August 2017 – Food, Feminism, & Fermentation

Fruition

Being on time is not my strong point, and apparently having good cell phone reception in Denver isn’t T-mobile’s strong point either. With no service or wi-fi to order an uber, I frantically flagged down a cab in an attempt to not be late to my first dinner reservation of the trip. As we pulled up to Fruition, I ran inside and was only five minutes late, but the service staff didn’t even bat an eye. I was greeted with friendly familiarity and was asked when I would be visiting the farm. Looking around, the restaurant itself was quaint and unassuming. It seemed like a great place for intimate gatherings and the atmosphere made you feel right at home. Instead of feeling isolated from the other diners, I felt a part of their experience and eagerly looked forward to seeing the results of their dinner orders appear on the table.

Easy Street Cocktail/Photo by Ashley Welch

The server started us off with complimentary table wine while we looked over our drink menus to decide what would pair best with our chosen dinners. I ordered the ‘Easy Street’ cocktail (Silver Tree Vodka, Cocchi Americano, Grapefruit Tarragon Syrup) while my partner ordered a 2013 Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley.

Bread and butter was dropped off at our table, which was not unexpected, but the butter was topped with thyme and sea salt. This made it that much better and left me wanting to ask for a to go box to take the butter home. (I really wish I had! It was so simple, but it really left a lasting impression on me.) As we finished our bread, another complimentary chef starter was introduced to us; fruition farm’s sheep milk mozzarella stretched over corn and tomatoes with a white base and bread crumbs on top. Such a lovely and light dish to showcase the mozzarella; thinking about it as I write this blog post has me yearning for more, but I guess my block of goat cheddar will have to suffice.

Mozzarella stretched thin over vegetables/Photo by Ashley Welch

It was less than halfway through the meal and I was already impressed, so when they brought out the two starters that we ordered I was floored. Mine was the ‘Chilled Rocky Ford Melon Soup’, with the base being Fruition Farm’s sheep milk skyr panna cota topped with baby heirloom tomatoes and a honey + ginger crumble. This dish was the embodiment of Summer to me; so light, sweet, and rich at the same time paired with the lovely refreshing taste of melons.

My partner ordered a starter that was quite the opposite: ‘Chicken & Pine Nut Terrine’ with roasted chanterelle mushrooms, pepper relish, and chicken skin. It was salty, savory, and umami. The comparisons between the two were night and day, which was fine by me because I was madly in love with my melon soup and would fly back to Denver to have it again if given the chance. (Although I wasn’t crazy about the pate, I did have a soft spot for the roasted chanterelles!)

Finally our entrees arrived and they were beautiful. I had the ‘Pan Roasted Icelandic Cod’ with shrimp stuffed squash blossoms, summer squash puree, and a tomato saffron broth. (All of the squash in this dish came from Fruition Farms.) The dish paired perfectly with my cocktail and summer-esque starters; it was all on the same flavor wavelength which made everything that much more perfect.

My partner stuck with the umami and savory street by ordering the ‘Grilled Bavette Steak’ (rare) with grilled spring onions, crispy fingerling potatoes, black garlic jam, and confit sweetbreads. I managed to steal a bite away from him and it was the best bite of steak I had ever had in my life (mind you though, I never eat steak). The steak comes from a farmer in Arkansas City, whom Alex Seigal has had a personal relationship with for the past ten years; the waiter emphasized that the cows were very happy as well.

Although I was completely stuffed by the time we finished our entrees, I couldn’t resist the dessert menu. Our waiter said that they were known for their lemon meringue pie and they also offered a cheese plate featuring a trio of Shepherd’s cheese from Fruition Farms. Although we were tempted by the cheese, we eventually settled on the ‘Strawberry & Rhubarb’ featuring citrus poundcake, lemon curd, and Shepherd’s Halo-Vanilla Mousse. The mousse also came from the creamery and was surprisingly not sweet; the sheep’s milk evident in its flavor. Overall, the dessert was an expected success for my palette, even though the mousse was a bit off key.

