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**