Kitchen Connection

One of the things that I missed the most while living in the Bay Area was the inherent feeling of the evolving seasons. The changing seasons conjur up sensations on each of our five senses and bring back fond memories from as far back as childhood. Here in the midwest the four seasons arrive sometimes over night like the chill in the night air. Everyone here in the midwest looks forward to the relief of a 65 degree day after weeks of 90 degrees heavy with with dense humidity.

As a chef, the changing season signals the arrival of not just new ingredients, but thoughts of hearty roasted root vegetables, gently braised meats enrobed in a rich reduction of its own juices. Something about the chill in the air makes me crave roasted squash and pumpkins and the delicate balance of nutmeg, ginger, cloves and cinnamon on savory and sweet dishes throughout our menu. This time of year is when the sweetcorn is at its juicy, sweet and tender peak of perfection.

Maybe it’s the change in temperature or the bounty of Autumn’s harvest but the changing season brings excitement of things to come and time to reflect on the past season. Before we know it Thanksgiving will have come and the first snowflakes will begin to drop. Until then enjoy the end of Summer and all that it offers because by we will be craving those 90 degree days by January. Until next time . . .Chef Jeremy

Organic vs Sustainable Farming

One of the questions that I often hear at farmer’s markets and am frequently asked is if we serve “organic” produce. To respond simply I say that I seek out and serve as many sustainable goods that I can. The terms “organic and sustainable” are both commonly used by food producers and consumers, but is there an advantage to one or even a difference? While both are advantageous, I find that “organic” is a broad term while “sustainable” simply tastes better.

The term organic refers to global food products that are heavily regulated and can be quite costly for the farmer. It often begins with a waiting period to enssure that the land to be farmed is free from chemicals and synthetic materials, often taking up to 3 years. The farmer must then pay to have soila dn water samples taken and studied, complete documentation on farm history, design a plan for future production and be interviewed at an official farm visit. After all of this, the farmer is required to pay an annual fee anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. With these demands many of the smaller farms that I work with either don’t have or don’t desire to the label of “organic” for their produce, but would rather be known as sustainable.

In the past couple decades a grass roots movement of sustainability has made its way into homes throughout the country. A bill was passed defining sustainability as a system of farming process that enhances the environment, uses little non-renewable resources, produces food that is healthy to eat, financially sustains the farm and most importantly, enhances the quality of life for farmers and society. Most of the farmers that you will see at your local market tend to use these practices and the cost is much lower. They will use age-old farming techniques like integrated pest management and crop rotation to accomplish what technilogy has put into a powder for industrial farms.

All definitions, sociological and political views on the matter aside, to me, sustainable food simply tastes better. Organic farms can be found throughout the world and are often large in scale with extensive shipping. While the transport of foods has come a long way over the past couple decades, the organic carrot you bought at the grocery store was probably grown out west or even on the other side of the equator and harvested some weeks before you are it. Most sustainable farmers at the markets were digging in the dirt just the day before and probably that morning to harvest the carrots. nothing beats the flavor of a carrot just pulled from the earth, still warm from the sun, washed off and eaten raw. Not only does it taste good but its packed with nutrients that lessen with time and most importantly, it makes me feel like I am making a difference for my guests and farmers alike. To me, that is the essence of sustainability.

A splash of vinegar, a glug of oil and a bit of sunshine

I think most will agree that summertime salads are a staple at backyard barbeques, patio parties and outdoor picnics. However, the type of salad dressing that best compliments such warmer weather fare often seems up for debate. When walking down grocery store aisles, rows of multi-colored, textured and stabilized dressings provide shoppers with hundreds of choices. To create a summer salad dressing that is both light and can be made to suit the tastes of most everyone, I want to explain the basics of creating a vinaigrette.

