June 2019 Feast Magazine

Inspired Local Food Culture

/

midwest

june 2019

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Inspired Local Food Culture /

midwest

June

2019

Volume 9 / Issue 6 contributors

Vice President of Niche Publishing, Publisher of Feast Magazine

Catherine Neville, publisher@feastmagazine.com

sales

ART

project manager

Art Director

St. Louis, Writer

Michele Russo, sales@feastmagazine.com 314.475.1297

Alexandrea Povis, apovis@feastmagazine.com

"After four years as Feast’s managing editor, I’m excited to

production designer

share my first freelance feature in the magazine. I learned so

account manager, Kansas City Region

Kelly Glueck, kglueck@feastmagazine.com

Morgan Cook, mcook@feastmagazine.com 417.619.0131

Contributing Photographers

Liz Miller, editor@feastmagazine.com

Brandon Alms, Julia Calleo, Tessa Cooper, Judd Demaline, Dean Groover, Travis Howard, Anthony Jinson, Mark Neuenschwander, Aaron Ottis, Anna Petrow, Drew Piester, Danielle Rayoum, Madison Sanders, Jennifer Silverberg, Christopher Smith, Starboard & Port Creative, Mabel Suen, Aimee Whitmire

Digital director

Contributing illustrator

special projects Editor

Bethany Christo, bchristo@feastmagazine.com

EDITORIAL Editor in chief

Art director Alex Povis

nancy stiles

much about heritage hog breeds while researching this story, and it was fascinating to speak with local farmers about what makes their hogs special. Almost every farmer has an argument for why his or her pork tastes best and which breed has the most personality, but what they all share is a humane approach to farming and a passion for preserving these breeds. Some of these farmers are in their 80s and have dedicated a lifetime to this work, as it's important to both the agricultural history and future of the state. I hope a new generation of hog farmers keeps these breeds going strong." (The Rare Breeds, p. 70)

Heather Riske, web@feastmagazine.com

James Olstein

tessa cooper

Kansas City Contributing Editor

FEAST TV

"Before visiting Terrell Creek Farm, the most interaction

Jenny Vergara

Springfield, Missouri, Writer & Photographer I had with a goat was through a petting-zoo fence. When I

producer: Catherine Neville

St. Louis Contributing Editor

went to photograph this assignment, I was amazed at how

production partner: Tybee Studios

Mabel Suen

playful and affectionate the goats were. When I got close to the full-grown goats, one started nuzzling its head against

Contact Us

fact checker

Rose Hansen

my leg and the next thing I knew, there was a whole herd

Feast Media, 8811 Ladue Road, Suite D, Ladue, MO 63124 314.475.1260, feastmagazine.com

Proofreader

Erica Hunzinger Contributing Writers

Hayley Abshear, Christy Augustin, Julia Calleo, Corin Cesaric, Tessa Cooper, Gabrielle DeMichele, Amanda Elliott, April Fleming, Juliana Goodwin, Hilary Hedges, Rogan Howitt, Justin Phelps, Jessica Vaughn Martin, Nancy Stiles, Lillian Stone, Jenn Tosatto, Shannon Weber

around me doing the same. I later learned this is how they show affection. And don't even get me started on the kids – they acted just like little puppies, prancing around and begging to be pet. It might just have been the most fun I've

Distribution To distribute Feast Magazine at your place of business, please contact Eric Freeman for St. Louis, Jefferson City, Columbia, Rolla and Springfield at efreeman@post-dispatch.com and Jason Green for Kansas City at distribution@pds-kc.com.

had working on an assignment." (Turn Up the Bleat, p. 58)

aaron ottis

Columbia, Missouri, Photographer "I really enjoyed my assignments focusing on Green Meadows Parkway in Columbia. This part of Columbia has seen interesting growth in recent years, and offers a completely different vibe from downtown. The development brings new culinary ideas into the neighborhood. I think the mix of people and dining options you’ll find at this little intersection encompasses some of the best food Columbia has to offer: Murry's and Flyover for classic or progressive

Feast Magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork.

Submissions will not be returned.

All contents are copyright © 2010-2019 by Feast Magazine™. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without the prior written permission of the publisher, is strictly prohibited. Produced by the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, LLC.

fare, beer and pizza at 1839 Taphouse, a space to study or chat over coffee at Lakota Coffee Co. and great food truck offerings from Nuu Thai and Jamaican Jerk Hut in the Macadoodles parking lot." (Hot Blocks, p. 24)

corin cesaric

Columbia, Missouri, Writer "Tacos are my weakness, so writing about Columbia, Missouri’s newest taco joint, Boss Taco, was super exciting.

While writing about Boss Taco for Feast, I got to talk to owner Lindsey Spratt about what inspired the concept.

on the cover Custom Foodscaping with Matt Lebon by Judd Demaline table of contents Go Out: Blueberries from Danamay Farm in Fulton, Missouri by Aaron Ottis; Stay In: Fennel & Cucumber Daiquiri by Starboard & Port Creative; Features: Terrell Creek Farm by Tessa Cooper

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She dove deeper into the art featured in the dining room, which was created by local artists, as well as the highquality ingredients used in the kitchen. It’s always great to learn about how and why a restaurant came to life and what the owner hopes for the future." (Dine & Drink, p. 15)

Go Out

Stay In

/ 26 /

/ 13 /

DINE & DRINK The Midwestern Meat & Drink, Frank ‘N’ Steins, Baramee Thai, The Curry Club, Boss Taco, Hoppers Pub, Finn’s at The Emerson

/ 16 / On TREND

Veggie pizza crust / 18 / one on one

Deborah Jones and Mary Jones Mosley of

Jones Bar-B-Q

Features

/ 38 /

/ 35 / sweet ideas

BLT muffins / 36 / How-To

Fresh mozzarella / 38 / the mix

Fennel & Cucumber Daiquiri / 40 / MIDWEST MADE

Salad dressing

/ 20 / SHOP HERE

J and J Cheese Factory

/ 42 / mystery shopper

Salsa macha

/ 22 / one on one

Crystal Stevens of Flourish

/ 44 / the dish

Coco’s ricotta toast

/ 24 / HOT BLOCKS

Green Meadows Parkway

/ 46 / one on one

Dr. Matthew Kost of The Buffalo Seed Co.

/ 26 / one on one

Amy Craighead of Danamay Farm

/ 48 / healthy appetite

Grilled asparagus with togarashi and lime

/ 28 / HOMETOWN HITS

Savour, Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que, Jodie’s Ol’

Farmhouse & Bakery

/ 49 / culinary library

Crystal Hartman of The Wine Cellar & Bistro / 50 / quick fix

Pork chops with agrodolce / 52 / crash course

Eggs 101

/ 58 /

58

turn up the bleat

65

garden of eatin'

70

Milk from Alpine and Nubian-Alpine goats is used to produce fresh chèvre, Feta, queso fresco, blue cheese and more at Terrell Creek Farm in Fordland, Missouri.

At Custom Foodscaping, Matt Lebon designs and installs edible landscapes of all sizes for restaurants, schools and even suburban backyards.

the rare breeds These eight Missouri and Kansas farms are raising heritage hogs on pasture to produce high-quality meat – and helping save some breeds from extinction.

In Every Issue

/ 8 / from the PUBLISHER

Farm fresh / 9 / events / 10 / feast tv

Best of: Pork / 74 / back burner / j u ne 2 019

7

Letter

from the

Publisher

F

arms take many forms. Here in the Midwest, sprawling

soybean and cornfields stretch as far as the eye can see. To many folks, that is the essence of what a farm is, but there’s a great deal of diversity in agriculture. Take a photo by tybee studios

drive through the rural areas of our region and you’re bound to drive past small farms focused on food production. You’ll see lush fruit orchards and neat row-crop fields, cattle grazing on grassy hills, goats frolicking in fenced pens, chickens scratching for bugs in a barnyard and hogs escaping the sun in barrel-shaped shelters.

This month marks the debut of the first “best of” season of Feast TV. I combed through our archives – dating back to 2013, if you can believe that – and pulled some of my favorite segments. In the pork-themed episode, the first of the season, we revisit La Quercia in Norwalk, Iowa; Circle B Ranch in Seymour, Missouri; and Volpi Foods in St. Louis. The episode is tied together with an all-new recipe, prosciutto-wrapped pork loin, which can be found at feastmagazine.com.

Those small and mid-size family-run farms are part of the lifeblood of our rural

Farms are, of course, rural, but they’re also urban. As we search for ways to lessen

economy and what they produce is what defines the flavor of our regional cuisine.

the environmental impact of food production, raising food close to where it will be

Missouri and Kansas, in particular, are known for pork production. Descended from

consumed is becoming a major consideration. In St. Louis, Matt Lebon is creating edible

the Eurasian wild boar, modern pigs take a variety of shapes, colors and sizes, having

landscapes in partnership with restaurants and schools and even incorporating the

been bred as a source of food for about 9,000 years. Industrial farming is threatening

principles of permaculture into people’s backyards. Turn to p. 65 for editor-in-chief Liz

the biodiversity of our pig populations, but there is hope for older, more economically

Miller’s feature, Garden of Eatin’, and prepare to be inspired to transform your own

inefficient (and far tastier!) breeds, as many farmers are choosing to raise heritage

patch of grass into a veritable salad bar.

hogs. Turn to p. 70 for contributing writer Nancy Stiles’ roundup of the heritage hog breeds being raised – and saved from extinction – in our corner of the Midwest.

Until next time,

I have had the opportunity to visit a lot of farms over the years and, by far, my favorite farm animal is the goat. They are playful, sweet and incredibly cute. If I had the time

Turn to p. 10 for my prosciutto-w rapped pork loin re cipe.

to tend a flock, I’d have a bunch of goats of my own. Turns out, Lesley Million of Terrell Creek Farm in Fordland, Missouri, felt the same way. She “likes their floppy ears,” and I can’t argue with that logic. In Turn Up the Bleat (p. 58), writer Tessa Cooper profiles Lesley and her husband Barry’s journey from purchasing a farm just south of Springfield to growing their own food and becoming more self-sufficient to producing

Catherine Neville

some of the best goat cheeses in Missouri.

publisher@feastmagazine.com

CORRECTION: In the Hot Blocks section of our May issue, we incorrectly stated that parts of Washington, Dutzow and Defiance are included in the Augusta American Viticulture Area (AVA) and that Holy Grail Winery is located within the AVA. We apologize for the unfortunate errors, which were made during the in-house editing process.

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Fr om a ba rb ec ue g an d sp ir it s ta st in + od fo to re gi on al Dr in k sa mp li ng s, pl an th e mo nt h ah ea d w it h fe as t

CALENDAR kc | 6/8 Meet the Makers: Kansas City Sat., June 8, 2 to 5pm, $20; Plexpod Westport Commons, 300 E. 39th St., Kansas City, Missouri; watchtastemakers.com/meet-the-makers-kc

in florissant a t Fies sat., June 22 & sun., June 23 at Knights of Columbus Park

▶ Free admission ▶ Latino bands, authentic food, margaritas & beer ▶ Children’s pavilion with Hispanic arts & crafts

50 St. FrancoiS St., FloriSSant, Mo 63031

tasteMAKERS is a nationally syndicated TV show hosted by Cat Neville that puts a spotlight on American makers who are defining the flavor of food. In June, you can meet the makers profiled in the Green Dirt Farm episode. A tasting experience and the Makers Market will follow the live show.

stl | 6/19 Schnucks Cooks: Pork Chops With Agrodolce Wed., June 19, 6 to 9pm; $45; Schnucks Cooks Cooking School, 12332 Manchester Road, St. Louis; 314.909.1704; nourish.schnucks.com/web-ext/ cooking-school

In this class, you‘ll learn how to make green bean- bacon bundles, an easy summer side dish.

You’ll also learn how to make failproof pie crust.

32nd Annual JUNE 7

JUNE 8

Feast TV Taste & See: BBQ and Spirits

11 AM

10 AM

Fri., June 21, 7pm; $20, $80 for season tickets; Public

'TIL

'TIL

10 PM

10 PM

STL | 6/21

Media Commons, 3653 Olive St., Covenant Blu/ Grand Center, St. Louis, Missouri; ninenet.org/taste

Taste & See brings Emmy-winning Feast TV to life in the Public Media Commons. The 2019 event series celebrates the special “Best Of” season. In June, we'll sample barbecue and spirits and meet the people behind the smokers and distilleries.

FREE! ADMISSION, MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT & PARKING

MO | 6/28 + 6/29 Firecracker Festival Fri., June 28 and Sat., June 29, 4 to 11pm Friday and 8am to 11pm Saturday; free, carnival ride ticket purchase required; West City Park, Festus, Missouri; 636.937.6646; cityoffestus.org

The Firecracker Festival is the highlight of summer in Festus, Missouri. Fun and games throughout the two-day event include carnival rides, fishing derbies, a car show, a new Kids’ Zone, live music, delicious food and drink, and a nightly firework display.

CAR SHOW

FAMILY FUN AREA!

CRAFTS & ROOT GRINDING DEMO

5K RUN

ALL EVENTS ARE IN BEAUTIFUL UPTOWN COLLINSVILLE! InternationalHorseradishFestival.com RiversAndRoutes.com / j u ne 2 019

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episode: perfect pork

Prosciutto-wrapped walnut-raisin-stuffed pork loin serves 10 to 12

recipe by catherine neville

½ cup walnut pieces

¼ cup raisins

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary

3 Tbsp fresh thyme 5 to 10 fresh sage leaves

5 cloves garlic salt, to taste

4 lbs boneless pork loin freshly ground black pepper, to taste 10 to 15 slices prosciutto extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, sliced into thick rings

1 cup dry white wine / preparation / Preheat oven to 375°F. Place first 6 ingredients on a cutting board; chop together with a knife until combined and sprinkle with salt.

Butterfly pork loin and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread walnut-herb mixture on the pork and roll up. Place prosciutto slices in an overlapping line on a small cutting board and transfer the rolled loin to the prosciutto; pull each piece around the loin, then tie with kitchen twine.

In the pork-centric episode of our “best of” season, host Cat Neville takes you back to some of her favorite pig-centric spots. We head to Iowa for a visit to La Quercia, where perfect prosciutto is made with quality pork, a bunch of salt and lots of time in a rotation of rooms replicating the seasonal conditions in Italy. Then, Cat visits Circle B Ranch in Seymour, Missouri, and meets the farm’s happy woodland pigs. Finally, she checks in with the family at Volpi Foods, which has been making charcuterie on The Hill in St. Louis since 1902. Throughout the episode, Cat shows you how to make the most of pork loin with her recipe for walnut-raisin stuffed loin wrapped with paper-thin prosciutto.

In a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and sear the loin to brown prosciutto on all sides. Remove pork from skillet and set aside.

Layer onion slices in the skillet and add about ½ cup of water. Place pork on top of onions and roast until internal temperature reaches 140°F on a meat thermometer, about 45 minutes. Transfer roast to a clean cutting board and allow to rest. Meanwhile, deglaze skillet with wine, stirring to remove any browned bits. Slice pork and serve with pan sauce and onions.

check your local listings to watch feast tv on these networks:

Mondays at 7:30pm starting June 17th

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line line leader leader

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By BeThany ChriSTo ChriSTo “Why“Why lock lock yourself yourself down down to one to one To that To that end,end, Kazmer Kazmer givesgives a a stylestyle or flavor or flavor profile profile when when therethere shoutout shoutout to the tochicken the chicken wings: wings: is soismuch so much goodgood stuffstuff out there?” out there?” “We “We brinebrine ours,ours, theythey get fried get fried untiluntil asksasks rick rick Kazmer, Kazmer, executive executive chefchef crispy, crispy, and and thenthen they’re they’re tossed tossed at Three at Three SixTy SixTy (1 S. Broadway, (1 S. Broadway, with with a Szechuan-style a Szechuan-style rub with rub with St. Louis, St. Louis, 314.241.8439, 314.241.8439, 360-stl.com).

360-stl.com).chiles chiles and and peppercorns, peppercorns, so you so you Since Since taking taking overover the kitchen the kitchen at at get that get that hot, numbing hot, numbing effect.” effect.” the rooftop the rooftop bar and bar and restaurant restaurant in in Other Other standouts standouts are the areburger the burger – – October, October, Kazmer Kazmer is proving is proving the the served served on aon housemade a housemade English English question question is more is more thanthan rhetorical. rhetorical. muffin muffin with with smoky smoky tomato tomato aïoli aïoli and and cauliflower cauliflower pickle pickle relishrelish – and – and his evidence his evidence restsrests in theinrevamped the revamped MoreMore the new the new bánhbánh mì sausage. mì sausage. menu, menu, which which rolled rolled out in out early in early thanthan youryour standard standard ballpark ballpark dog,dog, AprilApril and continues and continues to betoupdated be updated the version the version at Three at Three SixtySixty usesuses as the assummer the summer produce produce season season garlicky garlicky knackwurst knackwurst fromfrom Williams Williams flourishes. flourishes.

Kazmer's Kazmer's menu menu at Three at Three Brothers Brothers MeatMeat Market Market dressed dressed with with SixtySixty features features upscale upscale snacks snacks and and fish-sauce fish-sauce pickles, pickles, Sriracha Sriracha mayo, mayo, smallsmall plates plates with with global global influence influence jalapeños jalapeños and and cilantro. cilantro.

– a purposeful – a purposeful mix of mix flavors of flavors and and cooking cooking techniques. techniques.

