An Interview For the Sage Thymes...Ruth Selby: From The Garden

When you hear someone says things like “magical”, “sanctuary”, and “illuminating” to describe a place, you tend to get pulled in. And indeed, the garden at Deer Park did just that. I set up an interview at the garden with Ruth Selby, a student at the CIA. I spent the morning with Ruth, learning about what the garden meant to her. As she is preparing to graduate, she hopes to encourage current students to get involved in the school garden and keep this amazing garden going. Ruth shares with me her time spent in the garden:

CG: When you first came to the CIA, how did you learn about the garden? How did you get involved?

RS: I learned about it from Dr. Luss and Diane Martinez. Dr Loss was an instructor and head of R & D for the CIA and has since moved back to Hyde park, but he started the garden.

I initially thought it would be a good way to be outside. I had moved here from Lake Tahoe and there I worked in restaurants, but during the winter I would work as a ski instructor. I really missed being outside and being active. I also played volleyball in college at the University of Virginia, and soccer growing up.

I love cooking but struggle with how much you’re inside. And you’re on your feet all day, but it doesn’t really count, it’s not the same as really being active.

CG: Had you ever gardened before?

RS: My parents had a garden when I was growing up, but no, not really, not like the garden here. [Deer Park Garden] has been here since ’96, but as a student garden project about only 4 years. This will be the 4^th year that this will be the “student garden”.

CG: How often did you start coming to the garden? How many hours a week do you spend here currently?

RS: I’m here everyday, anywhere from 2-3 hours a day. When I started, I was hooked but the garden last year was much different, we didn’t really have any experience. Diane was really busy and Dr Loss was transitioning over to Hyde Park. There were things in the ground and things growing, but we didn’t come as often. I’d say last year we’d come once or twice a week, and every time we would get here it was like “oh my god, look at everything that’s happening!”and “This is getting away from us”; I was excited and in to it, but didn’t really know what to do. So we would show up and do some work, but things slowed down once people started looking for externships and it became sort of, less organized. The big difference was there was definitely not the same utilization of product as we do this year. This all goes in to the restaurant or the teaching kitchens, which did not happen last year.

CG: Talk about what this garden is to you, and the atmosphere it holds.

RS: My initial reason for being in love with the garden is being outside, being in nature, and being part of my food system instead of being a consumer in my food system. I’m an actor in it. I like knowing seasonality because I know when I planted things and I know when things are truly ripening; not because a chef instructor told me something like “butternut squash is in season Oct-Nov.”

You also learn about the food when you’re cooking it too. You learn why baby zucchini is better than 10” zucchini. You feel the plant, you harvest them. You look at Padrone peppers and when you harvest them you try to see which ones are spicier than others. You spend a lot more time with the ingredient and you know how hard it is to grow something like a really nice tomato. Well, not hard, but it definitely takes some effort. It simply makes you have a different relationship with the ingredients and the preparation of them.

CG: How would you describe this space to someone who has never been to the garden?

RS: (Jokingly) It’s an oasis along side the Napa River! Actually, it is a magical place. I remember last year I would have a really shitty day in Skills 3 or just barely by the skin of my teeth pass my practical and be on the verge of tears and being able to come to the garden and be outside, and see the geese on the river, and hang out with friends in the sun; it was like “everything is right in the universe”.

Last year, my main motivation for coming to the garden was purely to be outside. But as I started coming more, and reading more, and talking to chef instructors, and thinking more about our food system; it only makes sense that we grow as much food as we can. And in terms of being active, that’s a total bonus. It was a great counterbalance to a chef’s lifestyle. It balances the excess of something like calling a purveyor and ordering something and not knowing where it comes from and being able to grow some of our own food and be connected. It balances sitting in lecture, standing in one place all day cutting a bunch of things, cooking with butter, multiple trips to the dessert table…it balances all of those things.

CG: What are your plans when you graduate?

RS: My plan immediately after school is to go to Italy for 2 weeks and work at an olive oil press and learn how super premium olive oil is made. There is a villa that hosts people for an olive oil retreat. People can go get facials with olive oil, learn how to cook with it, and get spa treatments. So it’s going to be a vacation/graduation present/educational trip. Mostly I’m just interested in it, and want to be exposed to great ingredients and know where they come from.

CG: For students who don’t have a ton of time to commit to the garden, is this something you could do once a week? Maybe an hour a week?

RS: Yeah, absolutely! Any student that wants to come out and harvest, walk around, or just come check out the chickens, are more than welcome to come. And we would greatly appreciate the helping hands. It would be great for people to just be aware of the garden. Even if you just come out here and have a look at stuff, and see things like the Padrone peppers growing. Then, when you see Padrone peppers in the Teaching Kitchen, you are less likely to throw them away or pass over them. It would be like “Oh, I saw those Padrone peppers in the garden, I tasted one there yesterday, and those would be really good on this succotash” or “it would add a low throat heat to this sauce”.

