Karyn Tomlinson
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By Ed Avis
Roasted ramps were on the menu at Mita’s, a Latin tapas restaurant in Cincinnati, at the end of April. Chef Jose Salazar says the dish is inspired by calcots, a roasted wild onion dish served in Catalonia, Spain each spring. And just like the calcots served in Catalonia, the ramps at Mita’s are a wild plant.
Where did Salazar get the ramps? Not from Sysco, US Foods or any other commercial provider. Instead, he got them from a professional forager who finds edible plants in nearby wild areas.
Hailey Bollinger
Jose Salazar
“The forager brings us a variety of things,” Salazar says. “This week it’s red buds, which are this beautiful little flower that kind of has an English pea flavor. And he is bringing us wild violets.”
Foraged produce like wild ramps, red buds and violets make Mita’s a true dining destination. And Salazar does not stop there — he also works directly with numerous farmers in his area who provide him with fresh produce and meat.
Salazar estimates that more than a third of the ingredients he uses at Mita’s comes from local sources during the growing season, and that figure jumps to 50 percent for his farm-to-table restaurant called Salazar, which is temporarily closed but will re-open in a new location at the end of the summer.
“The pricing might be a little bit higher in restaurants that focus on locally sourced products, but the reward is there because the costumer is going to get something that is just much more delicious, has a lower carbon footprint, and supports the local economy,” Salazar says. “You’re keeping the dollars in the area where you live. So, it’s a win, win, win.”
Home Field Advantage
Products bought from local farmers or other providers often have the advantage of being fresher and more flavorful than commercially produced ingredients. Salazar says the produce he gets from local farmers simply lasts longer than the products shipped in from across the country.
“If I buy lettuce from the commodity purveyor, it may only last four or five days in my walk-in,” he says. “If I buy it from the farmer, it’s going to last two weeks. That’s because it hasn’t been sitting in a warehouse in Mexico or California for a week or two before we get it. It was pulled from the ground the day or day before we get it.”
Karyn Tomlinson
There are other advantages to locally sourced ingredients. For example, the knowledge of where an ingredient comes from, who grew it, and how it was treated before being delivered to the restaurant is important for many chefs.
Chef Karyn Tomlinson, owner of Myriel in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a champion of local sourcing, from working directly with farmers to foraging in the wild areas near her restaurant. She says local sourcing connects her menu to the rhythm of the seasons and allows her to create healthier and more flavorful food.
“When you know the farmer who grew your carrots, it really makes a difference in how you value them and use them,” says Tomlinson, whose restaurant was ranked the ninth best restaurant in the country by Food & Wine magazine.
Tomlinson also values the fact that local sourcing allows her to support other local businesses. Many small farms in the St. Paul area do not have access to the normal, commercial food system, she says, so her restaurant represents an important market for them.
The Chef-Farmer Connection
The farmers Salazar works with deliver products to his restaurant once or twice a week. During the delivery, he discusses with them what he needs for the next delivery, and the farmers tell him what they expect to have.
Often those conversations lead to menu decisions, as Salazar tries to incorporate ingredients that the farmers can supply.
Tomlinson says developing relationships with the farmers who supply Myriel took a few years, but now they know each other’s needs and capabilities.
“Some farmers ask me what they could grow for me, and others say, ‘Here’s my fresh list, here’s what I’m planting this year,’” Tomlinson says. “We have a positive relationship with these farmers, and they see that we’re innovative and they want to be innovative, too.”
The relationships with local suppliers extends beyond growers of produce, of course.
Salazar works closely with a farm that raises the grass-fed goats he uses for Memela de Cabra, which features blue corn masa topped with braised goat, black beans, ramp salsa verde, and queso fresco.
And Tomlinson buys hogs from a pork farmer she knows and trusts.
“We just coordinate with the farmer, and we know exactly where that pig came from,” she says. “And if we have any questions, that’s one phone call. Sourcing meat from a farmer is a really accessible thing in many places, and I really recommend that.”
RestoExperience
Lucero Martinez
Chef Lucero Martinez, co-owner of Luze Mexicano Cocina and Taqueria La Luz in Atlanta, depends on locally raised poultry for the chicken dishes on the menu at her restaurants.
“You can definitely tell the chicken is better,” Martinez says. “Its color is almost yellowish, and it’s fresher. It’s more local.”
Martinez also sources the bread for her tortas from a local bakery and her tortillas from local tortillerias. One of her tortilla suppliers makes organic tortillas without preservatives, which makes them ideal for some of her menu items.
Back to the Future
Local sourcing seems like a trendy movement, but in reality, it’s what all restaurants did in the days before commercial suppliers.
“This is nothing new,” Tomlinson says. “We just have to re-strategize and reprioritize how we’re going to do it. I do think it’s possible to stay within your means and at least make a few choices that can push you in that direction, whether it’s buying your meat from farmers you know or working with a farm cooperative. It’s not a new thing — it’s going back to our roots.”
Ed Avis is the publisher of el Restaurante.
Sidebar: 5 Tips for Local Sourcing
Chef Jose Salazar of Mita’s in Cincinnati and Chef Karyn Tomlinson of Myriel in St. Paul, Minnesota, offer these tips to get started with local sourcing:
Know Your Seasons Figure out what products are normally harvested each season in farms near you and plan your menu accordingly.
Frequent Farmer’s Markets You probably won’t be able to buy enough quantity at these markets, but at least you can see what each farmer offers and then ask them to visit your restaurant to begin a supplier relationship.
Network Talk to other chefs who source locally and ask them for contacts. Similarly, ask farmers for introductions to others who grow ingredients you need.
Work with Cooperatives Some areas have farmer cooperatives that allow you to buy fresh, local produce from a large number of farms on one order. Similarly, some local distributors work with local farmers and provide the same advantage.
Start Small At first, order just a few ingredients from a local farmer. If that works out, expand to more ingredients.
Sidebar: Local Sourcing Webinar
Want to learn more about local sourcing? Then click here to register for an el Restaurante webinar on the topic on June 10 at 10 a.m. Central.
Click here to go to the next article, At the Bar: Five Ways to Add Sotol to Your Menu