Dessert topped with flowers from Fruition Farms/Photo by Ashley Welch

To conclude, Fruition was hands down my favorite meal in Denver and a great introduction to farm-to-table eating. Of course not all ingredients come from the farm, but instead they acted as supporting stars to the main dish. Generally proteins are sourced from elsewhere, but what was really unique about Fruition is the fact that all their cheese comes from their own creamery. In fact, Fruition farms is the only sheep milk creamery in Colorado.

Loc with an empty plate and red wine/Photo by Ashley Welch

http://www.fruitionrestaurant.com/

Crooked Stave Brewery

Touring Crooked Stave Brewery was a life changing experience. I know I sound like I’m being over dramatic, but I had truly never seen a brewery set-up like that before and it opened my eyes to new opportunities.

Although they started out only brewing sour beers, they have branched out into producing clean beers. We started our tour with a pouring of the Petite Sour Peach and the Coffee Baltic Porter, both of which we casually enjoyed while walking around the brewery.

Friends & Family Tap Room/Photo by Loc Le

All of their wort (basically just ground malt water) was originally contracted from Epic brewing, until 2016 when they obtained their own brewhouse.

Everything in their brewery is color coded; ‘green=clean’, ‘red= wood/sour’, and ‘black=no wood/additional culture’. This ensures that the Brett will not contaminate the other beers.

When making a sour fruit beer, tons of local fresh fruit will be added to the top of the large barrels. The fruit will be punched down to help avoid oxidation and promote color extraction.

All 3 main yeast cultures that they use are kept in their own personal lab and monitored/maintained for future use. The lab contained many useful machines like a pre-programmed spectrophotometer, along with a machine that could measure the CO2 and O2 levels in beer. There was also a machine that measured titratable acidity in beer, which is basically just a measurement of how sour the beer is/how much acid is present.

They’ve recently been canning their Brett beers, because they are more stable to package this way and the market has been reacting well. The petite sours are packaged with forced carbonation, while specialty sours and fruit sours are packaged still. This is done by adding sugar and yeast in and recirculating.

The owner Chad has a published research paper on his Brettanomyces project which can be found here: http://brettanomycesproject.com/dissertation/

Myself in awe of the brewery/Photo by Loc Le

Beast & Bottle

When picking and choosing what workshops/events I wanted to attend during the Slow Food Conference, the John Currunce takeover of Beast and Bottle caught my eye. Currunce is an amazing chef and author to two books; he often draws inspiration from New Orleans and Mississippi. Of course, when I tried to make dinner reservations, they were fully booked. With that opportunity lost I decided it was best to eat dinner at Beast + Bottle anyways, since they focus on locally produced food from 20+ purveyors. So my second day in Denver I arrived a little too early to the restaurant and wandered around a local market. (Although not late, my timing was still off.) After buying a ridiculous amount of chocolate, I meandered across the street to Beast + Bottle. The restaurant was buzzing with the chattering of an older like-minded crowd; a common theme for many of the dinners I had in Denver. (The demographic of many of my workshops and dinners in Denver were a source of “interest” to me as well, but I’ll mention that in another post.)

As we took our seats and the waiter set the menus down in front of us, I marveled at the uniqueness of the dinner menu. Each entree was accompanied by a sketch of the animal that matched the protein. The drink menu was also interesting due to the fact that each cocktail was named after a famous pop song; I ordered the ‘Graparazzi’, a fun spin off of Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi. ‘Graparazzi’ contained aquavit, honey grappa, strawberry, sheep milk’s skyr, & lemon verbana. This was hands down my favorite cocktail in Denver, because of the unique flavor and mouth feel the skyr added to it. (If you hadn’t already guessed, the skyr was sourced from Fruition farms!) It really introduced me to the idea of adding skyr and other creamy substances to cocktails; something I hope to experiment with in the future.

For our starters, I ordered the ‘Rockfish Crudo’ with snap peas, persian cucumbers, yuzu (a citrus fruit), and trout caviar. The dish was light, fresh, and a bit tart; the caviar popped between my teeth and I was a big fan of the raw rockfish. Overall, it paired fairly well with my cocktail and was a good start to the meal.

My partner ordered the ‘Dungeness Crab Gnocchi’ with buttermilk-english pea nage, lemon, and tarragon. The dish reminded me of comfort food due to the warmth it radiated, but surprisingly it wasn’t that flavorful. I found it boring and not a challenge to my palette; easy to consume… but it left me feeling uninspired. Although part of this could be due to the fact I never really liked gnocchi in the first place. My critique? Add more tarragon and lemon, because it was unnoticeable in the dish.

