Dinner to raise funds for Lemont landmark

For the 12th year, community members are invited to dine at the Thompson Granary to raise money for rehabilitation of the historic Lemont landmark.

Built in 1885 by Moses Thompson, the Thompson Granary helped distribute locally-grown agricultural products by way of the railroad. The John I. Thompson grain elevator was used to store grain that was sold to local residents or shipped by railroad cars to surrounding areas, while the railroad building was used as a place for trains to deposit coal.

Proceeds from the Sept. 12 Gourmet Granary Candlelight Dinner benefit the Lemont Village Association’s ongoing work, including the building of handicapped accessible restrooms in the Granary.

Sue Smith, chairwoman of the Lemont Village Association, has organized the event since the beginning.

“I never did the cooking, however, except for the bread,” she said. “My husband Ron and I take care of transporting the dishes, glassware and tablecloths, and getting it all washed and returned.”

The dinner’s six courses will be catered by Millheim-based EcoVents with chefs Erin Condo and Joshua McCracken. This year’s dinner theme is “local delicacies.”

“Whenever we cater, we do our best to buy food from local farmers, of which there are plenty,” Condo said. “When we catered last year’s Granary Dinner, a few folks there recommended it. Of course we were happy to oblige, as harvest season is the perfect time of the year to come up with a locavore menu.”

The main course for the dinner will be smoked brisket with maple bourbon BBQ sauce for the carnivores and homemade ravioli stuffed with pesto and served with a cream sauce with tomatoes for the vegetarians. The chefs will be using local sources for beef, maple syrup, bourbon, cheese and tomatoes.

“We also have a number of vegetable side dishes including Parmesan-garlic roasted corn on the cob, potatoes with dill butter, harvest wild rice with butternut squash and kale, and pickles and onions to go with the brisket,” Condo said. “For dessert, Josh will be making the best apple pie and we’re serving it with Spring Bank Acres ice cream and a caramel sauce.”

Catering is always a lot of fun for both Condo and McCracken, but it can sometimes be a challenge as well. There is no running water at the Thompson Granary, so they have to create a kitchen on-site for serving the food.

“One of the great things about catering this particular event is that there are so many volunteers to help serve the food,” she said. “Also, the folks that come out to the dinner are always very appreciative and up for a lot of fun.”

The Granary has room for 56 diners — seven tables for eight people, with many or sometimes all of them filled. Some couples come every year, others have come many times and people are also encouraged to organize groups of eight for their friends.

“We’re always glad to have new people come,” Smith said. “It gives us a chance to show off the buildings in a nice atmosphere.”

New for this year’s dinner will be a silent auction, featuring an Amish quilt donated by Mary D. Watson.

Reservations for the dinner are due Sept. 5 and can be made on the website or by calling Smith at 238-1288.

This story was originally published September 4, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Dinner to raise funds for Lemont landmark."