I recently stayed at the beautiful Chaminade Resort and Spa in Santa Cruz, California and was crushed to discover I was missing the hotel’s first Farm to Table Wine Dinner of the season by just one day.
Farm to table has become a popular concept over the past few years, with gourmands filling trendy restaurants to experience innovative dishes made with the freshest foods, all grown and produced locally.
Executive chef Kirsten Ponza started this annual tradition at Chaminade seven years ago, and the monthly dinners sell out quickly from June through October. I couldn’t check out of the hotel without talking to her and getting a taste of what was coming.
“This is my favorite time of the season,” she admitted. “I feel so lucky to be in California, where we have so many locally-grown options.”
She transformed a few of those options into a Caprese salad with goat cheese-filled zucchini blossoms, which I am still drooling over. And she’s sharing her recipe below so you can try it yourself even if your own table is far from Chaminade.
Farm to table has become such a popular concept. What does the term mean to you, and why do you think people have embraced it so deeply?
It’s so popular because it’s so achievable for so many people. Anyone can decide whether or not to eat local and whether or not to eat fresh. If we can get the government to back this nationwide we could make it infinitely more available to people of all walks of life. Instead of being so dependent on other countries for things, we can become a more self-reliant country for eating. If tomatoes aren’t in season, you don’t have a tomato — unless you have canned them yourself or you have a generous neighbor!
You held your first farm to table dinner of the season back in June. Can you share the menu and what guests’ reactions were like?
Strawberry Hazelnut Gazpacho, Baby Romaine Lettuces with a citrus avocado relish, Baked wild mushroom ravioli with Aurora Crème, Chermoula Duck Confit with Mediterranean cous cous and sautéed baby veggies, Honey Mousse on a jasmine scented cake with edible florals. We have always received a great response from our guests. They like the food adventure and I’ve even been able to change some minds on flavors, which is the greatest compliment of all!
Can farm to table be a year-round way of eating or is it really seasonal?
That’s tricky. It really depends on where you live and if you have room for a greenhouse. Here, in California, we are spoiled because, yes, we can eat this way year round. There are places like my hometown in Canada where it’s very difficult to do this without a lot of planning ahead. So if you can’t get everything local just try to keep it in the good ole US of A!
How can people incorporate the idea of food to table in their own everyday cooking?
Farm stands! Most cities have markets and stands that will give you everything you’ll need. There are also ranchers who will at least know where you can get the protein you’d like for the seasons.
How important is where you live to being able to enjoy farm to table?
Very. It seems that the cost of this style of living is slowly going down, however, being able to grow even just a few things in some pots on your deck/porch/small piece of concrete that is your yard is so helpful to your pocketbook. How great is it to see something grow!
Give us the last word on the subject.
Even though the concept is old, this way of eating is still so new for so many people. It was once the way everyone had to live because we didn’t have the trucks and planes to delivery every week. Everyone can do it if they think about how it will help the local business and ultimately their own health. Your food should not be sitting on a flat bed truck for a week while trying to get to your local giant food store. At the very least, it shouldn’t have to travel more than a hundred miles to get to your plate!
Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
24 Zucchini Blossoms
Filling:
4oz goat cheese (chevre)
4oz cream cheese
4 oz grated pecorino
6 caramelized shallots
Zest from 2 lemons
½ bunch basil chopped
Fritter Batter:
10 oz cornstarch
8 oz AP flour
1.5 cups whole milk
3 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp salt
½ small bottle of sparkling water
Frying oil
Soften the cheeses in a mixing bowl, then add your basil, onions and zest. Season with salt and pepper. Leave out to keep soft and easy to pipe!
For the batter, mix together the dry ingredients thoroughly, then slowly add the sparkling water, whisking the whole time until the batter is slightly thinner than pancake batter.
Heat oil in cast iron pan or similar. Check the temperature by dropping small bits of batter in and if they bubble and turn brown within 1 minute, your oil will be ready.
Fill the blossoms with your cheese mixture – using a piping bag is easiest!
Lightly coat the blossom in the batter and float it into the hot oil. Check to be sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan! Flip over after the batter starts browning on one side.
Drain on a towel, then serve warm! Yum!
it’s not even 8:00 am and I am already hungry. Here in Davis CA we have an awesome Farmers Market…love eating fresh and local!
I can’t wait for our farmers stands to open. And zucchini blossoms MIGHT be a way to prevent zucchini overdose this summer! 🙂
I always buy local when I can. I think it supports the local economy plus it’s fresher.