MostMost recently, recently,fromfrom Cleveland-heath Cleveland-heath to a to a he led hethe ledkitchen the kitchen at at semester semester in italy in italy to culinary to culinary school school Cleveland-heath, Cleveland-heath, which which is known is known in Napa in Napa Valley, Valley, California, California, Kazmer’s Kazmer’s for itsfor locally its locally sourced, sourced, seasonal seasonal fare. fare. worldly worldly training training has taught has taught him him “We “We served served foodfood that we thatliked we liked to to how how to run toarun tight a tight ship.ship. “if you “if want you want eat,” eat,” he says. he says.

“After“After six years six years there, there, people people to betohappy be happy and committed and committed that type that type of cooking of cooking reallyreally ingrained ingrained in a job in athis job tough, this tough, you need you need to to in me. in [At me.Three [At Three Sixty,Sixty, i] wanted i] wanted to to keepkeep themthem invested invested in what in what they're they're introduce introduce some some new new techniques techniques doing," doing," he says. he says.

And And with with all the all the and flavors and flavors and provide and provide a bit amore bit more "good "good stuff"stuff" on Three on Three Sixty’s Sixty’s menu, menu, variety variety for everyone.” for everyone.” it seems it seems to betoworking. be working.

Let's Le Let'sDish!

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%PG%PG feastmagazine.com feastmagazine.com / j a n/u a j ary n u2a0ry 19 2019

the the veneto veneto

bÁb nh Ánh mÌ m sausage Ì sausage

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WithWith garlicky garlicky knackwurst knackwurst fromfrom Williams Williams Brothers Brothers MeatMeat Market Market in in Washington, Washington, Missouri; Missouri; fish-sauce fish-sauce pickles; pickles; Sriracha Sriracha mayo; mayo; jalapeños; jalapeños; and and cilantro, cilantro, this new this new menu menu itemitem is is a funatake fun take on both on both the Vietnamese the Vietnamese sandwich sandwich and your and your standard standard brat.brat.

Executive Executive chefchef Kazmer Kazmer emphasizes emphasizes the ubiquitous the ubiquitous bar staple bar staple getsgets a boost a boost at Three at Three Sixty.Sixty.

AfterAfter a brine a brine and fry, andthe fry, the crispy crispy wings wings are tossed are tossed with with a a Szechuan-style Szechuan-style rub. Cool rub. Cool down down or heat or heat up your up your wings wings with with sidessides of house of house hot hot sauce sauce and buttermilk and buttermilk dressing. dressing. / j u ne 2 019

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Go Out DINE & DRINK / ON TREND / SHOP HERE / HOT BLOCKS / HOMETOWN HITS ▪ ST. LOUIS

The Midwestern Meat & Drink Story and photography by Mabel Suen

In March, chef Ben Welch of the lauded, now-shuttered Big Baby Q and Smokehouse opened The Midwestern Meat & Drink just a stone’s throw away from Busch Stadium in Downtown St. Louis. The Midwestern features a barbecue-heavy menu developed by Welch and an impressive bar program from beverage director Tony Saputo. In the kitchen, Welch cooks up the same dishes that made him famous at Big Baby Q – think brisket, pastrami, beef ribs, nachos and mac ‘n’ cheese – as well as new offerings, like fried burrata toast with tomato jam and herb pesto, smoked deviled eggs and a double cheeseburger with fry sauce, tomato jam and American-Cheddar pub cheese on an egg bun. Behind the bar, Saputo serves up cocktails like the Bourbon Renewal, with bourbon, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, bitters and a cassis liqueur.

fried oyster toast with collard greens, ham hocks, oyster béchamel and cornbread

900 Spruce St., St. Louis, Missouri, facebook.com/midwesternstl

/ j u ne 2 019

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DINE & DRINK

/

ON TREND

/

SHOP HERE

/

HOT BLOCKS

/

HOMETOWN HITS

Tom kha soup

▲ KANSAS CITY

Baramee Thai Bistro Written by Jenny Vergara / photography by anna petrow

Buzz has been gradually building for chef Nutnisa Hoffman’s second Thai restaurant, Baramee Thai Bistro, which she developed with her husband, Douglas. In January, diners finally got a taste of Hoffman’s Northeastern-style Thai dishes when Baramee debuted in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District. A sister restaurant to Mali Thai Bistro in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Baramee features an all-female kitchen crew turning out traditional Thai dishes offered in four levels of heat. Pad ka prao is one of Hoffman’s favorite dishes at Baramee, featuring stir-fried ground beef, sweet basil leaves, green beans, ground chiles, garlic and house sauces served over rice and topped with a pan-fried egg. To drink, Baramee serves classic Thai coffee, iced tea and bubble tea alongside a small wine and beer list.

1810 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, Missouri, baramee-thai-bistro.business.site

◀ CHESTERFIELD, MO.

The Curry Club Story and photography by Mabel Suen

▲ SPRINGFIELD, MO.

Frank ‘N’ Steins Written by Juliana Goodwin / photography by brandon alms

In March, Springfield, Missouri’s new Brewery District Flats development got a new eatery, Frank ‘N’ Steins, serving specialty hot dogs, brats and craft beer. Frank 'N' Steins currently features 14 beers on draft, including local brews from Mother’s Brewing Co. and Boulevard Brewing Co., to complement its assortment of dogs and brats. Dish names play on famous films – Bite Club, The Breakfast Grub and The Shroominator, for example – and include vegan and gluten-free options. Try the Brattyshack, a spin on the classic chicken club sandwich, which tops a chicken-bacon-ranch brat with Cheddar, lettuce, tomato, bacon and ranch.

535 W. Walnut St., Suite 101, Springfield, Missouri, eatfns.com 14

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 1 9

In Chesterfield, Missouri, The Curry Club features traditional Indian cuisine in a fast-casual setting.

The restaurant, which opened in December, specializes in curry, biryani rice dishes and more than 10 flavors of dosa – crêpelike pancakes made to order in flavors such as onion, masala and paneer.

Menu highlights include the tandoor chicken appetizer; cilantro chicken; gongura fried rice served with raita and fried boondi; and pan faluda, a drink made with ice cream, vermicelli noodles, chia seeds and rose syrup.

1635 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, Missouri, stlcurryclub.com

▶ COLUMBIA, MO.

boss taco Written by Corin Cesaric / photography by kelly glueck

Boss Taco commands attention in more ways than one. The catering business turned brick-and-mortar restaurant features a rotating taco menu along with soups, salads and nachos. Owner Lindsey Spratt and her team use high-quality ingredients, including local produce, in dishes like bay scallop ceviche with Cara Cara orange segments, fresh jalapeño, radish, avocado and citrus zest. Behind the bar, guests can order craft cocktails, wine or a local beer on tap. Stop in for lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch and snag a seat in the vibrant dining room, where teal walls are adorned with local art.

201 N. 10th St., Columbia, Missouri, facebook.com/comobosstaco

▼ ROLLA, MO.

Hoppers Pub Written by Hayley Abshear photography by sam o'keefe

In 2018, Ursula Lebioda and her husband, Jake, opened Hoppers Pub in Rolla, Missouri, to honor the history of one of America’s original highways. Themed around U.S. Route 66, this is the couple’s second location (the first opened in Waynesville in 2010) and features the same classic American menu with expanded seating. Diners can expect eats like a Philly cheesesteak and the bacon-Cheddar burger as well as less common fare, like frog legs and breaded and fried clam strips. Pair your meal with a cold beer – given the theme, you can choose from 66 brews on tap.

Clark's Chop The Emerson

723 N. Pine St., Rolla, Missouri, facebook.com/hopperspub

▲ JOPLIN, MO.

Finn’s at The Emerson Written by tessa cooper / photography by mark Neuenschwander

Finn’s at The Emerson possesses the same charm as a 1920s speakeasy, drinks included. The lounge and bar's namesake cocktail, The Emerson, is a classic Moscow Mule, mixing vodka, ginger beer and lime juice, garnished with fresh basil leaves and cucumber slices. The food menu features classic American fare such as Clark’s Chop, an apple cider vinegar-brined pork chop with bacon and a bourbon-pecan sauce. Finn’s also serves Sunday brunch: Try the light and flavorful quinoa breakfast bowl or indulge with the Hangover Burger, which tops a smashed beef patty with chorizo, avocado, pepper Jack, a house sauce and an egg on a pretzel bun.

2707 E. 32nd St., Suite 5, Joplin, Missouri, finnsjoplin.com / j u ne 2 019

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DINE & DRINK

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ON TREND

/

SHOP HERE

/

HOT BLOCKS

/

HOMETOWN HITS

VEGGIE

pizza crust Cauliflower crusts have been popular on Pinterest boards and grocery store shelves for years, but now, local restaurants are putting their own spin on them.

Veggie pizza crusts pull double duty: They’re low-carb, low-calorie alternatives to traditional dough as well as a way for chefs to use up vegetable scraps and reduce food waste.

-Tessa Cooper and Heather Riske

▪ ST. LOUIS, COLUMBIA, MO. AND OVERLAND PARK, KS. This spring, CRUSHED RED – which operates locations in the St. Louis area as well as Columbia, Missouri, Overland Park, Kansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma – introduced its first gluten-free pizza crust. The simply named Veggie Crust is also sustainable: It’s made with leftover vegetables from the restaurant, such as broccoli stems, cucumber peels, tomato tops and more, which are then blended with agave nectar, black beans and Parmesan cheese. The crust can be ordered with any pizza or shareable item on Crushed Red’s menu, but it especially shines in the signature BrocStar, which piles the baked veggie crust with creamy, smoky chipotle-ranch hummus, chopped broccoli and a blend of Cheddar and goat cheeses. Co-founder Powell Kalish describes the healthier, zero-waste crust as a “guilt-free way to eat pizza.” -H.R. multiple locations, crushed-red.com photo by madison sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, MO.

SPRINGFIELD, MO.

When the owners of West Main Pizza in Jefferson City, Missouri, couldn’t find an affordable cauliflower pizza crust to add to the menu, they took matters into their own hands and made their own. After a few weeks of R&D, the pizzeria added its cauliflower crust to the menu in June 2018; one year later, owner Charlie Christiansen says West Main goes through more than 200 cauliflower crusts per month. The crust is only available in a 12-inch size, but diners can add whatever toppings they like – Christiansen says customers order it topped with everything from sausage, mushroom and onion to sun-dried tomato and spinach. For home cooks, crusts are also available for purchase at the restaurant. -H.R.

This month, the owners of Springfield, Missouri’s popular Bair’s Sports Grill will open The Rock Restaurant and Bar in the new Quarry Town development. The restaurant offers pub fare with a twist, including pizzas made with a cauliflower crust sourced from Springfield Grocer. The crust is available for build-your-own pies as well as signature pizzas, including sun-dried tomato and cheese; mushroom, sausage and pepperoni; barbecue chicken; and bacon, chicken and ranch. Whichever toppings you choose, you won’t miss your regular pizza – owner Tim Bair says the first time he tried the cauliflower crust, he wouldn’t have known the difference. –T.C.

1931 W. Main St., Jefferson City, Missouri, wmpizza.com

4018 S. Lone Pine Ave., Suite B, Springfield, Missouri, 417.986.0632

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Smoked Today. Gone Tomorrow.

Open 7 Days ! a Week

Lunch | Dinner | Catering bogartssmokehouse.com 1627 S. 9th Street (Soulard) 314.621.3107 | Catering: 314.603.2003

/ j u ne 2 019

17

ONE ON ONE /

ONE on

kansas city, ks.

with Deborah Jones and Mary Jones Mosley

owners and pitmasters / Jones Bar-B-Q

3 Must-Trys at

Jones Bar-B-Q

Written by April Fleming / photography by christopher smith

Barbecue has been a central part of Deborah "Little" Jones (pictured left) and Mary "Shorty" Jones Mosley’s lives since childhood. Their father, Leavy B. Jones Sr., got his start in the industry at barbecue joint Hezekiah’s in Kansas City, Kansas, and acquired the restaurant in 1987, reopening it as Jones Bar-B-Q. The sisters inherited the business, and their passion for the work, coupled with a desire to provide for their family, keeps them at it day after day. This spring, the sisters were featured on the third season of Netflix’s Queer Eye, where the Fab Five hosts helped them transform the restaurant from inside out, including upgrading the kitchen and adding patio seating. The Fab Five also helped the sisters begin bottling their famous barbecue sauce, which is now available for sale at the restaurant and online.

burnt ends

The sisters’ take on the Kansas City specialty comes with white bread or a bun and one side dish. “There’s no trick to it,” Deborah says of the burnt ends. “We just cook it slow. We’re out here before the sun comes up every day.”

the sauce

Sweet and tangy, the barbecue sauce is made with a family recipe and at least one secret ingredient. “I don’t even know how many bottles we’ve sold now, to be honest with you,” Deborah says.

“But we’ve been making it the same way for years.”

And that secret ingredient?

Still very much a secret.

Tell us about the restaurant’s history, beginning with your father. My dad taught us how to cook, how to make a fire, how to make sausage. My dad would cut the meat. [Deborah] got on one milk crate, I got on another milk crate, and I would stuff the meat into the grinder, and she would fill them. –Mary Jones Mosley My dad believed that you work [laughs] – the girls and the boys. Maybe you get unemployed, maybe your spouse may leave you and you need to know some stuff.

You always have to have a Plan B in place.

–Deborah Jones

Five showed up], our cashier was sick, so nobody was here but [Deborah] and I, and the line was around the corner. Next thing I know, we see these five faces in the window. They all came to the front at the window, and I see hands waving, “Hey girls! hey girls!” It was awesome. –M.J.M. They came in our home and they were like family. We could talk straight out. It was really just like we’d known each other for years. They jumped in here – especially Bobby [Berk], he was running the cash register.

You’d think they worked here! –D.J. It changed my life tremendously. I’ll never be the same. –M.J.M.

Tell us about your experience filming for Queer Eye. That was the best week of my life. It was amazing – on that particular day [when the Fab

In what way? It was real personal for me. With my confidence level, knowing it’s OK to be who I am. As long as I’m treating people good and doing

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feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 1 9

the right thing in life, then it’s OK to be me. I’ll take that love with me. I just want to bust out crying. There was so much realness. –M.J.M. What do you have in store for the business moving forward? We have some people we’ll be bringing in so we can have an evening shift from maybe 2 to 6pm. –D.J. We’re also training our nieces and nephews, and maybe [Deborah’s] daughter to learn the business, maybe keep it going. [But Deborah] won’t want to retire. And if she don’t retire, I can’t retire. We’ll do it till we drop. –M.J.M.

hand-stuffed pork sausage

“We’ve been making them since we were little kids," Deborah says. "We were little girls making sausages on a milk crate over the pit with dad." The sausages

6706 Kaw Drive, Kansas City, Kansas, 913.788.5005, jonesbbqkc.com

are made with a house spice blend, stuffed by hand every day and served by the link or link-and-a half.

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721 N NEW BALLAS RD. • CREVE COEUR, MO • 314-567-4478 100 PUBLIC WORKS DR. • CHESTERFIELD, MO • 636-530-1198 OISHISTL.COM

/ OISHISUSHISTEAKHOUSE

Menu now featuring select German entrees, sandwiches and appetizers as well as our Tavern favorites.

Daily lunch and evening specials • Beef and pork supplied by Schubert‘s smokehouse Large selection of German beers • Large outdoor patio 602 N Main St, Columbia, IL 62236 | http://tinyspub.com/

KING AND I RESTAURANT 3155 S. GRAND BLVD. ST. LOUIS, MO 63118 314.771.1777 KINGANDISTL.COM

@OISHISTL / j u ne 2 019

19

DINE & DRINK

/

ON TREND

/

SHOP HERE

/

HOT BLOCKS

/

HOMETOWN HITS

◀ HIGHLANDVILLE, MO.

J and J Cheese Factory Written by Juliana Goodwin / photography by travis howard

Located just off U.S. Highway 65 in Highlandville, Missouri, J and J Cheese Factory is a passion project for Jessica Hey and her boyfriend, Jasen Conner. The nostalgic shop looks like a cozy log cabin and is stocked with more than 80 cheeses, mostly from Wisconsin. Before opening J and J, the couple visited creameries in Wisconsin to curate their cheese selection. Grab a toothpick and sample from the plethora of options, including squeaky cheese curds, creamy caraway-flavored Cheddar and mellow Muenster. The shop also stocks shelf-stable products from House of Webster in Rogers, Arkansas, plus charcuterie, candy and gift items.

330 Burk Road, Highlandville, Missouri, facebook.com/jandjcheesefactory

top Best-selling cheeses 1 Brun-uusto The shop carries a variety of Brun-uusto, a cheese that’s baked to form a crust similar to toasted bread. “We have four flavors, and they make great appetizers, toppings or stuffing,” Hey says. “It gets a crispy outer edge while warm and gooey on the inside.” Choose from bacon, pizza, garlic and jalapeño flavors.

2 Smoked Gouda This creamy Gouda has a nice balance of smoky flavor that pairs well with grilled meats or a glass of dry red wine.

3 Morel Mushroom and Onion Monterey Jack Flavored with morel mushrooms and onion, this specialty Monterey Jack has a creamy texture and earthy undertones. “If you love wild mushrooms of the Ozarks, you’ll love this,” Hey says.

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- Business Meetings Retirement Parties - Rehearsal & Family Dinners - Bridal & Baby Showers - Tuesday - Saturday Hours - AV Capabilities - Menu & Bar Packages - Private Rooms for groups 8 - 42

To Reserve: 314-394-3366 | jkristo@sybergs.com twistedtreesteakhouse.com

THE FARMERS ARE BACK! 730 Carroll Street • St. Louis, Missouri 63104 Wednesday 8 am - 5 pm Thursday 8 am - 5 pm Friday 7 am - 5 pm

Saturday 7 am - 5:30 pm.

