Discovering Capay Valley & a picnic lunch at Riverdog Farm {Nopalize Seasons}

Nopalize Seasons Riverdog Farm

Last Thursday came with a generous invitation : to join Chef Laurence Jossel of Nopa & the Nopalize team for their second Nopalize Seasons event - a curated series of unique events and excursions.  All events share a common goal, offering access to local growers, producers, makers to help discover the origins of our food.

After working on the Nopalize re-design for weeks, it was a welcome reward - and perfect excuse to escape the office for  day. The day's destination was stunning Capay Valley, a tour of Riverdog Farm & an amazing picnic lunch prepared with Riverdog Farm produce & meats by Chef Laurence Jossel & team. 

After meeting at Nopa over fresh baked cardamom buns and Blue Bottle coffee, we embarked on the two hour drive to stunning Capay Valley, a narrow slice of farmland heaven hidden between the mountain ridges of western Yolo County. The Valley is home to some of the more well known farms providing organic produce and meat to farmers markets & restaurants in the Bay Area.

While I had often read the name, this was my first time venturing to Capay Valley …

Arriving at Riverdog Farm, we were greeted by Trini Campbell and Tim Mueller for a walk around their farm, stopping along the way to visit the happy free range chickens roaming the green pasture and admiring Riverdog's incredible variety of late summer produce at the sorting barn and sprouting in the shade houses.

After the farm tour we got to sit down at a long picnic table under an old walnut tree, taking in the views of the farm fields and surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains, while Chef Laurence Jossel fired up the grill with fragrant almond wood ...

 

the menu.

~ tomato and melon salad with feta and basil

~ green beans, shaved fennel, black olives and fire roasted Riverdog peppers

~ Riverdog pork chops, grilled over almond wood

~ roasted Riverdog peaches with chocolate sea salt cookies

{Happy Birthday, Chef!}

More information about upcoming Nopalize Seasons events here