November 29, 2016 – “This is the one. Maybe the best OITF event ever!” read the caption of the photo Outstanding in the Field posted on their Instagram account about the event at Big Sur Land Trust’s Glen Deven Ranch. “The day, the place, the people, the food…it really was as good as it gets.”
Outstanding in the Field (OITF) founder, Jim Denevan, admitted that he almost regretted declaring that. “I’ve never said that before – ‘best event ever’ – because I don’t like to think there’s a hierarchy of events.”
Still, the caption remained. And Chef Brett Cooper, of Aster and the featured chef at the Glen Deven Ranch dinner, echoed the sentiment, “The weather was so perfect. There was no wind. It was beautiful and warm and sunny. Everything played out perfectly. Everything went right.”
Denevan created OITF in 1999 to connect, or reconnect, guests to their food. Through the past seventeen years, they have set their table in all fifty states, in a dozen countries, and for nearly a thousand events. He wanted to showcase the local farmers and food artisans whose efforts bring ingredients to the plate by setting a communal table at the source of the food. He wanted to change the food culture by bringing the chef and the farmer and the general public closer together.
In this case, 120 guests plus people from OITF, Big Sur Land Trust, Aster, Corral de Tierra Cattle Company, Kunin Wines, Fort Point Beer Company, and TwoXSea converged high atop a coastal ridge between Carmel and Big Sur. OITF didn’t name the spot on its website, but described it as an extraordinary secret setting. “Every direction is majesty – ocean, forest, grassland, 360 degree views; it’s all here.”
I’ve long read about this roving culinary adventure – a restaurant without walls – but have never had a chance to attend until this month when OITF hosted an event at the Big Sur Land Trust’s Glen Deven Ranch. Jeannette Tuitele-Lewis, President and CEO of the Big Sur Land Trust (BSLT), explains that their organization has conserved over 40,000 acres. “We’ve given land to state parks and regional parks. But we retain properties that are special places.”
Glen Deven Ranch is one such place. In 2001 Dr. Seeley and Virginia Mudd bequeathed the 860-acre property to BSLT because they wanted to both conserve and inspire. Tuitele-Lewis described how Virginia Mudd’s dream was for the Ranch to share the landscape with people. Mudd’s dream and the Land Trust’s mission align perfectly at Glen Deven Ranch. Throughout the summer, the Ranch hosts youth nature camps which are largely attended by teens from the Salinas Valley. “For many,” Tuitele-Lewis said, “this is their very first opportunity to connect with land and nature, to sleep under the stars, to enjoy quiet time and consider the possibilities.”
BSLT has also maintained the tradition of the Ranch partnering with the neighboring community. It serves as an emergency way station for the residents of Palo Colorado during fires or floods. In fact, from where the tables were set, we could see the jagged lines that were handcut to prevent the recent Soberanes Fire from consuming the entire hillside. Tuitele-Lewis said, “The Ranch was integral to defending the canyon during the fire. You can see the drastic, beautiful, scary power of fire. It’s a reminder that we are vulnerable.”
Against that dramatic backdrop, Cooper and his team served eight different dishes, including Devoto Orchards Arkansas black apple with smoked Klingman Ranch pork belly; Laguna Farm forono beets with Flying Disc Ranch dates, olives, pecans, and preserved Hamada Farms Meyer lemon; and smoked TwoXSea black cod salad with First Light Farm fennel, Hamada Farms mandarin, and shiso.
Cooper featured beef from Mark Farr’s Corral de Tierra Cattle Company in two different dishes. Farr’s cattle graze two BSLT locations, including Glen Deven Ranch. Cooper said, “I was overcome by the beauty of the wonderful history – the story of the Ranch and the generations of people running cattle in Big Sur.”
Farr’s cattle began grazing BSLT’s Arroyo Seco Ranch four years ago and Glen Deven Ranch two years after that. Accessing 30 acres at Glen Deven, over the course of five months, Farr explained that the coastal operation is a nice fit because “fog produces a good quality grass and grazing animals create vivacious ecosystems and reduce fire fuel.”
When I asked what he thought of Cooper’s beef tartare with heirloom Organic Gardens radish, Happy Quail Farms umeboshi, and furikake on a rye cracker and the beef over Tierra Vegetables marrow fat bean stew with sea lettuce and cabbage, Farr answered, “It was amazingly delicious.” Admitting that it’s always nerve-wracking to drop off meat because it’s a reflection of his company, Farr spoke of Cooper with admiration. “This entire dinner menu was dreamed up by Brett. And working with one cow is difficult. I gave him four different whole cuts and he broke them down himself.”
The passion on the part of all the participants was evident – Denevan’s mission to bring producers and consumers to the same table; Cooper’s culinary creativity that earned him a Michelin star within one year of opening Aster; Farr’s dedication to producing high quality, grass-fed beef while embracing sustainable land stewardship; and the Big Sur Land Trust’s commitment to preserving and sharing the beauty of all its holdings.
Even the diners displayed remarkable determination to be there. More than a few people flew from out of state to attend. “We barely made it,” I overheard one man say in the shuttle to the Ranch. “Our flight from Chicago was delayed and, then, we hit traffic on the way from the airport.” People drove from the Los Angeles area that afternoon; and one couple who were making a week-long vacation out of the trip actually booked two back-to-back OITF events while they were here.
Having only been to one OITF event, I can’t say whether it was the best event ever. But I will say that there certainly was some alchemy on that bluff that evening. The fog started to roll in as we sat down for our first course. But it stayed at bay for the duration of the dinner, allowing us to revel in the drama of the coastline and witness the sun transform the sky to a vibrant persimmon orange as it dipped into the Pacific Ocean. It was magical.
About the author
Camilla M. Mann has crammed a lot of different jobs into four decades: florist, waitress, SCUBA divemaster, stock photo agency manager, stroller fitness teacher, writer, editor, and au pair. But, if she had to distill who she is today – tree-hugging, veggie-crunching, jewelry-designing mean mommy who loves to cook but hates to clean. Thankfully her husband and their boys clean like champs. Her current culinary goal: grow conscientious, creative kids with fearless palates! She blogs at culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com