The market is CLOSED Sunday - Tuesday.

/ j u ne 2 019

21

ONE ON ONE

/

GODFREY, IL.

with Crystal Stevens / farmer and owner, Flourish

ONE on

flourish products

to try this summer

Written by Liz Miller photography by Candice Pyle

Farmers Crystal and Eric Stevens, previously of La Vista CSA Farm in Godfrey, Illinois, and EarthDance Farms in Ferguson, Missouri, are now aiming to bring more locally grown food-and-drink products to the St. Louis area. This spring, the husband-andwife team launched Flourish, a farm and plant nursery along with a garden design and education business. With the support of La Vista, including farm manager Phill Beile, the Stevens are growing produce for Flourish in the farm’s high tunnel and on a portion of its land, as well as on land owned by a neighbor. In addition to vending their produce and value-added products at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market in St. Louis, the Stevens’ produce appears on some of the freshest menus around town, including Kounter Kulture, Indie Eatery, Bulrush and Vicia.

Flourish offers small-batch packets of loose-leaf tea in botanical flavors like hibiscus green tea and Gal Pal, a blend of red raspberry leaf, skullcap, rose petals, tulsi, red clover, stinging nettles and oat straw.

Made with fresh elderberries grown on the Stevens’ homestead farm, this elderberry syrup is fortified with Echinacea, a native perennial plant prized for its immune system-boosting properties.

What produce will you be selling at the market this month? In June we’ll have baby root vegetables, edible flowers, spring greens, baby squash, kale, rainbow chard, scallions, sugar-snap peas and specialty greens like Asian mustard greens, radicchio and orach, an edible, colorful green.

Why were you interested in launching a product line? We’ve been vending [at the Tower Grove Farmers' Market] on and off since its inception. Over the years, we’ve sold things like herbal extracts and herbal salves, lip balm, lotions, soaps and artwork. We’ve also been vending those same items at festivals, expos and farmers’ markets and events. At the farmers’ market, you can get pretty much a complete grocery list when it comes to stocking your pantry and your fridge. I want to encourage people to look at the broad spectrum of their [grocery] list and find out who sources [those items] locally. If we want a robust food scene, we need to encourage people to shop local.

What else do you have on the horizon? My third book, Your Edible Yard, will be released this fall; it focuses on how to transform your yard into an edible oasis. As a precursor to the book launch, we've been combining our workshops to offer day-long gardening intensives on how to transform your yard into an edible oasis. We focus on soil health, sheet mulching, choosing the right annuals and perennials, and maintaining landscapes through weed suppression and water retention. We’ll be selling permaculture-inspired plants, nitrogen-fixing plants and fruit-bearing shrubs.

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Rotating spice blends are made with ingredients like dried herbs, peppers and foraged wild onion. Flourish’s signature nine-spice blend combines garlic and culinary herbs with dried morels and other dried

growcreateinspire.com

mushrooms for a savory, earthy seasoning.

product photography by madison sanders

Tell us about Flourish’s value-added products. We’re doing plant starts, apothecary herbal products like small-batch botanical teas and elderberry syrup with Echinacea, dried herbs, grill rubs and seasoning blends.

1115 1W Pine Street St. Louis 63101

ORDER NOW

(314) 300-8686

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/ j u ne 2 019

23

DINE & DRINK

/

ON TREND

/

SHOP HERE

Green

/

HOT BLOCKS

/

HOMETOWN HITS

MACADOODLES Most craft beer-lovers in the area have spent time perusing the Macadoodles Beer Cave, which offers more than 750 different craft and imported beers. The store also stocks an impressive supply of wine and spirits and hosts a variety of tastings and classes so you can learn more about what you’re buying. Overwhelmed by all the options? Just ask one of the friendly Macadoodles employees for help.

Meadows

Parkway

455 E. Green Meadows Road, columbia.macadoodles.com

LAKOTA COFFEE CO.

COLUMBIA, MO.

Cruise down the small stretch of Green Meadows Parkway on the south side of Columbia, Missouri, and you’ll be able to satisfy nearly any craving within just a few blocks. Just off Providence Road, this tiny strip boasts a coffee shop, liquor store, beer bar, beloved steakhouse and one of the best restaurants to open in town in decades, to boot.

-HEATHER RISKE

A Downtown Columbia staple for more than 25 years, Lakota Coffee Co. recently expanded to Columbia’s south side. In addition to its usual selection of house-roasted coffee and espresso drinks, the new location offers local craft beer, wine and house cocktails – including coffee-infused options like a caramel-rum macchiato. There’s also an expanded food menu featuring a meat and cheese plate, pretzels and breakfast sandwiches. Need your coffee in a hurry? There’s a drive-thru for that.

Andrew Ruth

bar manager Barred Owl Butcher & Table

loves

Flyover “Dan [Dethrow], Adam [Wells-Morgan] and their team at Flyover are absolutely phenomenal – and I know when I eat and drink there that it will be absurdly delicious. The bar program routinely excites and satisfies, and I’m always confident to send our guests their way. The bartenders are passionate and their enthusiasm shines in their tasty, imaginative and artistic cocktails.”

3111 Green Meadows Way, lakotacoffee.com

FLYOVER Since opening in the summer of 2016, Flyover has consistently raised the bar for dining and drinking in Columbia. The seasonally inspired menu rotates weekly – although most dishes come out of the restaurant’s custom-built wood-fired oven – but the chicken-fried cauliflower with sweet potato purée and wood-fired pretzels with warm Boursin fondue have stayed on the menu for a reason. The drink program is just as impressive, featuring local spirits and seasonal ingredients.

212 E. Green Meadows Road #9, flyovercomo.com

MURRY’S

3107 Green Meadows Way, murrysrestaurant.net

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Craft beer fans of all stripes will find something to love at 1839 Taphouse, from Pilsners to milkshake IPAs. The 24 taps rotate frequently, ranging from local craft breweries like Bur Oak Brewing Co., Logboat Brewing Co. and Broadway Brewery to regional players such as Boulevard Brewing Co. Piney River Brewing Co. beer even finds its way into the pizza dough, which can be customized with any number of toppings.

212 E. Green Meadows Road #2, 1839taphouse.com

photography by aaron ottis

Murry's has long boasted the tag line, “Good food and good jazz,” and that’s exactly what you’ll find there. In addition to steakhouse classics like filet mignon, strip steak, fried oysters and the signature Brock’s Green Pepper Rings (which are dusted in powdered sugar), the Columbia institution offers live music throughout the week. Regulars know to save room for Murry’s expansive dessert selection, including pistachio cheesecake, gooey butter cake, bread pudding and more.

1839 TAPHOUSE

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25

ONE ON ONE /

FULTON, MO.

with Amy Craighead / co-owner, Danamay Farm

ONE on

Written by Jessica Vaughn Martin / photography by aaron ottis

When Amy and Gabe Craighead bought 22 acres of land in Fulton, Missouri, they knew they wanted to revitalize the tired soil. In 2012, the couple planted an acre of blueberry bushes, breaking ground on what would become Danamay Farm, their U-pick berry patch. Now heading into their fifth season (which usually runs from mid-June to late July), the Craigheads are continuing their mission to bridge the gap between consumers and producers in the agriculture industry by welcoming people to experience blueberry and blackberry harvest firsthand. You can also find Danamay berries (and honey, when available) at the Columbia Farmers Market in Columbia, Missouri, in the summer months.

Tell us about the farm’s U-pick experience.

We’re pretty laid back and casual, so as far as what to expect, tasty fruit and a fun experience.

We want to be a haven when people come out, a place where they can enjoy nature. We have a little wildflower native meadow and honey bees, so we try to create a special environment.

Why did you decide to raise bees? My dad raised bees a long time ago, and I knew that we would have to have some kind of pollinators here, so we started keeping bees about the time we planted our blueberries. We currently have seven hives – we fluctuate between six and 10, usually.

What's the story behind the farm's name, Danamay? My mom came up with that when I was little. I’m one of seven, and the three younger ones are Daniel, Amy and Clay, and so when my mom would holler at us, it kind of sounded like “Danamay!”

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What have you learned in your first five seasons? We knew that it would be a lot of work, but until you’re in it, you don’t have a complete idea of how much work goes into a berry farm. We really love having people come out – that’s what makes all the hard work worth it, when you see little kids running around and enjoying it, and families being here together.

And people learning where their food comes from, where berries come from and how they grow. We’ve had people come out before and say, “We thought blueberries just came in a plastic container from the grocery store.”

And we have the opportunity to respond with, “Well actually, they come from a bush!” Berries are a small piece of the food industry, but just that little bit opens their eyes more to the whole process.

4091 County Road 210, Fulton, Missouri, danamayfarm.com

Blueberry, Goat Cheese and Basil Pie

yields 1 9-inch pie With so many fresh

blueberries being

½ cup room-temperature fresh goat cheese harvested this summer,

½ cup heavy cream

1 egg Amy Craighead gets

½ cup tightly packed brown sugar creative with how to use

¼ cup all-purpose flour them all up, including this pinch kosher salt unique spin on classic

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves blueberry pie.

5 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup sliced almonds

½ cup granulated sugar

¹⁄₃ cup melted unsalted butter

1 9-inch homemade pie crust, unbaked and crimped, in a pie tin, or 1 prebaked frozen crust / preparation / Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine first 7 ingredients; fold in blueberries with a spatula. In a small bowl, stir together almonds, sugar and melted butter and set aside. Pour blueberry filling into prepared pie crust, spreading evenly -using a spatula. Sprinkle almond mixture over filling. Bake pie for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbling, rotating pan after about 20 minutes. Allow to cool to

room temperature and then refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

We could all use a little comfort.

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27

DINE & DRINK

These three delicious destinations are under the radar – but should be on yours.

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ON TREND

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SHOP HERE

/

HOT BLOCKS

/

HOMETOWN HITS

▼ CUBA, MO.

Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que has been a staple in Cuba, Missouri, for 17 years. Diners flock to the restaurant for its famous smoked meats – the brisket is a signature, says owner Dennis Meiser. What sets Missouri Hick apart from so many other barbecue joints, though, is its selection of almost 20 side dishes. Try the best-selling cucumber and onion salad, one of Meiser’s mom’s recipes, or the popular cheesy hash browns. Missouri Hick bottles and sells

written by Juliana Goodwin

its seven barbecue sauces, including Honey, Sweet and Smoky and Flaming Hot. Meiser is a woodworker and built the restaurant’s wood tables, chairs and cedar stairs himself; take in his fine craftsmanship on the second-story outdoor balcony with a local brew in hand.

913 E. Washington St., Cuba, Missouri, missourihick.com photo by aimee whitmeyer

▲ BOLIVAR, MO.

Savour written by Juliana Goodwin

Kathy Gifford opened Savour in 2017 to fill a niche in small-town Bolivar, Missouri. “We wanted to create the feel of a large city in a small town where people can have a special dining experience,” Gifford says. “This is something Bolivar never had before.”

The fine-dining restaurant is only open for dinner on Friday and Saturday, serving a rotating menu of small plates and entrées. Start your meal with the best-selling fried deviled eggs with caviar before moving on to filet mignon in a Port reduction with herb mashed potatoes. For a social experience, snag a seat on a sofa, order a bottle of local wine or beer and share a charcuterie board and the bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese.

329 S. Main Ave., Bolivar, Missouri, savourbolivar.com photo by dean groover

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Visit feastmagaz ine.com to learn mor e about the tasty ea ts at these restau rants. ◀ CHESTER, IL.

Jodie’s Ol’ Farmhouse & Bakery written by Nancy Stiles

Jodie Mehrer aptly describes her Chester, Illinois, restaurant, Jodie’s Ol’ Farmhouse & Bakery, as a country diner. The space is decorated with antiques and serves up dishes like the country breakfast with eggs, fried potatoes, country ham, sausage and biscuits and gravy. You’ll also find horseshoes, the Springfield, Illinois, specialty, featuring a beef patty piled high with fries and cheese sauce. On the bakery side, Jodie’s serves housemade pies, including coconut cream, chocolate, lemon, cherry, peach-blackberry and apple, plus cheesecake in flavors like peanut butter and pastries such as peach turnovers and cinnamon rolls.

639 State St., Chester, Illinois, facebook.com/jodiesolfarmhouse photo by danielle rayoum

Enjoy fishing anytime!

Finding places to discover nature and fish in Missouri is easy with the new, free mobile app — MO Outdoors. The app can help users plan their next fishing adventure, find nearby conservation areas and accesses, and learn about regulations and season information.

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bowties with smoked trout and spring vegetables Serves 2

½ pound bowtie or penne pasta ½ pound smoked trout ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated 1 small lemon, zest and juice 2 tablespoons hickory nuts or pecans, toasted briefly (optional, but recommended) ½ pound asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces ¼ cup freshly shelled peas extra-virgin 1 tablespoon e xtra-virgin olive oil heaping teaspoon drained 1 he aping te aspoon capers, dr ained Salt Coarsely ground C oarsely gr ound black pepper

break trout largish While pasta boils, br eak tr out into lar gish bite-sized prep ingredients (grate pieces and pr ep other ingr edients (gr ate cheese, zest and juice lemon, toast nuts).

Two before steam Tw o or 3 minutes befor e pasta is rready, eady, ste am the asparagus brieflyy in a cover covered aspar agus briefl ed pan with a small water; throw peas amount of wa ter; thr ow the pe as into the pan with asparagus the aspar agus during the last minute of cooking. sure keep watch Be sur e to k eep a close wa tch on the vegetables.

The asparagus peas T he aspar agus and the pe as need to rretain etain their green offer firm bright gr een color and still of fer a nice fi rm bite when ready to add to the pasta. Drain well before adding to pasta.

Drain pasta, retaining a tablespoon or so of the water in which it was cooked. Place pasta, and the retained cooking water, into a serving bowl. Toss with the olive oil, capers, salt, pepper and the remaining ingredients.

Serve with a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or any dry white wine.

Find more wild recipes in Cooking Wild in Missouri. Order yours at mdcnatureshop.com. / j u ne 2 019

29

Party on!

PROMOTION

edited by bETHANY CHRISTO

FROM FIRST bITE TO FINAL COuRSE

Planning a party at your place this summer?

From your backyard, garden or patio, you can enjoy the bounty of the season with local producers and caterers, from Caribbean cuisine to a french fry food truck to festive Flag Day sangria.

famous fried chicken GRACE MEAT + THREE Perfectly crispy and ridiculously tender and juicy – with a touch of heat – the fried chicken from Grace Meat + Three is famous in St. Louis for a reason. Off its catering menu, co-owner Elisa Lewis recommends ordering assorted chicken pieces, which include thighs, legs, wings and breast, with the option of extra heat. Pair with a dipping sauce of your choice and a selection of its classic and seasonal Southern sides.

314.520.8182, stlgrace.com/catering-menu

’

2 . rose sangria

1 . rick’s

LACHANCE VINEYARDS Can’t decide whether to serve red or white at your party? Try the best of both worlds: rosé sangria. Sangria can be easily made in batches and is a refreshing crowd-pleaser. Try using LaChance Vineyards’ A Rose is a Rosé as your base – it also makes an excellent peach sangria.

636.586.2777, lachancevineyards.com

3 . french fry food truck ESSENTIALLY FRIES It’s fry-day no matter what day you host your party when the Essentially Fries food truck rolls up. From rehearsal dinners to graduation parties to birthdays, the St. Louis food truck (from the team behind Edibles & Essentials) caters groups ranging from 40 to 300. The customizable menu offers three or four loaded french fries – and the best part is, there’s zero cleanup at the end.

314.305.3068, essentiallyfries.com

4 . ricotta and prosciutto tartines VOLPI FOODS In St. Louis, visit Volpi Foods’ shop on The Hill for simple snacks for your party.

Savor the natural, crisp flavors of summer by serving easy-to-prepare tartines: Volpi prosciutto ribbons, lush fava beans, a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese sprinkled with lemon zest – all atop crunchy toasted bread.

314.772.8550, volpifoods.com

PROMOTION

6 . taco bar

5 . flag

day sangria

MISSION TACO JOINT Get festive with a Mission Taco Joint fiesta. The Mexi-Cali favorite in St. Louis and Kansas City caters taco bars for parties of 12 to 200. Put your own spin on it with your choice of three tacos (like cochinita pibil or beef brisket birria), three toppings (from Chihuahua cheese to hibiscus-pickled onion), three sauces (try the cilantro-lime crema) and two sides.

EDG-CLIF FARMS & VINEYARD On June 14, try this festive sangria recipe from Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard to celebrate Flag Day. 573.438.4741, edg-clif.com

Serves | 12 | 2 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1

bottles Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard Dry Vidal Blanc cup blueberries, plus more for garnish cup sliced strawberries, plus more for garnish starfruit, sliced 1 /8 -inch thick, plus more for garnish cup triple sec cup berry-flavored vodka cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice cup simple syrup can club soda

| PREPARATION | In a large serving pitcher or punch bowl, add wine and fresh fruit. Infuse for at least 3 hours. Add triple sec, vodka, lemon juice and syrup, and chill for 1 hour before serving. Add club soda just before serving. Serve over ice, and garnish with fresh and infused fruit.

314.527.0323, missiontacojoint.com/catering

7 . caribbean cuisine RHONE RUM BAR Host an island escape with the help of Rhone Rum Bar. The new Caribbean bar in St. Louis can cater parties from 25 to 300. Taste the tropics with platters of jerk wings with tamarind chutney, grilled shrimp skewers with chile-mango sauce, braised mini pork shank “pig pops,” barbecue pork and chicken sliders, and more.

314.241.7867, rhonerumbar.com

8 .

