Farm to Fork is all the rage these days and there is good reason for it. It’s dang good food.
On Saturday, July 13, 2019, Yes!Chef! and I attended a local Farm to Fork Charity event in Apple Hill, which is located between South Lake Tahoe and Sacramento, CA, in the Camino area. Although, in the fall apples are the main draw, this area is by no means only apple country. It’s also a great wine area and you can find pears, cherries, stone fruit, Christmas tree farms, lavender farms and all kinds of vegetables. It is a veritable smorgasbord of delightful fruits and vegetables. I was lucky enough to grow up in this area and I never tire of it.
The event was held at Delfino Farm, one of the local Apple Hill Farms, in the middle of vineyards, apple and Christmas trees. It is a beautiful farm that has been a part of Apple Hill for a very long time. I remember taking my children here when they were young and they loved to roll down the beautiful grassy hill. We would bring a picnic lunch and then buy a little dessert to finish off our lunch. Back then, this place was known as “Kids Inc.” The “Kids” are now running the place so they changed the name of the Farm to the family name, Delfino.
We were greeted by servers offering local wines, and appetizers made with local farm ingredients. Since this was a charity event for a local grammar school, we had purchased tickets for the event prior to the event so everything seemed like it was free.
Around 7:30, we made our way down the hill to the long tables with huge umbrellas to shield us from the hot summer sun. We walked thru the vineyards where the grapes were becoming ripe and lush. At the bbottom of the hill they had set up a huge double door, painted white, with a large fork, knife and spoon adorning the header above the door. A big milk can full of sunflowers sat next to the doors. When we walked thru the doors, the tables were long and set beautifully. There were strings of lights hung from an off-center pole. Live music played softly in the background.
The food was great, prepared by chefs from two local restaurants. Each course was paired with a local wine. On the menu, under the description of each course, the farms and wineries where the items were sourced were named. We had Salad, Ravioli, roasted veggies, Salmon and Beef Tenderloin. (See menu below). Dessert was served back up the hill at the Barn. The people we were seated with (whom we had not met before) were fun and very interesting. They came from various backgrounds…farmers, small business owners, retired, teachers, etc…and were great company. The servers were all Young Farmers of America school children from the charity school.
(As it got darker, I stopped taking so many pictures because the light was dim and I was enjoying the evening too much to stop.)
As the evening wore on there were chefs, community leaders, farmers and the owner of Delfino Farms talking about the event, the food that was prepared and the wine that was poured. After that, we all walked back up the hill and many, many different types of desserts were available. It was quite dark by then, so I took the desserts home (plus we were quite full). They were all made by local Apple Hill farmers and chefs and they were all delicious. As we were walking up the grassy hill to the barn, a Christmas tree was lit to represent the Apple Hill Christmas Tree Growers.
What a Great Evening We Had!
We will be going again. We are blessed to be living in this area where fresh from the farm fruit, veggies, wine, Christmas Trees and meats are within a 10 minute drive.
We Call Him Yes!Chef! 
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