After more than six years in business, Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar’s relationship with Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-Op (LFFC) has grown to proportions only imagined by restaurateur Dave Magrogan when he conceived his farm-to-table restaurant concept in 2010—a brand that has dramatically grown to its six current locations, with several more on the way stretching all the way from Pennsylvania and New Jersey to Florida.
Harvest Seasonal Grill has partnered with the LFFC since the start, but it wasn’t until the last two years that Magrogan and his executive chef, Josh Short, have really begun to fully utilize the farmers’ bounties within all of Harvest’s dishes—most notably with Harvest’s new fall menu, which was rolled out in September. Thanks to the LFFC’s farming methods and this ongoing partnership, Harvest’s food has never tasted better.
The fall menu comes with a new intense focus on local farms, and the restaurant’s concept has gone from searching for farmers to work with to now being able to rely on the LFFC to grow products specifically for Harvest Seasonal Grill menus.
“In the beginning, we had to work hard to source specific ingredients for specific dishes, but after an incredible six-year relationship with the farmers located in Lancaster, PA, they are basically growing for us, and our dishes have never tasted better,” said Magrogan. “In addition to our menu items being incredibly delicious, our ease of sourcing ingredients has become simpler. We never have to worry about having the best apples for our flatbreads. We know we are getting incredibly flavorful local beets for our salads. We know that every piece of produce and all of our proteins are of the highest quality.”
The maturity of Harvest’s brand can be largely credited to the LFFC, an incredible group of farmers who are producing delicious, organic, fresh, good-for-you produce and proteins every single day. The cooperative started with only four farmers during its 2006 inception but has now grown to more than 125 farmers a decade later.
“Not to take anything away from other farms, but what the LFFC does is incredible,” said Chef Short, who has been with the company for nearly three years, since opening the Harvest Harrisburg outpost. “Not only have they created an outlet for us, but they’ve created opportunities for all of those farmers who are growing world-class produce and raising phenomenal proteins. I don’t think our success at Harvest would have been possible today and we wouldn’t be where we are if not for them. These farms are producing 95% organic ingredients with no added pesticides, antibiotics or hormones in their livestock, which is a really big issue for us. We’re all about clean food, and the fantastic flavors in our dishes are a true reflection of that.”
Harvest’s butternut squash soup, made with toasted pumpkin seeds and local honey, is the most popular dish on the fall menu. “It’s as close to perfection as you can get,” said Short. “We’re making 70 to 100 gallons per week at each of our locations, and we’re selling it by the quart. We’re sourcing it straight out of Lancaster, and it’s some of the best squash I have ever tasted. It has gained a bit of a cult following among our guests. Our customers tell us that once they’ve have the opportunity to taste it, they never forget it. And honestly, it’s a simple recipe with a minimal amount of ingredients.”
The butternut squash is also being used in a number of Harvest’s other dishes, including the new pumpkin ravioli, which includes butternut squash purée, sage brown butter, cranberries, sautéed baby spinach, toasted pumpkin seeds and gingerbread dust. “The sage brown butter on that dish is ethereal, and the gingerbread dust sprinkled on top is so unique. It’s a perfect dish,” said Short.
Chef Short points out that the quality of the sausage that he is sourcing “has taken a few of his dishes to incredible heights.” He stuffs Willow Acres Farm’s organic spicy sausage and cornbread inside his stuffed bone-in Duroc pork chop with a brown sugar maple glaze, which is served alongside whipped sweet potatoes and haricots verts. The sausage is also featured on one of Harvest’s flatbreads—an organic spicy sausage flatbread with roasted bell peppers, Kalamata olives and house-made mozzarella.
“The sausage we’re using today is incredibly delectable, and it seriously illustrates the quality of the farmers we’re working with,” said Short. “It’s on a much higher level than anything else I’ve tasted. The pork that we use is coming from pigs that are foraging off of the farmland, eating grass, leaves, roots and acorns. They are being fed organically grown fruits and vegetables, unlike industrial farm pigs, which are kept in confinement, fed corn and soybeans and given antibiotics and other medications. All of that really compromises the flavor and, more importantly, the consumer’s health. You can really taste the difference in the dishes we use this sausage in.”
The roasted spaghetti squash “pasta” is another new dish on Harvest’s fall menu that is a delicious reflection of the partnership between the restaurant and the farmers. The dish includes roasted cremini mushrooms, fresh sage, toasted pistachios, garlic, truffle oil and freshly grated DeGlae Farm’s Lanchego cheese over roasted spaghetti squash, which acts as the pasta, but is much healthier than actual pasta and is gluten-free.
Harvest’s warm autumn quinoa salad with roasted acorn squash, Tuscan kale, dried figs, sheep’s milk feta, toasted almonds, pomegranate seeds and maple brown sugar dressing is another favorite of Chef Short and concept creator Dave Magrogan.
“The combination of what Chef Short and his team do in the kitchen combined with the quality of the ingredients we’re sourcing from the farms, along with the dedicated farmers that we are working with, have helped to make this the best menu we’ve ever introduced,” said Magrogan. “We’ve heard so many good things from our customers, and I’m certain that our food has never tasted better. It’s a win-win scenario for everyone—our chefs are turning out delicious, healthy food; our customers are delighted and returning frequently; and the farmers know what we’re looking for and are doing everything possible to meet our needs.”
Dave Magrogan’s six Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bars are located at 200 South 40th St. in University City, 555 Lancaster Ave. in Radnor, 549 Wilmington West Chester Pike in Glen Mills, 1460 Bethlehem Pike in North Wales, 2625 Brindle Dr. in Harrisburg and inside the Moorestown Mall in Moorestown, NJ.
- Photos: Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar
