Tenacious Palate

Wasatch Urban Table

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Wasatch Urban Table

 

Mission:

Wasatch Urban Table is your opportunity to truly enjoy the experience of dining in an intimate setting with like minded people and undergo a well orchestrated culinary adventure. We will feature locally produced and grown food and ingredients, along with the Chef's creations that will have a unique Utah signature.

Our commitment to the Wasatch Front local community is to provide a revival of the feast, a celebration of the bounty our farmers and local purveyors provide for us year after year. We all share the experience of partaking in this daily ritual, whether with family, friends or neighbors, and it is our goal to provide a healthy, nutritional and sustainable meal in a communal setting.

We believe in supporting and sustaining local business and taking pride in the products and services that Utah has to offer. 

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience"--James Beard

This event embarks on the cusp of the "Eat Local Challenge"http://localfoodchallenge.blogspot.com/

Menu from our first event...

    --Refreshment---

    Stephanie Bailey's signature cocktail 

    "San Francisco to Bombay"

    ---A selection of amuse from the chef--

Fresh Tomato Gazpacho shooters garnished with lovage, and Sherry vinegar

***

Crostini with lemon cucumber, caramelized onion, lemon thyme feta and balsamic vinegar

---Summer Communal Entree---

Star G Bar Grassfed Beef Shortribs with a selection of baby carrots, turnips, celery, onion and mushrooms

***

Utah Summer Ratatouille featuring a selection of squash, tomatoes, and onions from Sharon Leopoardi's B.U.G. Farms as well as local garlic, herbs and eggplant

***

Smokey Blue Beet Salad featuring a mix of fresh beets from B.U.G. Farms, Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue Cheese, candied pecans, french tarragon, tossed in a red wine mustard grain vinaigrette and served on arugula and braised beet greens

***

Hand Rolled Couscous from Tunisia, from Liberty Heights Fresh... Tossed with Citrus and fresh herbs from Lisa McCune's garden

***

---Dessert---

Olga Subbotin's delectable creation

***

Stone Fruit Galette with Grand Marnier Chantilly

***

Jack Mormon Coffee

On Behalf of Wasatch Urban Table we would like to thank everyone who attended our first dinner experience, and look forward to meeting many more of you in the future...

Thank you...

Chef Mark M. Benson

Lisa McCune

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Marinated Skirt Steak, Red Chile Couscous with garden herbs, B.U.G. Farms Parisian Carrots with Tarragon

Serves 4

Recipe by: Mark Benson

 

Shopping List:

Skirt Steak 32 oz (8 oz per person)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Tablespoons

Garlic 6 cloves

Shallots 1 large

Lemon 1 ea

Fresh herbs including: Small pinch of each

    Loveage, Tarragon, Thyme, Sorrel, Cilantro

(Gathered from your own garden, Farmer's Market or any 

reputable local purveyors)

Couscous  1 1/4 cups

( I used one called M'hamsa, a hand rolled

couscous from Tebourba, Tunisia with red peppers. 

www.rogersintl.com), but any kind will do.

Stock or Water 2 1/4 cups

(Chicken, Vegetable or Beef stock)

Skirt Steak ( Flank steak or any thin cut steaks will work also,

just may not be as tender).

Parisian Carrots Enough for 1 fistful per person

(Support a local farmer/gardener or grow your own)

Butter 1 Tablespoon

Red wine vinegar, Salt and Cracked Black Pepper

Procedure:

    Marinade the Skirt Steak with Extra virgin olive oil, fresh Thyme,

Cilantro and crushed Garlic. Leave it out of the fridge and let come to

room temperature for 30 minutes in marinade. Season with Kosher salt

and Cracked black pepper.

    Wash Parisian Carrots, add to a medium pot and add water with a

pinch of salt and bring just to a simmer (light boil). Cook for about 12

minutes, until fork tender but still some bite. Drain water.

