Staying true to his cooking philosophy of sustainability Chef Rich Mead of Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens has managed to forge long-lasting relationships with the growers he works with to create dishes which can be experienced with his new spring menu.
Market salad most anywhere are pathetic; under Mead’s wise hands, it turns into a revelation, a combination of sugar snap peas, radish, sweet sun gold tomatoes, juicy slices of strawberries tossed with creamy goat cheese crumbles and mixed greens (from Coleman Farms) dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette. The roughage highlights the peak flavors of the individual ingredients.
For the vegetable courses, order the roast cauliflower steak. The cauliflower is browned until caramelized, giving it a delicious, nutty flavor and is served with a garlic-herb chimichurri sauce.
Want fish? Go with roasedt panko-crusted Icelandic cod. The cod is flaky and moist with a crispy outer crust and sits atop a cream of farro with English peas, fava beans and asparagus; the tomato olive tapenade that tops the fish adds a nice, briny balance.
Created with Chef de Cuisine Allan Aguinaga, Farmhouse’s Saimin ramen is comforting as these warm days shift into cooler evenings on the fresco deck. The dark broth is light yet full of depth with its soy base. Generous cuts of hoisin-glazed pork tenderloin and egg noodles fill the bowl alongside a hardboiled egg that becomes salty and sweet from the broth similar to soy sauce eggs. Topped with pickled watermelon radish and Asian micro greens (from Windrose Farms in Paso Robles) the dish is absolutely umami and will cause a collective slurp at your table.
And while most restaurants offer confections as a last course, Mead offers a cheesemongers dessert plate. The lineup consists of a triple cream Brillat Savarin that oozes earthiness; Caveman Blue by Rogue Creamery, a rich blue cheese that is sweet and fruity; and a sharp white cheddar by Neal’s Yard Dairy. We recommend you enjoy these cheeses with a glass of port. With Chef Mead’s spring menu, your eating what’s available right now, and the result is spectacular.
Cynthia Rebolledo covers anything and everything food, culture and spirits.