tutti escapes
Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Spa: Go

Want a taste of organic, locally grown food fresh off the stalk and perfectly prepared—without having to lift a finger?

Three words: Rancho La Puerta.

In the gorgeous Baja, Mexico town of Tecate (yes, like the beer), you'll find this unique spa, where the all-organic, mostly vegetarian kitchen is supplied by the onsite farm.

The 6 acres of orchards and beds are harvested year-round, so the fruits and vegetables head straight for the kitchen. Most of the herbs make it there as well, though some detour into aromatherapy and skin-care treatments.

The ranch offers classes in herbs (custom-blend your own room spray!), and we hear tell of plans for a cooking school. So you can learn to harvest your window-bed basil into some killer pesto. Without killing anything. Except the basil. Which had a death wish anyway.

Get harvesting at www.rancholapuerta.com.