In October 2012, Eat Retreat was held on a working farm in California where we pressed fresh olive oil, hacked pie baking and honed our palates with guided tastings.
Eat Retreat is like summer camp; the true value isn’t so much learning how to canoe, it’s creating a lifelong memory with the people that were in your canoe when it flipped over in the lake. Mike Lee, Eat Retreat alumni & founder of StudioFeast
Workshop Highlights
Eat Retreat was held on a working farm with attendee-led activities focused on animal husbandry and sustainable food.
Whole Lamb Butchery
Andrew Plotsky showed us how to break down a lamb, which was raised on Hidden Villa’s pastures. Attendees cooked the whole animal for our first meal together.
Hands-On Slaughter
Under the guidance of Heather Marold Thomason each Eat Retreater harvested a chicken, destined for a buttermilk bath.
Salmon Smoking
Neil Davidson used local salmon to demonstrate the Native American fish smoking ceremony celebrated by his family.
The Los Altos Hills Team
Kathryn Tomajan
Kathryn Tomajan farms three acres of olives in Sunol, California. She is a certified olive oil taster and the maker of Fat Gold.
Emily Davidson
Cheesemaker
Nate Keller
Chef
If Eat Retreat is a snapshot of where food culture is going, it’s a future I can’t wait to get to.
Jesse Friedman, Eat Retreat alumni & founder of Almanac Beer Co.