Late summer brings fine weather, back-to-back barbecues, and a wealth of fresh goodies from local food purveyors. During the month of August, why not celebrate the dazzling variety of edibles grown on the Central Coast and—even better—shake the hand that feeds you?
Thanks to the organizers of Pallet to Palate, area residents can do just that. From Aug. 7 through 21, local chefs and farmers host a series of events guaranteed to whet appetites and inspire pride in regional bounty.
“We’re blessed to have all this great, fresh food,” said Robert Root, founder of Pallet to Palate and executive chef at the Manse on Marsh in SLO. “We have fabulous, farm-fresh produce, locally raised meat, and ocean-fresh fish.
“We want to encourage local people and restaurant buyers to meet the farmers and take advantage of local produce,” he continued. “And we want to address the challenges and solutions for fostering a sustainable food supply, while minimizing our carbon footprint.”
The 2009 Pallet to Palate slate of events begins Aug. 7 with the launch of the Countywide Dinner Series. For two weeks, foodies can enjoy three-course, prix fixe menus at participating restaurants, which include Apple Farm, Black Cat Bistro, Marísol, Novo, Orchid, SeaVenture Restaurant, and Los Alamos’s own Full of Life Flatbread.
The meals are a bargain—$40 or less—and designed to showcase the best ingredients in our local pantry. Diners can also take pleasure in the fact that $5 from the cost of each meal goes directly to benefit a worthy cause.
“The money we’re raising is for the SLO Food Bank,” Root explained, “which really needs it. Last year we raised $11,000, and this year we’ll do even better!”
Founded in 1989, the Food Bank works with America’s Second Harvest and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide nutritious food for the hungry. Thanks to generous financial donations from the community, food is made available to agencies from Nipomo to San Miguel, at little or no cost to recipients.
Continuing the Pallet to Palate fun on Aug. 15, Root joins the folks at SLO Veg for a cooking demonstration at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The chefs will create quick meals using fresh ingredients and then serve attendees a tasty three-course lunch.
The next day, Larry Bain, food entrepreneur; Judith Redmond, a pioneer in small farming; and Bradley Ogden, noted American chef, discuss the interconnecting local food systems at a lively educational symposium called “Let’s Be Frank—About Local Food.” Here, they reveal how we can help build a healthy, profitable, local food economy by carefully choosing what we eat.
That night, live large at the Cliffs Resort, where the Pallet to Palate Gala Dinner gives guests a chance to mingle while dining on a lavish meal prepared by six renowned local chefs. Each dish features the products of area farm partners and is carefully paired with a Central Coast wine.
The dinner—which includes live music and an auction—opens with a Champagne reception, complete with hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Anthony Reeves of Orchid at the Inn at Morro Bay. Treats include Dungeness crab, lamb tartlets, lavender crème fraiche, and Pozo tomme in tender phyllo.
Chef Maegen Loring (the Park Restaurant) presents almond gazpacho matched with a Justin Vineyards Chardonnay, followed by classic oysters Rockefeller prepared by Chef Treaver Lynch (SeaVenture Restaurant) and paired with Bishops Peak Pinot Gris.
Next comes a salad of baby arugula with orange poached pear and pecan soil (toasted, crumbled pecans), drizzled with blue cheese and thyme emulsion. For the wine, Chef Gregg Wangard (Marísol at the Cliffs) has chosen an elegant J. Lohr Riesling.
The main course features a mustard-crusted lamb chop, though diners can request a fish course, if desired. Prepared by Chef David McWilliam (the Gardens of Avila), the dish comes with mashed potato and baby summer squash, and is matched with Carr Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County’s famed Sta. Rita Hills.
For dessert, Chef Russ Thomas (Two Cooks Catering) presents a medley of farmers market berries accompanied by crispy lace cookies and a dollop of sweet chevre. Tolosa Winery’s Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc completes the meal in sweet style.
On Aug. 17, join fellow fans of locally grown foods at the SLOcavore Party and Auction, held on a site overlooking the ocean. Enjoy live music, bid at the silent auction, and meet 15 chef-farmer duos over a sumptuous spread of food and wine.
“Fresher tastes better,” Root declared, “and locally grown food doesn’t have to travel more than 100 miles. Pallet to Palate gives everyone a chance to meet new people, find out where to buy different local products, and to support our community.”
K. Reka Badger knows where her food grows. E-mail comments or ideas to rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 6, 2009.