Local chef hand-picks farm fresh produce

to build meals for his clients from the ground up

TRUCKEE — Truckee private chef Grog Verbeck, the owner and head chef of Truckee's HeyChef!, spends one day each week hand-selecting produce from Mountain Bounty Farm, located on a 10-acre family parcel on the forested contours of San Juan Ridge in Nevada County.

Verbeck uses the day's selection to build custom menus for his clients in their homes.

“There's no more natural or healthful way to eat than using produce that's local and seasonal,” Verbeck said. “We pick our food directly from the soil, prepare it, and put it on the table — all in the same day.”

Last weekend, Verbeck lent his culinary talents to Mountain Bounty Farm's Fall Harvest Festival and prepared a seasonal menu for 150 guests. The menu included sweet and sour beets with feta salad, half pickled cucumber and shallot salad, and peach cobbler with sweetened cream — among other autumn-inspired faire.

“Chef Grog is as passionate about cooking as the Mountain Bounty Farm family is about their farm and chemical-free practices,” said HeyChef! owner Holly Verbeck. “Mother Nature could not have made a better match between HeyChef! and Mountain Bounty Farm.”

Originally from Hyde Park, N.Y., Grog Verbeck trained at the Culinary Institute of America as well as Le Cordon Bleu and La Verenne culinary academies in France. He has served as a private chef in distinguished homes in Manhattan for more than 20 years and in Truckee since 1995, creating delicious menus for notable personalities and their guests.

HeyChef! offers high-end private chefs and kitchen staffing services. World-class chefs design and execute handcrafted menus in the intimacy of private homes or other exclusive locations. For more information on HeyChef!, call toll-free at (877) 4-HeyChef or visit www.heychef.com.

— Submitted to the Sun

Brown Bag Food Drive

Now is the time for Project MANA's annual Brown Bag Food Drive. During the month of September, MANA is collecting unopened and nonperishable food items for clients in need. As summer jobs come to an end and winter jobs have yet to begin, a higher number of families in need of support is anticipated. Please consider donating items to Project MANA. Drop off any food donations at SaveMart, 11399 Deerfield Drive, Truckee and the Fire Station, 11473 Donner Pass Road, Truckee. Additional locations in Incline Village, Nev. and the North Shore. Call Project MANA at (775) 298-0008.