JG Domestic Chef Jose Garces checking out produce at Luna Farm.
Have you ever wondered exactly where the farm to table restaurant menu items come from exactly? Have you ever pondered the kind of person that’s responsible for growing the delicious produce that our Philadelphia chefs are so great at preparing? Have you ever thought about meeting a real life farmer?
Well, here’s your chance. Don’t blow it.
On Thursday, September 13 beginning at 6:30 p.m., Chef Jose Garces will host a “Meet the Maker” Luna Farm Dinner featuring the peerless local produce of his nearby Luna Farm at JG Domestic. For $65 per person, plus beverages, tax and gratuity, guests will enjoy a family-style created by Chef Garces and Chef de Cuisine Reinaldo Alfonso, created in collaboration withFarm Manager Alex McCracken, featuring the season’s freshest fruits, vegetables and herbs. Both Garces and McCracken will be on hand throughout the meal to answer questions and interact with guests, sharing the stories of how they transformed the bedraggled 40-acre farm into a working oasis of sustainable agriculture.
“At JG Domestic, we’re proud to showcase the best ingredients on the market – and nothing is fresher than produce grown exclusively for us at Luna Farm,” says Chef Garces. “Luna has been supplying our restaurants with an abundance of items this summer, but this is the first time we are showcasing them on one menu. I can’t wait to share them with our guests.”
Many ingredients included in the dinner will be sourced directly from Luna Farm and harvested the very same week or even the morning of the dinner. A few examples of what guests may enjoy include: Luna Melons with bourbon-maple vinaigrette, cilantro and smoked pecans; Fried Green Tomatoes with roasted shrimp and tarragon-caper aioli; Wood Oven-Roasted ½ Jidori Chicken with opal basil chimichurri; Cherry Wood-Smoked Sockeye Salmon with roasted sweet pepper remoulade; Roasted Summer Squash with eggplant, lavender, savory, pickled shallots and tomato fondue; and for dessert, a Cobbler with pineapple tomatillo, ricotta sherbet, smoked pecans, opal basil and saba.
But, if for some bazaar reason you are unable to attend the dinner, you can still enjoy the fresh edibles from Luna Farm: every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., the restaurant hosts a Farm Cart featuring fresh produce from the farm and other seasonal treats. Current offerings include fresh fruit pies baked at JG Domestic featuring Luna fruits; later in the year, guests can expect cranberries, ciders and other of-the-moment eats.
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