S t o r i e s a n d S e a s o n a l R e c i p e s from C h e f s , Fa r m e r s , a n d A r t i s a n s of the G r e a t P l a i n s
new
prairie kitchen Summer Miller
photogr a phs by
Dana Damewood
Contents Introduction 1 Recipe and I n g r e d i e n t Ti p s 5
Spring Summer Fall Winter 13
55
103
165
A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s 219 R e f e r e n c e s 225 R e s o u r c e s 226 R e c i p e s b y Ty p e o f D i s h 230 I n d e x 232 A b o u t t h e A u t h o r 238 A bou t the P h o t o g r a p h e r 239
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new pr airie k itchen
Rabbit Stew with Mushrooms, Kale, and Juniper Berries SERV E S 6
This comforting and spicy stew is a great way to warm up on a cool, fall day. It takes four hours from start to finish, but much of that is downtime while the flavors slowly meld in the oven. Almost any type of vegetable works with this dish. —Jason Simon
ALBA | DES M O I N ES , I A
¼ cup vegetable oil ½ cup all-purpose flour Hindquarters and forequarters of 1 rabbit 4–6 cups rabbit stock or chicken stock 12 juniper berries 12 black peppercorns 2 dried bay leaves 1 chile de arbol or ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil 12 cremini mushrooms, quartered 2 cups chopped kale 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 275ºF.
WHERE TO FIND…
In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and lightly sauté until softened, but not shrunken. Add the kale and cook until it is just wilted. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute.
Rabbit DeBruin Brothers Oskaloosa, IA Vegetables Cleverley Farms Mingo, IA
Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Place the flour onto a shallow dish. Dredge the rabbit pieces in the flour, making sure they are evenly coated. Once oil begins to smoke, add the rabbit and begin to brown. You may have to do this in batches. Once browned, remove the rabbit and set aside. Slowly add the stock to the Dutch oven, scraping up the brown bits. Place the juniper berries and peppercorns into a square of cheesecloth and tie the corners together. Add the cheesecloth bundle, bay leaves, and chile de arbol to the Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer. Add the onions, carrots, and browned rabbit. Cover the Dutch oven with aluminum foil, cover the foil with the lid, and place in the oven. Cook for 3 hours. Remove the pot from oven and let the rabbit rest in the liquid for 1 hour. After it has rested, transfer the rabbit from the liquid to a plate and set it on the countertop to finish cooling. Remove and discard the spice bundle and bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, purée the liquid the rabbit cooked in until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, purée the liquid in batches in a blender, eventually returning it all to the Dutch oven. Pull the rabbit meat from bones and add the meat to the liquid. Discard the bones.
Transfer the vegetables to the stew. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Reheat if necessary and serve.
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new prairie k itchen
Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Cream and Passion Fruit Marshmallow (p. 50)
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new prairie k itchen
Strawberry Shortcake with Rhubarb Compote (p. 52)
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new pr airie k itchen
Golden Potato and Cabbage Tacos with Apple–Cilantro Pico SERV E S 4 (2 TAC O S P E R P ER S O N )
Marlene’s Tortilleria really makes the best corn tortillas in Nebraska. It’s a real treat to eat them right out of the bag while they’re still warm. If you don’t get to use them right away, or are using another type of tortilla, gently warm them directly over the flame of a gas stove. —Maggie Pleskac
M AG G IE’ S V EG ETAR I AN C A F É | L IN CO L N, NE
TACOS
1 tablespoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon mustard seeds 4 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes (about 6 potatoes) 6 cups sliced and crosscut green cabbage (about 1 inch thick) 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 12 corn tortillas APPLE–CILANTRO PICO
2 apples, finely chopped 1 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves 1 small onion, minced (about ¾ cup) 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed Juice from ½ lime 1 teaspoon deseeded, minced jalapeño chile or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ½ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a small sauté pan over medium heat, toast the cumin and mustard seeds until they are fragrant and the mustard seeds begin to pop. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and cabbage. Toss with the olive oil, toasted seeds, and spices until well coated. Transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, or until evenly browned. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all the pico ingredients. Stir well. Place some potato–cabbage filling into each tortilla, top with pico, and serve.
