Dishes That Nourish at La Tabla

At La Tabla on Royal Palm Pointe, Santiago Ares prepares natural food: acai bowls, salads, panini, protein shakes, and juice blends, as well as breakfast dishes that are served all day long. Ares is full of enthusiasm for his work, but the path to get there had some surprises along the way. 

He hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he worked in advertising. “My background is not in the restaurant business,” he explains; “I have a degree in marketing. I used to do branding for big food companies.” As it turned out, that was precisely the experience that led him to change course. “I learned about industrial food. And that’s what got me into making cleaner food.”

That’s the philosophy behind La Tabla. “I wanted to create a restaurant that gives food with a lot of flavor without manipulating ingredients. Less is more in my book.”

When Ares and his family first moved to Vero Beach, they volunteered at White Rabbit Acres, an organic farm that is now an important supplier for La Tabla. Careful sourcing is essential to Ares’ approach. “Dining today isn’t only about location or presentation; the source and the quality of the food are becoming just as important.”

In the past, Ares notes, labeling food “organic” would have been redundant: “Most food was grown organically, with minimal intervention.” Today, however, “foods that once had five ingredients often contain 25 ingredients.” Trying to discern “what’s considered good and what’s considered bad can be confusing and contradictory,” when it really should be a matter of “common sense,” Ares believes.

At La Tabla, Ares’ carefully chosen ingredients are transformed into dishes such as almond butter and berry toast; kale and spinach salad with cranberries and feta; and local tempeh (a soy product with Indonesian origins) with fresh chimichurri—the chimichurri being a nod to Ares’ Argentinean background. Protein shakes can include ingredients such as mango, orange, banana, wild berries, almond milk, and espresso. “We cater to a niche customer who wants food that not only tastes good but that supports a healthy lifestyle. We’re always experimenting with new flavors, ingredients, and ideas while staying true to our values.”

During his days in the advertising world, Ares never expected to become a chef. Now, he says, “I can feed a hundred people in a day, so I guess I am a chef. But I feel more like I’m a foodie with common sense.”

Entrée: Turkey Acorn Squash

This comforting dish involves stuffing the acorn squash with turkey and bringing in flavors of bell pepper, onion, and paprika.

Serves 4

• 3 small acorn squash
• 12 oz. ground turkey, preferably organic or responsibly raised
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 8 tbsp. taco seasoning mix
• 2 tbsp. paprika
• 1 cup black lentils (preferably organic), cooked
• 15-oz. can organic black beans
• 1/2 cup white quinoa (preferably organic), cooked
• 6 slices provolone cheese
• 4 tbsp. olive oil or avocado oil for pot
• 1 tbsp. olive oil or avocado oil for seasoning
• 2 tbsp. dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the 4 tbsp. olive oil or avocado oil and sauté the tomato, onion, and bell pepper. Add the taco seasoning and paprika. Add the ground turkey and cook thoroughly, around 12 minutes on medium-high heat. Add the lentils, black beans, and quinoa. Mix together and continue to cook for a few more minutes.

Cut the squashes in half and scoop out the seeds. Carve out enough of the inside to fit 4 oz. turkey meat in each squash. Sprinkle inside with the olive/avocado oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Bake the squash at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the inside is soft (approximately 25 minutes).

Fill each squash half with the mixture of turkey, vegetables, lentils, beans, and quinoa. Add a thin slice of provolone cheese to each squash and bake a few more minutes to meld the ingredients together and create a crispy crust.

Brunch: Acai Bowl

This recipe combines matcha—a powdered green tea traditional in Japan—with acai for an inventive and healthful combination.

Serves 3

• 3-oz. packet organic Sambazon acai pulp
• 12 oz. frozen mixed berries
• 1/2 banana
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 5 oz. coconut milk
• Yogurt matcha (see below)
• 1 tbsp. almond butter, for topping
• Additional granola, chopped banana, and berries to taste, for topping
• Drizzle of local honey, for topping

Place the acai pulp, berries, banana, and chia seeds in a blender. Add just enough coconut milk to blend properly (5 oz. is approximate). Blend the ingredients together.

Yogurt Matcha

• 24 oz. coconut cashew vanilla yogurt (Forager brand)
• 1 tsp. vanilla plant-protein powder
• 1/2 tsp. organic matcha

Mix the yogurt, protein powder, and matcha together.

To serve, you will need three 16-oz. mason jars. Fill each one with a layer of yogurt mixture (about 40 percent) followed by a layer of acai mixture (about 60 percent). Top with almond butter, along with additional granola, chopped bananas, and berries to taste. Drizzle with local honey if desired.

Entrée: Shepherd’s Pie

With organic, grass-fed beef; cranberries; and kalamata olives, this is Ares’ innovative take on an old favorite.

• 2 lb. organic, grass-fed ground beef
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 2 pasture-raised eggs, hard-boiled, mashed with a fork
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 2 cups frozen organic corn
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
• 2 tbsp. taco seasoning mix
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 4 sweet potatoes
• 4 tbsp. organic butter
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil and sauté the bell pepper, onion, and tomato. Add beef and cook at medium-high temperature for about 10 minutes. Add eggs, kale, corn, cranberries, olives, taco seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Boil the sweet potatoes until soft. Mash them with the butter and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. On a flat baking tray, place the meat mixture and top with mashed sweet potatoes as a coating. Bake 10–15 minutes until the mashed potatoes have a crispy top.