STARS ON
THE SIDE One of the city’s top chefs shares a few of his side-dish secrets
BY STACIE STANDIFER PHOTOS BY ALAINA MULLIN
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hen it comes to g athering around the table during the holiday season, tradition often dictates that the meals revolve around a main dish. In some households it’s all about the turkey, where for others it’s ham. For very special tables you might even find a standing rib roast or some other gourmet presentation. While we’re not suggesting you break up any treasured family traditions, we believe that some of the most interesting and memorable items are not found at the center of the table. They don’t require carving and there’s little guilt involved post-feast. As we all focus on being as healthy as possible throughout the year, it seems only logical to incorporate as many vegetable-based choices as possible into our holiday plans. Doing this also helps alleviate the pressure of taking care of those with valued dietary practices, preferences or certain allergies. There’s also the fact that fresh, light and natural ingredients can be just as tasty as anything from the butcher. In many cases, they’re the dishes guests remember most.
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In thinking of a local place that always keeps our veggie goals in mind, the first spot that popped into our heads was Adele’s. We count on their array of salads and vegetables offered on the wildly popular Sunday brunch buffet to keep our minds off of the pastry cart. So, when coming up with a plan for some incredible and unique dishes for our own tables, we sought the advice of Executive Chef Bron Lindsey on coming up with a few interesting options to serve all season. The timing was perfect, as he just recently developed some new items to add to the menu that pretty much solved our side-dish problems. Not only are they all different, but our plan is to be just as choosy as Bron when gathering the ingredients for our kitchens. He focuses on sourcing locally from reputable producers such as Palmer Farms, S.E. Daugherty and Sons and Green Door Gourmet Farms, but also pays careful attention to harvest times and schedules in seeking everything he makes. We are definitely following suit after tasting (well, devouring) servings of each of the three green-centric sides he’s developed just in time for annual celebrations. And in the spirit of giving, Bron has agreed to let us share the recipes he so thoughtfully created. We’re sure you’ll want to try all three more than once in the months ahead.
