13 Sep Farm To Table Experience in Half Moon Bay

Nothing tastes better than food that is fresh off the farm. The colors and flavors are like nothing you get at a supermarket. So, while on a recent trip up the coast of California, we spent a couple days at the beautiful Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. While there, Sean Eastwood, chef de cuisine of Navio Restaurant, invited us for a Farm-to-Table day. In the morning, we visited the Coastside Farmers Market, a farmer-directed Certifed Market designed to link Coastside residents with the Coastside farmers, ranchers, fishermen and culinary artisans for the past 10 years. All products are from within 20 miles of the market and many of these local farms are recovering varieties of fruits and vegetables which are disappearing. Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay’s Chef de Cuisine Sean Eastwood visits the market weekly so that he can pick out what he wants to work with.    As Chef told us, “it can’t get any fresher.” While at the market, we met up with Farmer John, a local farmer who invited us back to his farm, Daylight Farms. Farmer John toured us through his fields where we saw some of the most colorful squash. We also visited his Hen Hotel and found a few eggs.   From Daylight Farms, we went to Harley Farms Goat Dairy, a restored 1910 dairy farm on nine acres that is the home to 200 alpine goats. They produce chevre, formage blanc, ricotta and feta cheese that have continually won awards. This working farm is open to the public and we got to the tour the farm. The process of turning the milk to cheese takes two days and Harley Farms Goat Dairy makes approximately 200 pounds per day.   After a full day, we headed back to the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay to relax while Chef Sean prepared our meal in the restaurant Navio. And what a meal it was! NAVIO RESTAURANT CHEF’S TABLE AUG. 18, 2012 Sashimi of Pacific Hamachi, “Green Goddess,” Ruby Red Grapefruit, Yuzu Caviar, Taro Chips Homemade Chive Fettuccini, Golden Chanterelles, Sugar Snap and English Pea, Smoked Bacon, Sherry Sauce Heirloom Tomato Salad, Persian Cucumbers, Shaved Red Onions, Honey-Red Wine Dressing, Burrata Cheese, Basil Pesto, Tomato Sorbet White Corn Soup, Dungeness Crab Soufflé, Popcorn Shoots, Arugula Oil California King Salmon, Summer Squash Tagliatelle and Crisp Blossoms, Baby Fennel, Heirloom Tomato Coulis Confit of Duck “Hash”, Slow Cooked Egg, Nueske’s Smoked Bacon, Daylight Farms Tuscan Kale, Roasted Sweet Cherry Tomatoes Brandt Beef Prime New York, Macaroni and Goat Cheese Gratin, Swiss Chard and Pine Nut Fondue, Shallot Confit, Port Wine Sauce Sparkling Lemonade, Strawberry-Lime Sorbet Chocolate, Chocolate French Macaroon, Fresh Raspberries, Cocoa Gelee, Raspberry Sorbet