Tuesday, June 26, 2012

A Visit To Philo Apple Farm

One of the highlights of my five day road trip was a visit to Philo Apple Farm, located two hours north of San Francisco in the little village of Philo in Anderson Valley, California.

I joined the girlfriends for a cooking class led by the proprietor, Karen, whose parents once owned the famous French Laundry before selling it to Thomas Keller.

This is a true working farm, with apple orchards, chickens, goats and cows, to name a few.

We all met under the mulberry tree for refreshments to hear just what we would be cooking.
Basically, we were to cook our lunch!

The kitchen was my favorite part. 
 Complete with a glass front commercial refrigerator, gas stove, three islands... 

...and a pantry to die for!

Culinary collectibles, like copper pots and old crockery were everywhere.

I notice stuff like this, what can I say!

The menu:
Chicken curry with cucumber and yogurt.

Toasted pumpkin seeds, cubed avocado and currents on the side.
Plus, a sampling of chutneys from the farm.

An appetizer of sliced radish, straight from the garden, on a seeded slice of bread with fresh soft cow's cheese, freshly made.  Heavenly!

We made an apricot tart for dessert.

How is that for perfection!

And the final result! 
Our lunch, which we ate under the shade of the mulberry tree.

Afterwards, we explored the grounds.  I thought this seating area was adorable.
It was made out of apple crates!

Beyond, you can see a little cabin.
There are three available, each one with its own unique decor.

This one is called "The Red Door."

The "Room With A View" cottage.

 For more information about Philo Apple Farm, visit their website here.

It is definitely worth a visit!

Photos 1 and 2, Flickr
Photos 17, 18, 19 and 20, Philo Apple Farm
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9 comments:

Our French Inspired Home said...

What a charming little place. You are right that pantry is amazing. I assume the tart was as wonderful as it looks!

Terri~terrileeauthor said...

What a fun day.
The apricot tart looks 'professional'. But even better that you get to eat the 'fruits of your lablor'. Great job. This is exactly the kind of day I would enjoy with my girlfriends, in such a lovely setting. I'm sure there was lots of laughter and bonding over the making of your lunch.

French Basketeer.com said...

LOVE the crate seating; great idea, and of course the copper!

Libby said...

Looks absolutely wonderful.. and the food!
What a very nice way to spend some time with friends...

Karen said...

Delores,
I've never heard of this charming place and I've lived in California all of my life...I will book mark this for future trips up north. Thank you. The plate looks delicious. What a fun event.
Karen

carolyn bradford said...

What a fun thing to do! This all looked amazing! The food looks incredible as does the farm itself! Loved the apple crate seating area and the Mulberry Tree! :) I think I need one planted outside of my shop!! Mulberry Heights! That would be nice! Glad you had such a fun time!

Babs said...

Philo Apple Farm looks like a great place to visit. The pantry would be something I'd love, too. The seating area made from apple crates is certainly a good way to recycle the boxes, and they look really comfy. Glad you had a great visit.
Babs

Mr Paul said...

Sounds wonderful Delores, just the sort of trip we'd enjoy. Lunch looks delicious. Did you have an overwhelming urge to rearrange any vignettes?
Paul

Sarah said...

Delores, looks like a fun time and a beautiful place to visit. I've added it to my notes. It also reminds me of a cooking retreat near here in the TX hill country. Such a fun way to spend time with girlfriends.

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