Fruit trees have long been part of the Los Poblanos landscape, enriching the farm well beyond the harvest itself. Their blossoms support pollinators each spring, their branches provide habitat for birds and their fruit inspires the seasonal menus at Campo, fresh pastries from the bakery and cocktails crafted behind the bar.
Many of the varieties growing here today were planted in collaboration with our culinary team, creating an orchard that reflects both the ecology of the Rio Grande Valley and the evolving needs of our kitchens.
This year, ideal spring conditions delivered an exceptional harvest. Because late frosts missed the delicate stone fruit blossoms, peaches, plums and apricots set an extraordinary amount of fruit, resulting in one of our most abundant seasons in recent memory.
A Farm That Shapes the Menu
A harvest like this requires both planning and adaptability. Early in the season, the farm team thinned heavily laden fruit trees to improve fruit size, protect branches and encourage healthy production in future years. Even those carefully removed young green plums became part of the harvest, yielding more than 170 pounds from the four trees outside Campo alone.
For the culinary team, sourcing primarily from the farm means remaining nimble as the landscape changes from week to week. At breakfast, ripe fruit becomes seasonal compote for pancakes. Dinner menus currently feature a goat cheese tartlet with Brown's Micro Creamery chèvre, pink peppercorn gastrique and farm plums and apricots, while desserts highlight an apricot tart with fig leaf ice cream and apricot lemongrass sorbet made with lemongrass harvested from our fields. Even underripe fruit finds a purpose in LP Frutas, where green plums become a bright house-made chamoy.
Preserving the Season
An abundant harvest is as much about looking ahead as it is enjoying fruit at its peak. Throughout the summer, the kitchen preserves the season through fermentation, drying, pickling and jam making, capturing flavors that will continue to appear on the menu long after the last fresh fruit has been picked.
That same spirit carries into the bar, where preserved ingredients become fruit vinegars, dehydrated fruit infusions and seasonal cocktails. An upcoming drink will feature the kitchen's pickled mulberry brine, while a recent peach-infused Los Poblanos Lavender Gin was crafted to accompany the stone fruit notes of Martin Woods Riesling for an upcoming winemaker dinner.
Stewardship Through the Seasons
At Los Poblanos, every harvest reflects years of stewardship and collaboration. The same trees that nourish bees in spring and shelter birds throughout the year also shape the flavors that reach the table. By growing, preserving and thoughtfully using what the land provides, we honor both the traditions of Rio Grande Valley agriculture and the remarkable abundance each season has to offer.
First Photo by Elizabeth Wells