Laurie Berger
A Date with Outstanding in the Field at Flying Disc Ranch
Laurie Berger, Coachella Magazine Food Editor
It’s a 93-degree October afternoon and I’m headed to Thermal, CA for a “hot date.”
The occasion? Harvest season at Flying Disc Ranch, one of Coachella Valley’s oldest date farms. In celebration of the ranch’s 40th anniversary, Outstanding in the Field was producing a “farm-to-table” pop-up showcasing – you guessed it, dates!
This was no ordinary dinner. An outdoor, multi-course feast for 200, it rivalled anything I’ve ever seen at a farm-to-table restaurant—or anywhere.
As pop-up dinners go, Outstanding in the Field is the gold standard. Founded in 1999 by Santa Cruz-based environmental artist/chef Jim Denevan (think Christo), this “restaurant without walls” stages 100+ sell-out dinners annually around the world.
At $250 a plate, it’s a one-night-only “work of art,” staged in corn fields, barns, wineries, piers, mountaintops, seashores—and at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where it returns for the 6th year in 2019.
“Experience tells us that people want to know where their food comes from, meet local farmers and have a ‘taste of place,’” Denevan told Coachella Magazine. “We give them that communal experience.”
With that in mind, I took my seat at the table, broke bread with people from all walks of life, and learned what “eating out” is really all about.
The Setting: An Oasis in the Desert
The eastern edge of the Coachella Valley produces 90% of the country’s dates – and some the best-tasting varieties. Dates thrive in this hot Middle Eastern climate, but humans…not so much.
As a newbie to the ag-dining scene, I’m already regretting my basic black wardrobe choice and heavy knapsack (other guests knew the drill and dressed for outdoor weather, in light summer wear, sun gear and hiking boots).
“This area definitely has a hot reputation, but Flying Disc is well shaded,” says Denevan. “Weather and unexpected elements are part of dining in the field. You have to prepare for it.” (I wasn’t).
I’m greeted by a perky field ambassador in a flowered sundress (and the de rigueur hiking boots). She checked me in, put my knapsack in a little red wagon (it’s safe here, she assured) and pointed me to the “cocktail area,” where guests were cooling off with libations and small bites.
Bartenders poured chilled white wine, “welcome” mocktails and a citrusy “hard” kombucha while servers wove through the crowd with trays of sweet and savory appetizers: Bacon-wrapped dates, cauliflower “pizza” and charred corn esquites.
The Farmers: Robert Lower and Christina Kelso
As guests munched and mingled, Flying Disc farmers Robert Lower and Christine Kelso gave a short talk, answered questions about the ranch, then took the group on tour of their lush date garden. Farmers are the real stars of these events. And Lower and Kelso were educational, articulate—and entertaining.
We learned that Flying Disc harvests 16 different types of dates each season (because every seed planted creates a new variety), that there are male and female trees, and that Lower prefers his dates in scrambled eggs while Kelso recommends pairing them with avocado, butter, cheese and other high-fat foods.
Another fun fact: The farm was named after a frisbee. “That’s what we played growing up in Santa Barbara,” he explained. “The plan was to build a frisbee field and museum here but that never happened.”
I spent time chatting with the grey-bearded Lower, who started the farm in 1974 and now harvests 100,000 pounds of fruits annually. The ranch uses an ecodynamic, or “vegan” farming method involving living mulch, which increase ripening time and makes the fruit sweeter, softer and more nutritious.
“It’s an edible forest,” said Lower, pointing to the date, citrus, fig, mango and pomegranate trees surrounding the ranch entrance. “Much of this will be used in tonight’s dinner.”
The Table: A Work of Art
At every Outstanding in the Field dinner, there’s a “peek” experience. It’s the moment you see the epic table with its crisp white tablecloth and line of blond-wood chairs stretching endlessly into the distance. In real life, it was as insta-worthy as the photos. #nofilter!
Artfully composed platters of artisan breads, bowls of date and olive tapenade, and terrines of “California dip” nested in baby radishes lined the table like a Rembrandt still life. Wine goblets, candles and menus tucked into folded cloth napkins seemed poised for festivity.
As the sun dipped behind the San Jacinto mountains and stars rose in the desert sky, guests were escorted to the table and invited to take plates from one of two different piles: Yours and Ours. It’s an unspoken custom among frequent field diners to bring their own plates.
We took our seats, and friendly servers delivered course after family-style course of farm-fresh food, each paired with a different varietal from Paso Robles’ Bodega de Edgar. No worries about food hogging – there was plenty to go around.
The Chef: Joshua Han, Ace Hotel & Swim Club – Palm Springs.
