FARM LOT 59: Who's the Chef Behind the Farm Lot Gives Program?

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Who's the Chef Behind the Farm Lot Gives Program?

FYI: We have renamed our Farm to Family program as Farm Lot Gives.

Providing locally sourced farm fresh meals to those in need.

Same mission, different name.

2100 Farm Lot Gives Meals Donated This Year!

125 Meals Donated This Week!

This Week's Meal: Roasted Spaghetti Squash, Marinana and Agrodulce Peppers

Chef Spotlight: Eugene Santiago

Without Eugene Santiago, our Farm Lot Gives program would not exist as it does today. Every week Eugene turns Farm Lot 59's fresh produce into nutrient dense meals for the food pantry at 14th Street in Long Beach. Eugene and Sasha have worked together since the beginning of the pandemic. Sasha grows the food, Eugene cooks the meals.

Eugene Santiago attended Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena and has spent much of his career working for "Rock n Roll Chef" Kerry Simon, both in LA and in Las Vegas. Eugene has been hosting a pop up concept with a focus on the exploration of his own cultural background and upbringing in a highly diverse environment. Read on to learn more about him and his passions.

What do you love about the Farm Lot Gives program and

working with Farm Lot 59?

What I love most about the Farm Lot Gives program is that it provides local homegrown food to those most in need. The program satisfies the surrounding community's nutritional and educational appetite. Working with FL59 gives me the opportunity to grow, cook, and serve food to a community I call home. By doing so, it proves high quality food doesn't have to travel further than you do.

What inspires your menus and recipes?

I find the most inspiration through culture; the experiences and upbringing of those of a different ethnicity, especially those close to me. The seasonality of food is important too.

What is your favorite late night snack?

Ice cream...always ice cream.