I had a fun time this week in Hotchkiss, learning about local farms and a unique produce distribution system. It’s great when restaurants collaborate with farmers and other producers to create a menu highlighting the amazing food grown in western Colorado. Not only does this mean that we as diners get to eat the freshest and most flavorful ingredients, but that the farms themselves stay in business.
One restaurant that is highly engaged with seasonal cuisine is PARC Aspen — located in the heart of town at 620 E. Hyman Ave. They invited me to spend time with their team as they explored Hotchkiss and Paonia to see where the plants are grown, meet the farmers, discuss menu items and just have a great time together. I was honored to join them and do a deeper dive into the subject.
Stefano Schiaffino is their executive chef and was raised in Lima, Peru, where he apprenticed at one of the top restaurants in Latin America — Malabar. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City and worked at Eleven Madison Park before heading to Aspen and The Little Nell’s Element 47. During the offseason, he studied cuisine and culture in Japan. His cooking style is classical French influenced by his Peruvian background, global cuisines and a great love of local food sourcing.
Our first stop was a lovely place called Abundant Life Organic Farms at 31733 Colorado Highway 92 in Hotchkiss. This family farm has been growing wonderful produce for over 20 years and works with a variety of restaurants. They also sell at farmer’s markets and at their store. It was great to watch the team from PARC Aspen explore the farm and hear more about the various challenges farms face and what goes into growing those beautiful strawberries, basil, tomatoes, carrots and more. I’ve grown up around farms, but for some people it was their first time seeing firsthand the plants growing and people harvesting the abundance.
I was very impressed that the restaurant brought their front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house employees, pastry chefs and a sommelier. They will have a richer sense of these herbs, fruits and vegetables and will be able to describe those flavors to diners while imparting inspiration and creativity in the restaurant.
One of the challenges faced is getting this beautiful food from farms to the restaurants. I learned there is an organization called Farm Runners that is a go-between. Farm Runners is located in Hotchkiss at 235 Colorado Highway 133 and they have a store in addition to their regional distribution business. Restaurants create menus based on the seasonality of the foods and then Farm Runners connects them to the farm that has what they need and delivers it to the restaurant. This saves time for both the restaurants and the farmers and is such a win-win!
Chef Schiaffino noted, “We use Farm Runners produce throughout the menu. We get all the herbs we use from them. We try to source as much as possible from them to cover all the basics. A clear example is the heirloom tomato on the tasting menu, which we highlight with nasturtium (an edible flower) and Colorado strawberries. The whole idea of the dish is to highlight the farmer’s work with the tomato.”
Schiaffino also commented that, “It really depends on the week, (in terms of which farms are used) but that is the beauty of Farm Runners — you connect with so many farms weekly based on what they are offering.”
At lunch time, we ate at the iconic Big B’s just outside of Hotchkiss. Located at 39126 Highway 133 this place is more than a restaurant and specializes in ciders, fruit, camping and concerts. We sat outside under the shade of massive trees and had fun watching various kids — and adults — play on the swings and enjoy a relaxing time in nature.
The PARC team also checked out Zimmerman Farms (10391 3250 Road in Hotchkiss) and High Desert Seed & Garden (39346 Coburn Road in Paonia) during the day. In addition, PARC works with several other western Colorado farms, including Mattics Orchard (8163 High Mesa Road in Olathe) and Figure 8 Farming (39794 Green Tractor Road in Paonia).
Prior to this farm field trip, PARC Aspen’s Chef Schiaffino told me, “The goal of this trip is to create connections. We are trying to get to know farmers and educate the team about the amazing products Colorado offers. As we visit different farms, we will learn about the various methods farmers use on their land and share that knowledge, which has been gained through generations and a deep connection to the land. This trip is done to build team awareness regarding the effort behind the products. This awareness transforms into respect, leading to the maximum advantage and respectful use of the produce.”
Having visited Peru myself several years ago and witnessing the sacred appreciation of the land, the seasons, and the wonderful plants, I look forward to more conversations with Chef Schiaffino and dining at PARC Aspen in the future. In the meantime, I’m definitely going to be checking out all the delicious foods at our local farmer’s markets and savor the bounty of this time of year!
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Dining and Cooking