9 . cheese spreads granny fay’s pie GREEN DIRT FARM Make your next event extra cheesy: Work with Green Dirt Farm cheesemongers to create a custom spread. The award-winning creamery based in Weston, Missouri, offers a variety of aged and fresh sheep’s milk cheese.

Starting at $15 per person, you can feature cheese and accoutrements of your choice.

UPCYCLED ORCHARD There’s a delicious handmade Granny Fay’s Pie no matter the occasion, whether you’re hosting a small gathering, family reunion or on the way to the lake.

Pick up a strawberry pie with fresh cream topping, or try apple, cherry, chocolate cream, lemon and more.

Made by Upcycled Orchard in Garden City, Missouri, near its sister event center, The Cider House, the pies can be custom-ordered for your get-together.

816.925.0404, facebook.com/ upcycledorchard

816.386.2156, greendirtfarm.com

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31

PROMOTION

10 . montelle

11 . championship

bloody mary

barbecue Q39

MONTELLE WINERY

From Father’s Day get-togethers to pool parties and picnics, Q39 in the Kansas City area has catering packages and to-go options of its championshipwinning barbecue for your summer party needs. Q39’s dedicated catering experts will assist in creating a delicious, personalized menu for pickup, delivery with setup or full-service catering for at least 50 guests.

In Augusta, Missouri, Montelle Winery released a brand-new premium spirit, Grey Owl. This vodka-inspired fruit brandy uses only the “heart” – the best part of the distillate – resulting in a supremely smooth mouthfeel that’s great for cocktails.

Try Grey Owl in a Montelle Bloody Mary with 2 ounces of the spirit, 4 ounces Bloody Mary mix, hot sauce, fresh lime and lemon juice, celery salt and black pepper.

q39kc.com

13 . pub cheese and

636.228.4464, montelle.com

pork rinds ALPHA BREWING CO. For easy snacking, St. Louis’ Alpha Brewing Co. offers a variety of pork rinds and dips to go. This summer, savory flavors of the crispy housemade pork rinds include Cajun, mint-Mojito and chile-cumin-cilantro – dip your selection in Alpha’s housemade pub cheese for a crowd-pleasing app.

12 . vaarwel THE ORDER Replicate one of the beautiful drinks you’ve sipped on at The Order at Hotel Vandivort in Springfield, Missouri, at your party. Impress guests with the bright and floral Vaarwel cocktail, which is made with Bols Genever, yellow chartreuse, Giffard Lichi-Li lychee liqueur, fresh pineapple juice and tonic water.

314.621.2337, alphabrewingcompany.com

15.

417.851.5299, theordersgf.com

fresh chicken salad

14 . caprese cups THE ART OF ENTERTAINING Bring the garden to your table with an array of refreshing, summery dishes for your party from The Art of Entertaining in Webster Groves, Missouri. Try the best-selling caprese cups with heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, pesto and mozzarella.

314.963.9899, theaofe.com

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CHICKEN SALAD CHICK Give your party guests a taste of Southern hospitality with any of Chicken Salad Chick’s assorted chicken salads, sides and desserts. As the name implies, it specializes in various chicken salad flavors – from classic to spicy to fruity and nutty – which can be ordered as a sandwich, scoop, platters or as scoop-your-own bowls. You can dine in, get it to go or have it catered from either of the two St. Louis-area locations. chickensaladchick.com/ our-food

/ j u ne 2 019

33

PROMOTION

PROMOTION

BLUEBERRY, HONEY & LAVENDER ICE CREAM MAKES 1 QUART BLUEBERRY COMPOTE: 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries 1 tbsp. sugar 1-2 tbsp. water ⅛ tsp salt ICE CREAM BASE: 1 ½ cups cream 1 ½ cups half-and-half 2/3 cup raw, local honey 2 tablespoons dried edible lavender flowers 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla ⅛ teaspoon salt PREPARATION: Combine blueberries, sugar, water and salt in a heavy saucepan. Heat blueberry mixture over medium-high heat stirring occasionally while roughly mashing blueberries with the back of a spoon. Continue heating until blueberry mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 20 minutes. This can be made ahead of time, if needed.

In a heavy saucepan stir together cream, halfand-half, honey and lavender over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Pour cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan and discard lavender. Heat cream mixture over medium heat until hot.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs and salt. Slowly add 1 cup hot cream mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Then pour egg mixture into remaining hot cream in the saucepan and stir in vanilla. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (do not let boil), until thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Pour custard into a clean bowl and cool completely, stirring occasionally. Chill at least 3 hours.

Pour the chilled custard mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions (usually 25-35 minutes). During the last few seconds, pour the blueberry compote into the ice cream maker and churn until it reaches desired look. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

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SPONSORED CONTENT BY KARA BEHLKE REGISTERED DIETITIAN SCHNUCKS DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Before I had even heard of farm-to-table, I remember my brothers and I riding our bicycles down the dirt roads to pick up fresh honey from our neighbor. We’d race to the chicken house to gather fresh eggs. We’d pile in the pickup to get fresh cream from the dairy farmer down the road for a special treat.

And we’d spend hours picking tart cherries, apples and pears from our orchard. Then we’d bring all the ingredients back to the kitchen to make made-from-scratch meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner because eating out wasn’t an option.

When I think of farm fresh eggs, cream and honey I immediately think of Grandma’s homemade ice cream. I know this doesn’t seem like your typical dietitian’s pick, right?

But as we celebrate farmers in this issue, I am reminded of the valuable lessons I learned on the farm and in the kitchen. My grandma’s ice cream recipe was a labor of love. It was handcrafted and perfected from generation to generation. She took ice cream making very serious and fresh ingredients were key. The

whole family had a job to do from gathering ingredients and chopping ice, to hand cranking the ice cream freezer. We didn’t get it often, but each time we did, it tasted better than the last.

It’s not about the physical food that makes this recipe good for you, it’s about slowing down to enjoy the process and the people you get to share it with. A more mindful cooking and eating experience allows me to have a sense of gratitude for the wonderful food we have access to. The next time you’re in the kitchen or gather around the dinner table, take some time to think about and appreciate where your food comes from. As you try your hand at making this Blueberry Honey Lavender Ice Cream, think about the hard-working dairy farmers whose work week never ends as they milk their cows twice a day, every day, 365 days a year to provide us delicious dairy products. This recipe is a contemporary twist I think Grandma would’ve been proud of.

Stay In SWEET IDEAS / HOW-TO / THE MIX / MIDWEST MADE / MYSTERY SHOPPER / THE DISH / HEALTHY APPETITE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

these BLT muffins infuse the flavors of the beloved sandwich into an on-the-go breakfast.

The muffins were developed by Nancy Boehm, my good friend, an amazing pastry chef and the best business partner in the world, who always has a hankering for savory baked goods in the morning.

We’re so lucky that she shared the recipe at Pint Size, as we now make them daily and customers love them. If you’re not a fan of BLTs, feel free to mix and match other savory ingredients here – as long as you keep the measurements the same, they should turn out great.

Written by Christy Augustin, chef-owner, Pint Size Bakery in St. Louis Photography by jennifer silverberg

BLT Muffins

yields 12 muffins ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour ¼ cup whole-wheat flour 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp granulated sugar ½ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ cup crumbled blue or Feta cheese or shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided ½ cup cooked and crumbled bacon ½ cup lightly sautéed fresh spinach 2 Tbsp finely diced fresh basil leaves ½ cup whole milk ½ cup full-fat sour cream ¹⁄₃ cup olive oil 1 egg

pair with: whiskey

/ preparation / Hydrate sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 20 minutes, drain well and chop into ¼-inch pieces. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder and soda, sugar, salt and pepper.

Add cheeses, reserving ¼ cup Parmesan, as well as bacon, spinach, basil and hydrated sun-dried tomatoes, stirring to combine with a spatula.

In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients and pour into dry ingredients; stir until just combined. Dough may be lumpy, but don’t overmix. Using an ice-cream scoop, portion batter evenly into prepared muffin tin and sprinkle remaining Parmesan over top. Bake until golden brown and firm, 20 to 25 minutes.

PA I R IT!

Since bacon and whiskey are such great friends, a brunch-inspired Old Fashioned is ideal with these BLT muffins. To complement the strong sun-dried tomatoes and cheese, we need a full-bodied whiskey like Red Eye Whiskey from Boot Hill Distillery in Dodge City, Kansas. In a mixing tin, add 2 ounces whiskey, 3 dashes orange bitters, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and ice and stir; strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. –Jenn Tosatto boothilldistillery.com

/ j u ne 2 019

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SWEET IDEAS / HOW-TO / THE MIX / MIDWEST MADE / MYSTERY SHOPPER / THE DISH / HEALTHY APPETITE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

fresh

Mozzarella Recipes and photography by Julia Calleo, writer and recipe developer, mylavenderblues.com

When I was growing up in a very Italian-influenced area in northern New Jersey, my grandpa would deliver fresh mozzarella to each of his children’s households every Sunday morning. On very lucky occasions, I’d visit his favorite little Italian market with him and get to watch the mozzarella be pulled by hand. Being able to recreate those memories at home today with my own family is so important to me. Although we don’t make mozzarella every Sunday, we do make it quite often. The key to creating the perfect creamy and smooth texture is the stretching and pulling – just make sure not to over stretch it, or you’ll end up with a tougher cheese better suited for melting than slicing for caprese.

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This recipe yields one 16-oz ball

 Start Here ● In a small bowl, combine 1 cup water and 2 teaspoons citric acid. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl, add ¹⁄₃ cup water and ¼ of ● a rennet tablet, stirring until tablet dissolves. Set aside.

Return saucepot to medium heat and heat curds ● and whey to about 110°F using a candy thermometer.

●

Remove pot from heat. Let cheese rest in warm pot for about 8 minutes. Using kitchen gloves, remove cheese to a clean work surface. Reserve 1 to 2 cups whey.

In a large saucepot with a lid over medium heat, add 1 ● gallon whole milk and citric acid mixture. Heat until warm to

Using a butter knife, slice curds into a gridlike ● pattern, making sure your knife reaches the bottom

the touch, about 5 minutes. Stir in rennet mixture, remove pot from heat and cover. Let pot rest for about 8 minutes.

of the pot.

Remove pot from heat and gently stir for about 5 ● minutes, carefully, to allow curds to continue to separate

In the saucepot with the whey, heat whey until ● almost boiling, about 190°F. Gently add strained curds

from whey. Using a spider strainer, separate curds from whey and remove curds to a fine-mesh strainer. Set aside.

back to whey.

Immediately begin stretching warm cheese by ● pressing and pulling together until smooth and shiny,

Transfer cheese ball to an airtight container and ● add 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 to 2 cups reserved

1 to 3 minutes. Form into a ball.

whey, or until liquid covers ¾ of cheese. Refrigerate until ready to serve. / j u ne 2 019

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SWEET IDEAS / HOW-TO / THE MIX / MIDWEST MADE / MYSTERY SHOPPER / THE DISH / HEALTHY APPETITE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

Fennel & Cucumber Daiquiri

Serves 1 Fennel Simple Syrup (Yields 24 ounces) 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup water 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced ½ cup roughly chopped fennel fronds 1 pinch kosher salt

i q u i r a i D

Cocktail 1 1-inch cucumber slice, plus more for garnish ½ oz fennel simple syrup (recipe below) 2 oz white rum 1 oz fresh lime juice / preparation – fennel simple syrup / In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add sugar and water, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Add sliced fennel and fennel fronds to pan and allow to infuse until cool, about 15 to 20 minutes. Strain solids. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. / preparation – cocktail / In a shaker tin, add cucumber slice and simple syrup and lightly muddle to release cucumber juices. Add white rum, lime juice and ice and shake vigorously; strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice. Serve.

3 Wh ite Rum s to up you r dai qui ri White rum is essential for a classic Daiquiri. I particularly love these three brands for their quality and character.

Daiquiris, which allow for endless modifications, are the comeback kid of the cocktail world.

Traditionally made with just three ingredients, their simplicity allows for variations of any kind: tropical, herbal or even savory. This cucumber and fennel variation uses fresh, seasonal yet unconventional flavors for a Daiquiri with vegetal character. Paired with bright fresh citrus and a quality white rum, this cocktail is perfect poolside or batched for your next dinner party.

Written by Rogan Howitt, co-owner, Good Spirits & Co. in Springfield, Missouri Photography by Starboard & Port Creative

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Plantation 3 Star White Rum A multi-island blended rum with lots of character that’s great for Daiquiris and mixed drinks.

Foursquare Probitas White Rum Funky and affordable, Foursquare Probitas is a combination of Jamaican and Barbados rums.

El Dorado 3 Year Old White Rum Aged for three years, this rum is rich and viscous with flavors of cream soda and vanilla.

9 S VANDEVENTER AVE TASTE BEYOND BOUNDARIES MON - SAT 11AM - 9PM

/ j u ne 2 019

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SWEET IDEAS / HOW-TO / THE MIX / MIDWEST MADE / MYSTERY SHOPPER / THE DISH / HEALTHY APPETITE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

Salad Dressing Whether light and olive oil-based or rich and creamy, these locally made and bottled dressings add extra flavor to summer salads.

Written by Hayley Abshear / photo by julia calleo

BoysGrow, an agricultural entrepreneurship program for male youth based in Kansas City, offers a tzatziki dressing based off of its original Greek salad dressing. Youth in the program are involved in every step of production, from seed to sale. The tzatziki dressing can be found at multiple stores in the Kansas City area, such as Nature’s Own, Made in KC and Cosentino’s Market in Brookside, with proceeds benefiting the organization. boysgrow.com

A little red brick house in Arrow Rock, Missouri, is home to chef Liz Huff’s fine-dining restaurant Catalpa. Huff recently began bottling her small-batch house vinaigrette in a peach-lemon-tarragon flavor. The dressing can be purchased online or locally at Arrow Rock Antiques & Mercantile, Lucky’s Market in Columbia or Dierberg’s Markets in the St. Louis area. catalparestaurant.com

Since 2008, Collinsville, Illinois-based Leaf Dressing has been producing an original and spicy sesame dressing perfect for adding kick to salads or marinades for chicken or fish. Made without common preservatives used in many mass-produced salad dressings, Leaf Dressing prides itself on its fresh and natural approach. Both flavors can be ordered online at leafdressing.com.

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In Springfield, Missouri, Brown Abbey Gourmet offers a house Greek dressing made with grapeseed oil, rice wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and a proprietary spice blend. The flavors make it ideal for a classic Greek salad or as a marinade for chicken or fish. The dressing is sold online at brownabbeygourmet.com.

St. Louis’ The Hill neighborhood is famous for its Italian-American eateries and shops, including J. Viviano and Sons market. The beloved spot makes and bottles its own take on the city’s famous sweet Italian vinaigrette. The dressing can be purchased on-site or online at shopviviano.com.

5 Sisters, based in Springfield, Missouri, produces three salad dressings: a Mediterranean, Greek and Dijon. The Dijon, made with lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil and Dijon mustard, complements grilled vegetables for summer cookouts. The dressings are available in Missouri at Price Cutter, Food Pyramid and all Branson-area County Mart locations as well as online at 5sistersfoods.com.

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SWEET IDEAS / HOW-TO / THE MIX / MIDWEST MADE / MYSTERY SHOPPER / THE DISH / HEALTHY APPETITE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

Tomatoes (and the weak of heart) need not apply

Written by Shannon Weber, writer and recipe developer, aperiodictableblog.com photography by Jennifer Silverberg

What Is It? Say “salsa,” and some iteration of the tomato- or tomatillo-based sauce, an ever-present companion to tortilla chips, springs to mind. Salsa macha is something entirely different. Hailing from Veracruz, Mexico, near Puebla and Oaxaca, salsa macha is made with peanuts and sesame seeds and surrounded by a muddy inferno of dried chiles. Simply put, this salsa inhabits a different planet.

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What Do I Do With It? If you’re as in love with chile-garlicpeanut flavor combinations as I am, you’ll find uses for salsa macha everywhere. Sub out your go-to salsa for salsa macha in virtually any Mexican dish – it’s especially lovely on fish tacos.

Toss fried chicken in it for a different hot chicken experience, or simply add it to any and all grilled vegetables for a dramatically dark presentation and a fiery heat sure to delight dinner guests.

Drizzle it over soft cheeses like burrata or fried eggs, or thin it out to dress green salads.

I’ll say this about any sauce: Fresh is best, and salsa macha couldn’t be easier to make at home. If you’re looking to buy it, you can find prepared jars of salsa macha on Amazon and through Food52. If you’re up for a little cooking, though, I’ve got the recipe for you: Visit feastmagazine.com to learn how to make it at home.

Summer Shakshuka

Think of this as a traditional shakshuka with a huevos rancheros twist: You could just as easily eat this for breakfast as for lunch or dinner. Plus, it’s bright and gorgeous, so perfect for a crowd.

Serves 4

1 fresh poblano chile, halved

1 fresh serrano chile, halved

2 lbs tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed and cored

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 bunch lacinato kale, thick stems removed ¾ cup finely diced yellow onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped and divided 1½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp Mexican oregano

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

8 room-temperature eggs

3 ears fresh corn, husked and kernels removed and reserved

3 oz queso fresco (to serve) ¾ cup salsa macha (to serve)

1 loaf ciabatta, sliced (to serve)

2 limes, sliced into wheels or wedges (to serve)

/ preparation / Preheat broiler. Remove stem and seeds from chiles and

toss in large bowl with tomatillos and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Lay chiles and tomatillos skin-side up on a lipped sheet pan. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes until roasted; remove and transfer to the bowl of a blender. Add kale and blend until smooth. Preheat oven to 350°F. Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; add garlic, ½ cup cilantro, cumin, Mexican oregano and salt and cook 1 minute more. Pour in tomatillo mixture and bring to a simmer; cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce has heated through. Crack eggs gently into sauce, spacing them evenly throughout the pan; carefully transfer skillet to oven and cook until whites have just set, 20 to 25 minutes. While eggs are cooking, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add corn and cook until deep golden and caramelized. Set aside. / to serve / Crumble queso fresco all over shakshuka; top with caramelized

corn and remaining cilantro. Drizzle with salsa macha and serve alongside bread with lime wheels or wedges and remaining salsa macha on the side.

pair with: Rye IPA

PA I R IT!

