Travel down a windy gravel road in the Eureka countryside, and you’ll find Claverach Farm, the perfect melding of working farm and elegant, rustic restaurant. Diners stroll up to the century-old barn refurbished to house a cocktail bar, long rows of family-style tables and a pizza oven. A bonfire crackles in the front drive and live music provides a festive backdrop for the evening’s happy hour, when diners can nibble on seasonal appetizers and tour the property before a four-course meal showcasing the farm’s vibrant produce.
The 300-acre farm in the Ozark Hills has been in co-owner Sam Hilmer’s family for generations, since the late 1800s, says Joanna Duley, who has run the operation alongside him since 2004. Now, Hilmer manages the farm while Duley manages the greenhouse microgreens operation, as well as logistics for the dinners, including reservations. Together, they plan menus and work the kitchen. About 10 acres are used for vegetables and 3 acres are planted with grapes for the farm’s small winemaking operation, she says.
Neither Duley nor Hilmer is a professionally trained chef, but both cultivated their skills out of a passion for the craft. Duley discovered a love for cooking and gardening not long after graduating from Washington University with a fine arts degree in 1990. She worked in a professional photo lab for a short time, but didn’t enjoy it, so she got a job at a neighborhood bakery, where she learned her way around the kitchen. “It completely changed my path,” she says. Before coming to Claverach Farm, she worked in professional kitchens for more than a decade. And Hilmer has been passionate about cooking since he started growing vegetables nearly two decades ago after he graduated from Webster University with an anthropology degree. “He worked a little bit in restaurants when he was in high school, but he’s mostly self-taught,” Duley says.
Duley and Hilmer envisioned incorporating a restaurant into Claverach Farm ever since they started working together. They rehabbed the old barn about five years ago, then tested the concept with guest chefs from local restaurants. The food is now prepared entirely in-house, Duley says. Menus, carefully constructed to show off the season’s best, are created the week of each dinner. “The farm gives us the opportunity to grow whatever we’re interested in working with and gives us access to a wide variety of high-quality produce,” Duley notes. Meat, although not produced on the farm, is sourced from nearby.
Currently, dinners are offered on most Friday and Saturday nights; most sell out, and reservations are required. The farm’s greenhouse yields fresh produce long past the summer, and hardy autumn squashes are stored for winter dinners. “Every season has something interesting to offer,” Duley says, noting that many diners are surprised at the bounty available in the winter months.
Growing Claverach Farm into a local dining destination has been a labor of love. “I love making beautiful food from the produce we grow, and feeding people and giving them a unique and enjoyable experience is really satisfying,” Duley says.
pumpkin and candied ginger clafouti
1 baking pumpkin or butternut squash (4-5 pounds)
5 large eggs
3/4 c. plus 2 T. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 t. vanilla extract
1-inch vanilla bean, split lengthwise, pulp scraped
pinch of salt
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/3 c. candied ginger chopped
» Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut squash in half and scrape out seeds. Bake cut side up for 90 minutes. » When cooled, scrape flesh into a food processor and puree. Measure out 2/3 c.
» Place eggs, 3/4 c. sugar, milk, cream, vanilla extract, vanilla pulp and salt in a food processor. Pulse until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add pumpkin puree and blend well. Add flour and pulse until well combined. Rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
» Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush a 9-inch pie plate with butter and sprinkle with 2 T. sugar and candied ginger. Pour batter on top. Bake 15 minutes. Lower heat to 375 F and bake until center is just set, about 12 minutes.
» Serve with whipped cream or whipped crème fraiche.
Photos: Bill Barrett