At each stop, Outstanding in the Field partners with top regional chefs. For this feast, Coachella Valley “homeboy” Joshua Han, executive sous chef at the Ace Hotel was at the helm, demonstrating the versatility of the valley’s nutritious ancient fruit with an eclectic 4-course menu.
Prepping in a “field kitchen” under extreme desert heat seemed like a recipe for dining disaster. But Chef Han and his crew seemed cool as cucumbers, juggling platters of starters, salads and sides while tending to bubbling vats of lamb shank atop hot-coal grills.
Watching the team hard at work, I asked Chef Han, “How do you keep this dish hot?” “I like to cook “a la minute,” as much as possible,” he said. “I don’t want my food to sit and get muddled. Guests should eat the food as it’s cooked.”
It helps to have a crew of talented friends – Zach Maisano (Animal), Charlie Midencey (Dodger Stadium Food), Marco Arreguin (Taco Maria) and Daniel Rodriguez (Ace Hotel Palm Springs).
“I couldn’t do it without them,” he said.
The Food: A Sweet and Savory Journey
To appreciate this dinner, you need to know about dates. Like fine wine, each type has its own color, texture, flavor and sweetness profile. And Chef Han orchestrated the perfect flavor balance for each dish.
“Before writing the menu, I tasted the dates, rating them on a 1-5 scale of sweetness,” he explained. Medjool (the most common date sold in the US), Deglet Noor, Barhi, Dayri, Zahidi, Halawi and Khadrawi all played roles in this sweet symphony.
“You typically use dates in place of brown sugar or honey—how much depends on the desired sweetness of the dish,” he added. “I applied more acid to accentuate the roundness you can achieve with these sweet fruits.”
First course: Roasted beet salad. Flecked with ribbons of red dandelion greens, goat cheese crumbles and spiced pecans, this course looked like a typical California beet salad. But the sherry-shallot-vinaigrette and date-apple butter dressing was a game changer. The sweet pink topping tamed the beet’s earthiness while the cheese and nuts complimented the date’s sweetness.
Second course: Kung Pao shrimp and dates. I expected this dish to be cloying. But Chef Han chose unpollinated, pitless Dayri dates, which are drier and more neutral in taste. When sautéed with the shrimp in a soy-based sauce, they blended perfectly, adding chewiness rather than sweetness. Tossed in a confetti of sweet peppers, roasted cashews, cilantro and mint over rice noodles, they were the perfect complement to this colorful dish.
Third course: Lamb shank with date BBQ sauce. Watching the team prep this dish earlier in the day, I almost became a carnivore again. As they pulled each shank out of the bubbling Zahadi-infused sauce, the meat fell off the bone. A fingerling potato salad coated in a tangy mustard-date sauce accompanied the tender chunks of lamb.
Palette cleanser: The thimble of San Pellegrino infused with Bahri date syrup, juice from the ranch’s key limes and a sprinkle of red peppercorn was citrusy with a tiny kick. I could have knocked back 3 more of these refreshing intermezzos.
Fourth course: The tres leches cupcake. Drenched in a Bahri date caramel sauce and topped with huge dollop of fresh whipped cream, this confection would send anyone into a blood-sugar coma. “This was a 5 out of 5 date sweetness,” according to Chef Han. And, it was the dish of the night. I’m not a sweets person, but the date-syrup-soaked cake took my breath away.
The Experience: Unforgettable!
Throughout the night, wine, food and conversation flowed freely. My tablemates spanned all ages and backgrounds, hailing from San Francisco, San Diego and beyond.
We were a diverse group having a common experience. The walls were down and everyone felt good. When dinner was over, Chef Han and team “walked the table,” to thunderous applause and cheers.
Although I went for the food, the experience is what I will remember. I only shared the evening with the 6 people in my dining vicinity, but I could feel the love and vibe of 120 others up and down the table.
I walked away full, relaxed and happy, with a souvenir bag of assorted Flying Disc dates and a self-promise to join the ranks of field heads on the 2019 tour. The only question was, where to go? Oh, and note to self: Next time, wear hiking boots!
The Details
Website: www.outstandinginthefield.com
Price: Approximately $250 per person
Coachella 2019: 6 total dinners over the two-weekend festival. Festival pass required for entry.
Upcoming: Tickets for 2019 Winter Tour – January/February events are now available.
Need to know:
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Dress for the local outdoor weather.
- Carry minimum bags or purses
- Provide advance notification of dietary restrictions
- For more information, read the FAQs
- Have fun!
Links:
Flying Disc Ranch
Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs
King’s Highway
Bodega de Edgar
Boochcraft
Seedlip
Bosch Baking
Babe Farms
Cypress Grove
Superior Farms