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  • From: tradingpost <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Fwd: Farmers, chefs feed each other ideas
  • Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 13:55:00 -0600


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Farmers, chefs feed each other ideas
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 00:46:56 -0600
From: spirit <spirit@lobo.net>
To: tradingpost <tradingpost@lobo.net>, spirit@lobo.net


Farmers, chefs feed each other ideas
http://www.sfgate.com/recipes/article/Farmers-chefs-feed-each-other-ideas-5414003.php?cmpid=hp-hc-food



Northern California chefs have been at the forefront of bringing great 
quality food to the dining public, as well as inspiring what home cooks 
prepare on their own.

It's why we've been the epicenter for new dining trends that then spread 
out through the rest of the country.

But chefs couldn't create all their great dishes without the people who 
produce the ingredients.

We've all come to recognize that in the ever-growing farm-to-table 
movement, but recent conversations with three local farmers have given 
me glimpses into the depth and intricacy of their bonds with Bay Area chefs.

It is sustainability in action.

In many cases, chefs and restaurateurs have given a lifeline to small 
farmers who otherwise might not have been able to continue.

"The enthusiasm of the chefs I work with and the food they are creating 
helped me value my own work," says Andy Griffin of Mariquita Farm near 
Watsonville.

It "has helped me want to keep the farm going even during times when the 
grind of making payroll, paying bills and all the rest of what having a 
small business means has threatened to make farming seem like an a risky 
way to provide for a family."

Most of the crops Griffin now grows are the result of suggestions from 
various restaurateurs.

Victoria Libin of A16 turned him on to baby fava beans, friarielli 
peppers picked tender, young and green; the green squash blossoms called 
fiorelli and the brassica spigariello.

The late Judy Rodgers of Zuni taught him about Rugosa butternut squash 
and tennerumi di cucuzzi, the leaves of an Italian squash plant. Bruce 
Hill of Bix, Fog City, Zero Zero and Picco told him about cauliflower 
shoots and broccoli di ciccio.

Staffan Terje of Perbacco prompted Griffin to grow carrots out for seed 
because the fresh seed is so aromatic, and worked with him to figure out 
how to grow the Italian heirloom zatta melon that pairs so well with 
prosciutto. Bar Tartine's Nick Balla persuaded him to grow Japanese 
vegetables, and pastry chef Cortney Burns told him about lemon flowers.

Annabelle Lenderink tells a similar story. She is the sales manager at 
Warren Weber's pioneering Star Route Farms in Bolinas and also owns her 
own 3-acre La Tercera farm on land she leases at nearby Dolcini Ranch.

She supplies Zuni Cafe, Quince, Coco 500, Bouli Bar, Gialina and Camino, 
among others, with items such as puntarelle, nettles, romaine, frisee, 
baby artichokes, escarole, spinach, wild arugula and a vast selection of 
herbs such as nepitella, myrtle, Dutch cutting celery, fresh fenugreek 
and serpolet (wild) thyme.

Greg Dunmore of Nojo is one of her biggest fans.

"She's a seeker of anything delicious," he says. "Over the years she has 
tried to grow various Asian produce, but the one that has stuck has been 
the Japanese green onion, negi. It is perfect. Sometimes you will catch 
me eating it raw just with sea salt. We put it on pretty much everything."

Lenderink talks with the chefs regularly, going back and forth with new 
ideas, successes and, on occasion, failures.

"Sometimes the chefs request an item and it may or may not work out," 
she says. "An esoteric crop like agretti (a needle-shaped succulent) or 
stridoli (a leafy Italian green) might not always be productive or take 
too much effort for the small amount that is sold.

"But the important thing," she emphasizes, "is to keep the conversation 
going."

Russell Moore at Camino in Oakland has a long relationship with Star 
Route and La Tercera.

"Sometimes (Annabelle) hands me a bundle of herbs I've never heard of at 
the farmers' market and she waits for reports on what we did," he says - 
like grilling sheep's milk ricotta with myrtle leaves and serving it 
with green garlic toast and a salad of Persian mint, chervil, parsley 
and tarragon.

Moore will dress puntarelle with popped mustard seed for a salad with 
grilled sardines and preserved lemons, or make a citrus, smoked sardine 
and fresh turmeric salad with an heirloom Dutch cutting celery. And he 
uses her dried espelette chiles "with reckless abandon."

Amaryll Schwertner of Boulettes Larder and Boulibar relates how for 
years she would call Star Route "predawn to find out what Warren Weber 
was harvesting and how we were going to arrange the logistics for those 
ingredients to trek from Bolinas.

"We depend upon a tribe of farmers from all of the various microclimates 
with their seasonal special ingredients we look forward to using."

