Chef Tahirah is known across the island for her daring tastes and creativity deriving from her personal communication with fresh food. Master chef for over 30 years, she draws from her knowledge of fine Southern, nouvelle-vegetarian cuisine executed in a Caribbean style true to island food culture. You can try her pastries, muffins and famous loveburger daily at Polly’s at the Pier in Frederiksted. As a grandmother, she has been a guide through the rites of passage of life to many, including Frederiksted, the people involved with VISFI, and our plants and animals whom we learn to nurture daily. For this special evening our guest chef will be offering six courses of the fineston-farm organic foods available to St. Croix from Ridge to Reef Farm atVISFI in the rain forest. House Chef Angletta Pascal, our day-to-day farm food mother who first found us through her daughters’ participation in our annual youth summer camp, will also lend her motherly ear to navigate the fields of fresh food for a night of farm-fusion gastronomy to see who is ready for the celebration.

Take home one of our special Mother’s Day bouquets in the dinner flower sale where you can choose from one of our farm-made table bouquets or select by-the-stem for a build-you-own bouquet, including some of the most breathtaking flowers cut the same day found in the islands. If you can’t make the dinner, you can also find a selection of flowers earlier in the day at Polly’s at the Pier’s flower sale.

Reach the farm on the newly paved roads through the rainforest on Saturday, May 7, for our fourth in a well-reviewed series of Guest Chef Slow Down Dinners. Now that the fields of the newly established Ridge to Reef Farm (site of Creque Dam Farm) are bursting with food, we are ready to share and savor the harvest. Each element is infused through six courses with the farm’s certified organic crops and grass fed livestock. In between each dish plating, enjoy brief presentations and stories from the farmers and chefs. Dress is island casual. Arrivals are welcome starting at 5:30 p.m., and dinner seating is sixish (until?). Seats are limited and are first-come-first serve, reservations and confirmations required. Make reservations instantly at http://vi.locallygrown.net/market/index/31665, reply to this e-mail, or leave a clear voice message with your party name, number and contact information at 220-0466, on which we reply with confirmation. Please remember we have limited seats and any cancellations should be made at least 48 priors prior so we can contact the waiting list.

Show your support for our food production and farming education by making a love offering for the evening of a suggested $50 to $100 per person. Donations go toward organic farm operations and seasonal expenses so we can increase our capacity to provide more organic food and educational programs to St. Croix. We also will welcome any separate contributions for our partner community organization Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism (CHANT) who supports our local youth summer camp with scholarships. Please consider as well gratuity for your farmer/servers and kitchen staff. We thank you in advance for your generous contributions and hope that you enjoy your farm dining experience to its fullest.

Directions to Ridge to Reef Farm (same location as Creque Dam Farm/VISFI) From east, take Mahogany road (freshly paved) into the rainforest past Norma’s Domino club and take the second right turn onto 58 (look for Creque Dam Farm sign). Follow until reaching top of hill where scenic west connects and look for the farm sign and metal gate at that intersection. Follow into farm property and descend into Caledonia valley in 1/2 mile and park at bottom of hill near the solar-powered community center. We recommend driving slowly over speed bumps and taking a higher clearance vehicle if possible, and carpooling as parking is limited with all our new gardens.

From west, take Creque Dam (Annaly) Road 58 past Creque Dam and Mt. Victory Campground to the top of the road where it connects with scenic west (approximately 2.7 miles from Sprat Hall). Turn sharp left at farm gate and follow directions above from the gate.

Finally, check out the mention of Ridge to Reef Farm in the March 2011 issue of Food & Wine Magazine. http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/trendspotting-healthy-splurges. Produce and dinner reservations are at www.vi.locallygrown.net. Visit the Institute at www.visfi.org.