A preview of The Singhampton Project, Michael Stadtländer’s upcoming visual and edible feast at Eigensinn Farm

By Renée Suen | April 24, 2012

By Renée Suen | 04/24/2012

Landscape chef Michael Stadtländer with landscape artist Jean Paul Ganem at The Circle installation (Image: Renée Suen)

While the city doesn’t want for food-meets-art parties, an upcoming collaborative effort at Eigensinn Farm scheduled for later this summer looks like it will eclipse them all: renowned French landscape artist Jean Paul Ganem and pioneering back-to-the-land chef Michael Stadtländer will be working together to stimulate both mind and palate with The Singhampton Project. Presented by Earth Day Canada and running from August 10-26, the endeavor will involve a seven-course tasting menu that roams over seven garden installations set up in the fields and forests of Stadtländer’s 100-acre farm. Each garden will be equipped with its own kitchen and dining area—the latter often part of the living installation—and will be paired with a complementary dish, using vegetables grown as part of a garden sculpture. Two gardeners and 17 apprentice chefs will be involved. Last week, we took a tour of the project-in-development up on Eigensinn Farm. Check it out in our slideshow »

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The artists: landscape chef Michael Stadtländer with landscape artist Jean Paul Ganem at The Circle installation.

Crêpe with apples and maple syrup ice cream

Chefs making the final maple-themed dessert

Sautéed pork kidney on Jerusalem artichokes

Whitefish wrapped in Eigensinn speck on lentils

Schmaltz with chives on bread; headcheese salad with radish on bread.

Herman Stadtländer shucks oysters for the guests

Trout wrapped in trout lily from the forest floor

Two chefs from Germany are part of the kitchen brigade that prepared the lunch. Courses were served in hollowed-out oyster shells

A feast prepared for The Singhampton Project launch which made use of one Eigensinn-raised pig. Guests will likely see a similar temporary kitchen set up for the project

The Maple Syrup Garden: A garden set in the maple forest highlighting maple syrup. Ganem tells us that mirrors will be hung from the branches which will be full of leaves. The installation is meant to simulate a “fairy tale”-like ambiance

The Salad Bar: An infinity symbol where participants will sit around and dine on micro-greens grown within the installation. Fruit from raspberry bushes nearby will be incorporated in a vinaigrette used to dress the salad. Cheese grillers made with local cheeses will also be served here

The Farmer: A tribute to the farmer that incorporates elements from Stadtländer’s 2005 Heaven and Earth Project. Heirloom vegetables will be planted in the installation to symbolize farm culture

The Circle: Circles of land will be seeded with an organic mix of grains surrounding a large circular table in the field’s centre. The premise of this installation is that the circles of plants will feed a flock of sheep and cows left to pasture (essentially their “table”), while guests will dine on lamb or beef that will be cooked on an open spit. The slightly macabre dish will be served on plates made by Steve the Potter. The installation is meant to represent the fact that if good food is fed to the animals, then the meat from the animals will be equally good for the diners

The Chef’s Garden, also known as the Makbouba field, named after a traditional Tunisian dish in honour of the Tunisian-born Ganem. Unlike the other six installations, this will be a garden created by Chef Stadtländer for Ganem, and Ganem will cook. A circle of trees has been planted around this garden that will serve as a legacy for the project. Stadtländer will plant peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic in this space (all ingredients in a Makbouba spread)

The Tipi Field: Ganem will grow species like corn, beans and squash that will emerge in rows from a giant tipi installed in the heart of this garden installation. Smaller tipis will be erected to serve as climbing structures

The Baroque French Fish Plate: Although it’s still early in the season, an outline of the giant fish plate installation can be seen in the grass and dirt. Ganem explains that surrounding the “plate” will be a garden that includes beets, fennel, black opal basil, Jerusalem artichokes and other vegetables. At the centre of the plate will be a giant wooden fish table that guests will sit around to dine on a dish incorporating the garden’s produce and Georgian Bay fish. The idea is that the diners will be sitting on the dish while they dine on the dish

Guests are encouraged to toss leftover oyster shells onto the Oyster Temple’s roof

Oyster “Temple of Love”: Stadtländer shucking oysters with Oyster Boy’s Adam Colquhoun at this installation, where guests will congregate before the dining experience

Back view of Stadtländer’s barn as guests walk the pathway towards the open farm space

The wine bottle–lined path that guests will follow as they walk through Stadtländer’s 100-acres of land

Stadtländer’s sheep will apparently be part of The Circle garden installation

A bit of the property surrounding the Stadtländers’ home

The rock garden and barn next to Stadtländers’ house

This building at Eigensinn Farm is not only the home of the Stadtländers and the restaurant’s stagiaires, but also the dining room for guests of the restaurant. However, this isn’t where guests of The Singhampton Project will be dining

$275. Eigensinn Farm, 519-922-3128, [email protected], earthday.ca/singhamptonproject

One thought on “A preview of The Singhampton Project, Michael Stadtländer’s upcoming visual and edible feast at Eigensinn Farm”

payan says:

May 1, 2012 at 10:22 am

Very excited to see the results of creative imaginings gone pastoral here in the country. Have to ask,what wines will be there?

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A preview of The Singhampton Project, Michael Stadtländer’s upcoming visual and edible feast at Eigensinn Farm

One thought on “A preview of The Singhampton Project, Michael Stadtländer’s upcoming visual and edible feast at Eigensinn Farm”

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