Cold pre the press!!
Here's my article for this weeks newsletter (not even printed yet!!).
Farm to Table Experience
Some people claim that eating locally is just another food fad that will come and go. I've even been called a 'hippie' for my food choices and been accused of jumping on the local 'band wagon'. However, I do not believe that eating local is going to fade away any time soon. Eating local and seasonal is a tale, literally, as old as time.
The very first people who roamed these lands, depended on the soil around them to supply them with the necessary resources to survive. They didn't have the option of running down to the village supermarket and picking up the week's groceries. They spent their days living off the land. Cultivating, foraging and hunting. This is how man kind has survived for hundreds of years.
During the Industrial Revolution things began to change and farming practices were not an exception. Vitamin supplements, antibiotics and synthetic pesticides allowed farmers to decrease input and increase output. Although the population grew, the number of farms shrank. In the 1930's nearly a quarter of America's population worked in agriculture. That number has since plummeted to an alarming 1.5 percent of our population.
There have always been people who have seen the problems with this approach to 'farming'. It seems that in recent years they have finally received the attention they deserve and their voices have finally reached the masses. Eating local has hit the scene and through the media and social networking, has been labeled 'trendy'. However you call it, I view it as a practice as old as time that has been given a fresh face. It is reaching a new audience and young people are listening and getting involved.
I first became involved in the local scene just over two years ago. And while I am still new to the movement, I can think of nothing else that has grabbed my attention so quickly and so fully. For me, it started with the food. It just tasted better. I wanted to cook with local ingredients because they were simply better tasting. Once I got involved with a few area farms I quickly discovered how time consuming responsible growing is. I was inspired by the time, labor and dedication the farmers put forth in the face of social adversity and environmental challenges to produce their crops. Seeing their hard work gave me more respect for the food and a responsibility to uphold its integrity until it reaches the table.
This year has been a continuation of my learning, both here on the farm and at L'Etoile Restaurant in Madison. I have the unique opportunity to experience both sides of local food. Since I have been working here in Wisconsin, local food has become less about the food and more about the people. I have a huge sense of pride when I see 'Harmony Valley Farm' in italics on the L'Etoile menu because I know where it came from, the people who grew it, picked it, cleaned it and drove it across the state to our kitchen.
This weekend, I had the chance to sit down with Tory Miller, executive chef and co-owner of L'Etoile Restaurant and Graze gastro-pub, and chat about his experience with local eating and sourcing. Tory first became interested in local when he moved to Madison in 2003. He said that the first summer he spent in Madison blew his mind. He got a job working part time for Odessa Piper at L'Etoile and visited the Dane County Farm Market every week. He got to know farmers and vendors and began to establish relationships and partnerships. His desire to support the local community grew.
When Tory bought L'Etoile and then decided to relocate to a larger venue, I don't think it is a coincidence that he ended up on the farm market's front lawn. Every Saturday morning you can find him and his large Graze wagon making their rounds at market. Tory says, he feels like a kid in a candy store when he goes to market. He allows the ingredients and people inspire him and his menus. He has the kitchen on the edge of our seats, waiting to see what he will bring back, knowing that it will affect our prep lists for the rest of the day. Some weeks it results in major menu changes and others just minor adjustments.
This weekend I experienced his whimsical farm market adventures first hand. He returned from market with a bag full of what looked like the worlds tiniest watermelons. I was told that these 'mouse melons' would be replacing the cucumber on the heirloom tomato salad. I replied with the obligatory 'Yes, chef' but thought how strange it was to replace cucumber with miniature watermelons. Until I cut into one. I discovered they aren't melons at all! In fact they are related to cucumbers! Knowing that I would soon have to speak to the servers about this little oddity, I popped the entire kumquat sized 'melon' in my mouth and was surprised by its big flavor. It tasted like concentrated cucumber with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Exposure to these new and exciting ingredients is, well exciting, however eating locally in Wisconsin also means eating seasonally. It can be challenging both as a home cook and restauranteur to maintain a local menu in the dead of Wisconsin winter (Those people in California don't realize how good they've go it!). As a newbie to this area, I asked Tory how he deals with the challenges of our climate here. He laughed and replied simply, 'root veggies'. His winter menu is laden with beets, potatoes, turnips, radishes, carrots, rutabagas, celery root and of course onions. He elaborated saying that he intentionally over purchases throughout the summer to allow for putting by. We dry a lot of tomatoes and mushrooms, freeze fruit purees and pickle vegetables. He also mentioned that there are quite a few innovative farms now who use hoop houses and heated green houses who, for a price, help stock his coolers. He concluded by saying that the cooks come out in the winter. It is easy to cook with a seemingly endless supply of beautiful, fresh produce but it requires a creative mind to over come the difficult restrictions presented in a cold climate.
One of the things I enjoy most about working at L'Etoile is that the whole staff believes in the cause. Tory joked that he just gets lucky with the people who apply to work for him, but I believe it's more than luck. He puts forth an effort to motivate the staff and share his passion with us so that we all have a greater understanding for his goal. We take field trips to visit the farms that supply our coolers and local businesses that stock our shelves. We go see the land where our food comes from and the people who make it happen. We return to work with a renewed sense of responsibility and respect for the products on our cutting boards.
The industrial farming industry has pushed our natural systems to the limit. Whether on the farm side or table side, I feel compelled to be part of the the change and restoration. Label me what you will; hippie, locavore, too picky, or eccentric, I am proud to be a part of the local movement. I am proud to bring people pure and healthy food. To support the people who devote their lives to growing and raising the best possible products. And to experience the full circle of food from the soil to the table.
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