And it’s definitely a sanctuary. It’s a way to be involved with food that doesn’t involve high stress or the metaphorical “heat” of the kitchen.

CG: Is gardening something you will continue once you leave the CIA?

RS: I’m planning on moving back to NY city, where I did my externship at Saveur Magazine. While I was there I visited some urban farming projects. There are some rooftop farms in Brooklyn, and a lot of urban farms in deserted lots. They grow a ton of stuff and sell it at the farmers markets in the area. There is an Edible Schoolyard Project in NY, which is an offshoot of the one in Berkeley that Alice Waters founded. They try to put gardens in schools for the children to learn how to grow and cook their own food.

CG: As the ‘farm to table movement’ continues to spread in our industry, and more support builds for programs like you described, do you think its important for chefs and the students here to educate themselves about being an active participant in their food system?

RS: I would love it if there were a gardening class offered by the CIA, or even just a study day in the garden. Or how about “special projects day” is a day in the garden? If chef instructors would assign that, if we could get 5 extra sets of hands in here in one day, we could get so much stuff done!

It’s an illuminating and enriching experience. You cant really read about this in a book. A chef instructor can tell you as much as they can about ripeness, or seasonality, or quality and condition but until you get out here and see if for yourself, do you truly get it. It would be a great thing to have a tour of the garden as part of orientation day for new students, just to let them know what its like.

There are lots of positive things that come from the garden, and I think every visit I learn something new, literally every time I’m here I see something new or learn something about ingredients and gardening. And that’s why I keep coming I think…that and the eggs and free food.

Summer Lovin'

Had me a blast!

So long summer break, you were a good one! I went to a few great spots along my travels, was inspired by some awesome food, and feel energized to get back in the kitchen by others who love food as much as I do =]

Here are some shots from Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica:

Amazing bakery items like: Blueberry Cornmeal Cake, Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, Rye Biscuits With Cheddar & Parmesan, and Blueberry Ciabatta

Not to mention the AMAZING menu of breakfast items, salads, and sandwiches! I highly recommend this place, just be warned it is always packed. I went on a Wednesday at

10am and was asked to move twice from tables to make room for larger parties.

On my break I also got to visit the Seattle area (Issaquah, Whidbey Island, Downtown Seattle).

There was a beautiful farmers market with great vendors like the Lunch Box. They had delicious items on their menu like Bob's Your Uncle: chickpeas, bulgur & couscous over mixed local greens, chopped apple and red onion w/ homemade garlic-buttermilk vinaigrette. The Whidbey Wrap: brown rice, hummus, feta, turkey, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, pepperoncini and local greens in a flour tortilla!

Knead & Feed which had fresh baked breads, cinnamon rolls, and pies (which were included with your meals!!)

And the "famous" Crab Pot where you get steaming piles of crab and shrimp that you get to pummel with a mallet and drench in clarified butter

Thus, the ending break will have me looking forward to getting back in to the kitchen at the CIA for the beginning of Skills Development 2...look forward to such gems as how to poach an egg, fresh pasta making, techniques of: roasting, braising, stewing, sauteing, and grilling! Stay tuned ;)

Reinventing The Wheel...errr...Donut

The thought of saying "I'm on summer break" makes me giggle. Not many 30 year olds can throw that one out there. I didn't think I would ever have a summer break again, so allow me to revel in it a bit =] After signing all of my classmates yearbooks and telling them to K.I.T. ("keep in touch"...just joking by the way), I packed my bag and headed back to So Cal. On my way south, I stopped to visit some friends in San Luis Obispo; an adorable beach community about 2 hours north of Santa Barbara. Half it's population attends Cal Poly San Luiso Obispo college, so late night spots that have wifi, cool art hanging on the wall, indy music playing, with cool hipster customers are to be expected. But what I didn't expect was to find it in a donut shop!

Me and my friend Cami threw on our PJs, and headed to SLO Donut Company on a Friday evening. The minute I walked in, I knew I was in trouble. Not only was the girl behind the counter hip, she was very friendly and super helpful.

They had the classics like sugar

dusted, crumb, maple

bars, apple fritters, chocolate glaze, to name a few.

But they also had some really tasty new flavors like a chocolate filled pillow, bacon topped maple bars, cereal, PB & J filled, boysenberry and cream cheese filled, peanut butter filled with chocolate frosting...WOW!

One of my favorite parts was the "Design Your Own Donut" section. There was also a wall filled with used books that one can sift through wile enjoying one of these delectable donuts.

It is places like the SLO Donut Company that make me excited to see what the future holds for the culinary world; so many people with great visions and ideas of how to improve on something and make it an entirely new experience!

Make Your Own Mayo...It's Easier Than You Think!!

Ever find yourself having a sandwich that's a little blah? Maybe grilling some gourmet burgers this summer and looking for that extra something to put it over the top? Try making your own mayonnaise! It sounds a bit daunting to some (it definitely did me!), but when the chef finished the demo it I couldn't help but say "really!?! That's it?"...loud enough for the chef to hear...woops :p But it really was that easy! And it was a fast, simple way to put a homemade touch on your food.

