Food, gardening on tap at Historic Columbia symposium

Ever wonder what would happen if a chef and a historian got together to plan an evening? You can find out on Friday at Historic Columbia’s Garden Symposium at Robert Mills House.

The evening kicks off at 6 p.m. with a keynote address by food historian David Shields who, in addition to his scholarly work in food studies, is responsible for the repatriation of a dozen classic ingredients to the region’s fields and gardens, most recently the Carolina African Runner Peanut and Purple Ribbon Sugar Cane. Shields’ presentation will explore the foods and food traditions of our past and what is being done today to revive them.

A garden reception will follow the presentation. The reception will feature a menu created by executive chef Wes Fulmer of Motor Supply Co. Bistro, who collaborated with Shields to offer items prepared with ingredients and cooking techniques discussed in the keynote address. Highlights include local duck liver mousse with Midlands loquat jam and bacon-wrapped Santee River shad roe with Anson Mills white grits, house bourbon soaked whole grain mustard.

“I’ve been really trying to identify elements that make up authentic Midlands cuisine, which go beyond barbecue and pimento cheese,” Fulmer said. “Now that I have had a chance to work with David Shields on this menu, his scholarly pursuits have opened my eyes to a rich regional culinary history that I am excited to explore.”

Tickets to the event are $45; for more information, including a schedule of the full weekend’s events, which include gardening workshops and tours, visit www.historiccolumbia.org

Katie McElveen, Special to The State

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Food, gardening on tap at Historic Columbia symposium."