For the Couscous:

    Chop Shallot into a nice small dice (brunoise, google it!) and chop

the Loveage, Thyme, Sorrel and Cilantro. Add tablespoon of oil to a

medium pot on medium heat, and add shallot and one clove of garlic,

crushed, to pot. Sweat for a few minutes without browning shallot and

garlic. Add the Couscous and stir for 30 seconds to incorporate. Add

Stock/water and when liquid comes to a boil, cover with lid and remove

from heat.

    Heat a large saute pan, add a tablespoon of oil, and quickly sear both

sides of the Skirt Steak. Depending on the thickness, this could take less 

than 5 minutes. Set on paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

    Take some of the finely chopped Shallot and some chopped

Tarragon and the Tablespoon of Butter and have it ready.

Remove excess oil and steak bits from large saute pan, and add

back to stove on medium. Add carrots to pan and lightly color them for

a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add a couple of splashes

of Red Wine Vinegar to the pan and immediately turn off heat. Add the

butter, shallots and tarragon to the pan and agitate the pan to get the

butter melting and to incorporated ingredients. If it is looking oily when 

you are ready to serve the carrots, turn heat back on and add a tablespoon

of stock or water to the pan and agitate to re-emulsify the butter.

    Remove lid from couscous and fluff it with a fork. Taste it and adjust

seasonings accordingly. Add the Zest of the 1 Lemon, and some of the 

juice if desired.

    

To Plate:

    Add couscous to plate, lay carrots on couscous, then steak next to it

and garnish with fresh cilantro. For some added brightness, squeeze the

rest of the lemon on carrots and steak.... Enjoy!

Tenacious Palate

Table to Farm...

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Sharon is offering CSA's now, what a great connection to have to food grown right here in Salt Lake City...

Tenacious Palate

Table to Farm...

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Best Hummus Recipe out there!!!!!!

Recipe by: Mark Benson

I have made it with dried garbanzo and canned, and there really isn't a difference after all that extra work for the dried.

You can get fresh ones but thats super time consuming but it is good. For this recipe, canned works great.

I like to make a good amount, I mean why not if your going to spend the time, right?

Garbanzo/chickpeas 2 cans
Small white onion 1
Garlic 1 whole bulb
Extra virgin olive oil 1/8 to 1/4 cup
Lemon 1
Tahini 1/4 cup
Following spices in whole form:
Cumin
Fennel seed
Coriander
Cardamom

And the following in ground form:
Paprika
Turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

Remove 3 of the garlic cloves from the bulb and reserve. cut the top off of the bulb, wrap it in foil and place in a 300 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Dice the onion up and start to cook it on medium low heat in some oil, making sure to not brown them. Once the onions are translucent, add your garbanzos with liquid from can into the pan.

Take the whole form spices, toast on medium heat for about one minute, shaking the pan the whole time. remove from heat and grind the spices, either in a nut or coffee grinder or in a mortar and pestle till fine. Mix them with the other ground spices.

Add a few pinches of the spice mix to the pot and mix. Mince the reserved garlic cloves and add to pot. Once the liquid is almost reduced, remove from heat. Remove roasted garlic from oven, let cool, then squeeze out all the garlic from the skin. Add the roasted garlic to the pot. With a fine grater or microplane, remove lemon zest and add to pot.

Using a blender or food processor, blend in small batches, adding small amount of oil, lemon juice, and water if necessary to get it to mix, but just a little or it will be runny. After each batch, add to a large mixing bowl. When done blending, add tahini and mix well.

At this point, taste it, and add more spice mix, lemon juice, tahini, and salt and pepper until it is to your liking.
The hummus is best if it sits overnight, to allow flavors to meld.

To garnish, at fresh chopped mint leaves, dash of paprika, minced red onion or shallot and a drizzle of Extra virgin olive oil.

It has a few more steps, but man is it the best!!!!!

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Farmer's Market and the Arts Festival this weekend.... Will you be attending both?

Table to Farm...

    Urban Farmer Movement

    Part 2 of the Urban Farmer series:  

looking into the lives of two women 

who are on a quest to trace our food 

from our tables.... to the farm

 Part 2: Sharon Leopardi, owner and operator of B.U.G.Farms in Salt Lake City, UT

 By Mark M. Benson

Tenacious Palate

 

A few months back...

