World Food Day: From the Land to the Table

A farm-to-table experience in Torres Vedras begins long before food reaches the plate. At Quinta da Carlota, it starts in the vegetable garden, greenhouse and orchard, with seeds, young plants, fruit trees and the daily work involved in growing them. 

It also starts with something simpler: accepting that not everything grows at the same time. On World Food Day, we look at food from where it begins,  in the land. 

There is a season for everything 

Visit Quinta da Carlota at different times of the year and the garden will not look the same. Our planting and harvesting calendar follows the natural cycle of each crop. Some accompany us for much of the year; others have much shorter seasons. 

Tomatoes are sown at different stages from winter into summer, with harvesting extending from May into December. Peppers are generally sown between February and June and harvested from June to October. Courgettes, pumpkins, peas, beans, spinach and Portuguese kale each follow their own rhythm. 

In the greenhouse, lettuce can be grown throughout the year, while aromatic herbs such as coriander, parsley and sage have long growing periods. 

The orchard has a calendar of its own. Summer brings peaches and nectarines. Rocha pears are harvested from August into October, while apples arrive in September and October. Oranges become more prominent as autumn progresses, and lemons and limes accompany several months of the year. 

What matters is not having everything available all the time, but knowing when each ingredient is ready. 

What grows in October? 

World Food Day arrives at an interesting point in the agricultural calendar. October sits between the end of the warmer growing season and the beginning of autumn production. 

Depending on growing conditions and availability, the vegetable garden may still provide tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes and pumpkins. Beetroot and leeks continue their cycle, while Portuguese kale becomes more prominent. 

In the greenhouse, lettuce and aromatic herbs continue to grow. In the orchard, October can bring together Rocha pears, apples, oranges, avocados, lemons and limes. 

A walk through the property at this time of year makes the change of season particularly visible.

Food starts before the kitchen 

It is easy to think of a tomato, pear or bunch of herbs simply as an ingredient. Growing them adds another perspective. Before the harvest comes soil preparation, planting, watering, care and time. 

A pepper planted early in the year needs months before it can reach the kitchen. Rocha pears remain on the trees until late summer. Other crops are planted while one season is still underway in preparation for the next. 

Much of this process is invisible when food reaches the table. At Quinta da Carlota, it is part of everyday life. 

From the garden to the table 

What grows on the property can become part of what is prepared at Quinta da Carlota, depending on the season and availability. That means the table can change throughout the year. 

Summer may bring an abundance of tomatoes and other warmer-season vegetables. Later, the orchard becomes more prominent. As autumn progresses, citrus fruit, leafy vegetables and crops associated with cooler weather begin to take their place. 

This connection between the garden and the kitchen is not about expecting every ingredient to come from the property. It is about making use of what is growing here when it is ready. 

Breakfast begins outside too 

This connection is particularly easy to notice at breakfast. Some of what eventually reaches the table may have started only a short walk away, in the garden, greenhouse or orchard. 

For guests, seeing what is growing can add another layer to the experience: which fruit has just been harvested, which vegetables are still developing and what will only be ready later in the season. It is a simple way of understanding that food has a calendar of its own. 

A Quinta that changes with the seasons 

One of the pleasures of returning to Quinta da Carlota at a different time of year is seeing what has changed. Spring begins new cycles. Summer brings its own harvests. Late summer is the time for Rocha pears. 

One of the pleasures of returning to Quinta da Carlota at a different time of year is seeing what has changed. Spring begins new cycles. Summer brings its own harvests. Late summer is the time for Rocha pears. 

October brings together some of the last warmer-season vegetables with apples, pears and the first stronger signs of autumn. 

Later, other crops take their place. The landscape changes, and so does what can be harvested from it. 

World Food Day is an opportunity to think not only about what is on the table, but also about everything that came before it. 

At Quinta da Carlota, that story can be followed throughout the year,  from planting and growing to harvesting and, whenever possible, using produce from the property in the kitchen. 

Before the table comes the garden. And before the harvest comes time. Both are part of everyday life at Quinta da Carlota. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Does Quinta da Carlota grow its own fruit and vegetables? 

Yes. The property has a vegetable garden, greenhouse and orchard where different fruit, vegetables and aromatic herbs are grown according to their seasonal cycles. 

Is all the food served at Quinta da Carlota grown on the property? 

No. Produce grown at the Quinta can be used in the kitchen according to season and availability, but this does not mean that every ingredient served is produced on the property. 

What can be harvested at Quinta da Carlota in October? 

Depending on the year’s growing conditions, October can include vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes and pumpkins, alongside fruit including Rocha pears, apples, oranges, avocados, lemons and limes. 

Does the garden produce the same ingredients throughout the year? 

No. Different crops follow different planting and harvesting cycles, so what is available changes with the seasons. 

Can guests see the garden and orchard during their stay? 

The vegetable garden, greenhouse and orchard form part of the Quinta’s landscape, allowing guests to see how the property changes throughout the year and what is growing during their stay.