Farm to Table :: Let Your Fingers Do the Pickin'

We've all heard of it... I'm talking about the "farm-to-table" concept sweeping the food world. What is it and where on "earth" did it come from? (Yuk-yuk)

The Farm-to-Table (henceforth F2T) dining concept is, in a nutshell, bringing garden-fresh ingredients as quickly and freshly as possible from a local farm to your plate. Though it might seem like a trendy no-brainer, it is in fact, an ancient concept.

For quite some time, corporate food conglomerates turned toward what was then a new approach of giving the American restaurant diner consistent, safe and affordable cuisine, even if the quality of the food suffered. Happily, a revolution has indeed been boiling up in our culinary souls and a renewed appreciation steeping, for not only the social dining experience, but also the need of understanding where our food comes from, moving us toward a more personal
interaction regarding the relationship to the very sustenance that our bodies need. A concept, thank goodness, that is ultimately changing our way of living, as we adopt a more sustainable model regarding the ancient "farm-to-table" concept.

For many of us who visit our local farmers' markets, there is a symbiotic relationship forged when choosing our food directly from the farmer who grows it. You might know these folks by name, like my friend Phil, from Sage Mountain Farms and, like I do, you might even know that he has mini melons rolling out right now. (I usually hollow this little delicious melon and then tweak the fruit with a touch of sugar and lemon juice before filling it back up with a sorbet made from its flesh. It makes a cute little slice of melon sorbet.)

The point being, the relationship you have with the farmer and his or her produce, how it is grown and where it comes from is a vital part of knowing what you put into your body. Unlike the mass production model I spoke of earlier, with foods that cross the globe from sources unknown and probably unregulated, that are, more than likely, "less than fresh." Or better yet, canned, dried, flash-frozen or processed so much, they are barely recognizable and... even less flavorful.

The true revelation of farm fresh food is to become inspired by locally sourced produce, rancher's meat, fresh seafood or locally crafted cheeses, and allow them to inspire your menu. Let that inspiration become your new recipe card, rather than a scratched-out note for the latest Rachael Ray three-minute meal. (Sorry Rachael... no hard feelings?) Or, worse yet, some ungodly, frozen "pre-made" meal, laden with sodium, containing ingredients unknown to most humans, such as Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT ). Let's just make a rule here, folks: If you can't say it, you probably shouldn't eat it. After all, a carrot is a carrot, a cabbage is a cabbage and so on... you get the concept, right?

Now that you're a covert to the F2T side of the kitchen and are a local farmers' market aficionado, how do you determine what's fresh? Chances are, your local farmers aren't going to pass off to you anything that isn't fresh (unless it's from some hokey stand, pumping out non-local produce). Local farmers plant the seeds of plants that produce during certain times of the year and are tied to specific growing seasons. (Though California is a bit of an anomaly - our growing season tends to be much longer than most temperate climates.) All things being relative, the "what you see is what you get" idiom applies here. Available selections should be generally consistent amongst all vendors or even in grocery stores (i.e.: you'll see persimmons of both Fuyu and Hitachi persuasion, right now). Let that be an indicator of what is "in season."

So where does that leave us? Rustle yourself out of bed and get going early this weekend and hit your nearest farmers'market. Touch, see, smell and taste the fruits of all that is delicious, offered there. If you're still feeling a bit uninspired and wishing for a little more hand-holding, I'll leave you with a couple out-
standing seasonal recipes for foods that just might rock your Fall socks off.

Coconut Curried Pumpkin Soup

This culinary salute to the honorable squash known as the pumpkin (in prime picking season right now) is both vegan-certified friendly and equally delicious.

Just the right balance of sweet and spice. If the soup is too thick, just add more coconut water to thin it out.

INGREDIENTS:

2 white onions, pureed
3 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 medium-sized (2-pound) pumpkin, cut in half with seeds and pulp removed
3 1/2 cups coconut water
1/2 cup coconut milk Cayenne pepper, to taste Salt, to taste
1 7-ounce container Greek yogurt, for garnish
(or coconut cr�me if you're vegan)
Toasted paprika dusted pumpkin seeds, for garnish
Cilantro, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350�F. Rub pumpkin halves with coconut oil. Then place flesh-side down on a foil-lined cookie sheet and roast for 45 minutes or until flesh is tender when pricked with a fork. Once cool enough to touch, scoop pumpkin flesh out from the skins, puree and set aside for later use (note: you can use a little water to help your blender out).

2. Place a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add remaining oil and onion puree, but do not stir. Allow onions to turn translucent then add garlic and ginger, stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until garlic becomes fragrant. Add curry powder, coriander, cardamom, allspice and constantly stir until spices become toasted and fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add coconut water, coconut milk, pumpkin puree, and bring to a boil.

3. Turn off heat and use an immersion blender to ensure the soup is delicately smooth. Turn flame back on to medium-high heat and bring soup to a simmer for dinner.

4. Serve soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt, tablespoon of pumpkin
seeds, and pinch of cilantro leaves.

Caramelized Cauliflower Lebni with Pine Nuts and Mint

My latest wedding was something of Moroccan opulence meets Southern California "farm-to-sheik," and this dish was my favorite of the evening (my wonderful bride, more or less, designed a menu of epic ordeal).

The cauliflower really should be charred, and you're going to want to hit up a Mideastern grocery store for all of the staples needed to execute this masterpiece. This recipe is a vegetarian gold medal-winner, but is equally delicious served up with mint pesto lambchops.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup raisins (or dried fig)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cauliflower heads, cut into large florets
1 cup of lebni (or kefir)
2 cups tomatoes-drained, peeled, seeded and chopped
Pinch of crushed red pepper, preferably Marash
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup roasted garlic clove, finely chopped
1/3 cup tablespoons chopped mint
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350�F. In a small bowl, cover the raisins with water; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a 10 to 12-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the oil. Add the cauliflower and sugar and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until the cauliflower starts to soften, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to moderate and cook until the cauliflower is lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the lebni, tomatoes and crushed red pepper, season with salt and black pepper and cook until the tomatoes have begun to soften, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the raisins to the cauliflower mix, along with 1/4 cup hot water, the pine nuts and chopped garlic. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the cauliflower for about 30 minutes, until it is very tender. Stir in the mint and lemon juice and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve the cauliflower dish warm.