We were lucky enough to spend this past Saturday, September 10th with with the Garces Foundation and Chef Jose Garces at Luna Farm in Ottsville, Bucks County, PA for one of our last barbecues of summer 2016. This barbecue picnic allowed guests to enjoy the beautiful scenery, good food, and learn more about the Garces Foundation and Luna Farm.
Named for the Garces Family’s adorable Bull Dog and the region’s breathtaking harvest moons, Luna Farm is a sustainable, all-organic 40-acre farm. The farm hosts and caters events seasonally, and supplies our East Coast restaurants with the finest locally grown organic vegetables, fruits, eggs and honey year-round. Much of Luna Farm’s produce can be found at our Philadelphia and Moorestown restaurants. While, Luna Farm is not open to the public on a daily basis, the Farm does host tours and events seasonally. Please view the Garces Foundation website for upcoming event details.
Luna Farm also plays a critical role in supporting the Garces Foundation and its mission: to educate children about the nutritional benefits of sustainable agriculture, meal preparation and healthy eating.
Guests at the farm enjoyed personal tours of the farm, souvenirs from Tito’s Handmade Vodka’s infusion workshops including instruction and a take home jar of your personally crafted infusion, and make and take herb seed plantings. Chef Garces was in attendance to greet guests and sign copies of his cookbooks, The Latin Road Home and Latin Evolution. Guided hiking trails, about a 20 minute walk, were also provided where guests learned more about poisonous and edible plants as well as natural remedies. The barbecue lunch was provided by Garces Group, Rock N Roll BBQ Sauce, Franklin Fountain Ice Cream, and more. We enjoyed refreshments from Fiji water, Fat Tire and Narragansett beer, wine from Chaddsford winery, specialty cocktails made with Tito’s Vodka and Cucumber Rosemary Lemonade.
Our favorite part of any barbecue is obviously the spread. We loved the Pulled Pork Sliders with homemade potato chips, Sausage and Peppers on a onion roll, Hamburgers, Hot dogs, and variety of cold salads including Bean Salad and Potato Salad. To round it all out Franklin Fountain provided Rocky Road and Black Cherry Ice Cream that we devoured quickly.
Our basil and cilantro seedlings were a great souvenir reminding us how the Garces Foundation teaches children the importance of sustainability and organic farming. It was great to see so many children and families taking advantage of this event and the educational aspect it offers. For the adults, the Tito’s infusions were also a nice touch with flavors such as Pineapple Jalapeno, Strawberry Basil, Mixed Berries, and Cucumber Basil. Overall it was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday and left us feeling much better informed about the Garces Foundation and sustainability.
Also See..
- Chef Jose Garces: The Olde Bar in Old City Philly
- Jose Garces' to Open Restaurant 24: 2401 Walnut Street in Philly
