Restaurants such as Napa Valley
Grille in Westwood, Calif., are not
only using local produce on their
menus, they are also connecting
customers with Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA).
Taylor Boudreaux, executive chef,
says over the last 20 years, CSAs
have become a popular way for
consumers to buy local, seasonal
food directly from farmers.
the farmer’s salary. In return, they
receive shares in the farm’s bounty
throughout the growing season,
as well as satisfaction gained
from reconnecting to the land
and participating directly in
food production.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE
A CSA is a community of
individuals who pledge support
to a farm operation so that the
farmland becomes, either legally or
spiritually, the community’s farm,
with the growers and consumers
providing mutual support and
sharing the risks and benefits
of food production. Typically,
members, or “shareholders,” of the
farm or garden pledge in advance
to cover the anticipated costs of
the farm operation and
Napa Valley Grille’s program is
year-round and centered on the
four seasons. Boxes, which include
produce such as tomatoes, red
spinach, citrus fruit, squash and
a bag of herbs, are delivered every
Wednesday, and can be picked up
at Napa Valley Grille.
“We now want to take the
program a step further to increase
participation by putting recipes
in the boxes to help with the
more obscure ingredients,” says
Boudreaux. “And we plan to start a
farm-to-table dinner with the grower
at the restaurant.”
Conversely, Soby’s has a two-acre farm where it grows produce
with room to spare, says Garcia. “We went big the first year and
couldn’t handle it all. Now we are down to using about half an
acre of the space. This will be the third year for our farm, and
we are still learning. This summer, we plan to stagger the tomato
plants farther apart so we have tomatoes further into the fall. I
also want to grow species of things I cannot get from farmers, so
I can be the only restaurant in town with that ingredient.”
from the farm
Ryan Bleibtrey, executive chef for The Original, a Dinerant,
Portland, Ore., says local customers expect a menu with local
produce and tend to only go places where it is available. In fact,
he moved to Portland from Las Vegas because of the area’s
focus on local ingredients and its grassroots style and approach.
PHOTO CREDIT: Above, Erin Berzel Photography; opposite top, Winston’s Restaurant; opposite bottom, Napa Valley Grille
He believes having a personal relationship with local farmers
allows him to get the highest possible quality of ingredients
with the best service and great prices. “That personal
relationship with your farmer gives you a whole new
appreciation for the ingredients you’re using,” he says.
Garcia grows 21 different varieties of tomatoes, as well
as okra and field peas. “We also work with a network of
farmers for items like pumpkins, microgreens and salad
greens that need more attention. With our schedule, we
can’t always give enough attention and have enough
manpower. Ultimately, we’re still chefs and not farmers.”
The Original sources much of its produce from Millennium
Farms in Ridgefield, Wash., including potatoes, apples,
pears, peaches, rhubarb and asparagus, as well as all herbs
and salad greens. Bleibtrey also uses Creative Growers in
Noti, Ore., for more seasonal produce, such as tomatoes,
Brussels sprouts and cabbages. “They are a small operation,
and I really like their packaging. The produce comes in
plastic totes that we reuse,” he says.
Spice-roasted applesauce with brown butter topped with a slaw
of apples is a side dish at The Original made with local produce.
He says customers appreciate that they grow their own produce.
“We pick things the night before or that morning for a dish, like
tomatoes with a nice piece of halibut or grouper. Our servers
will even volunteer to pick plants and take care of the garden so
they can transfer the experience to the customers.”
ABOVE: The Original sources much of its produce—such as the kale in this braised
kale and bacon dish—from area growers.
OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Taylor Boudreaux, who sources from local family farms,
artisan purveyors and the local farmers market, presents the fall’s bounty with this
harvest platter.