Forever loyal to his steak, my partner ordered the ‘Coulette Steak’ medium rare with skordalia, tomato consomme, mushroom conserva, and pine nut. It was like deja vu from the night before, except less impressive. Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with the dish, but the steak at Fruition was just an umami overload, while this one paled in comparison on the umami scale. My comparisons to Fruition were endless, but how could I not compare when I had eaten one of the best dinners of my life the night before?! Plus I had just discovered that I loved rare steak and this steak was medium rare…

Anyways, I’m done with the comparisons, because my entree was vegetarian and extremely unique. I know I was that obnoxious person who didn’t order meat at a restaurant that literally had the word ‘beast’ in their name, but the “Red Beet Panna Cotta’ with bbq beets, dandelion greens, faro, and charred lemon sounded like a symphony of flavors ready to explode on my tongue. And I was not disappointed. Sweet, savory, tart…it was the complete package. I cherished each bite of my bbq beets and swirled the panna cotta lightly in the accompanying tart yellow sauce (charred lemon). I love it when something is a challenge to my palette and creates a thought provoking meal for me, which is exactly what this dish did.

For dessert we ordered the petite three bites. Pictured above on the far left was the ‘sweet pea cake’ topped with basil whipped cream. In the middle were the ‘blueberry gumdrops’ with tarragon. On the far right, was the ‘cucumber + mint granita’ with sheep milk’s skyr. Each small dessert was unique and interesting, with perfectly balanced flavors. My personal favorite was the granita, because it was like a refreshing summer slushy with creamy skyr on the bottom.

Listed on the mirror are all their local purveyors/Photo by Ashley Welch

All in all, Beast + Bottle was an excellent example of a restaurant that strives to provide local cuisine to high end consumers. Even though it didn’t wow me like Fruition did, I was still impressed and would recommend this place for their cocktail list or unique wine list.

Black Project Brewery

Although Black Project Brewery operates on a smaller scale than Crooked Stave, they produce jaw dropping beers and are certainly a force to be reckoned with. The owners originally ran a clean beer brewery, before deciding they wanted to dabble in the art of spontaneous fermentation. Currently they push their limits on a five barrel brewing system and double batch to produce enough to fill their cool ship of ten barrels.

Once the beer is transferred to the cool ship, hops and other flavor additives (such as grapefruit zest) may be added in. The window by the cool ship is left open so microbes and yeast living in the area will ‘fall’ into the beer. There is no inoculation done. None of their starters have ever been sent into a lab yet, so they are not sure what yeast strains they are working with; it could be an entirely new strain!

Protein, hop sludge, yeast, and grapefruit zest. (Not spaghetti)/Photo by Loc Le

From the cool ship, the beer is then transferred into french oak barrels from Napa Valley. These barrels have been previously steam cleaned. Research shows that Brett lingers 3/4inch into the wood, but one of the owners of Black Project found in his research that glass vs. wood fermentation had no difference.

As time goes on the beer is rotated into the barrels below it and continuously moved downwards over time. The yeasts in the new barrel help to further overall fermentation.

Black Project either uses local Colorado malts or European malts/hops for euro style beers. All of the whole fruit they use is local, with an exception getting their cherries from Utah. When fruit is out of season, they will use pasteurized purees from Oregon. The fruit, honey, wood, and beer that they use/produce all contributes to their house culture. (A house culture being the unique strain of yeast that is dominant in their building.)

All of their beer was amazing, but I was most obsessed with their ‘Gemini’ beer. Gemini was bright, with strong notes of fruity coffee. It was a sour beer made with washed Ethiopian coffee from Corvus Roasters down the street (who I had the pleasure of getting a mocha from later that day!) My memory of this beer is a sad one though, because it is only available on tap at their brewery, because coffee oxidizes in bottles and will turn into a green pepper flavor. Gemini will be held on a pedestal in my mind forever.

