edible garden
RESTAURANT CROPS
Culinarians bring freshly picked bounty to plates.
WRITTEN BY JENNY LUNA
PHOTOS BY KATIE DONER
Lake Tahoe’s weather is dry, fickle, and cold. But a few chefs in the area aren’t disheartened: The cooks that double as green thumbs are enthusiastic to marry their passion for produce and talent for cooking to create a truly farm-to-table experience for their guests.
Maarten Vankruyssen, executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, spearheaded a garden project on the property a few years ago alongside executive chef Stanley Miller. The chefs’ efforts have resulted in the yearly cultivation of herbs and greens used throughout the property, namely in the hotel’s signature restaurant Manzanita.
“For culinarians, it’s often that we only see produce that comes out of a box or a bag. It’s important for us to stay educated, and when you can see it, you have a different respect for food and for farmers,” Miller says.
Perhaps one of the gardens’ most successful herbs is mint, the essential ingredient of the house-made marshmallows that are combined with chocolate and graham crackers for The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe’s beloved s’mores.
The chefs say they enjoy sharing their personal joys of clipping greens and cultivating vegetables with visitors. Taking guests into the three gardens, hosting cooking classes, and exploring the gardens with children are some of the ways The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe’s employees use the edible green spaces beyond serving the on-site plants on plates.
“Being able to show that complete circle — that’s something not all restaurants and properties can do,” Miller says.
Growing Comfort
Patty and Jeff Baird, owners of the Cedar House Sport Hotel in Truckee, say starting a garden for their restaurant, Stella, was natural, as the couple has always had gardens at home. Jeff, the declared gardener of the two, uses hay bales and hoops for Stella’s gardens. He also plants his more fair-weather food among large rocks, allowing the plants to retain heat into the night.
“The guests are really intrigued because their idea is that at this altitude not much will grow,” Jeff says. But at 5,800 feet, the tomatoes are proving that notion wrong. Jeff’s success primarily has been with heirlooms and cherry tomatoes — little treats he sneaks right off the plant when they’re ripe.
“It’s an amazing feeling to walk through at lunchtime and pick off your own cherry tomatoes and greens,” Jeff says. Herbs and tomatoes are added to the menu’s breakfast omelets, seasonal salads, and the packed lunches guests are given to take on hikes.
Amid the herbs and vegetables in the Stella gardens, flowers blossom and bees buzz. Keeping it colorful, beautiful, and full of life of all kinds is a priority to the Bairds.
“It doesn’t look like just a vegetable garden,” Patty says. “It gives it more interest.”
Walking through the garden is something she does daily in summer months. The owner compares the experience to being in a bookstore, “surrounded by [her] favorite things.”
“Being in that environment is very comforting and our guests feel it, too,” Patty says. “Seeing things growing around you is a special feeling in itself.”
Always Learning
Like cooking, weather, and life itself, a garden is never a guarantee. But chefs and gardeners keep planting and continue digging. In a continual process, they are learning what works and hope to continue sharing their love for plants, produce, taste, and cuisine with guests for years to come.
Jenny Luna is a freelance writer based in Truckee whose green thumb sprouted when she began helping her stepfather pull up garlic and potatoes in his Sparks garden.
Restaurant Garden Tips
Courtesy of Maarten Vankruyssen, executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
Gardening tip
If you want to grow mint, be sure to place it in a container so it won’t take over your entire garden. Also, a great tip for gardening in the high altitude is instead of planting regular basil, which can be extremely sun sensitive, grow boxwood basil, which can stand direct daylight in the middle of the day, even at high altitude.
Cooking tip
Hard herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, should go in the recipe at the beginning of the cooking process to extract the flavors. Soft herbs, such as cilantro and basil, should be added to a recipe at the end so as not to lose the delicate flavors with high temperatures.
Courtesy of Cedar House Sport Hotel co-owner Jeff Baird
Jeff always starts with his own seeds and recommends using a liquid fertilizer. He also uses the hay bale method, an inexpensive option for container gardening that can be easier on the back and knees due to elevated beds. And because straw helps insulate when it is prepared properly, growing at higher elevations is easier on farmer and plant.
