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The Apple Hill Farm to Fork 2022 at Delfino Farms was an incredible experience. I love seeing how the Apple Hill farms come together and collaborate for such an incredible evening supporting both local agriculture and the local food bank. Supporting decentralized agriculture and the farming community, is especially important to me, whether it’s local events or the farmers market, or even a CSA share. My husband and I were able to attend last years’ event, and we look forward to making this an annual tradition!
The Menu
The Apple Hill Farm to Fork Menu was developed by John Sanders of Old Town Grill in downtown Placerville. As I expected, everything was incredible and he really knocked it out of the park! All of the fruits and vegetables in this dinner were locally sourced from farms on Apple Hill.
A Quick Note About Wine
Each course was specially paired with different wines from the Apple Hill vineyards. I am not a wine connoisseur, but I have been assured by my husband and stepfather that all the wines were delicious. And even though I am not a wine person (at all), I do appreciate the collaboration between the five wineries to develop their own blend. It’s pretty incredible how they all came together despite the fact that there wasn’t one grape varietal that all of them grew! And they all have different tastes and preferences to their winemaking.
Fruit Bar and Small Bites
One of the highlights of the evening for me is the fruit bar. Everyone gets a little berry basket, and they can fill it up with local berries and stone fruit. The peaches, plums, and nectarines from Goldbud Farms are always a favorite, and this year there was also watermelon from 24 Carrot Farms, blackberries from Delfino Farms and Patrick’s Berry Farm.
There were so many different small bites that I didn’t get to try them all. The lamb and the crab cakes were both delicious, but I think my favorite was the chicken salad endive bites. Normally lamb would be my favorite, no question, but I love the freshness of the chicken salad combined with the crunch from the endive.
Farm Fresh Grilled Vegetables with a Basil Balsamic Drizzle and Prawn Cocktail
The opening course of the Farm to Fork 2022 dinner was the grilled summer vegetables with arugula. My favorite of the grilled vegetables were the golden beets; they’re sweet, earthy, and perfect in every way. I also noticed grilled gold cauliflower, and an assortment of fresh summer beans. I don’t normally do balsamic vinaigrettes, but John Sanders has some kind of magic that makes me love his version. I’ll have to ask him for his secret someday.
The prawn cocktail was nice and spicy from the addition of horseradish, which was a nice accompaniment to the grilled prawns. It’s very easy to overcook prawns and shrimp on the grill, but I’m pleased to say these were perfect!
Wild Caught Salmon with Grilled Stone fruit and Baby Field Greens
The second course was a salmon dish with grilled stone fruit. While the stone fruit wasn’t specifically identified, I was able to pick out plums and nectarines in the mix. Stone fruit pairs wonderfully with seafood, as it brings sweetness and acidity to the rich salmon. Really great food is all about the balance across sweet, bitter, salt, sour, and savory; this dish hit all these notes. Everyone at my table loved this dish, as evidenced by the fact that there were zero leftovers.
Next time you have an abundance of peaches or plums from your farmers market haul, think about pairing them with a seafood dinner. The combination might seem unusual, but that’s only because we don’t see it very often. It’s delicious, and easy to replicate at home.
Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto
The third course was a wild mushroom and asparagus risotto, which also had large pieces of crisp broccolini. This dish was cheesy, full of vegetables, and packed with umami from the mushrooms. What’s not to love about it?
This risotto was made from a combination of rice and orzo, which I think made it easier to make for a large crowd. Risotto can be picky when made for large banquet settings, but the pasta (orzo) can help even out the texture.
Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Potatoes and Roasted Root Vegetables
It’s hard to go wrong with an herb crusted beef tenderloin! The meat was cooked to a perfect medium rare, which is pretty impressive when you consider that the chefs were preparing food for over 150 people. The gorgonzola blue cheese was a great choice to go with the potatoes and root vegetables since it has a nice funky, sharp flavor that really cuts through the starch.
The Desserts
The desserts faced a big problem: they came after the dinner! We were stuffed by the time the desserts were ready, but you can’t go to Apple Hill without experiencing the desserts!
Some highlights of the dessert spread included:
The Gluten Free Almond Joy Cookies from Grandpa’s Cellars, which are so good I refused to share mine with my husband. I told him he had to get his own, haha.
The Harris Family Farms’ Blackberry Tarts were my husband’s favorite dessert from the evening.
The Strawberry Puffs from Apple Ridge Farms were delightfully delicate.
About Apple Hill
Apple Hill Growers Association represents over 50 farms in the Placerville and Camino area. It was founded in 1964, and represented 16 ranchers. Together, they began marketing their farms and putting together events for both locals and tourists, showing off everything that could be done with apples. They have definitely grown, but there is a very strong community feel amongst all the farms.
One of the things I love about Apple Hill is the variety. There are apple orchards, berry farms, Christmas tree farms, wineries, cideries, and tons of bakeries. Most events take place during Apple season, starting in late August and lasting through to December. Many of the wineries and cideries are open year-round.
