Farm Fresh Food
winter bounty
“Farm to Table” or “Farm to Fork” was predicted to be a new trend for 2010, but for the folks that have been eating this way for years, they’re wondering what all the fuss is about. Like comfort food was the trend of 2009, how new is it?
To me it sounds suspiciously like that nebulous and ubiquitous “California” cuisine with its focus on freshly prepared local ingredients, and frequently associated with Alice Waters, except the chefs have often moved the diners to within steps of the source. Don’t get me wrong, I like this idea, I just question its trendiness, as wide swaths of the population routinely eat this way. I believe this “trend” is in response to people being increasingly disconnected from their food source, and wanting to remedy that issue. I grew up in the midwest, and had relatives that farmed, and while I’d never call myself a country girl, I knew the basics: the various farm animal and crops and their cycles – I helped birth calves and feed pigs, and ride combines. For a city girl, it was an adventure, but not everyone has that exposure. That fact was brought home to me while I was in college, there we had a large student population from Chicago, and I’ll never forget riding in a car with a Chicago friend who proclaimed how cute the pigs where in the field we had just driven by. All well and good, except what she had identified as pigs were in fact cows. We laughed at the time, but now looking back, I don’t find it so funny. How can you not know where the meat you eat comes from and what the animal you ate looks like?
plant boxes busting loose
The other aspect of the Farm to Table trend, I’ve noticed is that in addition to the localvoire aspect, is the concerted effort made to reduce waste – to look at the food and realize that some of what was previously tossed aside is actually nutritious, and may be the most valuable part of the vegetable in terms of vitamins and minerals. I attended a cooking class last year that focused on braising techniques. The chef taught us various braising techniques, but one in particular really stuck with me and that was braising kale stems. I confess until that time, that part of the vegetable was relegated to the compost bin. But the end result of that dish was savory and tasty in no way resembling the tough stingy bits that I anticipated. It was delicious. The chef was Italian, and he said this technique was common especially for older generations who had suffered through food shortages and after knowing hunger resolved to waste nothing.
So as I saw the “Food to Table” movement, it sounded suspiciously like California cuisine dressed up with some country digs and a douse of conservation. Honestly until this point, this was all speculation. I decided to check out a Farm to Table for myself, and so my husband and I took a trip to Sonoma…
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view from the winery, a lovely winter evening
We landed at Quivira Winery for a Farm to Table event that they co-hosted with Relish Cooking School of Healdsburg. You know its going to be a good evening when you barely take two steps past the door and a glass of cool crisp glass of Cabernet Sauvignon is pressed into your hand. We were instructed to wander through the gardens as we waited for other guests to arrive and passed the chef gathering some herbs to incorporate into the meal. We needed no further encouragement to take in the lovely weather and listen to the chatter of the chickens as they pecked for their final evening snack.
talking about soil
As the recent bout of cold damp weather, watching the sun melt into the mountains as we sipped our wine seemed like the perfect way to end to the day. We meandered through the grounds and as we took stock of the workings of an active garden it felt like time had slowed down just a bit, and all the hustle of the city was at least temporarily shaken off. This garden is not just for show, sections were allocated for food grown for the various local restaurants, the eggs laid by the chickens were also sourced to local restaurants. The gardener, beekeeper, and wine maker all spoke about the work they were doing in making the vineyard an agriculturally diverse place. The gardener shared how the chickens and the vegetables provided a closed loop approach as the chickens waste was used to fertilize the vegetables which in turn helped feed the chickens. Bees, we learned, were a relatively new addition to the winery and we checked out one of the three hives on the property. The beekeeper shared with us how he struggled to keep the bees healthy, but like many of the hives in the area, all suffered from some disease but he was determined to let the disease run its course so that the strong would survive and no artificial aid would give unfair advantage to the weak.
wine 101
From the gardens we moved into the winery where we sat with a selection of glasses in front of us. Three of the glasses contained a single varital wine: Grenach, Syrah and Mourvédre. The wine maker, shared with us that Grenach is the most common and the most frequent varity to be blended with other grapes. It often serves as the foundation. The Syrah gave not too subtle hints of berries and the Mourvédre, well it gave the attitude often described as “spicy”, “animal”. In fact it has the nickname of “the dog strangler”. After having been somewhat ignored for a while, winemakers are starting to focus on this grape to develop a more distinctive taste. In addition to the glasses, they also gave us a pipette and basically told us to have fun and get creative. We played winemaker developing our own blends, and had a wonderful time in the process.
Our farm focused dinner included:
dinner is served
Warm Dungeness Crab in Chinese Spoons with Garlic Shoot Butter and Myer Lemon
Cauliflower and herbs on Crostini
Roasted Beets with Soft Goat Cheese, Tiny Herbs, Hand Torn Croutons and Vinegrette
Braised Caggiano Sausage with Warm Lentil Salad and Mustard
Mashed Turnips ad Baby Carrots
Locally Raised Hens Stewed in Quivira Zinfindel
Braised Collard Greens
All served with various Quivira wines
Chocolate Torte with Estate Preserves, Cocoa Nibs, Olive Oil and Sea Salt served with Petit Syrah Port
Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie has a nice overview of this movement from an international perspective.
