Farm-to-Table
Welcome to Bogle’s Farm-to-Table Guide! As farmers and winemakers from Clarksburg in the Central Valley, the farm-to-fork capital of the world, the cycle of the seasons and harvest is ever present in our life and in our work. Our Home Ranch is nestled in a sleepy community of neighbors and farmers. Dense clay soils and cooling breezes from the Sacramento River combine to make the Delta a remarkable place to grow all sorts of things. The farm-to-table movement is about supporting local communities just as much as it’s about eating fresh, healthy, and seasonal foods. With a community mindset and a local bounty of fresh food, let’s dive into some of our favorite ways to embody farm-to-table this harvest!
Access to Local Produce
Growing your own food, sharing personal harvests with neighbors and friends, and heading to your local farmer’s markets are the best ways to access fresh, seasonal foods.
We are very fortunate to live in such an agriculturally rich area, but not everyone has the local growing communities or the means or time to access it. Check for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, like Farm Fresh to You, in your area for a convenient delivery service of locally grown foods. Alternatively, many grocery stores also have fresh, seasonal, and local food options available. Check for special signage or ask a grocery clerk for help!
Farm to Fork Recipes for Every Season
For many, fall is synonymous with harvest. With it being peak harvesting season, there are innumerable options for fresh produce. A Bogle family favorite on the crisp days of fall is Pumpkin Turkey Chili – it’s perfect to take tailgating or to a holiday potluck. Try it with our Old Vine Zinfandel. For a special treat, also try our Honey Ginger Poached Pears with Crème Fraiche. Serve the pears warm or at room temperature with their sauce and a heaping spoonful of the crème fraiche along with a glass of our classic Chardonnay!
There are so many delicious vegetables that are best harvested in the winter months, especially root vegetables like carrots, turnips, beets, and potatoes. It is also a prime time for many mushrooms, like chanterelles and black trumpets. Check out our Wild Mushroom and Potato Gratin recipe for the perfect farm-to-fork winter meal. Try pairing it with our Pinot Noir, with its bright cherry notes, floral aromatics, hints of sweet herbs and an elegant finish.
Spring harvest is filled with peas, asparagus, and some citrus and lettuces. Our Asparagus Lemon Pasta with Spring Peas is perfect with a slice of crusty French bread and begs to be served with our Sauvignon Blanc.
Try this perfect summer salad with some of summer’s most flavorful produce – corn, avocado, tomatoes, and strawberries. Try pairing with our Rosé with its floral notes on the nose that lead to a round, yet tart mouthfeel, and laden with summer strawberries and juicy Ruby Red grapefruits. For something a little heartier, try making Chicken Cacciatore, which boasts summer tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. Pair with our fan favorite, Essential Red!
Tips for Hosting Farm to Table Gathering
Gathering friends and family over a meal is one of the most sacred and joy-inspiring ways to relish the moments with those you love. Food and wine have a way of bringing people together. With a few small touches of personality and charm, you can make a memorable farm-to-table meal that everyone will enjoy!
Plan a seasonally appropriate menu
Be mindful of the season’s harvest and choose seasonally appropriate items to inspire your menu. Fall is the most common and idyllic season for farm-to-table meals, but you can celebrate the season’s yields any time of year. In addition to season, be aware of place. Local areas may have micro-climates or purveyors of unique or specialty items you may want to highlight or feature. Just remember, keep it simple. The fresh produce or wild game is front and center. There’s no need to use excessive seasonings – just salt, pepper, and maybe some olive oil or balsamic for dressings. And be flexible with any recipes you find. Each dish can be as little as one to just a few ingredients.
Minimize Waste
Be aware of potential waste when hosting a farm-to-fork or farm-to-table gathering. We want to appreciate everything the harvest has given us and be sustainably minded when planning our events. Be minimal in your arrangements, utilize décor you already have, and try to use all the parts of food you prepare. For example, if you are serving up some rainbow chard, instead of throwing away the leaves, use them in a salad. Are you harvesting pumpkin seeds for an appetizer or topping or garnish for a dish? Utilize the carved-out pumpkin as a vase for a beautiful centerpiece or serve up some roasted pumpkin for a side dish. If there is unavoidable waste prepping or after the party, make sure you dispose of things correctly to finish their lifecycle, using the compost and recycling appropriately.
Presentation
If possible, set your dinner up for a family-style meal. Use long tables, benches, chairs, or pillows to get everyone comfortable together. This event is not one for a buffet style dinner – put it all out on the table for people to pass around, share, and keep picking at for the whole, lengthy meal.
- Utilize dishes and vases you already have.
- Use nature to inspire your tablescape and décor.
- Use fresh herbs to garnish the plates and platters of food.
- Find flowers or leaves from your yard or garden to dress your table and seating areas.
- If you don’t have flowers in your garden or a local floral shop you can support, use non-traditional florals such as carrots with their tops or rainbow chard in a glass vase for a beautiful and unique centerpiece.
- Bunch herbs, flowers, or leaves together with twine or string them up from your patio lights for an extra magical scene.
Don’t Forget the Wine!
With a farm-to-fork menu, we want to ensure we choose wines that are food-friendly, compliment the dishes, and help the flavors of the harvest truly shine. Thankfully, there is a Bogle wine fit for every meal and every palate. The wines you choose will depend on the season and what you have access to locally. For fall, the quintessential farm-to-fork season, here are some of our favorites –
Squashes like butternut and pumpkin tend to shine this season. The sweet and earthy flavors of these dishes pair wonderfully with chardonnay. Our classic chardonnay is 50% barrel fermentation and 50% stainless steel fermentation. Layered with notes of green apple, juicy pear and warm baking spices, this well-balanced medium-bodied wine is the perfect fall harvest pairing. For red wine, the light fruity notes in our Pinot Noir balance the sweet earthy notes in squash and complement the freshness in olive oil and fall spices.
For seasonal game meats, such as duck, try our Old Vine Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon. These dense and layered wines complement the intensity and structure of the meat, and the bold flavors can stand up to the pungent flavors of wild game.
After dinner, serve our single vineyard 100% Petite Sirah rubystyle Port with chocolate, fresh fruit, and blue cheese. For an extra special treat, try pouring it over some coffee or pistachio ice cream!
There is nothing sweeter than sharing a meal with family and friends! Don’t forget to pour yourself a glass of your favorite Bogle wine, whatever it may be, and settle in to cherish moments with your loved ones.
Cheers!
