Michele StuevenIt’s been an open secret in Malibu for more than 50 years. Thorne Family Farm harvests strawberries, blueberries, lettuces, herbs, citrus varieties, and flowers.
A family-run business since 1947, the second-generation farm near Zuma Beach is run by 1967 Samohi graduate Larry Thorne and his wife, Laurel, who helps with the harvest and is the Pied Piper to the avocado grove’s chicken and geese.
Together with Outstanding in the Field and Italian pasta brand Brami, the Thornes opened the farm this week for a three-course meal from Chef Rahul Khopkar that kicked off with olive tapenade, whipped ricotta with Thorne Family honey, white puree, and grilled flatbread.
Thorne Family Farm spring salad (Michele Stueven)
The first course was a brilliant green spring salad, a mound of sugar snap peas, English peas, Persian cucumbers, fennel, combined with arugula from the farm and a Thorne Family charred lemon vinaigrette on a bed of burrata and sprinkled lightly with chips of Brami radiatori.
The pasta progression continued with grilled vegetables, arugula pesto, and Thorne Family broccoli, as well as Brami fusilli with sweet Italian sausage, fennel, and cremini mushrooms in a sauce made with the farm’s signature kale, parmesan, and pecorino.
The dinner culminated in a celebration of citrus season, with an olive oil cake topped with whipped cream, Thorne Family oranges, honey, lemon zest, and basil.
The Thorne Family farmstand is open to the public on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with seasonal offerings as well as eggs, preserves, and rotating special items.
Pasta on the farm (Michele Stueven)
Outstanding in the Field at Thorne Family Farm (Michele Stueven)