Drummond Culinary Academy in Salinas hosts Taste of Markon
SALINAS – Rancho Cielo will have its tenth annual Taste of Markon where celebrated member chefs from around the country bring their flair and expertise to help raise funds in support of the Drummond Culinary Academy at the youth campus.
Markon Cooperative in Salinas has been around for more than 35 years, bringing quality produce to restaurant operators across the U.S. and Canada.
“Taste of Markon is a chef summit celebrating the bounty of the Salinas area and the products of many local produce companies,” said Rancho Cielo Drummond Culinary Academy General Manager Wanda Straw. “Twenty-two chefs from across the country come to Rancho Cielo for the two-day event.”
The 2025 A Taste of Markon will happen at Rancho Cielo on Oct. 3 beginning at 5:30 with hors d’oeuvres, wine and a silent auction, then from 6-8 p.m., guests will enjoy this culinary event. Tickets are limited and run $188.56 per seat.
“The food is extraordinary,” said Straw. “We do about 150 to 180 people.”
The look is very farm-to-table and is a strolling dinner were the chefs and students work at different stations around the culinary academy courtyard.
“The food is very elevated and it’s one of the edgier things we do all year,” said Straw. “So much talent. It’s a fun event.”
It is one of the ways Markon gives back to the community, according to Rancho Cielo. What began as an informal recipe contest, Taste of Markon has evolved into one of Monterey County’s premiere foodie events.
Markon arrives the day before the event, converging on the campus with about 20 chefs, meeting with students and conducting a question and answer session to talk about the industry.
The chefs have partnered with Markon, purchasing and using the products available through Markon’s five-member food service distribution companies.
“So that’s how they are these chef ambassadors,” said Estevan “EJ” Jimenez, executive chef and chef instructor at the Rancho Cielo Drummond Culinary Academy.
Now in its tenth year, Taste of Markon chefs “push the boundaries of creativity, using the freshest produce sourced from Markon’s partner farms. Elevated dishes showcase culinary artistry at the highest level,” according to the school.
Jimenez said that a big part of the event, and much of what Markon sells, is specialty products from the Salinas Valley and Monterey Bay regions, such as strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli and broccolini, among others.
But the most exciting thing about the Taste of Markon event is the influence it has on the students, said Chef Jimenez. It is an opportunity to see about 20 different chef’s perspective, interpretation and techniques. For them to have other mentors, other than himself, for two or three days is pretty cool.
“The students make a dinner for them on Thursday night, which usually showcases the Salinas Valley, and then on Friday morning it’s just a lot of energy” in preparation for the event that evening, said Straw. “Every year it takes the students to a whole different level.”
Straw says the Markon event launches the rest of the year, transitioning students into the Culinary Academy’s Friday night dinners from October through June.
In its tenth year, the Taste of Markon brings top Markon member chefs from across North America to team up with Rancho Cielo Drummond Culinary Academy student chefs for a culinary experience unlike any other. (Rancho Cielo)She said that this year, after students graduated in June, the Culinary Academy went right into an eight-week internship program.
“We had 17 students at 10 different properties – Pebble Beach, Bernardus, Quail – and then rolled from that right into four Sundays of brunch that we did on the patio, which was very successful,” said Straw.
The Taste of Markon is a fundraiser for the culinary academy but it is also an opportunity for Markon to showcase their products. Straw says Markon is very generous in that whatever is not used is left behind for the students, such as food products and equipment, and all the proceeds from the event go into the culinary program. Last year Taste of Markon raised $35,000 for students.
“It really benefits us in so many ways,” said Straw, who added that there are currently 44 students in the program. “It’s a big class this year.”
Established in 2000, Rancho Cielo is a comprehensive learning and social services center for underserved and disconnected youth in Monterey County who share its vision of their future success. Its goal is self-sufficiency, and the self-esteem it generates, for all young people.
Rancho Cielo’s Drummond Culinary Academy offers a comprehensive culinary arts curriculum and hands-on instruction working with hospitality and culinary industry professionals, according to the school. Students gain real-life culinary experience serving the public on Friday nights in its dining room and at local events in the community and on campus. Additionally, thanks to its partnership with Monterey Peninsula College, students can earn college credits in their hospitality program.
