This art was created by one of our Full Diet members as a way of expressing her gratitude for this farm and food it produces to feed her family. Big LOVE

Kitchen Conversations

This spring we hosted a pop-up dinner with Chef Adrien Calmel, and as often happens to me after a great meal, I left with more questions than answers.

After the event, Adrien and I stood around talking ingredients and technique, and I realized these are exactly the conversations I want to bring to all of you.

So, welcome to Kitchen Conversations.

My hope is that these exchanges bridge the gap between the chefs who visit the farm and the people who sustain it. That they spark conversations around the table and inspire you to try something new.

Mel: One of my biggest takeaways from your pop-up was your ability to layer flavor—especially through sauces. That roasted allium spread from the first course has been living in my head ever since. It started sweet, then unfolded into something deeper, with that subtle heat arriving right at the end. Total wow factor.

Now, to be fair, I’m not expecting anyone (myself included) to recreate:
Savory tartlet, prosciutto mousse, fava beans, herb gelée, tempura artichoke, roasted alliums…

But I do want to encourage people to have a few go-to elements—something they can keep in their back pocket to elevate a meal or quietly impress a dinner guest. (Or, in my case, something you eat on absolutely everything until you’re scraping the last bit out with a rubber spatula.)

So to start:
Can you walk us through your roasted allium spread—how you approach it, where the idea came from, and how you might use it in a simple home-cooked meal?

Adrien: To make the charred allium sauce, I char onions until they’re deeply blackened on one side, then blend them with cooked celery root, cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, salt, and lime juice.

I’m really drawn to the non-intuitive use of ingredients we’d normally consider “burnt.” Not everything benefits from that treatment, but certain vegetables can develop a really compelling depth when pushed that far, especially when used in moderation. Onions are a great example.

The idea comes from a vegetable stock I learned to make. A chef I worked for in France wanted to build more body without using animal products, so he would sear one side of an onion until completely black and add it to the stock as it reduced. That technique stuck with me, and I’ve adapted it into my cooking whenever I want to add depth or richness.

If you’re trying this at home, don’t be afraid of high heat. People tend to stir constantly, but letting ingredients sit undisturbed allows sugars to caramelize properly and unlock deeper flavors.

This tip is aptly timed. You all know that we are at the end of our shallot season, so grab a few extra and give this method a try. Adrien swears by running the viatmix for 3 minutes, so if you’re noise averse like me, grab your airpods, set a timer and walk away. Then return to magic.