola as our weekly stand-bys.

Come by on a Friday soon, and we’re sure you will find something delicious that you will love! Stay cozy ’til then! ~Lisa