I wish I had fresh produce growing right outside my kitchen door. California chef Jamie West has a two-acre chef’s garden where he can pick seasonal vegetables to serve his restaurant customers. He also shops at the farmers market to stay “in touch with the season and what’s available locally.”

West is the executive chef at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, located about 80 miles by car northwest of Los Angeles. It’s a beautiful spot surrounded by mountains.

He oversees the culinary operation of four restaurants and a banquet department. I recently blogged about his spice-crusted diver scallops. They’re served atop a butternut squash risotto.

Fresh, seasonal ingredients are a foundation of Chef West’s cooking.

“I remember going to my grandparent’s house, having tomatoes and corn grown in their garden   To this day, whenever I smell a tomato on the vine, I think of that experience,” he told us.  “The corn was so sweet – we would make a mess eating it. But it was delicious.”

The chef agreed to share a seasonally inspired dish with us: grilled chicken breasts with tangerine honey and chipotle glaze. Tangerines are at their seasonal peak.

In this dish, freshly squeezed tangerine juice (or orange juice) is combined with extra virgin olive oil and herbs to make a marinade for the chicken.

Separately, freshly squeezed tangerine juice and honey are simmered on the stove until reduced. Chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce are then added to provide some heat and smoke. The grilled chicken gets brushed with the spicy glaze.

Chef West suggests serving the chicken with his olive oil-crushed fingerling potatoes and  sautéed green beans.

Makes me hungry thinking about it.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

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