With its abundance of artisan foods, organic farms, local markets selections and wineries, Sonoma is the perfect place for a Culinary Treasure Hunt.  Guests of BeautifulPlaces villas can now enjoy an exclusive epicurean excursion escorted by Vine Dining Chef Max Porter-Elliot as he takes them to his favorite culinary haunts across the valley.  Each ‘foraging excursions’ can be custom tailored to a particular holiday, special occasion or dining style.

BeautifulPlaces (www.beautiful-places.com) offers their villa guests three different ways to create a most memorable Farm to Table feast: 

                ·         Farm to Table Foraging Excursion + Cooking with Vine Dining Chef Max Porter-Elliot

                     ·         Serve It Yourself:  Farm to Table Dinner Prepared and Delivered ready to Cook

                     ·         Do It Yourself:  Farm to Table Dinner Groceries and Recipes delivered to your villa

 “A key element of the wine country villa lifestyle experience is discovering the vast food sources in Sonoma and we now offer our guests three ways to create a very special, very personal feast for family and friends,” noted Liza Graves, president and cofounder of BeautifulPlaces, the international villa hospitality company with a portfolio of more than 40 exclusive properties throughout the California Wine Country.
 

Farm to Table Foraging Excursion:  Spend the day with Chef Max as you visit his favorite food haunts and select items for your dinner.  Foods and itinerary varies by season but a fall/winter sample day might include:  Solve the Omnivores Dilemma at Tara Firma Farms (www.tarafirmafarms.com)  for a humanely-raised turkey; stop for a loaf or two of incredible breads at Della Fattoria (www.dellafattoria.com) in Petaluma; tour the Cowgirl Creamery (www.cowgirlcreamery.com) , taste and select meal-complimenting cheeses; add some sweetness to your meal with honey made at Gipson’s (www.gipsonsgolden.com);  along the way stop at local farms (likewww.greenstringfarm.com) for the freshest fruits (local Gravenstein apples make a great pie – see recipe below) and vegetables and don’t forget some festive pumpkins and gourds to decorate the table.  No meal is complete without wine, Chef Max will arrange a tour of the biodynamic Littorai winery (www.littorai.com) where you’ll select wines to pair with your menu.    Back home in the villa kitchen Chef Max will share recipes and get the cooking started.   Any season is an excellent time for a culinary treasure hunt.  “I can't wait to share my insider secrets and introduce BeautifulPlaces’ guests to my amazing team of passionate local farmers and artisan food purveyors who’ll make any meal a special feast to remember," added Porter-Elliot.

Do It Yourself:  If you like to cook but time is an issue Chef Max will do the shopping for you and BeautifulPlaces will have the groceries waiting for you in your villa kitchen.  “Virtual Chef” Max will include a menu plan, cooking guide and favorite recipes too.  You’ll have to opportunity to talk with Chef Max in advance so you can plan a custom menu.

Serve It Yourself:  Want a gourmet dinner ready to cook and serve, no problem.  BeautifulPlaces’ guests can pick from an exciting menu that will be delivered to their villa ready to go.  A Thanksgiving-style menu might include brioche duck laced stuffing, chardonnay cranberry sauce, truffled mash potatoes,  and Vine Dining famous apple and pumpkin pies. 
 

BeautifulPlaces has a portfolio of Wine Country homes and estates starting at $825/night for DragonsLeaf, an 80 acre vineyard estate with a private late and the quintessential feel of a summer camp.  Pricing on the Farm to Table/Culinary Treasure Hunt packages depends on itinerary; menu and number of guests.

About Chef Max Porter-Elliott

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of American in Hyde Park, New York, Chef Max leads the Vine Dining team in creating custom culinary experiences including private dining; wine country excursions and side by side personal cooking classes.  He is the former Executive Chef of The Reserve Room at Mayo Family Winery in Kenwood and worked at Le Bernardin, Eric Ripert's 3 star Michelin restaurant in New York City.   www.winecountryvinedining.com

About BeautifulPlaces

BeautifulPlaces (www.beautiful-places.com) offers guests an authentic lifestyle villa vacation experience in a variety of destinations around the world – the wine regions of Northern California, France and Italy.,..the resort areas of Mexico, Costa Rica and the Bahamas…the winter playgrounds of Telluride, Snowmass and Aspen…the Caribbean Islands of Mustique, Barbados, and the US and British Virgin Islands…and the jet set hideaways of The Hamptons, Nantucket and Palm Beach.    In addition to a select portfolio of villa and estate rentals, BeautifulPlaces’ concierges handle all personal arrangements; plan custom itineraries; create unique experiences and; provide insider tips about the destination; and are available 24/7 to assist guests.     

 In 2013 Condé Nast Traveler again named BP president Liza Graves one of the top villa rental specialists in the world and Travel + Leisure magazine recognized BP as one of the world’s best villa companies.    Also in 2013, Travel Weekly honored BeautifulPlaces with its Gold Magellan Award recognizing it as a top performing company in the hospitality industry.  The BeautifulPlaces experience has been featured in top media outlets including Travel + Leisure, The Today Show, USA Today, Robb Report, Forbes, AARP, Condé Nast Traveler, ABC’s The Bachelor, Travel Channel’s Dream Villas and CNN.  BeautifulPlaces is headquartered in Sonoma, California.  For more information, call 1.800.495.9961. 

Vine Dining’s Apple Pie

Makes 2 Pies

8 cups sliced organic Gravenstein Apples
1 tablespoon organic butter
1/3 cup Apple Cider Syrup (available at the Fremont Diner or from the Philo Apple Farm)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Vanilla bean, inside scraped and saved, bean discarded

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably freshly ground

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground




In a large sauté pan on medium heat melt the butter and then lightly sauté half of the apples just until the begin to soften. Combine all ingredients except the apples in a bowl and stir to ensure everything is incorporated. Add the sautéed apples and the fresh apple and carefully toss all the ingredients until the apples are coated. Be sure not to over mix, you do not want the apples to break down too much.
Use your favorite pie crust, divide the filling in half and put each into its own pie shell. Cover with more dough either in a lattice or in a sheet with slits cut to allow some steam to escape while cooking. Finish by brushing the top with an egg wash and sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar.     Bake on a cookie sheet in a preheated 400F degree oven for approximately 1 hour.