Vinaigrettes, the combination of oil and vinegar, are typically made of three parts oil to one part vinegar. However, this basic ratio is relative to the amount of finished dressing that can be made, as small as 3 teaspoons oil to 1 teaspoon vinegar, all the way up to 3 gallons oil to 1 gallon vinegar. If you like your vinaigrette a bit more tart you can use two parts oil to one part vinegar, but be weary to let the dressing sit on your salad for long, as the lettuce will wilt much faster.

When making vinaigrettes, don’t feel confined to just using vinegars, but try using naturally acidic juices from citrus fruit and even fruit juices like that of berries or apples. These juices just need a splash of vinegar before mixing with oil. Allow the vinegar to sit or macerate with onions, garlic and ginger, along with salt and pepper for 20 to 30 minutes before mixing. This will allow the flavors to be extracted and the salt to dissolve.

When choosing oil, select an extra virgin olive oil that is very aromatic, but don’t feel confined to using the Italian staple.  I encourage you to experiment using other oils both for their flavor and for their texture, like peanut, corn, vegetable, sesame and even nut-infused oils. When creating Asian style vinaigrettes I tend to make my own blend of oil with peanut oil, for its light texture and add a little sesame for flavor. To infuse other flavors into oil gently warm up a neutral oil like vegetable or grape seed on your stovetop in a sauce pot over low heat with aromatic spices and/or ingredients. Allow it to sit at room temperature until cool before straining and making the dressing.

I don’t think that there is or will ever be a comprehensive collection of all the possibilities of vinaigrette and I hope there never is. As long as a cook at any level can understand the basic ratio and has an appreciation for the elemental ingredients of vinaigrette, the possibilities are infinite, bound only by the imagination. The next time you walk down a grocery aisle or through the farmer’s market; let your imagination run and experiment with different flavors and textures in your salad. Whatever you do, don’t confine yourself to a recipe, as the result of creativity almost always leads to something unique.

Summers Syrupy Sweet Drops

With the dog days of summer now upon us, the sun shines late in the day and leaves many of us craving sweet refreshment. If you’re like me, nothing beats an ice cold beverage to cool off with in the late afternoon. A little sugar just seems to sweeten the rest of the day. Let’s take a look at the sugars used to sweeten summertime drinks.

My personal favorite is natural cane sugar. Every morning, I make a large café au lait and add more packets of Sugar In The Raw than I care to share. Processed from a large, quickly growing cane that grows close to the equator, the cane is cut, pressed of its syrupy juices and cooked until crystals begin to form. The brown color of cane sugar comes naturally from the cane and when separated from the sugar in the refining process it’s called molasses.

Be careful of the imitators that will take refined beet sugar and spray it with molasses to create a deceptive look alike. Yes, I said beet sugar. Unbeknownst to many, half of the “sugar” consumed in the United States is made from sugar beets. Sugar cane here in the U.S. is mainly grown in more tropical environments throughout the southern states. Refineries are required to label their sugar with beet or cane. Usually the package will say “pure cane sugar,” so if not specified, it’s probably made from refined beets.

Born and raised in Decatur, Illinois, the home of the major manufacturer of corn byproducts, I grew up not knowing that most of my food and beverages were sweetened with corn syrup. This topic alone has become a forefront issue in today’s health. A wealth of information can be found both for and against our country’s connection to sweets. Yet still, one of my favorite treats when I go shopping at La Huerta Supermarket for authentic ingredients is a small bottle of Coca Cola imported from Mexico. It’s sweetened with natural cane sugar and is a welcomed splash of refreshment.

When I’m cooking in the kitchen on a hot summer day, I also love to make a bucket of watermelon fresca for the crew and I. First, I make a heavy syrup from sugar and water and as I pull it from the stove, I throw in some zest of lime before allowing to cool. I juice a watermelon and a few limes, pour them over ice and add the lime syrup to sweeten. I usually make this in one of our house made ice cream tubs and love to shake it vigorously before serving.

However sweet you like your day or your beverages, be sure to take the time to enjoy the refreshment. It’s the sweetest of moments in the day that make it worth getting up tomorrow.