The Montgomery County Free Clinic is proud to announce the 9th annual Dining with the Chefs presented by sponsors McGowan Insurance Group and Auto-Owners Insurance. The event will take place Aug. 12 at Wabash College.
Reserve seats now for $85 per person or $640 for a table of eight. Registration closes Augu. 4 — fewer than 100 seats remain. Don’t miss out on this exclusive opportunity for an intimate peek into the cooking skills of five local culinary artists. Get your tickets at bit.ly/DWTC23 before the event sells out.
Two of this year’s chefs include Lali Hess, executive chef at The Juniper Spoon and Martin Gorham, catering manager at Bon Appétit at Wabash College.
Hess is proprietor and executive chef of The Juniper Spoon, a full-service catering company serving Central Indiana. Her company reflects a commitment to support local farmers and producers. She grew up in Goshen, Indiana and Costa Rica and attended Goshen College. She worked as an organic farmer prior to establishing The Juniper Spoon in 2004. She lives on five acres outside of Darlington, where her beautiful commercial kitchen sits just feet away from the gardens.
Hess’ menu for the event includes lamb koftas with tzatziki from the Middle East; chicken laab in lettuce cups from Laos, and a Mexican street corn appetizer.
Gorham, catering manager at Bon Appétit, learned at a young age to entertain himself. That included learning to cook and play a variety of musical instruments. He played all across the country, using cooking as a means for sustenance. Martin eventually settled in Zionsville with a chef who saw potential in him. For the better part of a decade Gorham honed his craft, specializing in Southern cuisine. Looking for a challenge, he joined Bon Appetit at Wabash College in the fall of 2018.
Gorham will be featuring kolak pisang, an Indonesian dish similar to bananas foster.
Joining Hess and Gorham as chefs are Jason Anderson, executive from Bon Appétit at Wabash College; Rick Warner, chef turned history professor; and new this year, Raylee Carpenter, owner and chocolatier of Miss Sugar Ray. Carpenter will feature her chocolate ganache truffle.
Guests will be dazzled with delicious small plate dishes from around the world along with specially paired wines. They can get up close and personal with chefs around the venue as they create their dishes throughout the evening.
The Dining with the Chefs program will recognize honored guests and award three inaugural MCFC volunteer awards. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in a special silent auction. Funds from the evening support the Clinic’s work to serve un- and under-insured residents of Montgomery County. The event is the Montgomery County Free Clinic’s biggest fundraiser each year.
Montgomery County Free Clinic, Inc. offers high-quality medical and dental care and health promotion and disease prevention services to residents of Montgomery County who lack insurance and would otherwise go without basic health care.
The Montgomery County Free Clinic Inc. is raising money to support the Meals on Wheels program and the high-quality medical and dental care provided at the Dr. Mary Ludwig Free Clinic at 816 Mill St.
The Clinic recently earned a 2023 Gold Rating from the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Quality Standards Program. The highest quality of care standard award by the association, the Gold Rating reflects the clinic’s commitment towards building a healthy community for all through quality, equitable and accessible healthcare.
