Dinner to benefit Greenhouse project Monday in Carson City

Lucky attendants at the fifth annual Celebrity Chef & Harvest Dinner on Monday will enjoy six courses created by chefs Charlie Abowd and Mark Estee.

The event, hosted the first time as a fundrasier for The Greenhouse Project and a tribute dinner to Paul Abowd, restaurateur and Charlie’s father, has grown into a benefit for The Greenhouse Project, on-site at Carson High School.

The reception begins with hors d’oeuvres at 5 p.m., followed by dinner.

“This is a great honor to do this for The Greenhouse Project and with our partner Mark,” said Charlie Abowd, co-owner of Cafe at Adele’s where the dinner takes place. “In addition to being a wonderful chef, Mark has been one of The Greenhouse’s greatest supporters and it is especially exciting to be able to work with him.

Estee, who owns Campo Reno and Heritage restaurants, is expanding as he prepares to open Reno Provisions, which will include a cafe, retail, market and cooking demo space as well as a butcher shop, baker and production area .

“Mark is non-stop and Provisions will be a great experience for everyone,” Abowd said, adding Estee donated a third of his winnings from his appearance on the TV show “Guy’s Groceries” to The Greenhouse Project, as well as to Urban Roots, which is partnered with the Project, and to Northern Nevada Food Bank.

The mission of The Greenhouse Project is to educate children elementary through high school, including those with special needs, about the how, why and where of their food. It connects them with an opportunity to be involved with growing beginning with planting, through to harvest and in the case of Carson High School’s culinary arts program, preparing the food.

Since its formal inception in October 2010, the agriculture program at CHS, which had been defunct many years is now thriving, as is the Capital Chapter FFA. Produce is shared with outreach programs that serve those in need in the community.

“I am passionate about such a cool project, and I just try to help where I can,” Estee said. “Charlie and Karen are heroes to the whole restaurant industry, so it has been my honor to cook with him and at Adele’s and I see farm-to-table becoming second nature to many, but what I want to focus on is the younger generation. The kids and The Greenhouse Project really allows us to do this.”

The menu, as in years past, showcases a variety of culinary delights sourced by local growers and produced through the collaborative efforts of Campo and Cafe at Adele’s talented staff.

Sponsors for this year include: Abowd and Rose Financial Group, Angela Bullentini, Barbara and Paul D’Anneo, Draper Strategies, Nature’s Bakery and Carson City Toyota.

Local growers include: Nancy’s Green Barn Farm, Glorious Garlic Farm, Hadji Paul Farm, Sandhill Farms, and Alpine Ranch. Churchill Frey Ranch Distillery in Fallon is underwriting the wines for the evening and its vodka and brandy are featured ingredients in two of the dishes. Capital City FFA pork and pork belly are also featured.

In addition to dishes such as New Bedford scallop ceviche spoon with kale chip and grass-fed filet mignon chop (bone-in) topped with a pork butter-infused hollandaise and pork belly, created by Cafe at Adele’s, and truffle custard with shaved botargo and pumpkin gnochi in sage brown butter with ricotta salata, created by Campo, there will also be collaborative dishes, including black bottom pumpkin panna cotta with a chocolate-dipped cookie for dessert. Each course is paired with appropriate wines.

“This menu is a wonderful representation of regional foods presented in the finest way and for a wonderful cause,” Abowd said. “The benefits are many in that the work we do in preparation of this evening and through the generosity of those who attend, more children will be able to continue a hands-on experience and have ownership in how things grow and why it is important to their personal diet decisions and to their futures.”

Tickets for the Celebrity Chef & Harvest Dinner cost $200 each and are available at Cafe at Adele’s, 1112 N. Carson St. Tickets go fast, so early purchase is recommended. For more information, call 775-882-3353.