farm to table

Last week I got the invite to a farm to table dinner up in Laguna Beach. Everything on the menu was sourced from local farmers markets in San Diego and Orange County. It was a true testimony to the fact that insanely good ingredients creates insanely good food. If you use the freshest ingredients, you don’t have to mess around with complex recipes to make delicious food. Go find a farmers market, buy quality ingredients, and you’ll see what I mean.

One of the highlights was the assortment of appetizers that were simple but packed with flavor. High quality bread from Louie’s artisan bread with cheddar, honey, and basil. A fresh bruschetta with vine ripe tomatoes and garlic. My favorite one was the Gioia Burrata cheese with peach, tomato, basil, Temecula olive oil, and balsamic. Gioia Burrata is like a very creamy mozzarella cheese.

For dinner there were perfectly cooked prime rib and roast chickens from DaLe farms, Domenico’s Pappardelle with mushrooms from Mountain Meadows Farms, and a killer garden salad from Sundial Farms in Vista, CA. The menu listed all the suppliers from each ingredient, so it was proof everything was from local suppliers.

The dessert menu was so elaborate that I can’t even start to explain it. All I can say is Andrea has some crazy baking skills that can’t be explained.

The moral of the story is to have a dinner party, cook some good fresh food, and enjoy.