Student Organic Farm
With snow still on the ground last week, I decided to head out to the Student Organic Farm to visit the Yakeley Hoophouse, affectionately known as "Salad Palace."
The Yakeley Hoophouse supplies organic mixed greens to the salad bar at Yakeley Hall, and also provides greens for specialty salads at The Gallery.
With the use of hoophouses, the farm is able to grow fresh produce year-round, grown for students by students.
Kale is one of the primary crops at the hoophouse. It was a really cool experience for me as a chef to be able to pick a leaf and taste the produce right there on the spot. They were also growing spinach and cilantro, as well as a few other varieties of greens.
The view from the interior of the hoophouse is pretty impressive, with the organic greens contrasting with the snow outside.
If you are interested in knowing more about the Student Organic Farm and what they do, you can follow them on Twitter.
Vegan "mac and cheese"
Macaroni and cheese is one of my all-time favorite dishes. I've been thinking a lot lately about making a vegan version of the dish, and a vegan friend told me about nutritional yeast, which is yellow in color and has a nutty flavor and creamy consistency.
It was a bit experimental, but I did some research on different recipes out there and put my own spin on it. Most recipes use pureed boiled vegetables to create the sauce; however, it is my opinion that you get a lot more flavor by sautéing the vegetables instead. I added some sliced mushrooms and tomatoes for texture and flavor and whole wheat penne pasta instead of traditional macaroni.
The taste-testers in my office all liked the dish, and the students with the Residence Hall Association (RHA) also liked it and gave me some great feedback. I'm going to continue to refine the dish, and possibly add some turnips to the recipe for a bit more flavor.
In the coming weeks, the dish will be available at Captain Pea Pods, the vegetarian station in Shaw Hall. We'll test the dish there, and I welcome your feedback. If successful, it's something I'd love to implement as part of our core menu in the halls.
Let me know your thoughts. Are there any other vegan dishes you'd like to see in the halls?
How to Prep a Leek
It may look like a giant scallion, but the leek is actually much milder in flavor. It is native to the Mediterranean and has a thick white stalk with long, flat dark green leaves.
Most of the time, leeks are sautéed or are used in soups and salads. In my opinion, you can bring out more flavor when you braise them. Braising is a cooking method in which food is cooked in a small amount of liquid at a low heat for a lengthy period of time.
When cooking, you won’t want to use those long green leaves. The usable part of the leek is the white center stalk.
To prepare a leek for use, follow these steps:
Step one
Cut off the root of the leek.
Step two
Cutting on a diagonal, remove the long green leaves.
Your leek should look something like this:
Step three
Slice the leek in half length-wise.
Step four
Chop the leeks to your desired width.
Step five
Put the chopped leeks into a large bowl of water. Stir them around to remove any dirt trapped in the layers. Make sure you’ve removed all the dirt or you’ll end up with an unappetizing and gritty dish.
Step six
Strain the leeks out of the water and transfer to a container until you are ready to use them.
Comments
Leeks are great in soup. Thanks for the tips, Kurt.
I always get leeks confused with scallions. Sounds like with leeks, you just eat the stalks, but with scallions, anything goes?
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Recipe notes: Mushrooms
I’ve been working on some new recipes for mushrooms, so I thought I share some of my notes.
All mushrooms are a high in the particular flavor known as umami. Umani is the fifth taste sense, often referred to as savory (the other tastes are sweet, salty, sour and bitter).
Umami itself is subtle and blends well with other tastes to expand and round out flavors. Most people don’t recognize umami when they encounter it, but it plays an important role making food taste delicious.
In terms of mushrooms, Shiitakes are tan to dark brown and have broad, umbrella-shaped caps, wide open veils, tan gills and curved stems that should be removed. They have a meaty texture and are rich and woodsy when cooked. They add a meaty flavor and texture to stir-fry, pastas, soups, entrees and sides.
Criminis are also known as baby 'bellas or browns, and are similar in appearance to whites, but have a light-tan to rich-brown cap and a firmer texture. A hearty, full-bodied taste makes them an excellent addition to beef, wild game and vegetable dishes.
Portabellas are a larger relative of criminis and have tan or brown caps and measure up to six inches in diameter. Portabellas can be grilled, broiled or roasted and served as appetizers, entrées or side dishes.
Morels have a rich, creamy flavor that is deliciously earthy. They appear naturally in May, and are very present here in Michigan during that time. Some people like to bread them with corn meal or crackers, but I feel the very best way to savor their unique flavor is simply to sauté them in a little butter until they’re tender (not crispy).
If you decide to prepare mushrooms, here are two common methods:
Sautéing:
Sautéing is the best way to cook sliced or halved mushrooms. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a sauté pan over medium high heat and then add a single layer of mushrooms into the pan. It is important to not overcrowd the pan so that the mushrooms can cook evenly. Do not stir them until they start to turn red or a golden brown, and then flip to the other side and repeat the process.
Grilling:
Grilling works best for mushrooms like the portabella and shiitake mushrooms. Lightly brush caps and stems with oil to keep them moist and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil for four to six minutes on each side, brushing once or twice with oil. You can also try brushing with your favorite dressing or sauce instead of oil.
Comments
When I cook mushrooms, I chop it into little pieces along with some spring onion and sautee it with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt. It tastes awesome!
It seems like 10 years ago I didn't hear much about Portabellas and Shiitakes, and now, they're everywhere. It seems like, as consumers, we have many more varieties of foods available to us. I wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing?
I didn't know about the fifth flavor umami, I'm doing some research and trying to learn new mushroom based recipes. At the moment I'm experimenting a lot with portabella mushrooms, with mixed success ;). I'll try to post some recipes here,http://www.diy-guides.com/, when I'm done experimenting.
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Rock the Block
Students will have to chance to check out the different campus neighborhoods and meet some of the MSU chefs at Rock the Block on Sunday, Jan. 31 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
We have a great menu planned and hope you'll join us for food, fun and prizes! Each stop will feature a unique dish. Here is a sneak preview:
Brody: Tenderloin sliders served with a spicy horseradish
Riverwalk Market: Tomato bruschetta and antipasto platter
Mason-Abbott: Smoked chicken phyllo cup
West Circle: Petite finger sandwiches featuring organic meats and locally-grown greens
Holden: S150 ice cream and Streeter’s homemade waffle cones
Akers: Terra Salsa Verde’s homemade chips and salsa
Kurt Kwiatkowski is the Corporate Chef for Culinary Services in the Division of Residential and Hospitality Services at Michigan State University. As Corporate Chef, he sets the standards for the core menu and develops staff training.
Chef Kurt holds a bachelor’s degree in Food Systems Management and Economics and a master’s degree from The School of Hospitality Business, both from Michigan State University.
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