WHERE TO FIND…
Tortillas Marlene’s Tortilleria Lincoln, NE Yukon Gold Potatoes Common Good Farm Raymond, NE
Green Cabbage Shadow Brook Farm Lincoln, NE Cilantro Harvest Home Waverly, NE
Apples Martin’s Hillside Orchard Ceresco, NE
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new pr airie k itchen
Kate Edwards FA RM E R W I L D WO OD S FA RM | S O LO N, IA | W W W. W IL DWO O D S C SA.COM
K
ate Edwards walks with her hands tucked into the front pockets of her jeans. The tails of her blue-and-ivory western-wear shirt with pearl-snap buttons billow in the wet air. She opens the door to the germination house located on ZJ Farm, owned by her friend and mentor, Susan Jutz. Inside the semicircular structure made of plastic and concrete, wood trays of eggplant, mustard greens, and bok choy await their summer home at Kate’s Wild Woods Farm, 10 miles due south. While childhood experiences on her grandparents’ farm inspired Kate’s life in agriculture, it was Susan who provided the encouragement, resources, and practical training necessary to live successfully off the land. Susan and Kate are in the bedroom community of Solon, only a 20-minute drive to the metropolitan areas of Iowa City and Cedar Rapids—a nearly perfect geographic placement for a local food supplier. In 2008, Kate earned her master’s degree in agricultural engineering and began her career as a farmer two years later. She supplies produce to a handful of restaurants and feeds more than 150 families through her CSA program. In less than three years, her operation was self-funded. Although she leases her land presently, she hopes to purchase farm ground when the perfect place is available at the right price. She equates her success to personal drive as well as good mentors who are willing to share generational knowledge. Kate and Susan met briefly years ago, but their friendship didn’t begin until they connected in 2011 at a farm tour hosted by Susan and Practical Farmers of Iowa, a farmer-led nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing profitable, ecologically sound, and community-enhancing approaches to agriculture. “She came up to me and said, ‘We need more people like you in this business. We need more women and we need more young farmers,’” Kate explains as she meanders down the rows of the germination house, a space she shares with three other female farmers. She points to the
“I consider it an incredible privilege to call myself a farmer.”
New Prairie Kitchen includes more than 50 recipes and 25 profiles of innovative chefs, farmers, and producers of artisanal goods from Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota, S t o r i e s a n d S e a s o n a l R e c i p e s f rom C h e f s , Fa r m e r s , a n d A r t i s a n s of the G r e a t P l a i n s
Summer Miller photogr a phs by
Dana Damewood
accompanied by beautiful photographs. When most Americans think of the Great Plains, they think of commodity farming—corn, soybeans, beef, and pork produced en masse. They don’t think of innovative cuisine, creative recipes, and inspiring flavors. The prairie states, however, harbor a burgeoning “good food” movement, headed up by a legion of pioneering chefs who take an Old-Prairie-meets-New-Prairie approach to their cuisine. Knowing this, award-winning journalist and food writer Summer Miller set out to discover what was available within a 200-mile radius of her hometown of Omaha. The recipes she’s collected, organized by season, teach readers how to cook with regional staples—sunchokes, ground cherries, bison, and more—in both traditional and new ways. The profiles not only provide readers with a deeper understanding of the people who make Great Plains farm-to-table cooking possible, but also show readers where they can source these terrific ingredients. While regional flavors from the Southwest to the Deep South have been popularized broadly for years, the hearty and healthy Great Plains style is primed to break out. New Prairie Kitchen is a must-have for home cooks interested in discovering all that the prairie states have to offer. Summer Miller is a writer based just outside the urban fringes of Omaha, Nebraska. Her work has appeared in Saveur, Every Day with Rachel Ray, Edible Omaha, Edible Feast, Nebraska Life, Omaha Magazine, and the Reader. She blogs at www.scaldedmilk.com. Dana Damewood received her Bachelor of Fine Art in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2003. Her nationally recognized work in fine art portraiture has been displayed in many gallery exhibitions. She lives in Omaha.
COOKING/SEASONAL May 12, 2015 • $29.95 • 248 PAGES • ISBN: 978-1-57284-167-3 For more information call Agate Midway at 847.475.4457 or inquire via agatepublishing.com. Please supply two tear sheets of any published review. 1328 Greenleaf St., Evanston, IL 60202
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