The first step is to get your ingredients and tools set up. You will need a

good whisk and a stainless steel bowl as well as:

2 Egg yolks

1.5oz Lemon juice or light vinegar (wrap your lemon in cheesecloth for a

quick strain)

16floz Vegetable oil

6floz Cold water

1tsp Dry mustard

Salt & Pepp (optional) to taste

Whisk yolks with a bit of

water, mustard, salt, and lemon juice.

Start to pour the oil in SLOWLY while whisking vigorously, as oil begins to incorporate you can add the oil more quickly. AND

THAT'S IT!

If it gets too thick whisk in a bit more water. Season with more lemon

juice, salt, or pepper. It makes a great base to add minced garlic to make a

zesty spread on burgers, or cayenne pepper for a spicy topping on a grilled chicken sandwich!

I Got Skillz

This week was the start of Skills Development 1. After the carnage of the last 3 weeks in Meat and Seafood Fabrication, Skills 1 has been quite tame. In fact, this last week was a bit blah in comparison. Skills 1 teaches the basics; stocks, broths, consummes, soups, bisques, etc. While not the most glamorous part of cuisine, a very important foundation to almost everything you make in the kitchen.

Veal stock is used as a base for many sauces and soups. Veal bones are much more mild in flavor, therefore making a great base to compliment the flavors

you add to it. You can also follow this production with beef bones if you do not know where to get veal bones.

First start with your mirepoix. A mirepoix is 2 parts onion, 1

part celery, 1 part carrots. It is the base for EVERY stock. In a brown stock, like veal or beef, you must caramelize the mirepoix. In a white stock, like chicken or white veal, you add the mirepoix raw. Make sure to chop the mirepoix in about 1/2" pieces which allow for even cooking.

Roast veal bones in a 400 degreeoven. Remove the bones from the oven after darkened and add to stock pot. If you

would like to add some extra flavor, add some heat to the sheet pan which held the veal bones, and add a splash of water, and deglaze the pan. cover the bones in the stock pot with water and let simmer.

One of my favorite techniques to adding flavor to a stock or soup is a sachet. It is cheesecloth filled with a bay leaf, thyme, and parsley. It is tied

tightly with twine and added to a stock. The great part is that you can remove it when you have the optimal flavor desired. Once the veal stack has reduced, aprox 5-6hrs, strain bones, mirepoix, and sachet. You now have a base for soups, sauces, and an extra flavor add for anything that requires liquid; simply reduce down and add meats and veggies. We made a great French Onion soup with

this stock!

Here's another useful tip for the home chef. If you ever find yourself with extra butter, I would recommend clarifying it. Clarified butter has a much longer shelf life and a higher smoke point; which makes it great for sauteeing! Simply melt butter with a slow simmer, and when the edges start to brown, you can skim off foam. The butter has separated from the water which has settled on the bottom of the pot. Slowly pour off butter until you see where the liquidy butter/water is. It's a great substitute for olive oil, and delicious on popcorn!!

Sausage Fest

Today we finished up Meat ID & Fabrication. Over the last couple of days we covered pork, where we were shown how to break down an entire side of a hog:

And we also learned how to break down a lamb; basically imagine your family Labrador up on the counter and thats the size we were working with:

Yesterday we started the sausage making process. We seasoned chunks of meat overnight for the grinding we did today. After the grinder, the meat went into the casing machine. Almost ALL of the sausage you eat is cased with lamb, pig, or veal casing (intestine). They were DELICIOUS!

Ribs from the pig were brined overnight, and then thrown on the grill. Chef had a recipe up for an awesome BBQ sauce, just keep in mind it's 4 servings so scale it down a bit!:

It was pretty staggering to stand back and really take it all in. Seeing the animal in its primal form, before it ever comes close to a plate, is a strange experience. It hasn't made me want to be a vegetarian, but it has made me want to respect and honor the animal that gave it's life so we could enjoy things like breakfast sausage and baby back ribs smothered in Orange BBQ sauce. The fact of the matter is that we are blessed to live in a country that gives us choices.

There is a laundry list of effects that stress has on the meat of an animal. Having an animal live under stressful conditions before it is slaughtered can effect things texture, flavor, and moisture. Our chef instructor put it a good way, he said that "animals should be able to live a stress-free, humane life, with one really bad day." Holding pins, over populated cages, confined spaces all have serious impacts on the quality of food you're consuming; but there is a solution. Because we have the option to choose things like free-range, humane, and organic meats, we have the power to shift how our animals are processed. And I say "our animal" because it is yours! When you buy chicken, or steaks, you are buying that animal and you should have a say in how it's raised, fed, and slaughtered. Vote with your dollar, let the choices you make when buying meats dictate how our meat industry operates.