I don’t know if you remember, but in September Brad was auctioned off at Weiser Farms right in front of my very eyes.

After bidding hit about $200, I realized I could no longer afford my husband.  I was going to have to share.

For a good cause, of course.

A lunch for 8 at Coleman Family Farms was sold to the buyer who had $1400 for Alex’s Lemonade Stand.  They scheduled and planned, and then rescheduled for after the crazy holiday season – which ended up being yesterday.

With me and the Barolo Joe guys in tow, Brad put together a 5 course lunch for what turned into a group of 16.

We drove up to Carpinteria super early (for us), explored the farm a little, and then hand-picked fresh greens, flowers and herbs for lunch.

Then, it was off to the races.  We set up and prepped…

…and prepared the most amazing five courses for the lucky sixteen people around the table.

The Menu:

Snapper Crudo with serrano, kumquat, mint and lime.

Leafy Farm Green Salad with blood oranges, fennel, balsamic vinaigrette and almonds.

Hand Cut Linguini with farm herbs, white wine and parmesan.

Manilla Clams with cherry tomatoes, garlic and lemon.

Whole Braised Oxtail with sprouting broccoli, radish and bordelaise.

Weiser Farms Potato Salad with Wooley bacon.

Strawberry Tart with honey, flowering thyme and vanilla ice cream.

I seriously wish I were sitting at that table.

xoxo