The trees start to blossom...

The sun starts to peak higher in the sky...

Frost on the grass and leaves transforms to morning dew..

"The hope of summer is coming", I say to myself as I take my first walk outside filled with warmth and energy, everything is coming alive and summer is well on its way..... "Farmer's Market starts on June 12th and I'm there already!"

......And then it starts raining.... and raining... and, "Wait, is that snow?" 

This spring has brought an immense amount of moisture and subsequent colder temperatures, and I know there are more than a few people who planted just a little too early only to see their crop freeze overnight.... Back to square one.

There is no doubt that this season thus far has been a challenge for farmers and urban gardeners alike, but with the moisture has come a very vibrant and green Salt Lake City and I think we can only hope to maintain this level of rainfall for years to come.

Saturday, June 5th finally rolls around and The Downtown Farmer's Market at Historic Pioneer Park is finally here, vendors, producers and Urban farmers are showing up by 6am to set up their booths... and it is raining... But for Sharon Leopardi, owner and operator of B.U.G. Farms (Backyard Urban Gardens) this is her debut of the season,... her very first season, and nothing is going to dampen her spirits.

 

Sharon decided last year in November of 2009 after many years of experience in the agricultural/ geographical/ environmental world that she wanted to create her own system of sustainability. Sustainable in every sense of the word... Utilizing empty urban spaces for the purpose of growing and sharing her produce with the residents, restaurants and businesses of Salt Lake City, and also providing herself with food and an income. 

To get a better understanding of what makes an Urban Farmer, I want to give a more intimate look into the heart and soul of one.

Sharon has long been in tune and aware of the beauty and simplicity that life has to offer, and you can sense that when you meet her. I first met her at last weeks Farmer's Market, June 12, 2010, sporting some awesome colorful boots and a big smile, to buy some crisp and very fresh looking Arugula and Red spinach, the latter of which I had not seen since my days as a Chef tournant at Bradley Ogden, Las Vegas. I was excited to see this, as you eat with your eyes first. It would make a great addition to my meal for taste and eye appeal. As I glance around her table I see these eye-popping micro greens, vibrant swiss chard, tall and colorful chive blossoms, and a few various flowers and other herbs.

 

We conversed for a few minutes and mentioned that I had recently attended the book lecture for Novella Carpenter's "Farm City" and her eyes widened with surprise and then a little regret... Unfortunately Sharon was not able to attend because she had to attend to Her urban garden... The Irony... I tell her that I recently started a blog and went to Novella's lecture so I could do an article, and tell her a little about the event. As I stood there and conversed with Sharon, I really began to see how much gardening and fresh food meant to her. I decided then and there that the series of events that had led me to the "Farm City" lecture the previous week, and then to Sharon's stand was no accident, so I decided to do a 2 part series about these 2 incredible women.

I contacted Sharon a few days later and asked if we could meet to do an interview during the day, and as a full time gardener/farmer she was going to be busy all day weeding and tending to one of her 4 gardens... So I met with her at this lot, along with her mother and a friend who were helping her that day. I was immediately impressed by how well this garden was laid out and being utilized. I was able to ask her more in depth questions and most importantly, to get a glimpse at the core of what Sharon stands for and represents.

 

Sharon began this journey more or less studying Geography and the Environment at the University of Utah back in 2008, also working as a Garden coordinator there. After she finished school she went down to Caineville, UT to work for the season at Mesa Farm Market, working on an organic farm furthering her knowledge and awareness of responsible farming. At the end of the 2008 season, Sharon bravely ventured to New Zealand to backpack and work for a family learning about Permaculture, which is the study and practice of mimicking natural ecological systems and its ability to be 100% sustainable through this practice.

