get an organic Amy’s frozen pizza,” he adds—especially at this time of year.
For Christian Hanley, being a restaurateur is a family affair. “There is zero separation for us,” he says. “Food is what we do all day long.” Hanley and his wife, Lisa, bought Forage in January of 2015 as a way for the family to relocate back to Driggs, where Christian spent his time ski bumming in the 1990s. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, Hanley had cooked regionally in the Tetons before meeting Lisa and opening three restaurants in Arizona for a private family. The couple’s two children, Maddie, age 8, and Ollie, age 6, don’t know life without food at its very core. The kids help out in the kitchen at home by making their own breakfast and preparing their lunches for school. They also take the bus to the restaurant after school to help with kitchen prep (after homework is done, of course). But for their parents, it’s less about having the kids participate in family chores and more about engraining in them an appreciation for everything “food.” Throughout the year—and especially during harvest season— they take a family night to prepare and cook a dinner together at home. “The point is to make something from scratch that came from the earth, seasonally and locally,” explains Hanley. The family’s menu revolves around what’s available in a given week. “I’m a big fan of autumn,” he says. “When the ingredients begin to change, my style of cooking changes, too. That’s when I start to incorporate braising, and cooking with stronger flavors.” Along with stronger flavors comes new taste sensations for the kids. Hanley believes they need to see a food three times before they’ll try it and enjoy it. The first time, he’ll introduce it on their plates; the second time, maybe they’ll push it around with their forks; and on the third time, they are expected to take a bite to at least try it. “We call it a ‘thank you’ bite,” Hanley says, “to give thanks because we made it together. As a person who acknowledges that he is constantly “taking from the system,” sustainability weighs heavily on Hanley’s mind. He believes that maintaining the local food economy is something that will come into question as the population in the Tetons increases. Improving on efficiencies is something he tries to take part in. “Linking us all together [farmers, ranchers, and restaurants] is an efficiency in itself,” he says. And conversations are beginning to happen. This summer, Hanley partnered with Snowdrift Farms in Victor to provide weekly farmers market specials made from the farm’s harvest. “This [planning] gives us a full outline for June, July, August, and September. That’s four months that we are in the circle!” But he still ponders a long-term solution, one where restaurants of a certain size will need to create their own food supply. And with two bright young stewards at their side, there’s no doubt the Hanleys will be leading the charge.
Joshua Governale grew up in Orange County, California, right next to a pumpkin and corn farm. During the fall harvest, the field mice would evacuate the farm’s property and relocate themselves in neighboring homes. As a “thank you”—or more specifically a condolence gift—the farm would leave a large bag of fresh produce at the Governales’ doorstep every autumn. Governale remembers his mother’s pumpkin bread, his grandfather’s pumpkin ravioli,
Lunch, Weekend Brunch, Happy Hour, Dinner OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: Monday - Friday 11:00am - 9:00pm Saturday & Sunday 10:00am - 9:00pm
HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY 3-6PM Reservations Recommended
285 E. Little Ave, Driggs, Idaho 83422 208.354.2858 | www.forageandlounge.com
Eat well. Play Hard. Juice & Smoothie Bar • Coffee Sandwiches • Salads • Bulk Foods Organic Produce • Artisan Bread Beer • Wine • Local Products
Open Daily 9am-7pm Juice Bar open daily 9am-2pm
36 S. Main Street, Driggs, ID • (208)354-2307 • www.barrelsandbins.market Fall 2017 ¤ Teton Family
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