JJ Johnson recently hosted a rustic banquet at 21 acres for the residents at Aegis of Bellevue, a local assisted living community.

JJ, who is the Culinary Director for Aegis of Bellevue, has a passion for utilizing local and fresh produce. Earlier this year, he developed a partnership with the local non-profit educational farm, “21 Acres” and adopted 300 ever-bearing strawberry plants for the use in his culinary program.

His culinary team agreed to maintain the berries with weeding and harvesting. In return, the farm extends a wholesale marketing price on 100 pounds of perfect local Washington strawberries for his use in recipes for those who live at Aegis of Bellevue.

JJ has been harvesting the crop since early June and has incorporated the berries into his daily menus, such as strawberries and homemade waffles. This past week, he was treated residents to lunch out on the farm.

“The strawberry lemonade was a hit” JJ explained.

To make the lemonade, he puréed the berries, and then strained the seeds. This strawberry puree was then blended with freshly squeezed lemon juice to make the summer drink.

To tie in the farm theme JJ lined the center of the table with a medley of fresh herbs. Residents enjoyed curried chicken salads with cranberries and organic greens drizzled with JJ’s homemade honey Sauternes vinaigrette.

“Many of our residents really appreciate the farm fresh produce and this luncheon was a fun way to highlight our involvement with 21 acres,” JJ said.