On a lovely, crisp summertime day 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 thru 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, a Montreal-based totally meals corporation that makes use of BPA-unfastened packaging that is reusable or recyclable 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 now 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 with 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 become as 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 noshed on “bánh xèo,” rolled crepes observed by a colorful spring vegetable detox salad.
We heeded the recommendation of many nutritionists through eating the colors of the rainbow. But not anything ought to have organized us for the colorful cornucopia that changed into the “plat important,” or foremost path: a veggie paté and veggie bowl extravaganza with candy potato recuperation wedges along with Chef Bernard’s dukka and gremolata sauces.
We have been getting full, however, while dessert arrived — plant-based, blueberry-crowned carrot cake with cream frosting and chocolate cake with sparkling berries — stomach reservoirs all of sudden surfaced, leaving room for only a few bites greater. We sipped hot tea, soaking up the lush inexperienced environment even as taking part in awe-inspiring conversations.
Le Grand’s Founders
Bernard and Tatiana understand the electricity of meals and its capability to heal, energize, and connect human beings. Together, this duo created now not just a circle of relatives, but the Le Grande product line, along with made-from-scratch small-batch, pure, and unaltered components that are gluten-free.
As the quote attributed to Hippocrates is going, “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 percentage sparkling herbs and are freed 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, along with Fresh Ginger and Spicy Olive & Jalapeno, will add guiltless zest in your culinary creations.
