Wendell Berry famously said, “Eating is an agricultural act.” Fig & Olive in Los Angeles, CA embodies this farm to-table ethos with Chef Pascal Lorange’s Farmer’s Menu. At a recent private event, Chef Lorange and founder, Laurent Halasz, invite the very farmers who supply their ingredients to the figurative and literal table to discuss the ethics and inspiration behind farm-to-table cuisine.

The owners of Kenter Canyon Farms and Weiser Family Farms were on hand to discuss their growing practices. Together they introduced each course with a brief anecdote of where and how the ingredients were sourced. Halasz talked excitedly about why an ingredient-centric menu made sense for them. Located in Los Angeles, Fig & Olive is central to some of the freshest produce in the States. Their restaurant, he believed, was successful because they put one main ingredient into every dish they create. No, not love, thankfully. Rather, he exclaimed, “Produce!” The climate, the soil, and the culinary standards and sensibility are all conducive to growing beautiful produce. The purpose of the Farmer’s Menu was to cook simply and highlight the season’s most flavorful ingredients.

The three-course menu allows you to choose a dish from each course, including dishes like the Melon Cavaillon & Prosciutto salad drizzled with Marques de Grinon Olive Oil; the Striped Bass Papillote with heirloom tomato; the Vegetarian Lasagna with eggplant, artichoke, and zucchini; and the Rosemary Roasted Lamb Chop with heirloom beet salad and olive oil and chive mashed potatoes. Desserts include: Harry’s Berries Crostata stuffed with vanilla marscapone and paired with basil and strawberries in a Cointreau syrup; a peach sorbet made from Tenerelli peaches; and a fig carpaccio with balsamic mascarpone and mint.

If you’re as passionate about farm-to-table cuisine as Halasz, his farmers, and Chef Lorange, Fig & Olive should be on your hit list. The Farmers Prix Fixe Menu Presented by Chef Pascal Lorange runs for $55/person, Sunday through Tuesday nights. 8490 Melrose Place, Los Angeles, CA.

Written By Annie Giang; Photos by Natalie Woyshner.