Dinner at Rumbleway Farm by Shirl Casey

Do you have memories from the days of yore when entire families sat at a big table for a happy feast of delicious homemade foods? Or maybe your memories are more specifi c, like staying at a relative’s farm where all of the food was fresh off the farm and so delicious that you can still taste it in your mind. Maybe you remember old TV shows like The Waltons, where dinner was the most important event of the day, homemade foods served with plenty of family conversation. If you’d like to relive these fond memories of food so delicious, natural and healthy or if you’d simply like to enjoy a completely new dining experience, let me suggest a place that will not disappoint you – dinner at Rumbleway Farm!

Rumbleway Farm is a small family farm owned and operated by Mark and Robin Way and their three children Samantha (12), Melissa (10), and Matthew (6). Their farm is located in a quiet corner of Cecil County known as Conowingo.

Mark and Robin have owned the 62-acre farm since 1992 and have been working to restore the house, barn and other buildings that date back to the 1800s. In 1999 the farm received its organic certifi cation from the USDA and the State of Maryland. The family is proud to make available to the public hormone-, antibiotic- and pesticide-free chickens, turkeys, cows, ducks, rabbits and goats.

From December through April the farm hosts “Dinner at the Farm” on Saturday evenings at 6:00. This is family-style dining at its very best! The Ways can accommodate up to 30 guests for their dinners. On the evening of our visit there were 18 guests. They can also host special events, such as luncheons or private dinners. “We started ‘Dinner at the Farm’ to bring people out to the farm during winter. We wanted a family-style dinner that focused on the products that we raise,” Robin said.

My husband, Bill, and I got to Rumbleway before serving time and were able to browse through the farm store. The store sells chicken, beef and pork raised on the premises. Also available are ice cream from Kilby Cream, canned jellies and an assortment of products from local crafters and artists that ranges from framed paintings to knitted hats.

Soon it was time for dinner and we couldn’t wait. The wonderful smells coming from the kitchen made our mouths water. The tables were set elegantly with linens and charger plates. A large basket of bread, as well as small dishes of herbed olive oil for dipping, sat on the table. Robin makes all the fresh bread herself. As a matter of fact, she does most of the cooking for these dinners and will readily share her wonderful recipes. The work crew for the evening consisted of Robin, Mark, Melissa, Matthew, and friend Becky Kilby. Becky may have the best-paid job in the county. Her earnings are leftovers! “I enlist anyone and everyone to help,” Robin exclaimed. Mark and Matthew were the dishwashers for the evening.

Each month the menu changes and Robin puts a lot of thought into these menus. “I want all of the items on the menu to go well together. Not really a theme dinner, but a well-planned one,” she said. What a treat to enjoy a meal where most of the items on the menu are raised right there. Our meal started with a large Antipasti appetizer with roasted red peppers, prosciutto, and fresh mozzarella balls. We were then served a piping hot bowl of Italian Wedding soup. The soup consists of a savory broth, cheese, romaine, and mini meatballs. It is topped off with a small slice of toasted homemade bread.

After Mark and Becky cleared away the empty soup bowls, the true feast began. Huge platters of roasted beef and chicken were passed around, followed by heaping bowls of wild rice, steamed broccoli, and potatoes au gratin. The chicken was juicy and the beef tender. The potatoes were creamy and had bits of cabbage throughout. Amazing fl avors. Melissa went around fi lling tea and water glasses and was an absolute delight.

The atmosphere was casual and relaxed, with plenty of conversation. It’s not often that you get the opportunity to chat with fellow diners when eating out. Interesting people from just around the corner to Chesapeake City and Harford County were there. Ronnie and Roger from Chesapeake City said they learned of “Dinner at the Farm” from Maggie Creshkoff’s column in the Cecil Soil Magazine! Many conversations were of childhood memories, travel, local events and area arts. Ronnie said, “I can’t believe how much there is to do in our area on any given weekend, and so much of it is free. If you get bored, it’s your own fault!”

We ended the night with scrumptious desserts. Bananas Foster and Cracked Chocolate Earth Cake were placed on the dessert table. Robin carried a large bowl fi lled to the brim with fresh whipped cream from the kitchen, saying, “This was just made.” One of the dinner guests had a gluten allergy and Robin learned of this when the reservations were set. To accommodate this allergy the Cracked Earth Cake was made fl our free. I could not believe how moist and light the cake was. No one went home hungry, that’s for sure! —CSM