Cocina
Sustainability and self-sufficiency are our goals in all arenas, yet it is in the kitchen that these values appear most pronounced. We are passionate about food, and apply these sustainability standards rigorously while not compromising the end goal of a delicious, healthy meal. The buzzphrase “farm to table” has been used recently more as a marketing term than an acutal description of the desired food pathway, and as a result it has lost much of its integrity. As we like to say, “we own the farm and we made the table, yet there is still more we could do.”
We start by sourcing locally available, organic products wherever possible. Much of it comes from our sister farms Rio Oro and Punta Tigre, both located less than 20km away from Clandestina, and from organic collectives in the high valley town of Perez Zeledon, which is 250km away. We cook mainly with coconut oil which we make on site, as well as with Spanish olive oil and Costa Rican butter. We never use soy/canola oils, nor do we use margarine or any other imitation/substitute oils. We believe in good, healthy fats!
Our fish (tuna, mahi mahi, snapper, sea bass) and other seafood (clams, shrimp, langosta, squid), comes from the Pacific Ocean out front, or from mountain rivers (trout). We also stock some Scottish smoked salmon for our home made sourdough bagels on Sundays.
We feature Punta Tigre select organic, 100% grass-fed beef, and coconut-fed free range pork, and Rio Oro organic, old grain rice— probably the best tasting rice you will ever have. We bake our own bread and have wild-crafted a potent sourdough culture. And since we bake our own bread and bagels, we also do buns for our burgers, and naturally we make our own mayonaise and ketchup, along with house hot sauces. For gluten free folk we’re doing a fried plantain bun and experimenting with coconut flour.
We even make our own kefir and use that as both a batter and as part of a “healthy ranch” salad dressing. Some eggs and chicken come from the property or from our sister farms, and the rest are from Eco-Granja, a local organic provider. We brew coffee from our friends’ farms, much of it roasted by them in small batches, and prepare it pour over style.
We remain steady in our search for the best local and imported wine, beer, and liquor we can find. Costa Rica is in the middle of a great craft beer explosion and we tend to focus on IPAs for that extra bite and flavor. We also offer fresh, cold pressed juices from our Norwalk juicer which vary daily depending on availability. For those of you wanting milk alternatives, we make fresh coconut milk daily that turns coffee into a high octane superfood and works wonderfully on cereal as well.
Meals are served in our spacious dining deck and are usually at the communal table where people sit together, sharing stories and conversation and enjoying the meal at a relaxed pace. This is jungle slow food at its best. The schedule can vary slightly due to guest outings and the surfing schedule, but we provide fresh fruit, granola/ cereal, and coffee at 7am, a full breakfast at 9:30am, lunch at 2pm, and dinner at 7pm. The price for food is included in your stay.
Guests are welcome to observe the open kitchen, and often times can participate in a sauce making or bread making session. On occasion, we have guests that share a family recipe with us which sometimes gets included in the menu for future guests to enjoy. Our flourless chocolate cake (often made with local cacao) would be a great example of that spirit of sharing (thanks Shelby!). If you love one of our dishes, we will try to provide you with the recipe so that you can take it home to share with your friends and family. Our house salsas are rather addictive and typically we make them once a week; guests are invited to learn the process so they can satisfy their cravings once they are back at home.
Our cookware is cast iron, stainless steel, and copper, and we only use BPA-free plastics, glass, or silicon for storage containers and drinking vessels. All cook staff is trained in Safe Food Handling Practices and our fridge is NFS approved. Our drinking water is highly alkaline and rich in minerals, and comes from our own spring sources. It is UV filtered and is safe to drink at every faucet.
If you want to detox, experiment with raw food, or even juice fast, we can provide options in each area, and of course we can also accommodate vegetarian, vegan, or gluten free diets.