Shakshuka needs to be paired with a beer that can match its intensity. The rye in 4 Hands Brewing Co.’s Divided Sky rye IPA adds a bit of a spice that complements the chile flavors in this dish. The beer’s pine and citrus hop flavors help balance the pairing and will especially make the cilantro and lime juice pop. –JUSTIN PHELPS 4handsbrewery.com

/ j u ne 2 019

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SWEET IDEAS / HOW-TO / THE MIX / MIDWEST MADE / MYSTERY SHOPPER / THE DISH / HEALTHY APPETITE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

o c o ’s C

ricotta toast Jo Marie Scaglia’s daughter, Star, was the third grandchild to call her grandmother, Kathy Scaglia, Coco. The name now proudly has a place on Jo Marie’s menu at Caffetteria Modern Cafe and Marketplace in Prairie Village, Kansas. Coco’s Ricotta Toast is one of several toasts offered and was developed as an homage to one of Kathy’s favorite childhood breakfasts: toast with fresh ricotta and preserves. Jo Marie's version spreads fresh ricotta on a toasted English muffin with a drizzle of a lavender-lemon-honey syrup. -JENNY VERGARA

Erin Brown

chef-owner Dolce Bakery

loves

Caffetteria Modern Cafe and Marketplace “My team and I love to meet at Caffetteria! Jo Marie [Scaglia] has built a gorgeous space where the food is fresh and delicious, and her team is so attentive and kind. We welcome this bright addition to [The Shops at Prairie Village] shopping center.”

Recipe courtesy Jo Marie Scaglia, owner, Caffetteria Modern Cafe and Marketplace and The Mixx Photography by Anna Petrow

serves 1 Lavender-Lemon-Honey Syrup (Yields about 2 cups)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water ½ cup honey

2 tsp dried culinary lavender zest and juice of 2 lemons

“Toast is one of my comfort foods, and [it's] easy to make. The way the ricotta melts on the warm toasted bread is one of my favorites.”

–Jo Marie Scaglia

Coco’s Ricotta Toast 4 Tbsp fresh ricotta cheese

1 English muffin, halved and toasted 3 Tbsp lavender-lemon-honey syrup (recipe below) 10 sunflower shoots or pea shoots

1 pinch dried culinary lavender / preparation – lavender-lemon-honey syrup / In a small saucepan over

medium heat, add all ingredients and bring to a slight boil. Stir mixture until it turns clear. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. / preparation – coco’s ricotta toast /

Spread ricotta over both halves of warm, toasted English muffin. Drizzle lavender-lemon-honey syrup over ricotta and garnish with sunflower or pea shoots and culinary lavender. Serve.

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Look for sunflower shoots or pea shoots at local farmers’ markets.

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Make the backyard

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Table

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For tickets and more information visit kemperart.org/artist-dinner-series.

4420 Warwick Boulevard Kansas City, Missouri 64111

Hew Locke, Tyger Tyger, 2007, chromogenic color print, 90 1/8 x 71 1/4 inches, edition 1 of 3. Collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri Bebe and Crosby Kemper Collection, Museum purchase made possible by a gift from the R. C. Kemper Charitable Trust, 2008.28. © Hew Locke, courtesy Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS), London / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: James Allison Photography, 2013. / j u ne 2 019

45

ONE ON ONE /

ONE on

kansas city

with Dr. Matthew Kost / co-owner, The Buffalo Seed Co.

Earlier this year, Dr. Matthew and Nancy Kost launched The Buffalo Seed Co., which stewards around 40 varieties of seeds and grows them without irrigation or chemicals in the Kansas City area. The goal is to adapt the seeds to local growing conditions and, in turn, help create resilient, sustainable agricultural systems. The couple has an impressive résumé: Nancy grew up growing quinoa and potatoes in Bolivia and has a master’s degree in tomato breeding, while Matthew holds a Ph.D. in evolutionary agroecology and studies crop landrace diversity. The company specializes in rare varieties of maize (like Cherokee White and Black Aztec) and tomatoes (from two-tone cherry to large yellow Russian Anna Banana), along with an ever-expanding collection of flowers, grains, herbs and vegetables.

rare maize varieties from the buffalo seed co .

Written by Heather Riske / photography by christopher smith

1.

aunt mary’s sweet corn

“This is one of the oldest sweet corns in the U.S.; it dates

What’s The Buffalo Seed Co.'s mission?

We want to support the local food movements taking hold across the nation and provide seed for that. We’re growing varieties of vegetables, flowers, leafy greens, herbs and grains that we’ve acquired over the years from farmers throughout the U.S., and we’re growing them here in Kansas City. We’re trying to familiarize them with the local environment – this past season, for instance, we didn’t water the seedproducing plants at all – because we’re trying to get the seeds familiar with this particular climate. Instead of watering the plants, we placed a layer of locally grown rye straw on the soil to prevent water evaporation and weed growth.

Why is it important to do that? The idea is that when you get them adapted to the location, you end up having to put in fewer inputs – like water or fertilizer – to get higher yields. The concept of adaptation is really a key to resiliency and sustainability in that it reduces inputs and stabilizes the yields on the things we’re growing.

varieties that have been passed down the family line. We have around 29 varieties of garlic from all around the world and we’re trying to push that because most of the garlic seed in the Midwest is being sourced from the West and East Coasts. It opens up possibilities to network with farmers around the world.

Tell us about how you model different climates for seeds. With my background, I know how to model climates at a global level, so we took the climate in Kansas City and modeled out everywhere around the world that matches this climate and ended up sourcing garlic from probably 12 to 13 countries including Syria, Jordan, Pakistan and Iran. They’re primarily older

What are your future plans? Our goal is to expand the range of where we’re selling our seed beyond Kansas City. We have a map of other climates in the U.S. that are similar to Kansas City – St. Louis and up into Indiana, Illinois and Ohio are good examples of climate matches.

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 1 9

southern Ohio, and it’s pretty unique. It’s not necessarily easy to find, but when people get their hands on it, it will take hold pretty well. We’re pretty excited to be spreading that seed throughout the Midwest.”

2.

cherokee white

“I acquired this from a farmer in southern Ohio who collected it from an elderly Cherokee woman near Tuckasegee, North Carolina. It’s a flour corn, which means it’s softer compared to dent corn. The plant grows 12 to 15 feet tall, so it’s really incredible to watch it grow, and the cobs are almost twice as big as any other corn – around 12- to 15-inch cobs.”

3.

austin’s landrace f1

“I was the program director at Cultivate Kansas City for a few years, and while I was there, a group of farmers

thebuffaloseedcompany.com

The Buffalo Seed Co. seeds are available for purchase on the company’s website and at local stores including The Merc Co+op and Cottins Hardware & Rentals in Lawrence, Kansas, and Family Tree Nursery in Overland Park and Shawnee.

46

back into the 1800s. I acquired this from a maize farmer in

combined Oaxacan Green dent corn, Hopi Pink flour corn, Missouri Pipe dent corn and Po’suwaegah Blue dent corn into a single population. They didn’t water them; they just let nature do its thing and it created a drought-resistant variety that’s slowly evolving to the landscape.”

4 Schiller St, hermann, miSSouri • www.fernwehdiStilling.com

Enjoy a satisfactory outdoor dining ExpEriEncE at Lucas Park Grille.

Our patio is a great space for lunch, dinner, or happy hour!

Happy Hour 4-7pm monday-Friday ½ price appetizers

Experience our passion for small-batch fine spirits, and enjoy globally inspired smokehouse cuisine, creative cocktails and great converstion.

1234 Washington ave • st. Louis, Mo 63103 For reservations, caLL (314) 241-7770 www.lucasparkgrille.com

up

Firecracker Festival

co

Saturday, June 28 & 29, 2019

- Friday -

6-10pm Dear Darla.

Fireworks immediately following.

- Saturday -

6-8pm Johnathan Braddy Band.

8:30-10pm Scotty Bratcher.

Fireworks immediately following.

m

in

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Only 20 minutes from St. Louis, Kimmswick and Jefferson County & Ste. Genevieve wine countries.

For a one night stay or a weekend getaway, stay at one of these fine establishments.

Check out our new website! www.cityoffestus.org / j u ne 2 019

47

SWEET IDEAS / HOW-TO / THE MIX / MIDWEST MADE / MYSTERY SHOPPER / THE DISH / HEALTHY APPETITE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

Grilled Asparagus e m i L d n a i h s a r a g o T h t i w This simple and tasty recipe accomplishes two goals: It offers another excuse to fire up the grill this summer, and makes the most of fresh asparagus while it’s still in season. This recipe upgrades standard grilled asparagus with a pop of lime juice and spicy togarashi, a Japanese blend of chile peppers, sesame seeds and seaweed. The bite of acid and heat is balanced with the mellow sweetness of honey and garlic, which get further depth of flavor and caramelization from the grill.

Story and recipe by Amanda Elliott, chef, Peachtree Catering and Rustic Supper in Columbia, Missouri Photography by Drew Piester

serves 4 1 1 3

½ ½

lb asparagus, peeled Tbsp olive oil cloves garlic, grated salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste juice of 1 lime tsp togarashi tsp honey

/ preparation / Heat grill or a grill pan on your stovetop to high heat. In a medium bowl, add asparagus, olive oil and garlic and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Add asparagus to grill grates or grill pan and char 3 to 4 minutes per side. Return to medium bowl and add remaining ingredients; toss to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Look for togarashi at your favorite local Asian supermarket or specialty grocery store.

pair with: Vidal Blanc

PA I R IT!

Finding the right wine to pair with asparagus can be a challenge, as its green flavor can make certain wines taste bitter. Stay away from tannic reds or oaky whites and opt for a light and crisp white wine like the Vidal Blanc from Hermannhof Winery in Hermann, Missouri. This semi-dry wine packs a ton of fruit and citrus flavors that pair nicely with the charred asparagus and spicy chile-lime seasoning. -HILARY HEDGES hermannhof.com

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feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 1 9

CULINARY LIBRARY /

COLUMBIA, MO.

with Crystal Hartman / sous and pastry chef, The Wine Cellar & Bistro Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables

by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg (2017) “The book is divided into six seasons of the year, [with] each season divided into different vegetables.

It’s not strictly vegetarian, but it’s a mostly vegetable-based cookbook. It focuses on using all parts of vegetables and not wasting anything, which is something that really speaks to me. I just love trying to cook seasonally, so that’s one thing I really love about this book. Joshua McFadden is a chef and farmer, [and] I think he has an interesting take on vegetables. It has great pictures, too.”

The Joy of Cooking

by Irma S. Rombauer (1931) “It might sound a little boring to some people, but I really like [this book]. It has almost 5,000 recipes – it’s a huge cookbook – and it’s just the epitome of classic. It has anything you could think of, especially anything traditional. It’s one of the first cookbooks I ever had, and if there’s ever anything that I don’t have a recipe for that’s a more classic dish, or that I’ve never made before, that’s usually where I look first. The [book] also [has] a really big baking section.”

Bon Appétit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet and Wonderful

by Barbara Fairchild (2010) “If you like to make sweet things, this is an awesome book; it has a lot of recipes and varies from cookies to pies and tarts to layer cakes with decorations. It has some confectionery work, ice cream and ice cream cakes. The [book] also rates different recipes, so if you’re a beginning baker, if you want a pound cake or a cookie recipe, there’s lots of that in here, and then there’s also more technical or more complicated things as well.”

tCrystal Hartman appreciates both

traditional and contemporary cooking

techniques, and as the sous and pastry chef at The Wine Cellar & Bistro in Columbia, Missouri, she’s implemented both in the seasonally inspired menu. Here, Hartman shares a few of the cookbooks that inspire her in both her home and professional kitchens -Jessica Vaughn Martin

The Place for

SAINT LOUIS:

Soulard | Delmar Loop Central West End | Streets of St.Charles

KANSAS CITY:

East Crossroads South Plaza (

)

www.missiontacojoint.com

/ j u ne 2 019

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SWEET IDEAS / HOW-TO / THE MIX / MIDWEST MADE / MYSTERY SHOPPER / THE DISH / HEALTHY APPETITE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

Pork Chops with Agrodolce Once you’ve made an agrodolce sauce, you can explore different ingredients every time: You just need something sweet, sour and tangy, and you’re in good shape.

To complement these fatty, rich pork chops, we’re combining dried cherries, honey, shallots, garlic, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and thyme, but this is merely a guide – experiment with herbs and spices to modify the agrodolce to your tastes. You can substitute any fruit you have on hand here, too: sultanas, dried figs or apricots would all make a lovely agrodolce. The sauce also complements chicken, fish and

In this class, you‘ll learn how to make green bean-bacon bundles, an easy and delicious summer side dish. You’ll also learn how to make failproof pie crust.

Get Hands-On Join Feast Magazine and Schnucks Cooks Cooking School at 6pm on Wed., June 19, at the Des Peres, Missouri, location to make the dishes on this month’s menu. Tickets are just $45 for a night of cooking, dining and wine.

RSVP

nourish.schnucks.com/ web-ext/cooking-school

or call 314.909.1704.

50

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 1 9

grilled vegetables.

Written by Gabrielle DeMichele Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

serves 4 4 10- to 12-oz bone-in pork chops kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil 2 shallots, roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced ¾ cup balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp honey ½ cup dried cherries, soaked in 1 cup warm water and drained 2 sprigs fresh thyme ½ tsp roughly chopped fresh rosemary / preparation / Preheat oven to 200°F. Season pork chops liberally with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. When shimmering, add pork chops. Don’t crowd the pan; cook pork chops in batches if needed. Sear chops for 2 minutes per side, turning once.

Remove pork chops to a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 135°F on a meat thermometer.

Return skillet to medium heat, add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and let cook for 1 minute more. Add balsamic vinegar and honey and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook for 15 minutes more to reduce. Add drained cherries and herbs and cook 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If sauce becomes too syrupy, add a little warm water.

Serve pork chops with agrodolce spooned over top.

We’re lucky to have heritage breed hogs raised in the Midwest and available for sale at local stores.

Turn to p. 70 to learn more about heritage hogs and where you can find local pork in your hometown.

 Chef’s Tip: BASIC BALSAMIC. If you don't have balsamic vinegar at the ready, combine two cups red wine vinegar and one cup granulated sugar in a pot over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to just under a boil. It will take a little longer to thicken but taste the same.

MAKE THE MEAL • • • • •

Mandarin Orange and Candied Almond Salad Whipped Sweet Potatoes With Maple Syrup Green Bean-Bacon Bundles Pork Chops With Agrodolce Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

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/ j u ne 2 019

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SWEET IDEAS / HOW-TO / THE MIX / MIDWEST MADE / MYSTERY SHOPPER / THE DISH / HEALTHY APPETITE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

We squeeze, knock and squint our way through produce aisles, searching for the best possible product; why do we so often grab whatever is in reach when it comes to our eggs? Those perfect orbs are just as fresh (or should be) as our lettuce, and are a mainstay in most of our diets, yet we don’t take the time to scrutinize them as we should.

No matter if you’re buying eggs for breakfast or for a cake, those eggs should be the best quality you can find. Fresh eggs, especially ones purchased from local farms and farmers’ markets, mean vibrant, Technicolor yolks and a clean flavor superior to that of eggs from industrial farms. Before you buy your next dozen, do your research to make sure you’re getting truly fresh and good eggs.

Written by Shannon Weber photo by jennifer silverberg illustrations by james olstein

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feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 1 9

cracking the code b Egg Types Egg Type chicken

duck

quail

size

Medium to large, breed-dependent, with a yolk-to-white ratio of ¹⁄₃ to ²⁄₃, with an average fat content of 4½ grams per egg.

Very large; most are approximately 50 percent larger than a standard chicken egg. A higher ratio of yolk to white gives them less water content, with an average 9½ grams of fat per egg.

Small. Approximately half the size of a large chicken egg, but with the same fat content – 4½ grams per egg due to higher yolk-to-white ratio.

Other eggs can be eaten, of course – including turkey and goose – yet they’re rarer to find, even at farmers’ markets. Here, we’re cracking into the three most common: chicken, duck and quail.

Color

Uses

Various: most common are white and brown, with some breeds laying eggs ranging from cream to light sage green, blue, rose and chocolate brown.

The most flexible and readily available of all eggs, chicken eggs can be used for anything from simple scrambles to elaborate cakes.

Essential to nearly all non-vegan baking, with a protein structure, richness and lift that’s difficult to duplicate in egg-free offerings.

Predominantly white, but can be green, blue, gray or black.

Ideal for baked goods, where richness is the goal, thanks to the higher yolk ratio.

Proceed with caution when scrambling: less water content can make eggs go rubbery when cooked.

Ranging from creamy tan to light blue with dark brown and black specks; button quail eggs can have rose, green, blue or lavender shades with dark brown and black specks.

These tiny eggs are perfect for frying or poaching and setting on top of one-bite appetizers, salads and sliders, and are an ideal size for pickling. Their flavor is delicate and similar to chicken eggs, which makes cooking them for volume (think scrambled eggs) or baking with them a little pointless.

how you living?