Take me back to their tap room!/Photo by Loc Le

Vapor Distillery

Located in Boulder, Colorado Vapor Distillery is a small batch producer of gin, vodka, and a few other unique spirits. The owner started off using a small pot, graduated to a 600 bottle pot, and finally obtained a pot large enough to produce 6,000 bottles at a time. The pot is originally a Chinese method, whereas the column is an English method. Using a column will often create a higher alcohol proof than a pot.

The ‘head’ of the spirit consists of acetone and other poisons. It is removed and used as flex fuel in the owner’s truck. The ‘body’ is 65% ethanol and will be transferred out. Finally, the ‘tail’ is anything above the boiling temperature of ethanol; all of this will be saved and reused in the next batch.

Originally, gin was first produced by the Dutch and it was cheap and of poor quality. Then it was produced by the French and was very floral. The English made it strong and then there was American gin. Vapor Distillery is classified under a new category known as ‘New Western’.

Spices used in the production process/Photo by Loc Le

Only the minimum amount of juniper required by law is used to produce their gin, so the other flavors and ingredients have a chance to shine through. (Examples: coriander, anise, orange zest, lemon zest, green tea from japan, hibiscus, etc.) The Rhok Gin aroma and flavor was very botanical and there was minimal burning as it slid down my throat. The Rhok 114 Gin was made exactly the same, but was just a higher proof. It qualifies as ‘navy proof’ meaning if it spills the gun powder would not be affected. Ginsky is a trademarked gin that is barrel aged for two years in English oak barrels; although it now says barrel rested on the label due to a dispute with the government.

The Arrosta Coffee Liquor is produced using coffee from Unseen Bean (Boulder, CO). It was a delight to the tongue and tasted like coffee with no residual syrup texture on the tongue. Finally, my favorite was the Pumpkin King. This Fall flavored delight contained 2lb of local baby pumpkins in each bottle, processed in a community kitchen that provides job training to the houseless/recovering addicts/jobless people in the area. Usually I’m not into pumpkin flavored foods and beverages, but I had found my exception; this was unique and so delicious. Suggested pairings include mixing it with hot apple cider or creating a layered shot for Christmas that contains eggnog. (YUM)

As our tour came to an end, we found ourselves meandering towards the bar in search of a cocktail and pretzels (not my first choice, but I was starving). My partner ordered the ‘Cowboy Coffee’ which was a mix of Arrosta and Ginsky.

I ordered the ‘Elder Moon’ which contained Gin, Elderflower syrup, and watermelon juice…perhaps a bit too strong for my taste.

Boulder, CO Farmers Market

A rainy trip to the farmers market/Photo by Ashley Welch

Some farmers markets can be drab and lackluster, but the farmers market in Boulder was what dreams were made of. After taking a stroll through the market, I was ready to pack my bags up and move to Colorado. Residents in Boulder had it made and I was yearning to take everything home with me but I only had a carry-on and a limited budget. (I still weep over the jar of olives I couldn’t purchase.)

Of course there was fresh produce and a food truck/stand area, but what really caught my eye were the vendors selling things like natural homestead beef or bean-to-bar chocolate.

Meat, meat, & more meat/Photo by Ashley Welch

Il Porcellino Salumi is a Denver based company that makes small batch, artisan style salumi using heritage breed hogs (or cattle) from local farms. They also make specialty sandwiches, party platters, and own their own store front.

Bloombox is a Boulder company that create lettuce specific dressings that are incredibly tasty and worth the hype. The kale dressing is a honey-sherry vinaigrette, whereas the arugula dressing is a cumin-coriander vinaigrette. Another interesting vendor was Highland Honey, because they sell raw “herbal honey”. They’re infused with herbs and each jar has a different purpose; one is labeled ‘nervous relief’ while another is labeled ‘tummy soother’ but what thye have in common is that they all tasted delicious!

Olives & olive oil/Photo by Ashley Welch

Healthy Harvest is another small company selling organic olive oils and olives. As I tried various samples of olives handed to me on a small piece of paper, I awkwardly spilled olive juice on their display table and all over my leg. Thankfully, she didn’t notice and neither did my partner, so I casually moved on to the next booth.

Of course no market would be complete without sauerkraut, but I honestly wasn’t that impressed because I am such a loyal devotee to OlyKraut back home.

