Farm To Table

Today, we spent an absolutely fascinating morning with the resort's chef, Daniel Hurtado. We loaded a basket and a cooler into the back of a car, and drove inland to a couple of different farms which supply the hotel with fresh, organic micro greens, vegetables, and fruit. We gathered some basil, cilantro, and flat leaf parsley at one place, and then picked pineapples at another. After that, we drove to the local fish market on the wharf at one of the villages where we picked up two fresh (and very feisty!) lobsters and a tuna that had been swimming in the ocean not an hour before.

We drove back to the hotel, and went to the kitchen, where Chef Daniel instructed us in the making of a delicious pineapple gazpacho with shrimp ceviche, the most scrumptious tuna sashimi with soy sauce and wasabi, and a poached lobster tail with micro greens salad, aioli, and baby vegetables. We then got to eat the fruits of our labours for lunch! To top it all off, he surprised us with a dessert of caramelized plantains with raspberry and chocolate sauce and banana ice cream. I don't think I'll ever need to eat again!

What a fantastic experience -- not many tourists get a chance to see this side of island life.