A pasture-raised indicator on your egg box means that the chicken that laid your eggs was, by definition, raised for some portion of their life with open access to the outdoors. Chickens have the chance to forage as they would naturally, but often get a majority of their nutritional needs met by vegetarian feed. The claim “pasture-raised” is an official USDA term, but with no agreed-upon set of standards to adhere to for chickens and their living space and no follow-up after initial approval. In order for this to really mean your eggs are coming from the best possible environment, the farm needs to be certified humane by a third party. Certified Humane on your box means chickens are encouraged outside into not only a space that’s at least 108 square feet, but one that’s regularly rotated to provide them with ample food sources: seeds, bugs and the like. It also means they have access to adequate shelter to protect them from predators.

Vegetarian-Fed

Chickens,

Pasture-Raised

Chicken egg color is mostly indicated by the breed’s earlobes. Although exceptions exist, chickens with red earlobes typically lay eggs in shades of brown, while chickens with white or light-colored earlobes lay white or light-hued eggs. Certain breeds, like Easter Eggers, can lay eggs ranging from blue to green to rose, while French Marans and Spanish Penedesencas lay reddish brown- to deep chocolate-hued eggs. For sky-blue eggs, seek out South American Aracuna, Amaracuna, Chinese Dongxiang or Lushi breeds.

If your box of eggs includes a vegetarianfed label, it doesn’t necessarily mean that chickens are fed a clean, ideal diet – it simply means they ate feed free of animal meat and/or animal byproducts. The term can be confusing for multiple reasons, most importantly because it sounds healthier than it is. Chickens eat more than seeds: When left to their own devices, they regularly forage for bugs, mice and even snakes, because they need the protein those small critters provide. Vegetarian feed is great because it reduces risks of disease spreading between animals, but its healthfulness comes down to the quality of the feed itself. It also doesn’t mean the eggs you’re eating are purely vegetarian: If those chickens are given access to pasture, they’ll eat any insect or rodent they come across. / j u ne 2 019

53

SWEET IDEAS / HOW-TO / THE MIX / MIDWEST MADE / MYSTERY SHOPPER / THE DISH / HEALTHY APPETITE / QUICK FIX / CRASH COURSE

3 Conscious Uncoupling The

Perfect Egg

for every occasion

Different dishes call for different egg consistencies and preparations, and every minute matters.

\Fried Eggs

3 to 4 minutes. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons oil (not butter) in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into the pan gently and fry, 2 minutes, until the edges are brown and crispy. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more until whites have just set.

\Poached Eggs 2 Ways In a high-sided skillet with a lid over medium heat, bring 1 inch of water to a boil.

3 to 3��2 minutes Reduce water to a simmer, crack eggs, one at a time, into a ramekin and pour carefully into water. Simmer each for 3 to 3½ minutes.

5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, crack eggs, one at a time, into a ramekin and pour carefully into water. Cover and let cook 5 minutes.

, Eggs & Yolks Edition .

Separating eggs isn’t as hard as it seems: It all comes down to picking a method you’re most comfortable with and practicing until you nail it. No matter which method you choose, always begin with three bowls set close together: one for whites, one for yolks and a third for the discarded shells.

Shell to Shell Crack the egg gently on the side of the bowl and slowly pull it apart. Pour the egg back and forth between the shells, letting the white slide away from the yolk into a bowl. Place the yolk in the second bowl.

Pros: No tools required, no mess Cons: Sharp shell edges can puncture yolk

Slotted Spoon/ Egg Separator Method Crack the egg carefully into an egg separator or slotted spoon set over a bowl and let the white drain from the yolk. Transfer yolk on spoon/separator to a separate bowl.

Pros: No mess, great for single-use gadget fans Cons: Difficult to control yolk; prone to sliding around

“Bird in the Hand” Method \Boiled Eggs 3 Ways There are two schools of thought on boiling eggs: Starting eggs in cold water and increasing the heat or dropping them into boiling water. When you’re timing eggs to the minute, everyone should have the same starting point: Different pans and stovetops will vary how fast your water comes to a boil, which is why – for eggs timed to the minute, we’re using the boil first method. To really nail your timing, begin with room-temperature eggs. Have an ice bath ready to cool your eggs slightly after

Crack egg into your hand and let white slide through your slightly open fingers into bowl; set yolk in second bowl.

Pros: Total control over yolk, fingers can break thicker ropes of white away Cons: One-handed egg cracking can be tough: experience required

boiling; pull eggs out at the designated time and let them cool 2 to 3 minutes before peeling.

“Lift and Separate” Method Crack egg carefully into a bowl; use fingers to gently lift yolk away from white and transfer it to second bowl.

Pros: Fast, not messy Cons: One broken yolk and you’re starting over

5 minutes.

A soft-boiled, nicely scoopable egg, the likes of which you’d see upright in an egg cup. Crack these with a spoon on top, peel away an opening in the shell and eat with a spoon.

54

6 to 7 minutes.

A picture-perfect medium egg for ramen and salads alike: Six minutes will get you near-firm whites with a little wobble near the center with a runny liquid yolk, while seven minutes will nab you a jammy center with firm whites. Peel gently and slice in half, being mindful of the loose yolk.

feastmagazine.com / jun e 2 0 1 9

12 minutes.

A sunny yellow hardboiled egg without a trace of gray. Firm yolk but not dry or crumbly, with nicely sliceable whites. Peel carefully and slice as you wish.

Methods to avoid

(regardless of what the internet says)

Turkey Baster Method Exceptionally tedious and messy, and you need a gadget for it. If your egg is especially watery, you’ll never get it completely away from the yolk without breaking it. A disaster waiting to happen.

Funnel Method Another gadget, and too much room for error: Too small a funnel and the thicker white will refuse to budge, while a too-large funnel will cause too much suction on the yolk, which may puncture it. Not worth the risk.

4

g n i p p i l F O ue t

Begin with the right pan here: A nonstick with high, rounded sizes gives you your best chance to stick the landing. Heat pan over medium-high heat, then add the fat of your choice – we prefer oil for frying.

Th R i g hyt Wa

Chef Showdown b

People have strong opinions about what

fat to use when scrambling eggs: oil or butter.

Depending on the dish and time of day, though, both can have their benefits. Here, we asked two chefs to share their opinions on when to use oil and butter for scrambled eggs.

Loryn Nalic chef-owner balkan treat box in webster groves, missouri “I cook eggs in olive oil for savory dinner dishes, usually to go with tomatoes and garlic when in season.

That’s how my grandma did it.

5

Crack eggs gently into hot pan; let them cook until the underneath is set.

Once you feel the eggs release from the pan, put your game face on and quickly push the pan forward and up to slide egg forward and up; complete Begin shaking the pan to loosen eggs, the circle with the pan – back, down firmly but not so much you disturb and forward again – to ease the pan the yolk, using a quick under the egg gently without back-and-forth motion. cracking the yolk.

No-Fail Scrambled Eggs

Serves 4 8 eggs 1½ Tbsp unsalted butter kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste / preparation / In a medium mixing bowl, scramble eggs by puncturing all yolks; beat eggs with a fork until yolks and whites are just combined. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; heat butter and circle pan around to spread evenly as it melts. Once butter begins to foam, pour eggs into center of pan. Let cook undisturbed until you see edges becoming opaque; sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt over top. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir around circumference of pan to lift and move edges of egg to the center. Working toward the center, lift eggs from the bottom of the pan and fold them over each other, allowing uncooked eggs to run to outer edges and gently breaking up center pile. Repeat process until you see edges just start to get opaque, lifting and folding eggs into each other until eggs are mostly cooked but with a slight sheen. Season with more salt and pepper to taste; serve piping hot.

For perfect scrambled eggs, it’s important to keep a close eye: You want eggs to cook but not take on even the slightest bit of color.

For eggs, pan choice is key. I have a dedicated “egg pan” – high quality, nonstick and with a nice high lip perfectly suited to scrambling, flipping and frying.

Otherwise, it’s butter for breakfast!”

Gerard Craft chef-owner niche food group in st. louis “While olive oil in eggs can taste great and offer a healthy alternative, it doesn’t compare to eggs made with butter. Slowly stirring cold butter with cold eggs in a cold pan over a low flame creates the silkiest eggs on the planet. One of the keys is a knob of cold butter at the end to stop the cooking. Also, the better the butter, the better the eggs.”

/ j u ne 2 019

xx

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Features

58

65

70

turn up the bleat

garden of eatin'

the rare breeds

Milk from a herd of Alpine and Nubian-Alpine goats is used to produce fresh chèvre, Feta, queso fresco, blue cheese and more at Terrell Creek Farm in Fordland, Missouri.

At Custom Foodscaping, Matt Lebon designs and installs edible landscapes of all sizes for restaurants, schools and even suburban backyards.

These eight Missouri and Kansas farms are raising heritage hogs on pasture to produce high-quality meat – and helping save some breeds from extinction.

/ j u ne 2 019

57

7

At Terrell Creek Farm in Fordland, Missouri,

milk from a herd of Alpine and Nubian-Alpine goats is used to produce fresh chèvre, Feta, queso fresco, blue cheese and more.

Story and photography by Tessa Cooper

With 50 acres to roam overlooking a picturesque creek, the goats at Terrell Creek Farm have a pretty good life.

But even on the sunniest days, farmers Lesley and Barry Million never have trouble herding their goats back home. “They know where the food is,” Lesley says. “They don't get too far from us, either, because they are very bonded to people.”

Lesley grew up north of Springfield, Missouri, on a hobby cattle farm. Even as a kid, she knew she wanted her own farm someday. Her dream came true in 2006, when she and Barry purchased land just 30 minutes southeast of Springfield. Originally, their plan was to become more self-sufficient and sustainably farm as much of their own meat, eggs, dairy and produce as possible. Tending to goats provided a way for Lesley and Barry to get their own goat milk and make cheese. “Being self-sufficient when it comes to food is still very important to us,” Lesley says.

The couple first purchased Nubian goats, as their milk has a higher butterfat content than other full-size breeds, allowing for a greater cheese yield. The other reason? Their sheer cuteness and admirable personalities. “I like their floppy ears and the variety of colors they come in,” Lesley says. “They're also 'people' goats and are very friendly.”

Lesley and Barry later added a few Alpine goats to their herd, which has now grown to include a few Nubian-Alpine crosses as well. “I like the vigor of the Nubian-Alpine cross,” Lesley says.

At first, cheesemaking was just a fun pastime for the couple; a classic French-style fresh chèvre started them down the path to commercial cheesemaking. After sharing their homemade chèvre with friends, the couple received rave reviews. Thanks to encouraging feedback and a desire to turn their hobby into a livelihood, the Millions secured a license and began selling their goat cheese at local farmers’ markets in 2012.

Today, Terrell Creek produces about 300 pounds of goat’s milk cheeses weekly for commercial sale, ranging from that same delicious fresh chèvre to aged, pressed Big Bluff Tomme, a slicing cheese that won Best of Show at the Missouri State Fair in 2016.

Although the farm has grown significantly, Lesley and Barry have stayed true to their sustainable values. They use rotational grazing and foraging to feed the goats, and only rely on grain to supplement the goats’ diets. Instead of using chemicals, the couple reaches for herbs and essential oils to help keep the goats healthy. They use the same care when it comes to making their cheeses, relying on fresh and natural ingredients. / j u ne 2 019

59

Cheese

Field Guide

Terrell Creek Farm makes a range of signature goat’s milk cheeses, and that's not counting flavor variations of its chèvre and Feta. Here, Lesley describes what makes these six cheeses must-trys.

The Dude

Red Pepper Queso Fresco

Chèvre

Feta

Big Bluff Tomme

Jackie Blue

A semi-soft ripened bloomy-rind cheese with similar characteristics to its better-known cousins, Brie and Camembert. “The Dude is soft on the outside, softer on the inside and really mild-mannered. It likes to roll with crackers, get baked with phyllo and it can totally tie a cheese plate together.

Enjoy it with a beverage, man.

It totally abides.”

The queso fresco is a semi-soft mild cheese perfect for slicing and melting.

“The red pepper version is spiced up with locally grown habaneros and other red chile peppers to give your taste buds a wake-up call. Cool it down with a cold beer.”

An Ozarks version of the classic French fresh goat cheese. “Our traditionally made chèvre has a balanced lemony, tangy flavor with a soft creamy, yet crumbly, texture. It’s one of the lightest and most versatile of the goat cheeses. Mild and delicate, it pairs well with both fruity and spicy flavors. It’s available in plain, horseradish, herb-garlic, bacon-chive, fire-roasted jalapeño, cranberry-pecan and chocolate chip [flavors].”

A brined Feta with a salty, sharp and tangy flavor.

“It’s slightly stronger than its chèvre cousin and has a drier, more crumbly texture.

Fabulous in a salad, it also pairs well with more robust flavors.”

An aged, pressed cheese with a pliable but firm texture.

“The name Tomme is given to a family of cheese produced in the French and Swiss Alps; Big Bluff Tomme is our take on this style of cheese. We oil the rind with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and reishi mushroom powder and age it for at least two months. The grassy, nutty, earthy tones become more complex and pronounced as the cheese [ages.] Try it on a cheese plate or on a grilled cheese sandwich for a nice twist.”

This blue cheese is smooth yet a little crumbly.

“We named this cheese [after] the Ozark Mountain Daredevil’s song. It has the perfect balance of that spicy blue cheese flavor and sweet, creamy milk. I recommend adding it to mac ‘n’ cheese or a cheeseburger for something truly fantastic, or pair it with your favorite wine.”

Bloomy-rind cheeses pair well with dry rosé wine.

Try this spicy queso fresco with our summery shakshuka recipe on p. 43.

The cheesemaking process begins in the milking parlor, where Lesley and her team can milk four goats at a time on the milking stanchion. Immediately after retrieving the milk, they transfer it to a 30-gallon bulk tank that keeps it just below 40°F. Once the tank fills up, a pump transports the milk from the milking parlor to the creamery and into a cheese vat. According to Lesley, they yield enough goat milk to make cheese about every three days, or every other day in the spring and summer.

Through her networking, she’s brushed shoulders with cheesemakers like Veronica Baetje, formerly of Baetje Farms in Bloomsdale, Missouri, whose cheeses have won national and international awards, and other famous cheesemakers, like Ricki Carroll from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Co. and Gianaclis Caldwell, a cheesemaker and writer.

But according to the couple, they learned the most through hands-on experience and trial and error. “It's a strange combination of art and science,” Lesley says.

At the creamery, Lesley finishes up the cheesemaking process: After the milk ripens, rennet is added to coagulate and form curds. For firmer cheeses, like the Big Bluff Tomme, Lesley adds extra rennet.

As much as she loves cheesemaking, Lesley's real passion is her goats, which she lovingly refers to as “the girls.” After quickly scanning the herd, your eyes see shades of amber, black and white, and spotted patterns. The goats love to rest in their open-air shelter, especially during a rainy day. “Goats melt if they get wet,” Lesley jokes.

From here, the cheesemaking process diverts depending on the cheese type. For traditional chèvre, the curd sets overnight and is then scooped into draining bags. However, if Feta is being made, the curd is cut and stirred before being placed into molds. Chèvre typically ages for two or three weeks, while other cheeses, like the Jackie Blue, a smooth yet crumbly blue cheese, ages for as long as six months. Before letting cheeses age, different bacteria cultures are added depending on the variety of cheese.

Next door to the milking parlor, creamery and shelter is the kidding barn. Here, baby goats act like playful puppies. In a separate stall is the birthing area. When it’s nice outside, the “kids” roam in the kid pin. Terrell Creek even accepts a select number of volunteers to play with the goats, and most leave with the same love for the animals as Lesley.

Lesley learned most of what she now knows about cheesemaking from online classes focused on dairy sanitation through the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, reading books and talking to other cheesemakers. Lesley is also an American Cheese Society member and has twice attended its annual conference.

“The business is partly justification for me to have goats,” Lesley says with a laugh. “We allow people to come and help feed the baby goats and play with them because it’s a fun thing to do; people want to do it and it helps us out to have some extra hands at times. I just love goats.

I like cheese, too, but goats are my first love.”

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PICTURED LEFT: A Saturday cheese night on the farm; Lesley and Barry Million feeding their goats on the farm.

PICTURED BELOW: Terrell Creek's Big Bluff Tomme in the aging room.

To really get a taste of Terrell Creek’s cheeses, attend one of these Saturday cheese nights on the farm.

June 15 July 20 Aug.17 Sept. 21 Oct. 19

Grab tickets for just $35 per person at brownpapertickets.com.

If you've spent time in southwest Missouri, there's a good chance you've already tried Terrell Creek’s cheese.

Many restaurants proudly name-drop the farm on their menus, including Farmers Gastropub, Gilardi’s Ristorante, Scotch & Soda and Progress in Springfield and Harvest Restaurant in Rogersville. At The Order in Springfield, the bacon, onion and Terrell Creek Farm goat cheese rangoons never lose their spot on the menu, even during seasonal changes. And Terrell Creek’s chèvre is the star ingredient in Derby Deli's Local Goat Salad, which also includes arugula, dates, walnuts, Applewood-smoked bacon and house vinaigrette.

For Lesley, curating the cheeseboards is a fun scavenger hunt. A few weeks before the event, she scopes out what’s in season at the local farmers’ markets. She loves using nuts and preserves from Fairhaven Farm; bread from The Artisan's Oven and B + B Boulangerie in Springfield; cured meats from GrandView & HillSide Bison in Mountain Grove and Circle B Ranch; and vegetables she pickles from Urban Roots Farm and Millsap Farm in Springfield, plus many other local and regional products.

