Ferronlandia

Every foodie has an opinion about Chez Panisse. Some of you love it, some of you hate it. Some of you think Alice is a loopy-doopy diva with a fake British accent, and for some of you she's your asparagus queen and slow food movement champion. In my mind, there's no question that organic and local food should be enjoyed by all, sans the high price tag. I've had the privilege to eat an entirely homegrown meal sitting on a log in my dusty cutoffs in the backwoods of central chile, and I've been lucky enough to enjoy several wonderful meals at Chez Panisse. Both had great value. So putting aside the social and economic contexts of both, I would like to note the most important common thread of those meals: pure love for making a beautiful and delicious plate of food with fresh ingredients. I felt the love the other day when I made a pasta with squash and squash blossoms straight from my garden, but hats off to the people who do it a million times better- the folks at Chez P. give me a food orgasm every time without fail and always surprise me with how exquisite a plate of fresh greens (with baked goat cheese) can really be.

I get to eat my way to a blissful state of fullness at Chez Panisse because my best friend works there, making me an official groupie. Which also means I get to go to the staff parties. By now you may have realized that I'm using this post to brag about an awesome farm party I went to. All I can say is yes, I am, but I hope you enjoy the photos. I also hope you get a little inspired to visit a local farm and get a feel for where your food is coming from (links below).