She emphasizes how what's grown at Star Route as well as Green Gulch and 
other coastal suppliers have brought "a very beautiful bouquet of 
flavors to my mind. ... The style and point of departure in my cooking 
has been so interlinked with the privilege of employing these 
ingredients. The beauty and flavor of these crops is inspirational for 
everything I want to cook."

Early every Saturday at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, I take a look at 
the Dirty Girl Produce booth and check out the long line of chefs 
hauling away crates of Joe Schirmer's greens, radicchio, cauliflower, 
savoy cabbage, Little Gem lettuce, lacinato kale, romanesco broccoli, 
shallots, green onions, French radishes, tiny green beans, Tokyo turnips 
and, in season, the renowned Early Girl tomatoes.

Schirmer's newest crop is Belgian endive.

"Even though it is labor intensive, requiring black-plastic-lined hoop 
houses, I decided to give it a try" as a winter crop when things are slow.

Perbacco's Terje was one of the first to try it, and his reaction shows 
another side of the interplay between chefs and farmers.

The endive, Terje says, isn't "as pretty as the other stuff. It's a bit 
more flared out. But the flavor is great. It has a nice balance of 
bitter and sweet.

"Joe told me he did some tests and he wanted to me to try it out. He 
asked if it was anything I and other chefs might be interested in."

And that's just the sort of thing that Terje says informs what he and 
other chefs are cooking - and what the rest of us are eating today.

"The farmers are so integral to our style of cooking in California. When 
you know the farmer, he or she basically dictates what goes on the menu. 
It's my job to figure out what to do with what is in season here.

"Andy at Mariquita will send me a copy of the Seeds from Italy catalog 
and ask me if there is anything I would like him to grow for me. That 
approach not only builds the relationship between farmer and chef, it 
also pushes your creativity.

"You know what is fresh and at its peak. It's liberating."

For recipes, see Page H7
Andy Griffin, Mariquita Farm

Location: Watsonville

How to buy: Via subscription, either through a buying club or weekly CSA box

More: www.mariquita.com, which also contains recipes and newsletter info.
Annabelle Lenderink, La Tercera

Location: Bolinas

Where to buy: Saturday downtown Berkeley farmers' market from the end of 
July through December.

More: Lenderink is also manager for Star Route Farms, which has 
year-round booths at the Marin Civic Center market, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. 
Thursday and Sunday; and at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, 8 a.m.-2 
p.m. Saturday.
Joe Schirmer, Dirty Girl Produce

Location: Santa Cruz

Where to buy: Farmers' markets: South Berkeley, 2-6:30 p.m. Tuesday; 
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (Ferry Building), 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday and 
8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; Stonestown in San Francisco, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 
Sunday; and Santa Cruz markets on Wednesday, Saturday and

Sunday.

More: www.dirtygirlproduce.com; (831) 566-2433
Caramelized Baby Artichokes, Turkish-Style

Serves about 4 as a starter

This recipe is from Amaryll Schwertner, chef-owner of Boulette's Larder 
and Bouli Bar in San Francisco. The Turkish method of braising in olive 
oil "melts" small baby artichokes to a near compote. The caramelized 
artichokes can be served on their own, as a component in salads or 
antipasti, or with pasta, grains or meats. The recipe is more of an 
instructional method of oil braising, and can be used with other vegetables.

    12 small or baby artichokes, about 1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds
    3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (see Note)
    2 or 3 little hot dried chiles or about 1/2 teaspoon Marash chile 
flakes, to taste
    1 organic lemon, cut in 1/4-inch slices, seeds removed
    1 bay leaf
    1/4 cup dry white wine
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
    1/2 bunch thyme

Instructions: Move a rack to the middle of the oven and preheat the oven 
to 425°.

Pull off and discard the tougher, dark green outer leaves of the 
artichokes until you get to the tender, lighter green portion. Cut the 
tips of the leaves back about 3/4-inch, thinly trim the stem, then halve 
the artichokes lengthwise. Set aside.

Pour the olive oil into an ovenproof, 9- to 10-inch saute pan that will 
accommodate the artichokes in a single layer. Add the hot chiles or 
chile flakes, lemon slices, bay leaf and wine, then arrange the 
artichokes cut side down. Add the sea salt and thyme.

Cover the pan and place in the oven. The wine cooks down and the 
artichokes braise in the seasoned oil. Check at about 40 minutes and 
adjust the heat if needed. The oil should be at a hard simmer. Cook 
until the artichokes are very soft and caramelized on the cut side, 
about 1 hour total. If needed, remove any remaining tough leaves.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: The braising oil can be saved to use in salad dressing or a 
homemade mayonnaise that is blended with some of the roasted lemon.

