Gourmet meal benefits scholarship fund

The Foundation at Flathead Valley Community College is expanding its scholarship program.  

This past year, the foundation raised a record $100,000 for scholarships through community support at Festival of Flavors and Bibler Home and Garden tours, allowing the foundation to give out 60 more scholarships in the coming year. 

The foundation awarded $504,000 in scholarships to 342 students through endowed scholarship funds, community-sponsored scholarships and direct foundation scholarships.   

“We are very grateful for all of the support our community has provided us this past year and over the years to help FVCC students achieve their educational goals,” FVCC Foundation Chairwoman Leslie Mercord said. “With the majority of students relying on financial assistance to attend college, there is a great need for more scholarships for FVCC students.”

Some 73 percent of students at FVCC qualify for some type of financial aid.  

Community members have an opportunity April 13 to join the foundation for a special April in Paris 1920s Chef’s Table, presented by the students and faculty of The Culinary Institute of Montana at FVCC.  

Ticket proceeds will go directly to the foundation scholarship fund.   

During this year’s black tie or period attire Chef’s Table, patrons will enjoy a five-course meal in the ambiance of 1920s Paris with the live music of The Don Caverly Band performing Cole Porter and early jazz.  

The French-inspired dinner will feature traditional baked French onion soup infused with sherry wine and thyme and baked with Gruyère cheese; black truffles and sea scallops wrapped in puff pastry draped with a rich vanilla bean-saffron cream sauce; tournedos Rossini; filet mignon and seared foie gras laced with Madeira and black truffle wine sauce served with potatoes beignet dauphine and a bouquet of white asparagus mimosa; baked Brie and Stilton cheese grapes and flat bread; and flaming cherries jubilee, a deep Swiss chocolate cup filled with vanilla bean ice cream and Flathead Valley cherries.  

 Like other FVCC Chef’s Table dinners, the culinary arts students will be responsible for the entire presentation including the food preparation, plating and service. During the cocktail hour, guests will enjoy the music of the newly formed FVCC Student Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Sky Thoreson.

The April in Paris dinner will begin at 6 p.m. in the large community meeting room inside the Arts and Technology Building on the FVCC campus. 

Tickets to the event are limited and are $150 each and must be purchased in advance. Groups of 10 or more can make reservations at a discounted rate of $125 per ticket. Tickets can be purchased online at www.fvcc.edu/chefstable.html or by calling 765-3632.  Reservations for groups of 10 or more should be made by phone.

For more information on the FVCC Foundation Scholarship Program, contact Sue Evans, associate director of the foundation, at 756-3693 or at sevans@fvcc.edu.