ROGER’S GARDENS AND FARMHOUSE SPRING CELEBRATION Field-to-Fork Experience

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Michael Hepworth

SPRING CELEBRATION

AT ROGER’S GARDENS AND FARMHOUSE Field-to-Fork Experience

Beautiful Environments that Celebrate Nature, Habitats and Sustainable Living

Featuring The Ecology Center’s Grow Your Own Program

By Kay Schroeder

Corona del Mar (Perfect Meal Today) 3/28/17/–What is the first image that comes to mind when you hear the word spring? Flowers, of course, and at Roger’s Gardens, it means an abundance of gorgeous flowers and the many glorious seasonal floral displays that personify what Roger’s Gardens is all about. On March 23, Farmhouse Restaurant, Owner and Executive Chef Rich Mead, welcomed media guests to a Special Media Tasting at the Farmhouse Bar to experience RG’s Spring Menu and artisanal cocktails. Wow! First recorded in 1924, the word wow was described as being a verb meaning to overwhelm with delight or amazement. However, the definition falls short when describing the numerous spring flowers, bursting with color and fragrance, which were designed and arranged into stunning displays by RG’s very talented staff.

As guests strolled through the gardens, every little alcove featured something wonderful to enjoy. Features like stands with ebullient men and women offering specially made artesian cocktails while sharing their expertise in the techniques and ingredients used. Interspersed along the walking paths were tables adorned with bouquets of freshly cut flowers of many species and the colors of spring: pink, yellow, blue, purple and lust green foliage. One standout table held an impressive array of cheeses, including goat, blue, brie, and other wonderful cheeses accompanied by prosciutto and salami.

Wait staff circulated throughout the gardens offering sumptuous hors d’oeuvres that represented virtually all of the items on the new Spring Menu. The Macaroni and Cheese Pops were a big hit as the mac and cheese were enrobed with a roasted bread-crumb coating, secured on a stick, thus resembling a lollypop. The secret to the Shrimp Cocktail was in the sauce – the chef made the seasoning spicy, but not overpowering. The low viscosity (consistency) of the sauce made it easy to eat and walk at the same time. The Mushroom Tart was a “go back for seconds” for many guests. Even desserts had their opportunity to impress with the shortbread cookies and lemon bars, just to name a few.

Photographer Tom Wright and I were fortunate enough to encounter someone very important to the Gardens, the official mascot, Roger. Roger entertained us by demonstrating his ability to respond on cue to his trainer’s commands.

After the tour of the gardens, innovative cocktails, and awesome hors d’oeuvres, it was time to walk the short distance to the Farmhouse Restaurant to enjoy champagne (and more tantalizing food) with Chef Mead and his staff, and to learn more about the Farmhouse Restaurant and its mission, purpose, and direction for the future.

Chef Mead and the Farmhouse Restaurant dedicated a portion of the proceeds from the evening to benefit the Ecology Center’s Grow Your Own program.

A series of Farm Dinners celebrating the Farmhouse Restaurant’s sustainable food community will feature the farmers and chefs leading the movement. Events include:

Eco-App Off on Saturday, June 24 – A friendly culinary competition for leading local chefs.
Community Table on Sunday, July 23 – With Drew Deckman, Deckman’s at Mogor, B.C. Mexico.
Community Table on Sunday August 13 With Carla Malloy, Central Coast, CA.
Green Feast on Saturday, September 16: 9^th Annual Green Feast with chefs-in-residence, Jennifer Sherman (Chez Panisse), Drew Deckman (Deckman’s at Mogor), Carla Malloy and Gina Galvan – in partnership with local community of celebrated chefs.

All of the above events will take place at The Ecology Center at 32701 Alipaz St, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 – https://www.theecologycenter.org/ – (949) 443-4223. (The Ecology Center is a non-profit eco-education center focused on creative solutions for thriving on planet Earth. Their holistic approach to change-making is based on their core belief that we are a part of nature, intimately interconnected to each other and our shared environment. Through daily action, we can transform our schools, homes, workplaces, and communities into vibrant spaces. The Ecology Center works to inspire communities around simple solutions that empower individuals everywhere to be part of the solution. Together, we can create a healthy, abundant future.)

Farmhouse offers twelve “Think Outside of the Glass” cocktails:

Butter What? (Egg White, Butternut Squash, Allspice, Rum)
Wedding Crasher (Spice, Apple, Brut)
Farmhouse Signature Bloody Mary (Beets, Tomato, Horseradish, Vodka)
Love Tender Lavender Colins (Lemon, Lavender, Fever Tree, Gin)
All Up Piña (Pineapple Guava, Lime, Pomegranate, Tequila)
Signature Mule (Ginger, Angostura, Fever Tree, Bourbon)
Gunsmith (Honey, Grapefruit, Lime, Aperol, Mezcal)
The Dive & Diverse (Vermouth, Amaro, Rye)
The Answer (Benedictine, Carpano Antica, Rye)
Parisian Proposal (Angistura, Lemon, Chartreuse, Cognac)
Dark Ages (Amaro, Carpano Antica, Bourbon)
Farmhouse Whim (MP) (We Made it on a Whim)

Be sure to checkout https://www.google.com/#q=roger’s+gardens+events&* to view the many classes/demonstrations/lectures coming up at Rogers Gardens Seminar & Events. These events span March through June. Below is a list showing the titles of each of the events. Click on the link above to view the dates, times and all of the descriptive details of these comprehensive, interesting, informative, and fun events. Some require a fee, however, the vast majority of them are entirely free.

California Friendly Gardening Solutions / Contest
Christopher Radko Spring Trunk Show (Christmas Ornaments)
Landscaping with California Native Plants
Landscape Design Studio Open House
Cooking with Chef Rich Mead Series – Spring Salads
My Edible Garden Series
Miniature Garden Workshop
“Heaven Scent” Planter Workshop
Spring Rose Care
Raised Bed Seminar
Natural & Organic Gardening Practices
The Sweet Pea Show and Contest
Moss Basket Workshop
Cooking with Chef Mead – Cooking with Grains
Cinco de Mayo Give-Away
My Edible Garden
Mothers’ Day Gift Baskets Workshop
Mothers’ Day Complimentary Rose Give-Away and Photo
Small Space Design
Cooking with Chef Rich Mead – Wild Salmon
The 24^th Annual Amateur Rose Show & Contest
My Edible Garden
Summer Floral Workshop
Miniature Garden “Beach Theme”
Fresh Cut Floral Arranging from Your Garden
Growing Hops for Beer Brewing
Designing with Succulents
Ikebana Demonstration
How to Grow a Salsa Garden
Cooking with Chef Mead and Steve Goto – Salsas and Relishes

Now folks, with all of these events and seminars to choose from, you have no excuse for not having a great, sun and fun-filled spring, while making our community more beautiful and more sustainable for us and for future generations.

A special thank you goes out to Kathryn Riordan, PR & Marketing Coordinator, The ACE Agency, for her contribution to making this event a success.

Rodger’s Garden

2301 San Joaquin Hills Road

Corona del Mar, CA 92625

949-640-1415

www.farmhouserg.com

While you are on the Internet, check out our other informative and fun sites shown below.

Photography: Tom Wright

Michael Hepworth

287 S.Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211