And restaurants aren’t the only local partnerships Terrell Creek has forged. The Millions deliver leftover whey from the creamery to Circle B Ranch in nearby Seymour to feed to their hogs. In exchange, Terrell Creek receives pork products, which are then used in products like the Hog Heaven, a flavored chèvre with bacon, chives and garlic. They also lease the creamery to Adrian Buff, a cheesemaker who studied in Switzerland. Buff is in the early stages of starting his own business, Grison Dairy & Creamery, in Ava, Missouri.

No two boards are ever the same, and thanks to Lesley’s approach of using local and seasonal ingredients, each cheese night is an event you can only experience on the farm.

The cheeseboards are as fresh as it gets.

However, the most beautiful and delicious fruits of their local partnerships come to life at the monthly cheese nights on the farm. From May to October, Terrell Creek Farm hosts buffet-style farm dinners featuring live music, soups, meats, salads, vegetable dishes and desserts like goat cheese ice cream. But the cheeseboards are the main attraction, featuring pops of colorful ingredients that put even the most beautiful still-life paintings to shame.

Lesley, who majored in art education in college, is the artist behind the boards. “Cheeseboards are a fun way to express my creativity,” she says. “We also feel it’s important for people to come to the farm and actually see where their food comes from and how it is produced.”

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“After we started hosting the cheese nights, we found that they were a good way for us to recharge and stay passionate,” Lesley says. “It’s very satisfying when you see your customers having a good time and they tell you how much they appreciate you and what you do. It reminds us of why we do it.”

In Springfield, you can find Terrell Creek Farm’s cheeses at Farmers Market of the Ozarks, MaMa Jean’s Natural Market, Brown Derby International Wine Center, Lucky's Market, Millsap Farms and Urban Roots' Farmstand. The farm’s cheeses are also sold at Webb City Farmers’ Market in Webb City; Ozark Farmers’ Market in Ozark; Richard's Brothers Grocery in West Plains; and The Little Farm Store near Seymour.

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A program of Missouri Coalition for the Environment, on behalf of the St. Louis Food Policy Coalition

At Custom Foodscaping, Matt Lebon designs and installs edible landscapes of all sizes for restaurants, schools and even suburban backyards.

Written by Liz Miller oday, the permaculture orchard at Principia School, a private Christian Science institution in Town and Country, Missouri, looks modest. Young fruit trees and bushes are just beginning to mature alongside more robust patches of native flowers and herbs. In four or five years, though, students will be able to harvest a wealth of produce here, including raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, apples, Asian pears, persimmons, Nanking cherries, pawpaws, plums and juneberries. This is a far cry from the grassy hillside that once occupied the property, and it’s a direct result of high school students learning about global food security and the benefits of growing their own food.

“We were starting the year off with a topic on food and where our food comes from,” says Lynne Scott, a sustainability and

Photography by Judd Demaline

biology teacher at Principia's high school. “Through that unit and that conversation, we were learning about sustainable methods of farming and the concept of permaculture. The students were really interested in it, and were like, ‘Hey, let’s build a garden; let’s do permaculture on campus.’”

Scott headed up the project alongside her students, seeking funding for the orchard from a private donor. Once funds were in place, the next hurdle was identifying how to best plan and plant a permaculture orchard. A friend had previously connected Scott with Matt Lebon, then the farm manager at EarthDance Organic Farm School in Ferguson, Missouri, for a class tour of EarthDance. Already familiar with Lebon’s work, Scott reached out about the orchard, which led to Lebon visiting the site and putting together a plan for Scott's class.

Today, that's exactly the work that Lebon does with other clients through his company, Custom Foodscaping. The business designs and installs permaculture foodscapes, which seek to mimic the naturally self-sustaining elements of an ecosystem. Lebon specifically focuses on planting edibles instead of ornamentals, with an emphasis on edible perennial plants in biodiverse environments.

Lebon's process includes seeking out native plants, including fruits like pawpaws and grapevines like Vitis labrusca, which thrive in our climate, as well as flowering plants, like yarrow, to attract pollinators. This approach omits chemical herbicides and pesticides and seeks holistic alternatives to deter pests and critters, such as netting cabbage beds or building a deer fence to protect young fruit trees. / j u ne 2 019

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“Permaculture aims to have integrated systems, and we want to use the architecture of forest ecosystems to create these multi-storied landscapes, not just one row of boxwoods,” Lebon says. “The biggest thing I do with clients is not only educate them about unique species – like a lot of people may not have even heard of a pawpaw, or certain varieties of pear trees that hold up very well to pests and disease. So that selection is creating a biodiversity – bringing in all the different natives and multifunctional plants, because then the proliferation of pests and disease can be mitigated by a biodiverse ecosystem.”

Another important element of Lebon’s work is designing natural water management strategies like rain gardens and swales to conserve water resources and minimize the need for traditional irrigation systems. A swale is a shallow basin or ditch with sloping sides that’s contoured with the land to collect rainwater; plants can then be positioned along the slope of the swale, allowing the collected rainwater to seep into the soil and accumulate moisture, passively irrigating the roots. Swales mimic the way undisturbed ecosystems infiltrate rainwater and are commonly built to act as passive irrigation systems in permaculture gardens.

For Principia's permaculture orchard, which Custom Foodscaping installed two years ago, Lebon implemented a different type of passive irrigation system. He took advantage of the sloping landscape with swales aided by contour berms, mounds of dirt on top of which fruit trees, shrubs and herbs were planted. The swale was dug on the uphill side of the berms, allowing rainwater to slowly seep into the base of the berms.

PICTURED THIS PAGE: Principia high school's permaculture orchard in Town & Country, Missouri.

“It keeps the area that’s planted hydrated for a much longer period of time,” Lebon says. “The area behind the berm is very shaded, as well, so it doesn’t dry out as quickly.”

Scott says the permaculture orchard has been a huge benefit for her curriculum and work at Principia, as it gives students a sense of service to the land and helps educate them about where food comes from. The food grown in the orchard goes directly to the school’s dining hall, which has also allowed students to experience the full cycle of farming.

“Students will taste [an herb like] anise hyssop and say, ‘Oh my gosh, this tastes like licorice!’ And it’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s where that flavor comes from!’” Scott says. “Tasting sage or chocolate mint for the first time… It’s the excitement of learning that flavors can come from natural things; they don’t have to be artificial. Any time students get to plant, see and harvest food themselves, I see more willingness to try – to try the food, to try the herbs, to then try the food that’s being connected to that herb. They’re part of it. Those moments of connection to the land and what they’re able to do with it are big.”

Scott says that the orchard, combined with other gardens on campus, has opened students’ eyes to the reality of food production and the role they can play in it.

“In a traditional garden, you’re constantly having to water, weed and fertilize," Scott says. "In a permaculture garden, it’s really mimicking an ecosystem, and I think that’s what my students continue to walk away with: There are ways to grow food that benefit our ecosystem. And that’s a really different perspective, a really different concept, than traditional farming and where food comes from. I think that’s been a new concept and a totally different way for people to view food production.”

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PICTURED RIGHT: Vicia's edible landscape in St. Louis.

For Lebon, Custom Foodscaping is the culmination of years of agriculture experience. For more than a decade, he has worked on farms both rural – including homestead farms in Paraguay while volunteering with the Peace Corps – and urban, like when he studied farming in Brooklyn, New York. A native St. Louisan, Lebon returned to home in 2012 to work at EarthDance Farm in Ferguson, Missouri, where he spent five seasons, eventually becoming farm manager. Lebon founded Custom Foodscaping in 2017, which has since grown to include Ben Tegeler, an ecological designer who brings a background in ecological foodscaping to the business.

Custom Foodscaping doesn’t currently offer maintenance services, so it’s especially crucial to Lebon to set expectations with clients before anything is planted. He starts off each project with a site visit to assess the potential and gauge the expectations of the client: What do they want to grow? How

much time do they have to dedicate to garden maintenance and harvesting? What will they do with the food they yield, especially if it’s growing too fast to keep up with?

“Just having plans in place,” Lebon says. “I don’t dive in, I kind of burrow into people’s lives and try to understand more about the holistic situation, and try to match the planting with not only how eager they are, but if they have the financial means to hire help and those kinds of things to help size the landscape.”

The orchard at Principia is one example of Custom Foodscaping’s commercial and institutional work, which comprises about half of the business (with the other portion being residential). Last year, the company installed an edible landscape around a portion of the perimeter of Vicia, Michael and Tara Gallina’s lauded vegetable-forward restaurant in St. Louis.

Positioned just outside the restaurant and visible from the window-lined dining room, the foodscape is anchored by fruit trees, shrubs and a groundcover of alpine strawberries.

Michael, a James Beard-nominated chef, has already been able to harvest herbs, some strawberries and figs (including fig leaves, which he notes taste like coconut) and edible flowers from the garden during its first season. In the coming years, he’ll be able to source Nanking cherries, elderberries, jujube fruit and more right outside his door.

“The whole idea of the restaurant is connecting our guests with where their food comes from, and what better way to illustrate that than right outside the restaurant?” Michael says. “One of the things that excites me most is that if guests are interested, we take them out to the garden and show them; if they have questions about ingredients, we can take them out and show them where it’s growing.”

Since the foodscape was installed last year, Vicia has been able to harvest roughly 60 to 70 percent of herbs for the restaurant from the garden. While cooks use herbs like chocolate mint, shiso and thyme in dishes, bartenders employ basil and roselle, similar to hibiscus, for herbaceous and floral seasonal cocktails.

Michael was already familiar with the work required to maintain even a small garden: Before opening Vicia, he worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, chef Dan Barber’s restaurant in Tarrytown, New York, located on a working farm. Yet for his cooks, Michael says the garden at Vicia has been eye-opening.

“They get that carrots and herbs come in from different farms, but for them to actually be responsible for maintaining the garden, and going out and harvesting food... I think that’s very, very important,” Michael says. “It gives them a sense of responsibility and a sense of respect. Farming is a very, very tough job, and maintaining even a small garden is a lot of work.

I think it gives them that responsibility and that feeling of being a part of even more of what they’re doing.”

Although Michael came to the project with some farming knowledge and experience, he says Lebon proved an invaluable source of information for what was possible in Vicia’s garden.

“We’d just open up catalogs and talk – there were things I was excited about [planting], thinking back to working with Anne Lehman [of Dirty Girl Farms in St. Louis], and then at [Blue Hill at] Stone Barns, some of the things we’d use there,” Michael says. “[Lebon] was a wealth of knowledge to help us say, ‘Oh, we could do that. We could grow lovage here or shiso over here.’ I know you can grow shiso [in Missouri], but the amount we got last year was just incredible.”

The ability to harvest food on-site has allowed Michael and Tara to further develop Vicia’s mission to highlight the best of what’s grown regionally – which now includes the restaurant’s own green space.

“I think it’s an incredible wow factor – when people walk up from whichever lot they park in, and they see this fresh, vibrant greenery and fruits and vegetables,” Michael says. “And we try to talk about it as much as we possibly can – part of what we’ve worked on for the tasting menu is incorporating kind of a garden course, where people can go out and pick herbs for an herbal tea at the end of their dinner. And we would do that for any guest if they were really excited and wanted to walk through the garden and pick things.”

This year, one of Custom Foodscaping’s biggest institutional projects is with Jubilee Community Church in St. Louis. Plans for the project include installing an orchard and market garden in partnership with Good Life Growing, an urban farm focused on reducing food insecurity in the community.

“They’re catching all the stormwater off of the roof for the garden; they worked with a local architect and got funding from [Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District] to design it,” Lebon says.

“This is the kind of comprehensive work that I want to be a part of – they’re catching stormwater, growing pollinator plants, they’ve got all these fruit trees and they’re thinking about the site holistically. It’s an example of a lot of different things in one space, and a lot of great partners working together.”

Lebon knows that not every home gardener or institution has the land or capacity to grow large edible landscapes, but no matter your situation, he’s confident he can find a solution. This spring, Custom Foodscaping installed a compact foodscape in the backyard patio at The Royale in St. Louis; to most efficiently utilize the small space, Lebon has planted espalier fruit trees, which grow up against walls almost like vining plants. “So instead of being 3D, you train the branches up against the wall,” he says.

Lebon’s also growing passion fruit and grapes over pergolas, strips of herbs, two pear trees and a fig tree on the patio.

“The whole idea of the restaurant is connecting our guests with where their food comes from, and what better way to illustrate that than right outside the restaurant?”

Michael Gallina, chef-owner, Vicia

“A few hundred square feet is plenty to start doing things,” Lebon says. “The problem solving… That’s what makes each job totally different, which is the fun part, for sure.” / j u ne 2 019

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As spring transitions into summer this month, Lebon’s earliest foodscaping clients are just beginning to see the fruits of his labor flourish.

One of Lebon’s first residential projects was for Dr. Fred Williams, an avid home gardener who likes to know where his food comes from – not only for his health and the wellness of his family, but for the health of the planet.

Williams started with a few raised beds, growing annuals like tomatoes, peppers and squash in the backyard of his former home in Chesterfield, Missouri. He’s since moved to Creve Coeur, and after working with Lebon, his raised beds number 15 and his garden has grown to incorporate fruit trees, nut trees and fruiting shrubs, plus two chickens and honeybee hives.

PICTURED: Dr. Fred Williams' backyard foodscape matt lebon shares the fruits, vegetables and nuts popping up for custom foodscaping clients from season to season.

Spring

Onions, garlic chives, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, broccoli, sorrel and edible mushrooms Summer

Nanking cherries, goumi berries, serviceberries, raspberries, currants, blackberries, pawpaws and jujube Fall

“It's really nice to go out in the backyard and pick your food – I don’t even wash it, because there are no chemicals on my dirt,” Williams says. “I just think it’s really gratifying to grow your own food.”

A longtime supporter of the local food movement, Williams has been attending EarthDance Farm’s Farmers Formal fundraiser for many years. Two years ago, he bid on a three-hour foodscaping consultation with Lebon. After an initial meeting and site consultation with Lebon, Williams was hooked; last fall, Custom Foodscaping designed and installed Williams’ foodscape, featuring an array of edible perennials, from asparagus that comes up in the spring to cherries in the summer and chestnuts in the fall. Today, Williams’ backyard, which occupies about an acre of land, is almost entirely a foodscape.

“To me, gardening is very therapeutic – if I didn’t have a job, I’d do it seven days a week,” Williams says. “But in the limit of time constraint we all have, it’s [a lot of work]. The cool thing about foodscaping is that as it grows, it really becomes its own little ecosystem. It’s really just a lot of perennials that keep coming back, and as they keep coming back and grow bigger and bigger, your food supply gets larger with very little work.”

This year, Williams will harvest herbs like sage, thyme, oregano, anise hyssop, mint and lemon balm, and maybe some raspberries, from his edible landscape. Yet as it matures, he looks forward to grapes, dates, pawpaws, chestnuts and other perennial fruits.

“Even if you live in an urban area, to have just a little 8-by-8-foot raised garden bed in your backyard where you grow some tomatoes, peppers and beans is just mentally and physically good for people,” Williams says. “It takes no room at all; somebody who has 20 or 30 square feet can put something in. That’s really kind of the magic of what Matt can do – he can come in and find little places to grow.” customfoodscaping.com

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Asian pears, persimmons, chestnuts, figs, native grapes, passion fruit, aronia berries, trifoliate oranges, kiwi berries and edible mushrooms

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Think of tropical fruits, and coconuts and rambutans might come to mind: They’re gorgeous to look at, yet puzzling to cook with. Tropical fruits are simply those that originate and thrive in hot and humid climates, weather that Missouri is all too familiar with this time of year.

Summerisagreattimetotakeadvantage of their incredible biodiversity and their outstanding health benefits.

“As a group, tropical fruits are filled with nutrients that may help with controlling blood pressure, keeping digestion working smoothly, and possibly even lowering the risk of cancer and heart disease,” says Hank Dart, prevention and control expert at Siteman Cancer Center.

“Among other nutrients, these fruits are often rich in vitamin C, potassium, betacarotene, fiber and even healthy fats, when you count avocados — which, yes,

are technically fruits.” Dart points out that fat itself isn’t bad; it’s just a matter of how certain fats affect cholesterol.

“Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats. These healthy fats can help lower levels of ‘bad’ blood cholesterol, or LDL, and can also help lower the risk of heart disease and stroke,” he says.

Many tropical fruits are sweet, so if you enjoy peaches, there’s a good chance you’ll also enjoy more exotic ones such as kumquats, pomelos and star fruit. “Many of us treat ourselves regularly to special sweets or coffee drinks,” Dart says. “Try occasionally trading one of those for a trip to the specialty produce aisle and pick a tropical fruit you haven’t tried, or one you really like but don’t often buy for yourself.” You could also ease in with mangoes and papayas. These are especially great options because they

can be enjoyed in many different ways: raw for a snack, grilled as a side dish or blended into a smoothie.

Thanks to advancements in shipping and storage, tropical fruits are more accessible than ever. Frozen tropical fruits retain nearly all of the nutrients that fresh fruits do, and they keep for much longer. Dart does recommend steering clear of canned varieties that have added sugar, juice, syrup or salt.

You won’t miss them: Tropical fruits have plenty of flavor on their own, and they’re a great way to inject some sun-drenched fun into your day.

