By: Kristina Kuhaupt, Customer Experience Manager
It is hard to believe that last month was the conclusion of the Co-op’s 50th anniversary celebration. A full year of honoring the past, present, and future of the Co-op has taken place. To wrap it all up, we want to throw another party! Our first Farm-to-Table Dinner was so popular we had a long waitlist. If you were interested then but could not get a spot, I encourage you to sign up right away, as there are only 50 seats available! Last year we sold out within the first week.
The Co-op’s growth through the decades is genuinely amazing, and what better way to tie all these experiences together than by bringing the community together to eat a meal where all are welcome at the table to honor our local farmers and producers?
You have shared food experiences and meals together throughout the years by opening up your own homes to gather, as well as through our Co-op cooking classes. That is one of many things that make the Co-op special: this concept of community and gathering together to share a meal. As we end our 50th year, we want to honor this tradition in our Aubergine community space, where you can gather together to enjoy some nostalgia, good company, and nourishing food highlighting local vendors. It will be a one-night experience where we will celebrate five decades of being in community with each other. If this piques your interest, please keep reading.
Join us for a four-course harvest dinner featuring fresh ingredients from some of our local farmers and producers. Included on the menu will be cheeses from Hidden Springs Creamery of Westby, pasture-raised pork from Fox Heritage Farms, produce from Lovefood in Stoughton, apples from Ela Orchard, and many more local products. There are only 50 seats available, and tickets are $50 for Owners, $60 for non-Owners. See the menu to the right (courses and ingredients are subject to change based on seasonal availability). Please note the cancellation and waitlist policy on our registration form, which will be strictly followed.
Please remember to indicate your preference, either vegetarian or meat option, for the Entrée course on the registration form.
Chef Mike Tomaloff, our staff Co-op class instructor, is excited to celebrate with you for this historic night as he honors the food that brings us all together. “More than a year ago now, I proposed that the Co-op host a 50th Anniversary Farm-to-Table Dinner that would celebrate the relationship our producers and purveyors have not only with the Co-op, but with the Co-op’s Owners and shoppers. Now, I knew it would be a large and new undertaking that would put not only those of us who staffed the event to the test, but also the brand new Aubergine event space and kitchen itself, which is why I figured it would be welcomed as an idea, but ultimately wouldn’t happen. Imagine my surprise when the decision was made to go through with the project and host a multi-course menu for 50 in late October, just a few months from then. ‘Uh-oh, I came up with this, now I actually have to pull it off,’ was all that I could think for a while! Fortunately, that event was a big success, so much so, in fact, that we are hosting another this October.
Events like these are important to me on several fronts. For one, the opportunity to prepare a big meal for a large group of people using the exceptional local produce, meats, cheeses, and more from our Co-op is such a satisfying thing for a chef. Bringing some fellow cooperators along for the ride to help prep and serve is a treat in itself as well. On a less self-satisfying level, it is a unique and all too rare opportunity for the farmers and folks who put those exceptional products on our shelves to ‘close the circle’ and share their stories with Co-op Owners. Keep in mind it’s harvest season, so some of our farmer friends may not be able to join us. Of course, all of the folks who attend will be treated to a gourmet-level feast of local delights for a reasonable cost. Finally, the Co-op Farm-to-Table Dinner is a great place for Co-op Owners, purveyors and producers (fingers crossed!), and Willy Street Co-op co-workers to mingle, enjoy a fine meal, and celebrate another year of cooperation and community in Madison.”
Farm-to-Table Dinner Menu
October 24, 2025 • 6:00-8:00pm • Aubergine • 1226 Williamson St., Madison
Amuse Bouche
- Gougères with whipped compound butters (v) Featuring Hidden Springs WisChego, Westby, WI
- Duche de Longueville NA sparkling cider, Normandy, France, Imported by L’Eft Bank Wine Co, McFarland, WI
First Course
- Squash Risotto Arancini with arrabbiata sauce, shaved Parmesan (v), Featuring Bad Axe from Hidden Springs Creamery , Westby, WI
Second Course
- Truffled Celeriac Soup with herbs, and “eggplant caviar” rusk (v), Featuring fresh herbs from Lovefood Farms, Stoughton, WI
Entrée (pick one)
- Herb Roasted Pork Loin, with onions and fennel, buttery smashed potatoes, and red cabbage apple relish, Featuring pasture-raised pork from Fox Heritage Farm, Prairie du Sac, WI
-or- - Pan-Grilled Halloumi (v), with onions and fennel, buttery smashed potatoes, and red cabbage apple relish
Dessert
- “Punch and Pie”: Aubergine Autumn Punch, little cherry and apple hand pies, spiced whipped cream (v), Featuring apples from Ela Orchards, Rochester, WI