Per serving: 185 calories, 4 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (2 g 
saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 252 mg sodium, 6 g fiber.
Grilled Broccoli di Ciccio

Serves 4

Chef Bruce Hill of Fog City, Zero Zero and Bix in San Francisco, and 
Picco in Larkspur says that the broccoli di ciccio from Mariquita Farm 
has been his standby for years. This recipe is from Erik Lowe, Fog City 
chef de cuisine. You'll need a 12- to 14-inch perforated wok or mesh 
basket (see Note below). The vinaigrette and the garlic chips can be 
made ahead.

    Vinaigrette
    1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    1 small clove garlic, finely minced
    1/2 Thai chile, thinly sliced into rings
    2 tablespoons lemon juice
    2 teaspoons garum or fish sauce
    1/2 teaspoon sugar
    Garlic chips
    2 large cloves peeled garlic
    1 cup oil for frying, preferably rice bran oil
    Broccoli di ciccio
    1 pound broccoli di ciccio
    -- Fine sea salt, to taste
    -- Olive oil in a spray bottle or mister

For the vinaigrette: Warm the extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic 
in a small pan over medium heat. Add the Thai chile and let simmer for 
30 seconds. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice, garum and 
sugar. Set aside until ready to serve. Re-whisk before using.

For the garlic chips: Thinly slice the garlic with a sharp knife or a 
mandolin. Place the slices into a bowl of ice water and soak about 5 
minutes. Drain and pat dry on paper towels.

Put the garlic into a small sauce pan with the cold frying oil and 
slowly bring up to a simmer. Remove the garlic from the oil with a 
slotted spoon or mesh strainer just as it begins to brown, about 6 
minutes. Be sure you remove it just as it begins to brown; if it gets 
too dark, it will be bitter. Drain the garlic chips on paper towels. 
Save the garlic oil for another use. The garlic chips can be made a day 
ahead; cover tightly and store at room temperature until ready to use.

For the broccoli: Preheat the grill to high. Toss the broccoli di ciccio 
in a medium mixing bowl with the sea salt and mist it with just enough 
olive oil to coat.

Working in batches, transfer the broccoli to the perforated wok or mesh 
basket and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned but still crunchy.

To serve: Toss the broccoli in just enough vinaigrette to coat. Place 
the broccoli on a serving platter and garnish with the garlic chips.

Note: Perforated woks and mesh baskets, which keep the broccoli from 
falling through the grill grates, can be found at Sur La Table and 
Williams-Sonoma stores or online at Amazon.com and other cooking 
equipment websites.

Per serving: 154 calories, 3 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (2 g 
saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 252 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.
Belgian Endive Salad With Radishes & Kumquats

Serves 4

This recipe is from Staffan Terje, chef/co-owner of Perbacco in San 
Francisco, who makes this salad with endive from Dirty Girl Produce. The 
mandarin puree gives the dressing a bit of body, which helps coat the 
leaves. So as to minimize waste, Terje cooks down the trimmed endive 
leaves with blood orange juice and a bit of sugar, and serves it as a 
relish with fish.

    Mandarin Vinaigrette
    2 mandarins
    1 quart water3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
    1 tablespoon sugar, to taste
    3/4 cup olive oil
    -- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
    Salad
    4 Belgian endives
    2 cups arugula, about 1 ounce
    10 medium radishes, shaved thinly crosswise on a mandolin
    10 kumquats, thinly sliced with pits removed
    -- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette: Cut the mandarins in half and squeeze out the 
juice. Strain and set aside.

Scrape out the mandarin peels with a spoon; remove and discard membranes 
and some of the pith.

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the mandarin peels; simmer 
for 3 minutes. Remove the peels from the water, discard the water, and 
repeat the process 2 more times with fresh water. This removes some of 
the mandarins' bitterness.

Place the peels in a blender with the vinegar and sugar. Puree until 
fairly smooth. Taste and add a little more sugar if needed.

With the blender on slow speed, slowly add the olive oil until 
incorporated. Add some mandarin juice until the consistency is fluid but 
creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Makes about 1 1/4 cups; 
save the remainder for another use.

For the salad: Trim about 1/2-inch off the bottom of the endives, 
separate out the leaves and place the leaves in a large bowl. You might 
need to cut another 1/2-inch off as you get closer to the core.

Add arugula, radish slices and kumquat slices to the bowl.

Pour some of the vinaigrette down the side of the bowl. Using your 
hands, toss the salad gently by dragging it through the vinaigrette. Add 
more vinaigrette as desired, little by little, until the leaves are 
evenly coated.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve on individual plates or in 
a shallow bowl, family-style.

Per serving: 250 calories, 1 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat (3 g 
saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 6 g fiber.

Joyce Goldstein is an author, chef and consultant in San Francisco. Her 
newest book is "Inside the California Food Revolution." E-mail: 
food@sfchronicle.com
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  • [Livingontheland] Fwd: Farmers, chefs feed each other ideas, tradingpost, 04/22/2014

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