2017 California Walnut Summit
On September 25th, a group of select chefs and foodservice editors arrived in Sacramento for an exclusive Farm to Fork California Walnut summit. The packed three-day event included multiple opportunities for taste, education, and exploration ranging from multi-course walnut-centric meals at local restaurants, to an orchard harvest tour, to time spent in the kitchen creating new and innovative walnut recipes.
The attendees, who hailed from a variety of restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory and Sonic to editors from magazines like Food Management and Flavor & The Menu, were in for a treat on the first full day of the summit with an orchard tour led by California Walnut Board member, Donald Norene. Norene, the orchard owner and a third generation walnut grower, provided the group with a unique, first-hand look at a walnut harvest cycle from the trees to the table. Some participants were even brave enough to jump right on the tractor and start harvesting themselves! The tour concluded with a family-style luncheon set amongst the trees where walnuts were incorporated into each dish.
The following day, the Art Institute of California – Sacramento hosted the group allowing the chefs to roll up their sleeves and start playing around in the kitchen. Led by California Walnut Board Chef Juliet Greene, participants were able to see and taste the various walnut applications including meat, dairy, and breading/crusting alternatives. California Walnut Board’s Nutrition Consultant Carol Berg-Sloan was also on hand to speak to the nutritional benefits of walnuts. With their newfound understanding of California walnuts, the chefs got busy and created various new dishes incorporating walnuts into some pretty creative applications. Make sure to stay tuned for the new recipes from these chefs!
For more information about this event or if you would like to be considered for the next summit, please email foodservice@walnuts.org