As I neared the end of the long stretch of vendors, I was impressed to see delicious looking bread baked with 100% organic heirloom wheat (Turkey Red). This farmers market truly had everything and I felt my experience there was wholesome albeit twinged with jealousy for not having a market this perfect back home.

Fruition Farm & Creamery

Landscape as we drove to the farm/Photo by Loc Le

After a long drive, we were out of Denver and among the farms that fed the people. The surrounding area was beautiful and we drove around to admire the scenery and back roads, since we were more than a little early for our tour of Fruition farms. Eventually, we drove back and entered the farm property.

Reluctantly getting out of our car we looked around for someone to speak to. Kittens were playing at the foot of the house, making the whole scene very picturesque. Ultimately distracting me from my goal of finding Jimmy our tour guide for the day. Off to the side, I noticed a group of people deep in conversation so I timidly walked over and stated that I had a tour scheduled with Jimmy. They enthusiastically introduced themselves and luckily Jimmy was among the group.

Where the magic happens…aka cheese/Photo by Loc Le

He started the tour by taking us inside the barn where they kept their animals. Their menagerie included black pigs, ten sheep, llamas, and goats. The purpose of the animals being to maintain the pastures by grazing them down, which will help to rebuild the pasture. Originally they were milking their sheep daily and had more than just ten, but the labor and demand were just too much. So now they get their milk delivered 2000lb at a time from Nebraska, which helps increase their production and their sales.

Their milking room was designed by them personally and has a unique sliding gate system for keeping the sheep in place for milking. A large window between the milking room and cheese making room was also included in the design, so there is no separation from tasks and full visibility for the workers.

As we moved from the barn to the next building, we put on rubber clogs for sanitary reasons, since we would now be in the area where cheese is made. All of their cheeses are made from clean and healthy sheep’s milk and this creates the best raw milk cheese. (They are also the only sheep’s milk cheese producer in Colorado.) The raw cheese must be aged between 6 months and 1 year by law, to ensure the safety of consuming the cheese. Jimmy spends five days a week making cheese to keep up with demand.

Up close and personal with some aging cheese/Photo by Loc Le

Bulk pasteurization is done at 145 degrees Fahrenheit for thirty minutes; this is the minimum allowed by law. It is done at a low temperature for a long amount of time in order to keep the product unadulterated. Starter cultures used in the various cheeses come freeze dried and bought from other places.

An example of various molds that can grow on the cheese/Photo by Loc Le

Cheese is made out of four key ingredients: milk, a bacterial culture, a coagulant (like rennet), and salt. Minimizing the variables is a huge part of being a cheese maker and the process is “extremely detailed” according to Jimmy.

“Cheese making is all about timing”/Photo by Loc Le

Next came my favorite part of the tour, entering the cheese cave. The smell, the sights, the temperature…it was all a beautiful dream come to life. I was absolutely entranced by the cave and listened excitedly to everything Jimmy had to say about it. He explained that the cave was alive and growing; the mold growth on the cheese depended on the cave. Everything imparts flavor onto the cheese, including the smell and humidity within the cave. He pointed out the different colors of mold on the cheese, explained what he wanted and how sometimes blue wasn’t the desired mold color on the cheese. Oftentimes he will give rounds of cheese a citric acid wash to eradicate unwanted mold.

Behold the cave of cheese!/Photo by Loc Le

Something new he was trying on his current batches of cheese was rubbing them once a week with Sicilian extra virgin olive oil to help maintain sweet grassy flavors and to help mold grow.

Before leaving the building he casually showed us some of his finished cheeses and let us sample a too salty cheese, that still tasted like heaven. I slipped my boots back on and we were transferred over to a new tour guide, so Jimmy could focus on cheese making. Elsa was our new guide and she took us into the greenhouse.

Working here for the past four years with a degree in ornamental horticulture, Elsa was a overflowing well of knowledge. She talked about the greenhouse fondly, apologizing about the mess like someone would apologize for their state of their house. To me everything was picturesque, new, and interesting…no mess to be seen.

They grow year round in the greenhouse and heat it during the winter time with 2 space heaters plus cloth/plastic covers. This method allows the greenhouse to freeze but the plants do not.

