Baltimore is America’s ‘Charm City’
Baltimore—it’s the birthplace of Old Bay seasoning and Babe Ruth, a go-to destination for steamed crabs and a beer, and if you take a stroll down a street lined with colorful row houses, you’ll come to understand why Baltimore is America’s ‘Charm City’.
It’s not just the beauty and grit of Baltimore that drew Bowery to this market for the opening of our third and biggest farm yet, which will start serving retail partners come January 2020. A staggering 3.5 times larger than our second farm in New Jersey, our latest facility can serve 26 million people in adjacent markets, including D.C. and Philadelphia. And, fun fact, the exact location of our farm, White Marsh, used to be home to a farm many years ago. We’re excited to restore agricultural roots to the area with the local workforce.
To celebrate Bowery’s arrival in the mid-Atlantic, we partnered with local Chef Amy Brandwein of Centrolina in D.C. and Chef Carla Hall, part-time D.C. resident, to curate a menu highlighting the always-in-season advantage of indoor grown produce. The meal, which featured all bespoke crops grown by our team of agricultural scientists for the event, provided a teaser innovation ahead at Bowery while introducing our brand to a new market.
A Menu Dedicated Seasonal Flavors
Of course, none of Bowery’s ingredients could shine without the creativity of Chef Carla and Chef Amy, whose combined artistry in the kitchen blew us away. They kicked off the evening with a first course inspired by Winter flavors. Light and earthy, their Southern Chopped Salad featured Bowery Hakurei Turnips that were crisp, sweet, and fruity.
This profile, coupled with Bowery greens and a buttermilk dressing, had a sweet finish to cut through the bitterness of mustard greens.
Moving into Spring: Our crunchy and slightly sweet Bowery Bright Lights Swiss Chard not only packed a punch full of Vitamins K, A, and C, but also perfectly balanced the peppery bite of Carla and Amy’s delicious semolina dumplings. Great sautéed or roasted, chard pairs perfectly with plates that bring the heat; it’s a great way to add nuance and complexity to your favorite dish.
Our main course for Summer, an incredible Crispy Fried Pork Chop with Bowery Shiso, brought a wealth of intricate flavor to the table. Shiso is late Summer crop that bridges the seasons with marine flavors yet aromatic notes of cinnamon and clove. Rich in calcium and iron, Shiso is a secret weapon when it comes to raising dishes to the next level.
Wrapping up the evening, we ended with our current season, Fall. A Sweet Potato and Apple Crostata with Clementine Sorbetto and Bowery Cinnamon Basil Cream, this dish was an unbelievable explosion of autumn that had us dying for more. Our Bowery Cinnamon Basil is the perfect way to welcome some warmth to your plate as the weather cools down.
An evening journey through the seasons was an extraordinary reminder that at Bowery we’ve innovated our farms to grow without them. We couldn’t be more excited to begin delivering consistent, flavorful produce this coming January in the mid-Atlantic!
A special thanks to our two incredible chefs, the press, and everyone who joined us for a night of flavors to remember.