This past weekend we had the opportunity to join some good friends for a BBQ fundraiser in support of the Tehachapi Grain Project. If you haven't heard of the project, check out their page. As California boys, it is one that is near and dear to our hearts. A partnership between our favorite farmer - Alex Weiser of Weiser Family Farms - our favorite East Coast grain miller - Glen Roberts of Anson Mills - and Jon Hammond of Linda Vista Ranch, whom we had the immense pleasure of meeting at the BBQ. Noticing that shipping heirloom grains from Glen's South Carolina farms to Alex in California was paradoxical as heirloom grains are indigenous to the Golden State, the Tehachapi Grain Project was born to reintroduce heirloom grains to California. Naturally drought tolerant and perfectly suited for California's Mediterranean environment, the Tehachapi Grain Project is fighting back against cash crops and the big agra industrial complex to provide wholesome and nutritious grain to us, the ones that get to reap the delicious benefits of their labor. Learn about how to donate or sponsor this worthwhile cause here.

For their Summer Kickoff BBQ, Tehachapi Grain Project partnered up with Mago Events and Hatchet Hall + J.Brix Wines for a get-together of old and new friends around seriously mouthwatering food. Check out the fare below!

A beautiful and welcoming tablescape set the tone for the afternoon. Of course featuring some of Tehachapi's own Rye on the place setting.

A perfect-for-summer salad to beat the searing heatwave that began this weekend, Chef Dunsmoor put together a refreshing and scintillating cucumber and watermelon salad with basil and an old fashioned dressing.

Hatchet Hall brought along a literal boat-load of crawfish for the second course.

And in all it's glory, the Crawfish Boil! Perfectly tender crawfish, bbq'd corn on the cob and house-made sausage had us going back for seconds (and thirds). If you haven't had the chance to attend a crawfish boil yourself, put it on your bucket list!

With a giant drop-top BBQ in the back patio, Hatchet Hall would be remiss if they didn't grill up a dozen or so perfectly tender tri-tips for the main course.

As if the first three courses of the BBQ didn't already blow us away, Hatchet Hall's Pastry Chef Paige Russell put the proverbial cherry on top. One of our all-time favorite pastries is the French staple, canele. With its perfectly crisp, caramelized exterior that gives way to a tender, custard filling, these soul satisfying pastries are traditionally cooked in small brass molds. Paige threw the book out of the window and baked the canele in a cast-iron skillet to craft a canele cake. Giving this French delicacy an American twist.