Recipe
Lake Tahoe Mint Marshmallow
(courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe pastry kitchen; created by executive pastry chef Maarten Vankruyssen. Makes 3 – 5 dozen)
1 cup cold water, divided
3 ¼-ounce envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 cups and 1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons mint extract
2 cups light cornstarch
½ cup potato starch (or cornstarch)
½ cup powdered sugar
Prepare a 9-by-9-inch pan by lining it with parchment paper and spraying the paper with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle some of the powdered sugar mixture (described below) over the bottom and sides of the pan in an even layer, and set aside.
Pour ½ cup cold water into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens and absorbs water, at least 15 minutes.
Combine 2 cups sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining ½ cup cold water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat and bring syrup to boil. Boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches 240 degrees F, about 8 minutes.
With mixer running at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture in thin stream down side of bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto whisk, as it may splash). Gradually increase speed to high and whip until mixture is stiff and shiny, about 10 minutes. Add mint extract and ½ cup of fresh mint leaves and grind in a blender with 1 tablespoon of sugar for 30 seconds more.
Pour marshmallow into prepared pan and smooth the top with a wet spatula. Let stand uncovered at room temperature until firm, about 4 to 8 hours.
Stir potato starch (or cornstarch) and powdered sugar in small bowl to blend.
Cover your workstation with parchment paper to protect it, and liberally sprinkle the surface with the powdered sugar/starch mixture, forming a square slightly larger than the pan. Sprinkle the top of the marshmallow with the sugar/starch coating, and flip the marshmallow face down onto the prepared surface.
Carefully peel back the parchment paper from the marshmallow, and sprinkle top of marshmallow slab with coating powder. Spray a large smooth-bladed knife with nonstick cooking spray, and coat both sides with the coating powder. Cut marshmallows into squares or other shapes.
Toss each in remaining starch/sugar mixture to coat so that all sides are smooth and not sticky. Transfer marshmallows to rack, shaking off excess mixture.
To save marshmallows, store them in a dry, airtight container in a temperate, dry location. Do not refrigerate them or keep them in a humid environment. If they are stored longer than two or three days, you may need to re-roll them in coating.
Fresh marshmallows go stale after about a week, so these are best eaten soon after they are made.
Seared Diver Scallops
(courtesy of executive chef Stanley Miller of The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. Serves 1)
1 pound scallops
Cauliflower purée (recipe to follow)
Cauliflower relish (recipe to follow)
Brown Butter Vinegar (recipe to follow)
To sear the scallops, start with a hot sauté pan, season scallops and sear on one side without moving for two minutes, then flip, add 1 tablespoon butter, and baste for one minute.
To serve, warm the cauliflower purée, and garnish with relish and brown butter.
Cauliflower Purée
¼ cup sliced shallots
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups cauliflower
2 tablespoons butter
Sweat the shallots in the butter until translucent, season with salt and pepper, and then add cauliflower and cream. Cook until soft, then purée until smooth. Cool and reheat to serve.
Cauliflower Relish
½ cup roasted cauliflower
1 tablespoon and ¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons brunoise-cut shallots
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon rinsed capers
¼ cup white wine
Season cauliflower with salt and pepper and toss with olive oil. Roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cauliflower should be cooked, but not soft. Cool down.
Cover the raisins with white wine and cook until nearly dry (au sec), then cool down. Slice the roasted cauliflower and mix with the remaining ingredients for the relish.
Brown Butter Vinegar
¼ pound butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Start to melt the butter in a sauté pan and season the butter with ¼ teaspoon of salt before the butter melts. (Salt is not fat soluble; it needs to be in contact with the cream in the butter so the brown butter is seasoned.) Using a whisk to prevent scorching, and even browning slowly, move the butter until it starts to foam and smells nutty. Allow to cool for five minutes, then add scallops, lemon juice, and vinegar.
Garnish with relish and brown butter.