During the 2009 season she worked at Wasatch Community Gardens as the Youth Garden coordinator, teaching under-privileged kids how to garden and build character. At the end of the season, in November 2009, Sharon was fortunate enough to attend a SPIN farming seminar (Small Plot INtensive) which is a business model designed for farmer/gardeners to understand how to create a living from farming, especially in Urban settings. The program lays out plot plans for gardens utilizing 2 foot by 25 foot beds that are planted at different intervals of time to keep a steady crop rotation, with 3 crop cycles for most beds. It goes further to help farmers know their market, selling at farmer's markets, restaurants, grocers, co-ops, etc... They provide a network of information through manuals, support groups and other resources to ensure success for small time Urban Farmers.

It was after attending this seminar that Sharon decided she was going to take the leap and begin growing and supporting herself in the sprawl of Salt Lake City's urban lots and backyards. She started up her business, Backyard Urban Gardens or Bug Farms for short, and began working on her plan, searching the city for spaces and yards to cultivate for her business. Sharon started collecting her resources and with help from her mother and friends was able to get on her feet and ready for the 2010 growing season. 

         

Which brings us back to the present. As Sharon and I stand gazing down her row of Spinach that will be harvested later that week for the second Farmer's market of the season, she explains the intricate patterns and details of her operation, and we begin to walk toward her Tomato plants and Kale.

Protruding from the soil, bamboo shoots are staked at intervals among her Tomato plants to act as support for the vines as they grow up, creating more space for other plants and greens to grow below and receive partial shade from the towering vines. She explains that this creates more room also to grow other plants, and makes it easier to weed and move through the rows for harvest.

      

This is quite an operation, and also a tremendous amount of work. Along with this lot, Sharon has 3 other lots in various parts of Salt Lake that she tends to, including one that has chickens, ducks, Micro greens and fruit trees. All in all, Sharon is able to provide an extensive variety of almost exclusively heirloom and organic vegetables, micro greens, and greens, all of which are accessible at the Downtown Farmer's Market, as well as local restaurants Pago, Lugano and Stoneground on their menu offerings.

I have since been in contact with Sharon to ask questions and opinions, and I decided that I am not just going to talk the talk when it comes to raising awareness on Urban Farming and sustainable living. So I brought my two daughters Emma and Stormy, 11 and 12, along with myself to join Sharon at her biggest lot to help her harvest her Spinach and Kale that I had just seen earlier that week. I wanted to experience the organic connection between Farmer, harvest, consumer to table and I wanted my girls to understand the importance of this. 

We met up with Sharon on Thursday the 17th to help her harvest, and much to my surprise, she was the only one that showed up... I thought "My god this woman is dedicated to this", as she was going to do the whole operation herself. 

So with a quick tutorial on the finer points of harvesting Spinach and Kale, Sharon hands we "Green thumbs" (pun intended) some scissors and shears and we began to harvest. During the hotter periods of the day, care must be taken to ensure that the greens stay at peak crispness, so we had to take small handfuls at a time and quickly get them to shade to shock in a cold bath of water.

 Stormy harvesting Spinach

 
  Emma and Sharon "processing" Spinach
 

 Once we had picked all the produce, then came the "processing" as she called it, taking each bunch of Spinach one by one and cutting each leaf one by one, then giving the leaves a second and third wash. The crisp greens are then laid on a mesh tray to dry, then go right into bags and a cooler. Great care was taken at every step and I was so proud of my daughters for being a part of that. 
 

I want to thank Sharon for allowing myself and my daughters to have a glimpse into her life as an Urban farmer, and into her heart and core of what makes her who she is... Mother Earth...^^

By: Mark M. Benson

 

For more information on Sharon Leopardi, Bug Farms and what you can do to help and support her, visit her website @http://www.backyardurbangardens.com/ and on Facebook @http://www.facebook.com/sharon.leopardi. Also, don't forget to visit her @ The Downtown Farmer's Market every Saturday in Historic Pioneer Park at Bug Farms booth and tell her you heard about her from Tenacious Palate!

Part 2 of the "Table to Farm" series is coming tomorrow, featuring Urban Farmer Sharon Leopardi of Bug Farms....

Featuring an intimate look at her 4 farms, a day of harvest with my daughters and I helping her out, and some insights on what she hopes to achieve....