Deep fried snickers bar a la mode

Love and War in Texas

Edible Art at the Gardens of Avila

   Chef Robert Trester elegently brings to life the meaning of summer through youthful cuisine that embodies the taste of Avila. In the kitchen at the Gardens of Avila, he combines produce from their own Sycamore Garden along with a slew of local growers; Barbara with Windrose Farms, Cal Poly, and Avila Barn to name a few, to create dishes that are as pleasing to the tastebuds as they are to the eyes.

   Each course is artistically put together to exibit every ingredient, bringing together indivdual pieces to form the taste of contemporary coastal cuisine. Chef Trester does an incredible job demonstrating the benefits of utilizing the farm to table process. The vegetables are full of flavor and beaming with color, while the meat is moist and tender. One bite will awaken your pallet and relax your soul. You will leave feeling refreshed and yearning to come back to this hidden gem to see how many other ways Chef Trester can take the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary.   

**Food Science Fact: Chef Trester uses a cooking method called sous vide to keep his ingredients vibrant, juicy, and full of flavor. The food is vaccum sealed in special plastic bags and then cooked at a low temperature for a few to several hours in a hot water bath. Vegetables to meat can be cooked this way to seal in nutrients and flavor, ensuring perfection.

Sycamore Garden 

Tomatoes and sunflowers thrive in the garden.

Sycamore Garden 

An overview of the garden.

chef boxes 

Chefs from Marisol at the Cliffs, The Apple Farm, The Sea Venture, and the Gardens of Avila each have a few boxes to grow and harvest fresh ingredients to incorporate into their dishes. 

  

ingredients from the garden 

fresh tomato and flowering basil tea with lemon verbena

This tomato tea is the perfect prelude to your garden party.

our garden salad-greens, roots, flowers and juices

This fresh garden salad is full of hidden secrets such as beet soil and squash puree, adding unique texture and flavor to an everyday garden salad.

Morro Bay oysters with fresh tomato and our garden's radish 

Fresh oysters on the half shell.

smoked white quinoa, shaved finley farms melon, cucumber, apple and nasturtium 

The pleasent taste of the melon provides the perfect contrast to the smoked quinoa, while the cucumber and apple help to bring the dish together.
  

freshly picked garden tomato gazpacho with local olive oil and sherry vinegar 

Vine ripe tomatoes make this gazpacho tangy and sweet, while the sherry vinegar adds just the right amount of heat.
   

hand cut tagliatelle with sweet corn, baby tomatoes, toasted cauliflower and basil 

The hand cut pasta provides the ideal foundation for a savory combination of produce and herbs. 

roasted pork tenderloin, crispy spinach, garden spuash, spicy tomato jam 

The tenderloin is moist and juicy, seasoned and cooked to perfection.

raspberry polenta cake with lori's raspberries and vanilla buttermilk ice cream 

The polenta cake is moist and delicate, with the raspberries giving the cake a fruity tange. 

chocolate 'pot de creme' with chavez strawberries and fresh cream 

The chocolate 'pot de creme' is complimented beautifuly by the hidden nut brittle. The salt from the brittle evens out the rich flavor of the chocolate. 

Chef Trester, the master behind these tastefull works of art  

**Chef fact: Chicago is his favorite city for cuisine** 

Old San Luis BBQ Co.

The best tri-tip sandwich I've had 

Homemade Snickerdoodle Cookies

Find the recipe at allrecipes.com 

This recipe has become my new staple. I have made these cookies twice so far and they always come out perfectly golden brown and fluffy!!!

Chop Street Pismo Beach

Plum Cake

Find recipe at allrecipes.com 

 

  

Punch Drunk Love at Marisol at the Cliffs

   Once a month Marisol at the Cliffs features an array of unique cocktails tastefully mixed by Chef Gregg Wangard. For the month of August imaginations went wild with a Caramel Gala Apple, Tomato/Vodka Consomme, and Lemoncello. Each one was carfully crafted and seasoned, making your tastebuds think they were much more than a drink.
   I got a chance to tour the kitchen and learn the science behind the drinks. Each has a rare flavor and deserves a toast and taste!!!

Caramel Gala Apple 

   The Caramel Gala Apple cocktail was made with juice from a freshly pressed gala apple, butterscotch schnapps, apple champagne, and apple vodka. The drink is best made to order and has a light, bubbly  apple taste with a deliciouse butterscotch note at the end.

Tomato/Vodka Consomme

   The Tomato/Vodka Consomme was made with tomatoes, onions, carrots, and celery. All were pureed, cooked, and strained in order to give the consomme a vegetable essence. The consomme was then mixed with vodka, baby tomatoes, chopped celery, and diced jalapeno to be served. This is a refreshing, hearty drink that developes a kick the longer it sits. 

*** Food Science Fact: Acid from the tomatoes brings out impurities from the liquid as it simmers. The protiens in the egg whites help these solids blend at the top, forming a raft which purifies the liquid.   

Lemoncello 

   The Lemoncello was made well in advance by allowing the rind from twenty pounds of lemon to soak in vodka for five days. This cocktail has a candied lemon zest flavor without being too over-powering and is served with ice and fresh basil leaves. 

Chef Gregg hard at work 

   I had a wonderful time interacting with the staff at Marisol at the Cliffs and will see you there soon!!! 

***Drinks made especially for Punch Drunk Love*** 

Jazzi's Honey Hots

Chicken Wings from Marisol at the Cliffs 

Yummy Licorice from Whole Foods