Clover Celebrates Cooking For Solutions

The recent twelfth annual Cooking For Solutions gala at the Monterey Bay Aquarium brought together the best and brightest chefs from across the country with a shared purpose: to draw attention to sustainable food systems from “aquaculture to agriculture.” This was Clover’s eighth year as a proud sponsor of the event, which benefits the Monterey Seafood Watch Program.

The three-day affair kicked off Thursday evening with a Meet The Chefs reception and tribute to Educator of the Year recipient John Ash–a Santa Rosa restaurateur and wine country cuisine pioneer–followed on Friday evening by a celebrity chef culinary exhibition. Eighty-seven restaurants, fifty-three wineries, and eleven craft breweries supplied gourmet nibbles and sips to more than 2,000 attendees who roamed the Aquarium’s award-winning exhibit galleries. In addition to hosting Friday’s exclusive media lunch for celebrity chefs and partners, Clover also donated all the dairy products used in the competition.

Clover’s celebrity chef contest winner, Luke Offenbach, from Ray’s Catering in Novato, prepared his standout recipe for Salmon Chowder Shooters featuring locally caught wild King salmon from Bodega Bay in a Clover cream and butter base with bacon and fresh sweet corn. It was an “udder” hit!

On Saturday and Sunday the Aquarium hosted a Green & Healthy Lifestyles/Sustainable Food Fair open to the general public. Clover’s educational booth was a favorite among kids who flocked to the coloring station, learned “cow facts,” had their photo taken with our Clo “cut out,” and tasted complimentary samples of Clover cheese and chocolate milk.

We love taking part in this great event which educates the public about the importance of making sustainable food choices and supports producers like Clover who embody responsible food production.