Hank Dart

prevention and control expert at Siteman Cancer Center PHOTO PROVIDED BY SITEMAN CANCER CENTER

Smoked Mango Habanero Salsa roma tomatoes, stem removed

1

tablespoon cumin

1

small yellow onion, peeled and halved

1

teaspoon salt

1

medium white onion, peeled and halved

1

teaspoon pepper

½ cup cilantro

1

tablespoon red wine vinegar

2

3

teaspoons olive oil

mangoes, skin removed and roughly diced

1-2 habanero peppers, depending upon heat preference

Juice of 3 small limes

1

poblano pepper

1

head of garlic

Charcoal grill (not required)

1

tablespoon paprika

MANGO

Peeling a mango, navigating around the pit and getting to the fruit itself isn’t easy, but the taste — like a peach infused with everything awesome about pineapples — is worth the effort. They make a great summery salsa and shine in desserts (think mango sorbet). Or toss them on the grill: The intense heat caramelizes their naturally occurring sugars and deepens their sweetness. Any preparation will bring loads of vitamin C and antioxidants.

PAPAYA

Papayas’ origins are surprisingly close to home. Originally from Mexico and northern parts of South America, they’re now grown throughout the southern United States. It’s an underrated, incredibly versatile fruit: Try it grilled and drizzled with honey and lime, blended with banana and coconut milk in a smoothie, or use it as a rejuvenating DIY face mask. Its calorie count is among the lowest of all fruits in the produce section, but it still brings plenty of vitamin C, fiber and potassium.

YIELDS | ABOUT 10 HALF CUP SERVINGS

5

A few years back, lychees went from being relatively unknown (outside of Southeast Asia, at least) to superfood superstars. Lychees are golf-ball-size fruits that are rose in color, floral in scent and covered in bumpy skin — which explains their “alligator strawberry” nickname.

Although the skin and pit are not edible, the pearly white flesh holds a delicate taste reminiscent of pear or watermelon. Enjoy them raw or make them into simple syrup and add to drinks.

Handful of wood chips (not required)

PASSION FRUIT

Cast iron skillet PHOTO PROVIDED BY SITEMAN CANCER CENTER

| preparation | Heat grill to medium heat with cast iron skillet (or another grill safe pan). Remove head from garlic, wrap in tin foil and place on indirect heat of grill. Throw hand full of wood chips on charcoal. Place poblano pepper and onions on direct heat, charring the outsides, about 5-10 minutes. Once both sides of the onion are charred move to indirect heat. Take poblano off grill when all sides are charred and place into a covered bowl for 10 minutes to steam and cool. Peel poblano and remove the stem and place in food processor. While pepper cools place 1 teaspoon olive oil in cast iron skillet, and then the tomatoes. Roast tomatoes on grill for 30 min or until tender. Stir every 10 min. Once onions are tender and tomatoes are roasted, remove from grill along with the garlic. Cut the root off onions and place in food processer along with tomatoes and poblano pepper. Add red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika, cilantro, remaining olive oil, and juice from limes. Pulse food processor to chop and mix ingredients. Once mixed, cut stem off habaneros and remove seeds. Roughly chop them and place them in food processor along with the diced mangos. Pulse a few more times to chop and incorporate peppers and mangos. Serve with tortilla chips or over chicken or fish!

Roughly the same size and color as a plum, passion fruit is steadily finding its way into everyday diets, thanks to its high levels of fiber and vitamins A and C — though its intriguing name doesn’t hurt, either. It’s true that neither the outside (often wrinkly) nor the inside (a golden, gooey pulp filled with seeds) looks particularly appetizing, but with a tart taste similar to mangoes and pineapples, it yields a sweet reward. After cutting the fruit in half, you can scoop out the pulp and eat it raw, or boil it down into a sauce to give chicken or fish a tropical twist.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ISTOCK IMAGES

/ j u ne 2 019

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These eight Missouri and Kansas farms are raising heritage hogs on pasture to produce high-quality meat – and helping save some breeds from extinction.

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ver the past century, many heritage hog breeds have gotten dangerously close to extinction.

Heritage refers to breeds that were common before the rise of industrialized agriculture, particularly prior to World War II. Hog breeds like Red Wattle, American Guinea Hogs and Wessex Saddlebacks are prized for their superior flavor, excellent marbling and even friendly personalities. No pigs are native to North or South America – breeds like Gloucestershire Old Spots and Berkshire were brought to the U.S. from England – although others, like Red Wattle and Hereford, were developed in North America.

Many of these breeds are currently in danger of being lost to history: Not many farmers raise them in the U.S. today, as they’re more expensive to take care of and require sufficient land to graze and forage. There are only a few hundred Choctaw hogs in the world, for example, and most of them live on a handful of farms in Oklahoma; the vulnerable Ossabaw Island breed, concentrated on its namesake island in Georgia, descends from prized Spanish Ibérico hogs and hovers around a similar number.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, the best way to save these breeds is to create customer demand for this type of product. In Missouri and Kansas – two of the 10 top states in hog sales in the U.S. – farmers are raising heritage pigs in a sustainable way. Here, we’re talking to nine farmers to learn more about their work and why these breeds are worth preserving for future generations.

breed: Berkshire Local Farm: Newman Farm in Myrtle, Missouri Although originally from England, Berkshires – lovingly dubbed “Berks” – are one of the most popular heritage breeds in the U.S. thanks to the meat's excellent marbling. This, in conjunction with a high fat content, makes Berks great for cooking over several hours or at a high temperature. “The Berkshire breed, above all other breeds in the swine business, has the greatest potential for consistently delivering tenderness, juiciness and flavor,” says David Newman of Newman Farm in Myrtle, Missouri.

“They’re known to have more fat, and fat equals flavor. Most of our hams go into prosciutto, and Berkshires deliver a nice balance.” Berkshires are so prized that they’re raised across the globe, including in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

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Newman Farm products can be ordered by phone or email. Visit the farm’s website at newmanfarm.com to learn more.

breed: Mulefoot Hogs Local Farm: Littrell Farms in Green City, Missouri Mulefoot hogs are named for their hooves, which unlike most pigs, are uncloven and resemble – you guessed it – mule’s feet. Although the breed’s origins are murky, during the early 20th century, Mulefoots quickly became prized in the U.S. for how easy they are to fatten up, although they fell out of favor by midcentury in comparison to modern hybridized pigs prized by industrial farms. The American Livestock Conservancy estimates that there are fewer than 200 Mulefoot hogs in the U.S. – most of them in Missouri and western Illinois. They were thought to be extinct until a few were found on an island in the Mississippi River, and farmers like Eric and Barb Littrell of Littrell Farms in Green City, Missouri, have been keeping the breed alive with their pasture-raised and grass-fed herd. “I often refer to our full-grown boars and sows as gentle giants, as they weigh between 600 to 700 pounds,” Barb says. “Their meat is lean and as red as a beef steak with lots of flavor and marbling. All the cuts are great, but the bacon, ham and pork steaks are superior. We don’t eat any other kind!” The hog fat produces creamy lard, and the meat itself is rich and has even been described as melt-in-your mouth.

4Littrell Farms sells cuts and weanlings for butcher or breeding stock through its Facebook page at facebook.com/mulefootpigs. To learn more, visit littrellorganicfarm.com.

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breed: Tamworth

breed: Duroc

Local Farm: Metzger Farms & Fertilizer in Seneca, Kansas

Local Farm: Good Farms in Olsburg, Kansas

Tamworth is a heritage breed prized for its “red” meat. Originally hailing from the United Kingdom, the hogs’ longer snout makes it a skilled forager, which in turn affects the flavor of the meat; they’re particularly suited for bacon. Tamworths are a bit larger than other heritage breeds and take a bit longer to mature. “Tamworth is more lean than [Berkshire meat] and makes good bacon, good ham – good everything, really,” says Doug Metzger, who began raising the breed in 1961, but then took a break until 2004.

Today, he has a herd of about 45 on his farm, Metzger Farms & Fertilizer, in Seneca, Kansas. “They’re a little slower growing, and it costs more to raise them, but you get what you pay for," Metzger says. "Tamworth sure makes good meat.” Tamworths are considered hardy and do well in colder climates.

Duroc hogs are one of the most popular and well-known heritage breeds. They first appeared in the early 1800s in New England, and some historians claim Durocs are descended from either Berkshires or hogs imported from the Guinea coast of Africa.

They’re characterized by hardiness and their calm demeanor, as well as quick muscle growth and their dark-orange color. Durocs produce flavorful, well-marbled meat, great for spare ribs and shoulder roasts, and are sometimes compared to Black Angus beef. In Olsburg, Kansas, Craig and Amy Good of Good Farms raise Durocs. “Duroc pigs are a very hearty, robust breed, noted for very good meat quality,” Craig says. “They generally have meaty bellies that have a very good lean-to-fat ratio. There’s also a nice amount of fat with good marbling in the pork chops.”

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Good Farms’ products can be purchased online at heritagefoodsusa.com.

Most products are not sold under the Good Farms’ label, however, the farm is one of Heritage Foods’ few suppliers of Gloucestershire Old Spots, Duroc and Tamworth.

breed: Hereford

breed: Wessex Saddlebacks

Local Farm: White’s Hereford Hogs in Joplin, Missouri

Local Farm: Flint Hill Farm in Russellville, Missouri

Hereford hogs are known for their red and white coloring, just like Hereford cattle.

Developed in the 1920s, Herefords were especially popular in the Midwest, but herd numbers dropped off in the 1960s as more modern hybridized pigs became the go-to for industrial pork operations. “To me, it almost tastes like you’re eating a juicy steak,” says Daniel White of White’s Hereford Hogs in Joplin, Missouri. “The pork chop alone – it’s hard to describe. You feel like you’re eating beef. The bacon is the brightest, reddest bacon you’ll ever see, with amazing marbling.” It’s estimated that there are fewer than 2,000 Herefords in the U.S. today, with White raising just 12 of those hogs. Herefords are a docile, friendly breed, making them a popular pick to work with kids.

Wessex Saddlebacks are black hogs with a band, or saddle, of white or light brown around their middle. The breed is particularly raised for bacon and ham, and the hogs are well-suited for small farms, as they thrive on a varied diet, often including pasture grazing and foraging. One of the last herds in North America can be found at Flint Hill Farm in Russellville, Missouri, where the Campbell family raises fewer than 100.

“They’re really good-tasting hogs; they have a nice ratio of fat to meat, and the fat, of course, is where the flavor is, so chefs like [them],” says Ruth Campbell of Flint Hill Farm. “Everybody who buys them from me seems to really like them, and there are more people wanting the pigs, but there aren’t many people who raise [heritage] hogs.”

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Flint Hill Farm is small, so orders must be planned in advance; products can be ordered through localharvest.com.

Not all heritage hogs are single breed like the nine we’ve profiled here. At Rain Crow Ranch in Doniphan, Missouri, farmer Jack Whisnant raises heritage cross breeds of Berkshire, Duroc and Red Wattle for greattasting pastureraised pork. In Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, Meyer Hog Farm raises Berkshire and Berkshire-cross pigs without growth hormone or antibiotics.

And in Washington, Missouri, fifth-generation farmer Todd Geisert specializes in cross-bred Berkshire, Duroc, Hampshire and Chester White Hogs. These heritage hybrids retain and blend the qualities farmers love in single heritage breeds.

wessex saddlebacks photo by anthony jinson; red wattle photo by jennifer silverberg

Metzger Farms distributes through Paradise Locker Meats in Trimble, Missouri.

Look for Tamworth products under the Paradise Locker label in and around the Kansas City area. Products can also be purchased online at heritagefoodsusa.com.

White’s Hereford Hogs specializes in sales for show pigs, but when butcher hogs are available (by the half or whole) announcements are made on the farm’s Facebook page at facebook.com/whitesherefordhogs.

Heritage Breed Crosses

breed: Gloucestershire Old Spots

breed: American Guinea Hogs

Local Farm: Good Farms in Olsburg, Kansas

Local Farm: Briar Rock Farm in Sullivan, Missouri

Gloucestershire Old Spots are indeed spotted and are known for having a considerable amount of fat. Old Spots began as a peasant breed in England, but today, even Prince Charles has a herd of Old Spots on his Gloucestershire estate. “I’d describe it as finetextured, delicate meat: It’s not a strong flavor [but rather] a very delicate flavor,” says Craig Good, who, along with his wife, Amy, raises Old Spots at Good Farms in Olsburg, Kansas. “They have a lot of marbling typically, and the fat on the pigs seems to have a creamier texture. [It’s a] very smooth and creamy fat.” Good says Old Spots never reached much popularity because they’re relatively slow-growing; however, they’re now experiencing a rise in demand thanks to a renewed interest in fat-heavy pork products such as charcuterie.

By far the smallest breed raised in the Midwest, American Guinea Hogs were on the verge of extinction just a decade ago, with fewer than 150 accounted for in the U.S. The breed’s relatively small size – about 125 to 250 pounds at the largest – makes it ideal for family farms. “Guinea hogs are much gentler and easier to handle,” says Ethan Joyce of Briar Rock Farm in Sullivan, Missouri. “The taste is fantastic. The fat’s really soft and well-marbled throughout, so it keeps it really moist; you can cook this pork to more doneness than others without it becoming dried out.” Compared to other heritage breeds, farmers can get a relatively high yield from American Guinea Hogs, although Joyce cautions that they require fencing that's lower to the ground than larger pigs. “They’re a bit of an escape artist,” he says with a laugh.

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Good Farms’ products can be purchased online at heritagefoodsusa.com. Most products are not sold under the Good Farms label; the farm is one of Heritage Foods’ few suppliers of Gloucestershire Old Spots, Duroc and Tamworth breeds.

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Briar Rock Farm products are sold on a limited basis through the farm's online store. Check its website or Facebook page (facebook.com/briarrockfarm and briarrockfarm.com) for availability announcements.

Volpi Heritage Prosciutto

breed: Red Wattle Local Farm: Circle B Ranch in Seymour, Missouri Heritage pork from breeds like Red Wattle – developed in 18th-century New Orleans by way of the French-occupied South Pacific – is usually compared to steak rather than lean pork chops. “[The breed] has never been put into factory farming; their instincts have never been bred out,” says Marina Backes, co-owner of Circle B Ranch in Seymour, Missouri. “They’re out rooting for food and in the dirt.” Thought to be extinct by the 1970s, experts estimate there are fewer than 1,000 Red Wattle hogs in the U.S. today, with 50 of those raised on pasture at Circle B. Charcuterie makers particularly prize juicy, hearty and well-marbled Red Wattle for salame thanks to its strong flavor.

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Circle B products are sold at Cherry Picker Package x Fare, Mama Jean’s Natural Market, Hy-Vee and Harter House in Springfield, Missouri, and Local Harvest Grocery, Mac’s Local Buys and Larder & Cupboard in the St. Louis area. circlebranchpork.com

This year, Volpi Foods, which first opened in St. Louis in 1902, debuted heritage-breed prosciutto, aged for 18 months – considerably longer than most prosciutto. The rich, dry-cured ham is made from single breeds, usually Berkshire, but also Red Wattle, Duroc, Gloucestershire Old Spots, Large Black and Tamworth. Pork is sourced from farms in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa, including Newman Farm in Myrtle, Missouri, and Lazy S. Farms in La Plata.

Pork is then hand-rubbed, salted and air-dried at Volpi’s new state-of-the-art, 120,000-square-foot prosciutto facility in Union, Missouri. “We receive the meat fresh, within 36 hours of harvest, from Paradise Locker Meats [processing plant in Trimble, Missouri], and begin prepping the ham immediately,” says Deanna Depke, marketing manager at Volpi and a fourth-generation member of the Volpi family. The company stresses that its product development responds to demand, and consumers are increasingly aware of where their food comes from.

The prosciutto is sold in presliced three-ounce packages for retail customers at Volpi Foods on The Hill, St. Louisarea Schnucks and Dierbergs Markets locations and in eight-pound boneless hams for wholesale clients. / j u ne 2 019

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Back Burner the

this month, we asked industry pros:

What’s your go-to farmers’ market – and what are you buying there?

Dave Elman

owner and roaster Fretboard Coffee Columbia, Missouri

“The Columbia Farmers Market. I buy just about all of my weekly veggies there, our eggs and some of our meats as well."

Kalle Lemone co-owner

Ross Jackson wine manager

Kala Russell beverage director

Lindsay Lowrey tasting room manager

David Sandusky Co-owner and pitmaster

Nourish Café + Market

Mike’s Wine & Spirits

Jalali restaurants

KC Wineworks

BEAST Craft BBQ Co.

columbia, Missouri

Kansas City

Springfield, Missouri

Kansas City

Belleville, Illinois

“I do most of my shopping at Clovers Natural Market, but I also stock up at the [Columbia] Farmers’ Market. My favorite things are Goatsbeard Farm’s herbed goat cheese, Feta and brie, Stanton Brothers’ eggs [and] produce from Share-Life, Happy Hollow and Veggie Patch. I also get [lamb from] Susie’s Grass-Fed Lamb and chicken from Altai Meadows.

“The place I [shop] the most is our downtown River Market [Farmers' Market]. Every time I go there, it’s an opportunity to meet new growers, farmers and new ingredients, and it’s such a pleasure to interact with people directly and really get a feel for what they’re about and what goes into the things they’re producing."

“Farmers Market of the Ozarks is always fun to peruse and see the big bouquets of flowers, produce, local honey, roasted peppers, etc. I like The Sage Garden for produce and Stem to Table [Farm] for microgreens. I’m excited about the seeds I picked up from Baker Creek [Heirloom Seeds]; I can’t wait for my buzz buttons to blossom!"

“We love to go to City Market.

It kind of depends on the season, but we love to buy produce and meat there.

We also love the beignets from Beignet, which makes both sweet and savory beignets. They make a very good classic beignet."

“I love visiting the Belleville Farmers' Market – it's full of great people who go out of their way for us. Plus, those orange-flesh honeydews are not to be missed."

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