Chef Daniel at the Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain creates a gluten free wellness feast that will inspire your next dinner party. And he gave us the recipes!

If you ever thought losing the gluten would mean sacrifice, you are about to be forever changed. Welcome to true farm to table decadence with a focus on organic wellness.

Recall our dear Farmer Starkey? The loving abundance from his farm is the spark that ignited this meal. 

For our first course, I was served a Tepary bean soup with a slow cooked organic egg, Oregon truffle, pork belly, and tuscan kale. 

Tepary beans are native to the Southwest. These protein packed beans adore the Dove Mountain desert! Chef Daniel’s soup is not only gluten free it is also vegan. Without the heaviness of a traditional bean soup and just a touch of heat from the Ancho and Guajillo peppers you will be perfectly comforted in your desert oasis.

Chef and his team pureed the soup to create a perfect foundation for the sous-vide pork belly. (Sous-vide means to seal in an airtight bag and cooked in water bath at low temperatures for an extended period of time). After 36 hours of a love bath for the pork belly it was served with beautifully prepared kale and the most decadent egg you will imagine. Curious about what made the egg so wildly amazing? A truffle! Truffles are an incredible delicacy and simply stated, are similar to an earthy mushroom yet they grow underground. They nourish the forest ecosystem and ultimately us! That is, of course, if we are lucky enough to be served such mama earth riches.

LoveSelf food trivia of the day…. When Ancho chilis are fresh they are called Poblanos. Would you like to make the bean soup at home? Chef provided us the recipe!

Our second course was as beautiful as it was fresh and delicious. Chef and his staff served an artistic salad. Complete with pickled radishes, candy striped beets, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, and pecans. The overall result was the best kind of raw joy. All of this delicious wellness was served on a ‘red rock soil’ canvas. Imagine homage to the red rocks of the Sedona desert. The team created such wonder by dehydrating tomato skins and red bell peppers. Stunning! 

Are you curious about the dressing created by Chef Daniel? We have that recipe for you too!

Our third course was a baked rainbow trout, served whole, with a smoked fava bean puree, citrus coriander bloom, white asparagus, and a green garlic vierge.

Watch Chef Daniel and Chef Devin Create the Beautiful Presentation

What is a citrus coriander bloom you ask? It is the beautiful herb flower you saw Chef Daniel and Chef Devin adding to the baked trout. The herb adds that perfect citrus punch of lemon and cilantro. 

More LoveSelf trivia! Asparagus that is grown without sunlight stays white. The flavor is a bit more mild than its green partner.

The vierge is a combination of garlic, shallots, basil, tomato and parsley. And yes we have the recipe!

Now ask your tongue to imagine such perfection on a plate. Perfectly flakey fish with citrus note. Smokiness from the puree. Subtle nuances from the asparagus and the perfect blend of spice and layered herbs from the vierge. In other words, every aspect of your palate sings joyously together.

Our fourth course was an eleven spice encrusted pork leg, complete with sweet oranges, and smoked paprika. Before continuing this mouth watering journey of food love, I want to talk about gratitude and honor. (No I am not switching the subject!)

When I received the itinerary for the amazing two days with the Ritz Carlton team I was told I would be participating in the breaking down of the pig from Farmer Starkey’s ranch. Considering I am the lady that carefully carries spiders outside and prays for the animals, I was very nervous. Instead of realizing my fear I discovered something beautiful. Farmer Starkey follows the ancestral traditions of not transporting or causing fear in his animals. He raises them with healthy non-GMO food, tons of love, and personally honors his animals for their sacrifice. The Ritz Carlton continues this respect by using every part of the pig to nourish our bodies. Absolutely nothing was wasted. I witnessed the devotion and was moved to tears. The treatment of that pig was honoring to its life. Truly. I was changed. It is up to you whether you choose to be vegan or paleo. We are all on a journey. Whatever choice you make, please do so with respect, gratitude, and honor. We are energy and every choice we make affects the earth, one another, and all of life.

The meal was complimented with beautiful gluten free bread. It actually had air pockets like the real thing!!! Whoohooo!

We ended with lemon meringue cheesecake. The lemons were from Farmer Starkey’s trees and the graham crust (once again!) will make you wonder why you ever cared about gluten to begin with.

Here’s to your decadent wellness!!! Cheers!