Of Farmers and Chefs...

On the first Friday of April four of Phoenix's best chefs hung out with us in our kitchen swapping tales over bright red and orange tomatoes, crispy cucumbers, colorful peppers, petite heirloom lettuce, and homemade sprouted kamut bread. It would’ve been clear to any of the local bugs and critters that we weren't making any pretentions of elegance – in fact since we’d just harvested the veggies and all come home together after our windy late morning hike around the farm I handed them my not so professional knives and just like regular farm hands they pitched in and washed and prepared the veggies for our “build your own” open faced sandwiches while I set out the strawberry smoothies and other sandwich fixings.

Last Sunday evening I gazed at my very most favorite (and only) husband as he settled into the expansive leather armchair across from me in the Talovera at the Four Seasons Scottsdale. Suddenly I had the sense that this romantic anniversary dinner was about to astound me with an array of contrasts to the simple farm fare we enjoyed the last time we had shared a meal with Chef Jesse Hansen.


The spicy but not too spicy grilled salsa handcrafted with our Sunizona tomatoes and served with crisp local Arizona tortilla chips was the first taste sensation of the evening.


When Andre brought us glasses of cucumber infused tomato water, my skeptical nature wondered how THAT combination would work. But the crisp sparkling flavor immediately won my confidence and convinced me that I had to figure out how to replicate it back at the farm! Thankfully on one of Jesses’ frequent trips to our table to visit with us and regale us with the innovative methods he uses to create his food masterpieces he shared the secret.

We farmers are noted for our self sufficiency but Susan and Andre’s disarming friendliness and careful attention to serving us with amazing finesse and style, deftly wiping up even the slightest condensation from our water goblets, and noting exactly when we finished one course and needed empty dishes removed or goblets refilled was enough to make even the stoutest of us melt and be pampered. And we did just that.



The dinner reminded me of attending a great concert. The courses and dishes created from fresh nutrient rich vegetables grown on our farm and other local farms followed one another in succession to our table - their beauty and elegant simplicity always equalling or outdoing the previous rendition and delighting our eyes and tastebuds alike.


Watching Jesse's face light up as he spoke about sourcing fresh local ingredients and the artistic techniques he uses to skillfully harmonize them into his culinary creations reminded me so much of the passion I see in my husband when he talks about growing and plants and teaching young people how to farm.

For desert - peach pie - we moved out onto the patio and as we enjoyed the approaching thunderstorm and the musky scent of the creosote bushes heavy in the air, I realized again the brilliance of local farmers and chefs teaming up to make it possible for people like us to enjoy unforgetable romantic evening dinners.

Thanks Jesse and team for an evening to remember!


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