On a lovely, crisp summertime in Southern California, my husband Ron and I headed north via the Santa Monica mountains to spend the afternoon in a treetop-like destination nestled high in Topanga Canyon. Traversing through windy roads, up to a dusty driveway, and ascending seventy-two white wood stairs, we arrived, a bit breathless, for a secure community brunch. Greeting and web hosting us became Chef Bernard Le Grand and his wife Tatiana Bossy, co-founders of Maison Le Grand. This Montreal-based meals corporation uses BPA-unfastened reusable or recyclable packaging in which centers exist.
Le Grand, as my taste buds could soon find out, is a cleanly crafted line of natural, vegan, and connoisseur ingredients consisting of pestos, soups, yogurts, chilis, cheeses, and culinary sauces that feed not just your tummy but your soul. The intimate collecting turned into small in size, however powerful in mission. It blanketed health-minded influencers, scientific medical doctors, and entrepreneurs. The outdoor patio, fresh vegetation, and blue-and-white gingham tablecloth set the herbal tone for a plant-primarily based solstice brunch, even as the mountaintop mist formed the quintessential backdrop for a modern-day salon experience.
The Power of Plants
Our taste buds were in for a deal, and fellow wordsmiths would have salivated at the creative culinary names each food pairing boasted. The first tasting, Awaken the Spirits, consisted of a thick wild blueberry and spirulina tonic. It became mysterious because it became mouthwatering. Next, we enjoyed Le Grand’s signature dhal soup garnished with Chef Bernard’s fermented greens and Le Grand’s toasted sesame vegan cheese. The warmth of the soup became a welcome evaluation to the clean mountain breeze.
It was time for some crunch. Spring radishes; micro-vegetables; Le Grand’s chive & onion, creamy plant-based cheese; and marinated pink onions crowned off crisp rice crackers for a snack that was as visually bright as it was nourishing. We also ate “bánh xèo,” rolled crepes observed by a colorful spring vegetable detox salad. We heeded the recommendation of many nutritionists byby eating the rainbow’s colors. But not nothing ought to have organized us for the colorful cornucopia that changed into the “plat important,” or only path: a veggie paté and veggie bowl extravaganza with candy potato recuperation wedges along with Chef Bernard’s dukkha and gremolata sauces.
However, we had been getting full when dessert arrived — plant-based, blueberry-crowned carrot cake with cream frosting and chocolate cake with sparkling berries — stomach reservoirs suddenly surfaced, leaving room for only a few bites greater. We sipped hot tea, soaking up the lush, inexperienced environment as we participated in awe-inspiring conversations.
Le Grand’s Founders
Bernard and Tatiana understand the electricity of meals and their capability to heal, energize, and connect human beings. This duo created a circle of relatives and the Le Grande product line, along with made-from-scratch, small-batch, pure, and unaltered gluten-free components. As the quote attributed to Hippocrates goes, “Let meals be thy medication and medicine be thy food.” Le Grand has, in reality, integrated this philosophy into their line.
Le Grand’s minimally processed ingredients use a hundred percent sparkling herbs and are free from chemical compounds, gum stabilizers, and artificial flavors. And, except for products (the Tzatziki and 4Nuts & Cheese Pesto), the complete line is vegan. From Wild Mushrooms and Tuscan Vegetables to Squash with Ginger, all of Le Grand’s soups, sauces, and chilis are made with a hundred percent natural legumes. The pestos, Fresh Ginger, Spicy Olive, and jalapeno will add guiltless zest to your culinary creations.
