"There's nothing like watching the food you feed your customers grow," said Eugenio Martignago, executive chef of Carlsbad's West Steak and Seafood and the Bistro West, turning his minivan, gutted of the two back rows of seats, onto a dirt road off El Camino Real. "It's good to know where the food you're serving comes from."
For the past two years, Martignago has been splitting his time between the kitchen and tending to this one-acre plot, where he grows vegetables, fruits and herbs that inspire his dishes at the restaurants three miles west on 4960 Avenida Encinas.
This farm-to-table philosophy has earned the chef and the restaurants rave reviews, fans and articles in local newspapers and publications. It's also led to unexpected benefits for the businesses, such as saving money on buying produce, to creating a strong rapport among the staff at the restaurants.
It started about three years ago, when Martignago convinced the owners of the restaurants to let him take over the abandoned lot, which at that time was overgrown with weeds. With the help of a local farmer, Martignago was able to make use of the land, clearing it of brush and working the soil to make the farming possible.
There was a steep learning curve as he developed his green thumb, and the journey was not without some setbacks, such as the cold weather that froze some of his crops the first year and the crows that started pecking at his strawberries last month, which led to the three scarecrows that now stand guard over the bushes and that appear to have done the trick.
"The first years I spent a lot of time here," Martignago said, but noted that now that he's more experienced the time he spends at the farm has diminished. He does go to the farm daily, to pick the produce and brings them back to the restaurant, and to consult with the gardener that tends to the crops. Staff from the restaurant, and the West Inn & Suites, which is under the same ownership as the restaurants, also spend time at the small farm.
"I had about 20 employees here last weekend, pulling weeds and planting, from chefs to wait staff and some of the housekeepers from the hotel," Martignago said. "All the work is a great team-building exercise."
The benefits don't end there.
Martignago said that the farm saves him about 2 to 3 percent off his yearly cost of food, or roughly $5,000 to $6,000 a month. While the food isn't certified as organic, the chef doesn't use any chemicals or pesticides to the food he grows.
Martignago plants in cycles three months ahead. He's currently planting corn, tomatoes and other crops for the summer, and his spring crops are starting to come in. They include baby lettuce, baby carrots, zuchinnis, sugar snap peas, fava beans, strawberries and a combination of herbs.
After picking up his produce, Martignago goes back to the restaurants and starts working on the menu. While the West Steak and Seafood uses some of the pickings, the majority of them go to the Bistro, where they complement the menu. Some of the dishes they go to include zucchini flowers stuffed with goat cheese, beet salads and seasonal garden fetuccine.
Martignago said it's a dream come true to have the farm, which allows him to be flexible and creative in the kitchen.
"As a chef, you're connected to the ground, and it's fun to see the food go from seed to the plate," he said. "The flexibility that comes with it is a great luxury."
For the past two years, Martignago has been splitting his time between the kitchen and tending to this one-acre plot, where he grows vegetables, fruits and herbs that inspire his dishes at the restaurants three miles west on 4960 Avenida Encinas.
This farm-to-table philosophy has earned the chef and the restaurants rave reviews, fans and articles in local newspapers and publications. It's also led to unexpected benefits for the businesses, such as saving money on buying produce, to creating a strong rapport among the staff at the restaurants.
It started about three years ago, when Martignago convinced the owners of the restaurants to let him take over the abandoned lot, which at that time was overgrown with weeds. With the help of a local farmer, Martignago was able to make use of the land, clearing it of brush and working the soil to make the farming possible.
There was a steep learning curve as he developed his green thumb, and the journey was not without some setbacks, such as the cold weather that froze some of his crops the first year and the crows that started pecking at his strawberries last month, which led to the three scarecrows that now stand guard over the bushes and that appear to have done the trick.
"The first years I spent a lot of time here," Martignago said, but noted that now that he's more experienced the time he spends at the farm has diminished. He does go to the farm daily, to pick the produce and brings them back to the restaurant, and to consult with the gardener that tends to the crops. Staff from the restaurant, and the West Inn & Suites, which is under the same ownership as the restaurants, also spend time at the small farm.
"I had about 20 employees here last weekend, pulling weeds and planting, from chefs to wait staff and some of the housekeepers from the hotel," Martignago said. "All the work is a great team-building exercise."
The benefits don't end there.
Martignago said that the farm saves him about 2 to 3 percent off his yearly cost of food, or roughly $5,000 to $6,000 a month. While the food isn't certified as organic, the chef doesn't use any chemicals or pesticides to the food he grows.
Martignago plants in cycles three months ahead. He's currently planting corn, tomatoes and other crops for the summer, and his spring crops are starting to come in. They include baby lettuce, baby carrots, zuchinnis, sugar snap peas, fava beans, strawberries and a combination of herbs.
After picking up his produce, Martignago goes back to the restaurants and starts working on the menu. While the West Steak and Seafood uses some of the pickings, the majority of them go to the Bistro, where they complement the menu. Some of the dishes they go to include zucchini flowers stuffed with goat cheese, beet salads and seasonal garden fetuccine.
Martignago said it's a dream come true to have the farm, which allows him to be flexible and creative in the kitchen.
"As a chef, you're connected to the ground, and it's fun to see the food go from seed to the plate," he said. "The flexibility that comes with it is a great luxury."