Farm to Pizza
The perfect partnership of Wavelength Farm & Café Beaujolais
Farm to Pizza glory on the back deck of the inn
“Look at this!” Chef James burst into the office, holding out his phone for Guy and I to see the Instagram post his wife had just shared with him. It was Café Beaujolais announcing their Farm to Pizza special for the weekend – Vietnamese Style Pizza with roasted pork, ginger pesto, spicy broccoli rabe, mozzarella, and fresh mint, cress, cilantro, and shiso from Wavelength Farm down in Manchester. After a split second of staring at the screen, Guy looked up at James and I. “We’re getting this for lunch, right?” We were quick to agree – this pizza sounded too good to pass up! I had actually just had the chance to chat with Kelan Daniel, the enthusiastic young farmer leading the charge at Wavelength, and was excited to finally try the results of the farm’s still fairly new partnership with our perennial favorite – Café Beaujolais.
Cheery, fresh flowers!
When I spoke with Kelan the other day about the Farm to Pizza project and all things Wavelength, the whole conversation felt like a study in joyful energy, brimming over with eager hope for the future of the land, the wellbeing of the community, and the continued growth of the farm itself. He spoke of the journey that he and the three other young farmers working together at Wavelength have been through since they started three years ago, of older farmers coming alongside to mentor them, of experimenting with different heirloom vegetable varieties, of dealing with years of drought, of learning sustainable livestock husbandry, and of building steady relationships with several restaurants in the area. When the talk turned to the partnership between Wavelength and Café Beaujolais, it was quickly apparent how much respect and friendly mutual affection existed between the two businesses. Kelan laughed over how brutally honest Chef Julian had been about the first round of produce they brought by the Café to sell. “He was really nice about it though!” And so began an honest, genuine friendship based both in the natural relationship between farmer and restaurateur and in the quick rapport of friends who just click right off the bat.
The friendly Wavelength farm stand behind the Brickery at Cafe Beaujolais
Perhaps the most interesting fruit of this auspicious friendship so far has been the creation of the Farm to Pizza idea. Not too long ago, Wavelength Farm set up a stand just outside the Brickery at Café Beaujolais. The honor-system stand has fresh eggs from the farm’s “120 happy laying hens” as well as seasonal heirloom vegetables, fruit from their orchards, and pre-sorted bags of greens and veggies that Kelan and Julian decide on together to create a special Farm to Pizza masterpiece each week. Kelan and crew bring the bags, and Julian and co. craft a pizza to go with them – it’s the perfect partnership!
Meandering through the gardens at Café B…
Feedback we’d heard from satisfied Farm to Pizza converts and that conversation with Kelan was all playing back through my brain as we went to go pick up the Vietnamese style pizza we had immediately ordered after Chef James burst into the office with his cell phone. Would it even come close to everything I was building it up to in my head? Well… the answer would be a resounding yes! The smell of the pizza teased us all the way back to the inn, where we could hardly wait to dig in. First though, we faithfully followed the instructions of the gal who had handed us this tasty treat – we liberally distributed the bright, fresh leaves of mint, cress, cilantro, and shiso (she had left them in their bag for the ride back so they didn’t get all limp and wilty), and then assiduously squeezed the accompanying lime wedges all over everything. We reverently split up the slices amongst ourselves and then took our first bite. Mmm… Perfection. Savory. A touch of tartness. Creamy. The slight bitterness of the rabe. The unmistakable crusty chew of a wood-fired pie. The delicately bright flavors of the fresh greens. Ah yes. We savored the moment, the sun shining down on us as we sat out on the back deck of the inn, the pizza slowly disappearing from the table. We sat back, wiped our mouths, and sighed, not wanting it to be over quite yet. Hmmm… maybe we could get another one tomorrow…
Mmm… a tasty slice o’ pizza pie!
Get your own Farm to Pizza creation next time you’re in town! The Brickery and the farm stand are open Wednesday-Sunday, 11:30-5:00pm. You can order ahead on the phone (check out that week’s specials on Café B’s Instagram or Facebook page), or stop by for the full experience – peruse the offerings of farm fresh goodness at the Wavelengths farm stand, pick out the perfect bag from the Farm to Pizza ice chest, bring it to the Brickery window when you order your pizza, and meander through the Café’s gardens as you wait for your deliciously unique pizza to emerge from the brick oven. With the available produce changing seasonally and sometimes even weekly, the Farm to Pizza special changes frequently. Come with an open mind and a rumble in your tummy and be prepared to enjoy the fruits of a truly creative partnership!
Words & pictures by Laura Hockett