A closer look inside the greenhouse/Photo by Loc Le

During the winter, they grow plenty of microgreens and transplants. Summer includes a large variety of radishes, arugula, edible flowers, and many other plants. Many of the beds are surrounded by cinder blocks which retain heat and sometimes they employ the use of shade curtains.

As we moved outside to look at the other garden plots, Elsa described the challenges of being at an even higher elevation than Denver, which leads to an even shorter growing season. Although they do have a four season hoop house for growing heirloom tomatoes (Cherokee green and purple, brandy wine, and striped German), cucumbers, and peppers.

Elsa pointed out all the pest problems and diseases they were currently dealing with like thrips damaging the flower parts or blossom end rot on the tomatoes. After awhile Jimmy came over and joined us, asking when the garlic would be ready and how much was left. Elsa dug around in the ground a bit to find the single clove garlic and Jimmy brainstormed for a special dinner out loud. The simple act of hearing him brainstorming and picking various things out of the garden for the event dinner was inspiring. He put together dishes with ease with a creativity I could only aspire to have one day. As time went on the conversations heavy with knowledge died down as thunder was heard in the distance. We exchanged goodbyes and set off on the road right before the rain came pouring down. Our tour completed and the day still young, we headed back to Denver.

Jimmy brainstorming for a special dinner event/Photo by Loc Le

Stranahan Whiskey

After going on the Vapor Distillery tour the day before, I felt like I had a leg up on the older couple who were the only other people on this tour with us. I asked our tour guide if the yeast strains varied for any of their whiskeys and he looked pretty impressed, so my ego only ballooned from there. (They use the same strain of yeast for everything.) When it came time to taste whiskeys though, my confidence turned sour in my mouth as I chocked and grimaced. Whiskey was apparently not my cup of tea…or anything close to tea in that manner. So when the opportunity came to add water to my whiskey, I happily obliged.

Single Malt New American Style Whiskey/Photo by Loc Le

The original whiskey is a blend of years 2, 3, 4, and 5; it’s 94 proof and not labeled as a blend since it is all technically the same whiskey, some of it is just aged longer. This whiskey was complex and had different levels to its flavor. My favorite (out of the two whiskeys in this situation, considering I don’t plan on drinking straight whiskey again) was their Diamond Whiskey. Aged for four years, it was sweet with notes of caramel and vanilla.

Although we didn’t sample it, Snowflake is a unique whiskey that they make every year using special barrels from all walks of life and then all of the different whiskey is blended together. Only 1200 bottles are made and it can only be bought at their store. Apparently people camp outside their store waiting patiently to buy a bottle every Winter.

Each barrel is only used once./Photo by Loc Le

All of the barrels used for aging the whiskey contain a 3rd level char. The barrel room itself is sealed off and temperature controlled, because of the risk of too much evaporation at such a high elevation. This meant the room contained ethanol vapors and if you fell asleep there over night, you would wake up drunk the next morning.

Something unique they do, is have their bottling done by volunteers. You sign up online and are chosen at random to work the bottling line. You work a few hours and get a bottle of whiskey and pizza for free.

A look inside the barrel/Photo by Loc Le

Fun Fact: Instead of using a pot or a column, they use a hybrid that combines the two together.

Made using full malted barley/Photo by Loc Le

Fun Fact: The ‘head’ is removed and used as a cleaning agent around the brewery.

Process: Silo -> Grind ->Mash -> Wort -> Ferment -> Pot-Column Hybrid -> Wine Hold -> Barrels./Photo by Loc Le

Blue Bear Farm

The first event I attended during the 2017 Slow Food Conference was the tour and lunch at Blue Bear Farm. Blue Bear is an urban garden at the convention center. Centerplate pays Produce Denver employees full time to manage and maintain the garden. All of the produce and flowers go to the local restaurant Limelight. They grow many ark of taste plants (ex: deer tongue lettuce), so there is a definite focus on flavor.

Prosciutto wrapped colorado peach with fresh arugula, honey goat cheese on a toasted crostini/Photo by Ashley Welch

Basil borders almost all the plants in the area, so there are plenty of edible herbs ready and available as well. Although growing is important, Blue Bear is also about promoting a place for the community to enjoy; they encourage mental and physical well-being.