Mela & Cavolo Nero Ripiena (Kale and Apples Braised with Onions and Garlic)
Serves 12
recipe adapted from Doug Nicosia at Sensuous Farms
Ingredients
3 pounds kale, main rib removed from each leaf and sliced into ¼” pieces and the leaves cut into ½” chiffonade
olive oil
3 pounds tart seasonal apples, peeled, peels minced
juice of 2 lemons
4 medium onions cut into 16ths
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 bottle dry Sauvignon Blanc
8 ox apple agridolce (or 3 oz each apple juice and cider vinegar + 2T balsamic vinegar)
salt + pepper
some feathered friends
Directions
Pour olive oil into a heavy 4 to 6 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Add kale rib pieces and sauté fro 10 minutes. While this cooks, core and slice apples into 16 pieces and add slices to a bowl with lemon juices (be sure to toss to coat).
Add onions and garlic to the chard ribs and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add all liquids and bring to a hard simmer add salt and reduce to barely a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 hours with the top slightly askew. Remove the top and cook until most of the liquid has been reduced. Before serving add black pepper and salt if needed.
My opinion? The Farm to Table dinner can be delicious, a lot of fun, and a great way to meet likeminded folks in a beautiful bucolic setting. As for it being a trend, I’m not convinced. If anything, I hope that it is seen as something less glamorous, and more expected, as people gain a greater understanding of how their food chains work and just what an amazing system it is. Until that happens, you can be sure, I’ll have no complaints being wined and dined in this fashion, but a picnic with foods picked up at a farmers market shared with friends and family would be just as special to me.
I think Farm to Table trend started in 2009 already. A lot of chefs are going beyond just local ingredients and doing direct farm to table route. But we’ve had a few experiences where some of the main featured ingredients were neither “farm to table” nor local as originally claimed.
I have to agree with 5 Star. I think the trend has been here since ’09. It’s just taking a while for people to catch on.
This post coincides with Jamie Oliver’s TED award too. I hope that he succeds in bringing back to basics to America but most of all I hope that this ‘trend’ which has beeen here for a while, encourages part of the population who survive on fast food or chemically loaded ingredients to think twice about what they are eating and to start growing some veg, even if on a large pot in a blacony! lol
Now , this is an interesting post!! I love fresh fruit & fresh veggies that my father grows in his garden & that I grow too!!
I jyst gave you an AWARd, dear friend!!! Yeah!!
I also wanted to say,..what a fab meal!!
MMMMMMM,…
Your dish sounds so good because I make a similar dish! Those flavours go so well together!
The “Back to Nature” movement has been mighty motivational though-out the years. I do believe the conglomerates get a bit nervous when they realize it actually may plant seeds of home grown gardens and “Farm to Table” aspirations in future generations.
I grew up on Long Island in the 60s where every backyard had a garden. Those items we didn’t harvest from out backyard were a Sunday’s drive away. Sadly, today many of those potato fields have given way to estates, condos and vineyards.
Thank you so much for such a thought provoking post. I must say, your dish sounds delicious. Growing up we were taught at a very young age not to waste a single stem. If it wasn’t braised, breaded or fried, it went in the soup!!!
5Star and Jenn – Agree! Farm to Table or some variation was definitely around in 2009. I do not think it had really started to soak in on people’s consiousness until a bit later, and probably too late to be identified on the trend list.
Ruth – Agreed, I am for about any trend that raises awareness and teaches people where their food came from.
Sophie – Ah, thanks so much!
Louise – I agree. I have a little niece that her parents try to expose her to a variety of influences. A highlight for her is definitely a petting zoo so she knows her animals – better than some college students I know =)
I hope this movement continues to strengthen and is not simply a trend. When I lived in the bay area, it was so much easier to source sustainable, organic and farm fresh ingredients locally. I find it so much harder in New York City, as I would imagine in other parts of America. This looks like a wonderful event!
That is my goal for 2010!!!!I really want to buy from the farms around my town and start cooking with fresh and organic ingredients!!!!
Having visited the winery a month ago, I am SO envious you got to go to this dinner. I love that winery, and what they do there. And of course, you already know I just want to take that cute, floppy-eared goat home with me.
What a delicious spread of food! And a rewarding experience that I think everyone should have at least once. I am a big believer in using up scraps and leftovers from cooking – it’s the way I was raised – my parents don’t like to waste even a spoonful of food. And making stock/soup is one of the best uses for them. I love the sound of apples with kale – delicious!
