It’s been ridiculously, unseasonably warm in Minneapolis this month. Like, tulip bulbs sprouting because they think it’s Spring kind of warm. So it’s fitting that this week I drew a nice hydroponic English cucumber from the Heartland Market produce bin this morning. The cucumber just doesn’t seem like a wintertime vegetable: the green, the crispness, the juiciness. It’s a little taste of a warmer time, now to be enjoyed year-round.
I go through long stretches when I forget how good cabbage is. Probably because when it’s warm outside I generally eat it is as slaw, and that gets boring. Then the snow falls, and the CSA dumps five cabbages on us, and I rediscover the sweet joy of braised cabbage. This year’s discovery has been this easy one-dish meal:
Large dice any combination of sweet potatoes, rutabaga, parsnips, potatoes, carrots, onions, and fennel so that you’ve got a nice layer on the bottom of a dutch oven. Toss with olive oil and salt & pepper, and bake at 450 for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, take a few of your favorite sausages, slice, and brown.
After 30 minutes of roasting the veggies, add the sausage and 2 cups of chicken broth, and roast for another 15 minutes. Bam!
As with so many vegetables, cabbage is so beautiful because of the textural contrasts – the smooth, almost waxy outer leaves, and the amazing layers that emerge when you cut in to it. Good stuff.
I love beets. In fact, I love pretty much all fall harvest vegetables: squash, brussels sprouts, parsnips. . . all good. So it’s time to make some look good.
As of this month I’ve taken up part time occupancy of Rat Race Studios in Lowertown St. Paul, a very exciting development for all the possibilities it opens up for new directions and capabilities in my work. And to inaugurate my stay here I’ll be working on a personal project throughout the winter on produce. Because one block from the studio is the heavenly Heartland Restaurant and Farm Direct Market.
Last year I photographed Chef Russo for the Culinary Mistress, and lamented that I didn’t find myself in Lowertown more often to take advantage of the market and deli’s offerings. Now, here I am, practically in their dining room. The Farm Direct Market has beautiful produce, like this red beet.
Stay tuned for my weekly series, and if you follow me on Twitter I’m sure you’ll hear and see a sampling of the Heartland Deli’s sandwiches too.
Sometimes the search for good times and original images leads you to some unexpected places. Last Sunday, the search took me and a hearty band of food lovers to an interstate rest stop one hour northwest of Minneapolis. Why? Well, have you ever seen photos of gourmet food mere yards from an interstate? I hadn’t either, so I thought I’d fill that gaping void.
None of this would have happened if not for the involvement of Asher Miller, Executive Chef, Wolfgang Puck’s 20.21 Restaurant. The challenge I posed to Asher was to come up with twists on traditional road trip dishes and prepare them on the road – practically on the roadway itself, as it turned out. To my continued amazement, he accepted the challenge, and invited some friends and family along for the ride. So what did he come up with?
The food was incredible, the weather perfect. Judging by the smiles in the photos, I think the lesson is that a well-crafted piece of food can drown out quite a bit of road noise.
One more thanks to pass on, and that goes to Rachel Sherwood, food stylist extraordinaire, for her invaluable help wrangling props and making Asher’s delicious food look its best.
I’ll be posting my first behind the scenes video from the shoot in the days (weeks?) to come, so stay tuned!
