Regions: California | Winter

This 5-acre oasis of organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers located just on the border of Joshua Tree National Park is surrounded by a gorgeous desert landscape and is known for its fabulous sunsets as well as its fabulous produce. Host farmers Eric and Gardenia run an impressive operation that provides weekly produce boxes to communities across the valley. They’re an inspiring and dedicated bunch, and we can’t wait to hear more about what they’re up to on the farm tour.

“Dos Pueblos,” meaning “Two Villages,” was named by Juan Cabrillo, who landed along this stretch of coastline in 1542, where the Mikiw and Kutamu tribes had settled on both sides of the canyon. What was once the largest orchid farm in the world is now a stunning 50-acre property rich with history, known for its glorious glass-paned greenhouse, and an awe-inducing view of the Pacific. What a magnificent place to dine al fresco. Especially when chef Jason Neroni is in the field kitchen. After spending time in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens including Le Cirque and El Bulli, he opened several successful spots of his own across the West Coast before settling in at The Rose. There, he’s known for globally inspired Southern California cuisine sourced from an abundance of area farms.

We love setting the table in this beautiful olive grove in Southern California with our farmer friends Catherine and Thom — and this is the first time we’ll get to see the grove in the winter! When we visited back in August, the olives were ripening and nearly ready to pick. Now, those same olives have been pressed and the oil is bottled and ready to taste at the table while we dine beneath their branches. Catherine and Thom make some of the spiciest and most scrumptious olive oil around and guest chef Travis Skiward of Callie Restaurant in San Diego knows just what to do with it. His menus feature diverse flavors from across the Mediterranean coast, plus lots of local fish and produce of course. In winter, that might mean radicchio, citrus fruits, persimmons and other glorious things that grow nearby.

This vibrant ecological oasis in San Juan Capistrano is an undeniably beautiful place to set the long table. The 28-acre bounty of organic vegetables, fruit trees, and flowers is surrounded by a swath of rolling hills and is close enough to the coast to catch a whiff of the sea. It’s also quite inspiring to hear from host farmer Evan Marks, a visionary when it comes to building a more sustainable, community-driven future. He converted this once vacant lot into the bountiful agricultural center it is today. And he continues to serve the community through educational programming, community outreach, farm apprenticeships and festivities. We’ll honor that vision with a shared meal from chefs Ashley and Tyler Wells, the enthusiastic and talented team behind L.A.’s beloved All Time. Their unique and colorful menus are known to showcase the glorious local produce of Southern California — so they’re sure to have some fun with the winter bounty at The Ecology Center.

 

On our second night at Dos Pueblos, we welcome chef team Lauren Herman and Christina Olufson to this coastal dreamscape. Lauren and Christina have quite the culinary chops between the two of them, including long tenures at Suzanne Goin’s a.o.c. and Luques in L.A. The couple opened Bossie’s Kitchen in Santa Barbara in The Live Oak Dairy building, a Milpas Street landmark built in the last phase of Art Deco in the late 1930’s. At Bossie’s, they’re committed to sourcing local and organic ingredients from the abundance of area farms.