The many faces of our farm project

So we are planting our first winter garden out at Imagery Estate Winery.

Beds from the summer bounty have been cleared.

John and the crew were out with a rototiller 

and we've been amending the lower beds 

with natural sources of calcium, straw and
compost readying them for our winter crop.

Our first planting has been garlic.

Rafael and Jaimie painstakingly placing cloves in the ground.

While the Glen Ellen farm segued from 

late Summer to Fall and now to Winter, 

our garden at ESTATE held onto Autumn a little longer.

It was not too long ago that the pomegranate tree at ESTATE 

cast a golden glow on the walkway.

The red of the fruit and the bright yellow leaves 

were incandescent and radiant, fooling you into thinking

Indian Summer would linger a little longer.

But then, just like the misty mornings 

at the farm brought frost to conclude our Autumn harvest

the windy days hastened the pomegranate tree's transition.

The luscious fruit ripened in the sun, 

and the tree gave us forty pounds of pomegranates 

changing from smooth red orbs 

to art objects adorning the tree

The birds couldn't resist and the fruit 

literally burst with flavor.

Our chefs were inspired as well.

ESTATE's Chef Brian kept a close eye 
on these pomegrantes and began 
a 4-course La Cena di Famiglia meal with 
shaved brussels sprouts salad
hazelnuts, pomegranate, ricotta salata, white balsamic vinaigrette

At the girl & the fig, Chef Erin created a salad of

red and white endive, fuji apples, pomegranate seeds, 

fourme d'ambert cheese, candied walnuts 

with a simple syrup pomegranate vinaigrette: 

pomegranate molasses, red wine vinegar, blended oil, salt, sugar, lemon juice.

salad photo by Deirdre Bourdet before she took a bite!

Farm to table is not just an idea —  it is becoming a mantra for us.

While we may not be able to grow everything 

we serve at the restaurants, our experience 

at the farm and in our gardens 

continues to guide us in our endeavors to bring you simple good food.

We welcome your comments on your favorite meals at the restaurants

or a dish that you particularly enjoyed.

And please do comment here about our farm project.

We want to share it with you through this blog 

so you have a deeper connection with what we are doing.