september/ october In the spring of 2010 Ken Frank received a call from Cassandra Walker from the City of Napa asking if he and others could help save the gardens at the former Copia: American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts. The center’s bankruptcy had left the four-acre manicured gardens largely unattended and neglected. T“Using local fresh ingredients is important to my philosophy in cooking,” says Frank, “and I saw an opportunity for other local chefs to do the same.” Frank and his wife, who is a gardener and florist, got to work and spent six months cleaning up the property and buying the initial round of crops at the local farmers’ market. “We had to recondition the soil and brought in 75-80 yards of good soil,” said Sherylle. “Ken also found items on the property to reuse as trellises, including the iron pipes you can see running along the rows.” Chef Frank invited other downtown restaurateurs to participate in the garden, breaking the property into parcels on a first come-first served basis. Each chef decides what they are going to plant and maintains their own garden. Currently there are nine restaurants involved in the Copia Community Gardens: La Toque/ Bank Café & Bar, Fish Story, Zuzu, Oenotri, The Thomas at Fagiani, Ca’ Momi, Kitchen Door, Carpe Diem and Hog Island Oysters. “We made a promise to keep everything organic,” he added. Sherylle is responsible for the upkeep of La Toque/Bank’s three parcels. “Chef tells me what he wants in the garden and I figure out where to plant it,” she said. This is the fourth growing season for the resurrected gardens, and according to Chef Frank, 2013 was a good year. “Last year was a challenge weatherwise, but this year we have been blessed with a growing season that was particularly good,” he said. “We have gotten over 1,000 pounds of Lunga di Napoli squash, and fifty percent of our tomatoes have come from the garden. We are hoping this year we will get enough pickling cucumbers to put a pickle on every one of our hamburgers for the next year.” The key to the success for Chef Frank and his garden is he picky about what he grows. “I try not to plant anything that I can get from my local food purveyors,” said Chef Frank. “I also plant items that are expensive to buy, like tomatoes or fruits and vegetables that are not available. This helps put a dent in our food expenses at the restaurant as well as providing our customers with seasonal fresh organic produce.” His garden is filled with an eclectic array of specialty peppers, squash, and melons, including two French varietals, Charentais and Cavaillon, as well as pumpkins to make his Rouge d’Etampe soup. You can find Chef Ken most Wednesday and Sunday mornings in the gardens during harvest selecting the next few days’ fare along with Sous Chef Mathew Mullowney. “It’s a good feeling knowing where this produce comes from,” said Mullowney. “We can walk here from the restaurant, which cuts down on our carbon footprint, and we are doing the right thing for the environment.” “The Downtown Napa food scene has become equal to that of Yountville and St. Helena in the last few years,” said Chef Frank. “People are embracing eating better and that is reflective in how big the Napa Farmers’ Market has gotten. I’m glad to see more and more restaurants adding fresh local organic ingredients to their menus. It’s a win-win for everyone.” Sherylle Frank with heirloom tomatoes september/ october 2 0 1 3 4 9 Article and photos by Kari Ruel Chef Ken Frank with a Lunga di Napoli squash La Toque Executive Sous Chef Matthew Mullowney Sunflowers in the garden
NVLife_SeptOct_2013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above