Let’s start with the setting, the third-floor patio at Shutters on the Beach, featuring spectacular ocean views and a king’s table dressed with white tablecloths and an army of wine glasses. That was my initial find on May 19, when the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau + the Santa Barbara Film Commission assembled a group of food and wine writers to discover “the people behind the bounty” in “L.A.’s backyard.” 98% of ingredients at the night’s meal were sourced from Santa Barbara County, and the chefs and winemakers used them to make a convincing case for their county’s cuisine.

Chef Brian Parks of Coast Restaurant + Bar in Santa Barbara’s Canary Hotel devised the menu, and he brought trusted chefs Vincente Salgado and Nicole de la Rocha to help execute his vision.

Almost every component on the menu was attributed to a farmer, vintner, fisherman or rancher. Parks started us with a plate of Spot Prawn + Red Abalone, with the former from Kanaloa Seafood and the latter from The Cultured Abalone. For texture’s sake, the pristine prawn and its thin-shaved abalone wrapping didn’t need the gelatinous vegetable consomme, but I enjoyed the nutty micro greens from Global Greens and both the 100% Farga olive oil and tangy fig balsamic vinegar from Los Alamos Estate.

Throughout the evening, we were treated to personal stories about many of the Santa Barbara County producers, including Theodora Stephan, who was an ad exec in the early ’90s and produced “Travel to Santa Barbara” catalogues. She’s Greek and grew up on olive oil, bought a ranch in 1995 and eventually sold said ranch, but still owns the olive trees. Now owns a food tasting room in Los Olivos called Global Gardens. Her olive oil and fig balsamic vinegar accented the initial plate. She makes over 50 food products besides extra virgin olive oil, including fruit infused balsamic & champagne vinegars, spreads, sauces, snacks and confections.

We received two glasses of wine with each course, and the winemakers were on-site to discuss their product. Municipal Winemakers owner David Potter discussed his 2009 Bright White, a dry, crisp white. Jeanne Newman represented Jorian Hill, beginning with her family’s 2007 Viognier.

Our second course – Baby Romaine Lettuce – came courtesy of Westland Produce, Inc and BD Farms. The hydroponic lettuce is grown sustainably in Carpinteria. The crisp lettuce was dressed with herbaceous green goddess, showered with fine squiggles of Parmesan and crisp breadcrumbs. This was the only plate that didn’t feature wine pairings.

It took Kanaloa Seafood, BD Farms and Rieger Farms to compete the Grilled Sea Bass, which arrived on a bed of blooming arugula and licorice-licked fennel, with sweet tangerine segments and micro-greens up top. The firm fish was a little overcooked, but the simple dish still worked, for the most part.

Hitching Post legend Frank Ostini introduced his 2006 Pinot Noir “Cargasacchi Vineyard,” made from grapes grown on Peter Cargasacchi’s wine in the Santa Rita Hills. Ostini is best known for his steaks, but he’s been making wine for 30 years and considers himself an “heirloom winemaker.” It was then Doug Margerum‘s turn to tell the crowd about his Cimarone 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, a “high acid, fresh, fruity and dry” wine made in Happy Canyon on the eastern end of the county.

A highlight of the meal was the Roasted Sirloin with Thyme + Oregano, made using [Rancho San Julian Beef. Elizabeth Poett was on hand to discuss the beer. She’s a seventh generation cattle rancher, with her family’s ranch dating to 1837. They specialize in antibiotic-, hormone- and corn-free beef. The animals are fed alfalfa, oats and barley for the sake of marbling, taste and tenderness. The most convincing argument for those steps were on the plate, where the meat featured a nice sear and earthy taste that isn’t found in mass-produced, corn-fed cows. The buttery Nantes carrots, bloomsdale spinach and spring garlic soubise originated at either Shepherd Farms or Coleman Farms.

The pairings for the beef consisted of Jorian Hill 2007 Syrah and PIOCHO 2007 “Happy Canyon Vineyards.” Margerum explained that PIOCHO is the ranch name and translates from Chumash as “where the two rivers meet and go to heaven.” PIOCHO is also a blend of Cab Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

We finished with three squares of Our Daily Bread Pudding, each with a different berry. I can’t remember which berry came from which farm, but the farms were Driscoll’s Berries, Murray Farm and Shepherd Farms. We received Bourbon Blueberries, Brandied Cherries and Chocolate Strawberries. I preferred the boozy berries to the richer chocolate-streaked strawberries.

Ostini described the “diversity of climate” when introducing his Hitching Post 2007 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, which has a whopping 24% residual sugar. Municipal Winemakers 2009 Sweetness was a Riesling that was only 10% ABV and only 3.5-4% residual sugar, sweet, but light by comparison.

After dinner, Shepherd Farms founder Tom Shepherd told his story. He’s been an organic Carpinteria farmer for 38 years, with a larger farm in Santa Ynez, producing berries, carrots and more. “Everything I grow in Santa Barbara stays in Santa Barbara,” says Shepherd, who proudly announced that his largest account is the Santa Barbara School District. He also supplies 30 top restaurants in Santa Barbara.

On our way out, we passed by a table loaded with produce from Scarborough Farms – “home to exquisite salads and fresh herbs.” Containers were filled with micro greens like opal basil, amaranth, sage, chervil and dandelion. Another container hosted “teenie” options like peppercress, red orach, beet tops and tatsoi. Hydroponic butter lettuce sported roots spread out in a water-filled vase. The rest of the table was packed with strawberries, frisee, blueberries, Scarborough Farms “Amazing Mix,” plus more. A “bounty” indeed.