I am hoping farm to Table is not a trend – as we become more aware of where food has travelled and what can be done to minimize that. In MN, we will always look to the south for produce – it’s a necessity – or all that we eat is frozen or canned. But for the late spring,summer, autumn – it is such a taste sensation to have fresh and local. My lamb is from Wisconsin and not New Zealand – as all my meat is – but I do confess to finding shellfish – elsewhere – a love of mine and that will never happen here.
As i get more and more immersed in Italian cooking, I am struck by how nothing is wasted (the stems are indeed braised) and how recipes originated from local foraging. Which will be my next topic!
I hope this trend catches on in my country as many of the resorts still cater for tourists. Rather than serving them local produce restaurants prefer to import food like strawberries, peaches, blueberries etc.
This really reminds me of the Farm to Table dinner I had at the Foodbuzz Festival! I really loved the idea behind it, and the food was just spectacular.
Christine – agree, i want to remove the trend connection and start thinking of it as a sustained way of eating. Not something currently en vogue.
Carolyn – I am a lucky gal, but missed the goat, he was a bit shy that night.
Reenie – It was a great, and I agree with trying to use all the leftovers. We certainly try to nothing goes to waste – I say the orange peels from our smooties, I have a batch of orange bitters in the work – its actually fun to see all the uses you can come up with.
Caudia – I’m with you, I want it to be sustained, I love developing a meaningful relationship with the people that connect me to my food. I understand your pain of trying to source food locally in MN – can be a bit of a challenge.
WizzytheStick – When I travel I like to eat the way the locals do, funny that the resorts do not take that into account.
Sophia – Bet it was close. Are you going to the festival this year? I’m planning on it.
I agree with Christine. I was just in NYC this past weekend and realized that this whole oraganic, sustainable agriculture trend is just not practical in some areas. California is very fortunate to have that option, we might as well take advantage of it.
Looks like dinner was grand affair. I wish I had a farm to table too…
Kale and apples….and the list of dinner items….sounds interesting. I;ve been thinking about organic and farm fresh lately…..not sure what I think though! Yet!
Wow, what a great experience…haven’t been to one of this farm, but sure would love to
Okay so the pig and cow confusion did make me laugh.
However, I completely understand what you mean about it not being so funny. I grew up mostly in a rural area, but close to a smaller city. I had exposure to farming and we ate from my Dad’s garden every summer, and cans and the freezer in the winter. I never identified that as farm-to-table, but over time as I’ve witnessed others who can’t even identify vegetables I realize how fortunate I was.
This post brought up thoughts of my trip to SF because it is both different and the same as Indiana and Kentucky. My first impression of California was – why wouldn’t you eat seasonal and fresh, it’s easy here. Around home it is more challenging, but not as challenging as other areas of the US. I think that challenge has caused people to stray from their farm roots of these rural states. Having efforts like Farm to Table is a reminder that we need to return. I don’t think special dinners are needed to support the effort, but sharing of practices that people can apply. My hope is that they evolve from a trend into common sense and regular practice.
The event sounded lovely – and I would love to get the opportunity to play winemaker! – but I would share your feelings as regards trendiness or otherwise. I sincerely hope this is not ‘just another trend’ but a reasoned return to being more aware of where our food comes from and all that that entails.
Kitchen M – I agree. As fun as this event was to go to and as delicious as the food was, I’d love see it a more daily occurrance rather than a special event that people know their food and how its sourced.
TigerFish -It was fun, and a great adventure trying something different like that.
Kitchen Butterfly – let me know when you figure it out. The kale and apples is absolutely delicious I always make a big batch so I can have leftovers.
Juliana – It was a great experience. I am sure you’d enjoy it.
Lori – I know, I didn’t appreciate it growing up but consider myself fortunate, we canned beans, tomatoes, jam, and the flavors were great I just had no idea how good I had it. It can be easy to eat seasonally if you know where to go. Many of the markets do bring in fruit and veggies from SA and the organic stuff can be expensive. But if you look you find a medium ground that seems to work. I agree with your other point. I do not think the meals need to support the effort unless they are an introduction for folks with no exposure, like my college friend =).
Spud – I had so much fun playing wine maker that I think I want to do a party around it. It was a great learning experience.
Hopefully this farm to table ‘trend’ catches on–permanently! Right now, it seems there are two groups. Those that already get it, and those who still confuse cows for pigs.
The dinner menu sounds fantastic.
This is serious – I’ve always wanted to have a farm. I don’t know squat about how to raise animals (my poor dog can attest to that) and my thumb is totally brown. Yet, I want to have a farm. It started when I was about six when I had my first taste of milk, fresh from the udder. If there’s such a thing as a farming camp for farmer wannabes, I’m so there.
Nice article and important subject. Cheers!
Lisa – I’m with you!
Leela – I believe there are farms where you can volunteer, maybe a bit like a dude ranch – would love to hear how you fare. I have so much respect for farmers. Its a lot of hard, often thankless work. But it does have to be incredibly rewarding to find the results you deliver so tangible.
Zach – Hey, thanks for stopping by!