While I do not see myself making these, I know if no one told me what it was I’d gobble it up! I know goat cheese is good for you but I have a hard time grabbing for it.
Chaminade is a beautiful venue .. haven’t been in a while, so thanks for the reminder. It’s just over the hill from me. Not even. Easy.
I remember when growing up my parents planted most of what we eat. Right now I don’t plant anything but I do try and get as much locally grown as I can.
I love the farm to table movement. The food just tastes so much better with richer flavors. So we enjoy it a lot in the summer. In the winter though, sadly we don’t have the climate to keep it up.
This looks like a delicious dish for a hot summer day and an easy recipe to follow…. I’m going to try it. Always like to shop at the local farmer’s markets.
Looks like a great venue. Would love to try those bacon laced strawberreis!
I love the strawberries and wow bacon laced sounds so good at the moment. That maybe because I’m hungry. I also love and perfer the taste of locally grown foods and I am willing to pay more for something grown locally even though I live in Michigan I am all for local and I think it helps cut the cost of the middle man out.
It All Looks So Yummy I Must Try This!!
I’ve wanted to grow a garden for years but the animals always seem to eat it before i get to. I like the whole idea of farm to table idea.
I live in an area where the “farm to table” concept is a growing trend. I love it!
I love eating food from our garden. Unfortunately we only have enough for one person!
Farm to table is very desirable to me! I love fresh foods, and meats!
I am glad to see more and more restaurants are embracing the farm to table concept. I live in Ohio so it’s very hard to eat locally year-round. We do however try to put a garden each year so we can grow some of our own food.
All of these thing look totally delicious. I would never think to pair straweberries with bacon.
I try to get local foods as well, we eat a lot of local vegetables, fruit and dairy, it’s tough to find everything, but as much as I can do I do buy. Meat is a little scarce out here locally.
I so want some of those strawberries. They look amazing!
There’s a place in Queens called coffeed. It’s a roof top garden that uses the farm to table concept. There’s nothing like fresh greens for dinner. Yummy.
I guess she’s right that at one point it was all farm to table. Then we got preservative happy. It’s a wonderful thing that there are places where we can get all the freshness again!
Oh my goodness, stuffed zucchini sounds amazing… I have never heard of Chaminade Resort and Spa in Santa Cruz, but I totally want to go. thanks for sharing and for the recipe.
Everything looks good, but I know I would love those strawberries. Yum!
we have 3 large gardens. We can and freeze a LOT of stuff. There is nothing quite like fresh fruits and vegetables!
Those zucchini blossoms look so interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Everything looks amazing! I would really love to find a farm that let’s you purchase food all year round. Yummy!
Your stuffed zucchini blossoms sound delicious! It might sound odd but I don’t think I’ve ever had anything like that!
I grew up in a rural area of all farmers so farm to table was just the way we lived most of the year. It is a great way to live and eat and I miss it. Wish we had better farmer’s markets in our area now. Love the recipe!
I would love to experience that meal! Those stuffed zucchini blossoms look fantastic.
Everything old is new again! I had some amazing meals last week in California. You guys are definitely lucky, though I think our tomatoes are unbeatable. There’s something in the dirt here that makes them different.
I have never heard the term farm to table before but I love the idea. I was in California last week and had the most delicious strawberries!
This place sounds amazing.
I love farm to table. Yes, we have those here in Jersey, too – we are the Garden State. This one sounds and looks fabulous. I wish I was there in person to be a part of it!
I think I am in love with those strawberries. They look so tasty.
Oh my goodness everything looks so yummy. We buy local when we can and in season. I would love to see something like this in our area. I do know a lot of our restaurants buy local and change the menu based on availability.
What a delicious looking meal – those strawberries – yum! I love the idea of farm to table. x
I just pinned those strawberries. Everything sounds so amazing and so creative! What a wonderful concept!
Insanely delicious. Anything with goat cheese is a friend of mine. YUM.
I love trying new recipes! I am not sure how strawberries and bacon would taste together- but anything is worth a shot!
That all looks soo amazing. Farm to table is popular where we live. I have on favorite that we frequent often.
This food looks like pieces of artwork! Looks yummy!
Ohhh those look totally nice and delicious, plus they are all presented well which is nice!
I love strawberries in salad, especially with spinach and walnuts. Everything tastes better when it’s natural, fresh, and easy to make!