Farm to Table

     Today begins the first day of our last block, Farm to Table also known as Ethical and Sustainable.   Six more weeks of classes, and we're off to our externships!  This adventure has certainly flown by.  It was questionable whether I would get to this point, but here I am.  
    We started our day by meeting our new chef in our new kitchen, which used to be the Broker Inn in Boulder.  Then we headed to Waste Farmers in Arvada.  We have a farm day each week which is usually Monday and scheduled from 7:30am to 5:30pm.  We arrived at the farm around 9am and had an hour tour of the farm operations.  Their focus is on permaculture and reduced carbon footprint.  Nothing is done with a tractor, all man power.  After an hour and a half of informative but sedentary lecture, we were ready to get our hands dirty.
    It had threatened rain all day, but never produced.  As soon as we started clearing out the beds, the skies opened up and dumped rain on us and did not let up.  Apparently it was not meant to be a farm day for us.  
     On non farm days, we will be cooking without recipes using what ever farm to table produce/ingredients we get.  We will be butchering a whole pig and using it from head to tail.  At the end of this block, we will produce a culmination dinner for our family and friends with seasonal produce, a budget, and our own menu designs.  This is the block that sets Escoffier apart from other culinary schools.