From the land to your plate: Louie Gutierrez x Carlos Tigas

It’s a food concept, nay a movement that traces the journey of food—from the land, where it was grown, to your plate; from the soil to your soul. It’s more than a trend—it’s a burning commitment to the community, the environment, and to agriculture sustainability.

Urban Farmers PH and Project Vino Reserve have teamed up to give us a fresh taste of that farm-to-table experience. Imagine assorted produce picked fresh from a nearby farm (no need to travel far), or sourced directly from a farmer, and then thoughtfully made into the most delicious, nutritious dishes in the posh kitchen of Project Vino Reserve at the Proscenium in Rockwell, Makati.

Trust Carlos Tigas, the young, innovative head chef of Project Vino Reserve, to come up with the freshest, palate-tickling ideas just for this limited offering that runs until Oct. 31.

Think—and eat—green 

Start off with Grilled Greens with Burnt Onion Cream—a dazzling medley of grilled romaine hearts, burnt onion cream (from onion skin), tomato confit, crispy Talilom leaves (good for heart health), charred eggplant, and finished with extra virgin olive oil. So pristine fresh there’s nary a leaf left in our salad after wiping it clean of its robust onion dressing. Truly, in onion, there is strength.

The second course consists of Roasted Vegetables Flatbread, or what I’d call a rectangular pizza carefully sliced into eight pieces. The crusty flatbread is layered with rich pomodoro sauce and a happy mix of slow-cooked vegetable confit—eggplant, onions, tomato, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, and olives—generously topped with alfalfa sprouts for that earthy, crispy bite.

To cleanse the palate and give way to hearty chatter, an Orange-Tarragon Granita is served. What a refreshing respite to wash away the day’s blah! Orange-flavored shaved ice is drizzled with tarragon, juicy orange supremes, and a touch of citrus zest for a bright, fragrant drink.

Then comes the Pesto Pasta, a flavorful platter full of sweet Italian basil blended with roasted cashew nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, olive oil, and a hint of lemon juice, finished with a drizzle of fragrant basil oil.

The thing with farm-to-table is that you can not only taste the crispiness of the food, like it was freshly picked from the field, but also smell its earthy fragrance.

A partnership made in food heaven

“Partnerships with restaurants like Project Vino Reserve provide guaranteed ingredient freshness, build unique dining experiences, and support food security,” says Louie Gutierrez, corporate guy-turned-gentleman farmer who, long ago, traded his air-conditioned office for the sun-soaked green field.

During the 2020 lockdowns, Louie turned an unused lot into an urban farm for his family and to provide jobs for displaced workers. Fast forward to the present, Urban Farmers PH has taught and inspired people and communities.

The amiable Marian Sangil, Urban Farmers PH business development officer, shares with us the challenges and joys of maintaining one’s own farm and how it addresses the issues of expensive produce and the low consumption of fruits and veggies among Filipinos (I can almost hear my beloved mother nagging me as a kid, “Eat your vegetables!”). 

Urban Farmers PH Partnerships Team volunteer Dennie Vista tells us how volunteering has helped her de-stress from her workaday job. “It gives me peace and happiness,” she exclaims.