FARM TO CLUB

BY GEOFF SEIFERT EXECUTIVE CHEF

Two to three times a week, you might see a giant Sysco truck at the back of the kitchen. Have you wondered if we get all our products from them? Do the soups come out of a bag? Do the dressings come out of a jar? What about sourcing locally — we are in the bread basket of California? These are all great questions and observations I have heard from the membership.

Let's start with the bread.

We get our bread in almost daily from Genova Bakery in Stockton. Since 1918, Genova has been serving fresh-baked, Italian-style breads. We buy our sliced sandwich bread, dinner rolls, and Focaccia from them. My favorite product is the focaccia we serve during dinner — spongy, a little oily and just the right amount of salt.

Dairy Products

We get our dairy from Challenge Dairy. One of their warehouses is right here in Lodi! Founded in Los Angeles in 1911, they use hormone-free dairy and support more than 600 dairies. We order milk, cream, butter, cheese, eggs, and our orange juice from Challenge. Of course my favorite product is the cream! It’s perfect for making alfredo sauce, fresh whipped cream with berries, and our popular New England Clam Chowder that we make in house every Friday.

Local Produce

We get our produce from Produce Express. A warehouse out of Sacramento that started in 1984, they are committed to providing the freshest products from farms and grows all over California. Almost all of our veggies and fruit come from Produce Express. I appreciate their daily deliveries and the super high quality of their food. I even get specialty products from them, including 73 percent dark chocolate for chocolatecovered strawberries, vanilla paste for our desserts and whipped cream, and fresh pasta made daily from Paragary's. My favorite product is the Chef's blend of mushrooms. With five to six changing varieties such as porcini and oyster mushrooms, it's a great mix we use for sauces and pastas.

Local Beef

Finally — and the Jewel of this list — is Curtis Thomas Beef. We get all of our hamburgers and some of our specialty cut steaks, such as Tomahawks, from Curtis and Lauren Ranchers in Herald. You really cannot get any closer than that when it comes to locally sourced. They grow all angus beef and we get to reap the rewards for all their hard work. I love the flavor of their burgers and their high quality.

The Sysco trucks might be the most visible when they are in our parking lot, but myself and the rest of the chef team do our best to source locally and be diverse in our purchasing power when it comes to the quality of the food we produce here at Woodbridge.