Shrimp & watermelon skewers/Photo by Ashley Welch

Though this farm is not perfect and they face many challenges. Six hives have been lost over the past few years (maybe due to city pollution), and it is difficult to convince Centerplate to let them have more hives. The gardens are hard to maintain due to labor issues and tree trimming is restricted due to the farm technically being a Denver city park.

Appetizers (Basil from Blue Bear Farm)/Photo by Ashley Welch

Luckily, the retention pond is the only thing that prevents the convention center from expanding on top of the farm. Having porous soil also means they have to fertilize every other week and amend with compost in the Spring. At the end of the day though, it all comes down to convincing Centerplate to try and do what they want.

All of the garden beds are raised cedar and there are gravel pathways. Wire posts are found within the beds to attach covers to, so the season may be extended for the plants by protecting them from the heavy frost.

Their fertilizers consist of seabird guano, beet molasses, and fish emulsion. They are not certified organic at the farm, but they try to do everything mostly organic.

As far as the tour went, it was interesting and a nice attempt at urban gardening; I guess there is no solution that is perfect though, but at least they are trying. The lunch itself left me puzzled; I wasn’t exactly sure what actually came from the garden. The appetizers were delicious, but the only thing explicitly listed as coming from the farm was the basil (though I’m hopeful some of the other ingredients came from the farm as well). After the tour we were paraded across the street to LimeLight and presented with our menu and beverages. Our first course was Baby Japanese Eggplant with arugula pesto, cured grape tomatoes, and burratina.

Next came the Lamb Sausage with chickpeas, great northern beans, saffron rice, and baby carrots. It was savory and seemed like an exotic comfort food, but alas I couldn’t finish all of the sausage.

Finally my favorite dish arrived and I excitedly dug into my third panna cotta dish in a row that week. This one was a melon flavored dessert though, made with macerated berries, whipped cream, and basil. So refreshing, light, and sweet… I was glad to end the lunch on such a pleasant note. I still was left wondering what exactly came from the garden though.

Mercantile

After visiting Fruition Farms earlier in the day and seeing my partner off to the airport, I thought it would be a good opportunity to have dinner at Alex Seigel’s other restaurant: Mercantile. Located at the Union Station in Denver, it seemed to fit in perfectly with the vibe of the area and I called ahead to reserve a table. I was informed that the only spots open were at the chef’s table, so I reluctantly obliged not sure what that entailed. When I arrived inside Mercantile, I was seated right in front of the kitchen…which was the best spot in the house. I daydreamed about food and reflected on my trip so far as I watched the chefs frantically cook. The dinner itself was a paused moment in time; no stress, no obligations, just existing to enjoy food in its finest form. A dinner alone at such a place was a rare occasion for myself and looking back I remember Mercantile fondly…

My server was cordial and just so happened to be an Evergreen State College alumni (what are the chances of that?!). She recommended I get the ‘Toucan Sam’ cocktail when I couldn’t make a decision myself. Interestingly enough the cocktail menu had the most lavish descriptions with mine being “layers of rich tropical flavors amidst fresh grass.” It was made with rhum clement select barrel, brugal extra viejo, batavia arrack, campari, pineapple, lime, and pomegranate.

Complimentary chef starter/Photo by Ashley Welch

As usual, before my cocktail was served I was presented with table wine and a complimentary starter featuring pork and other ingredients from the farm. All of which met my expectations and were perfectly lovely.

Choosing a starter was easy. I saw the Fruition Farms salad and knew that was the best way to enjoy the terroir of the farm, especially having the experience so fresh in my head, Nothing says farm-to-table more than a salad fresh from the farm in my opinion. Featuring ricotta made on the farm, grilled farm squash, marinated fennel, squash blossom, and puffed grains. It certainly didn’t disappoint with delicately fresh ingredients paired alongside the robust squash, all tied together with the creamy earthy notes of the sheep’s milk ricotta.

For my entree, I went back and forth between the char or the tuna. In the end, I decided to venture outside of my usual favorite (being tuna) and order the ‘pan roasted arctic char’ featuring heirloom cucumbers, blue crab aioli, and farm radish. The aioli was rich and not quite the lore of health food fanatics, but I enjoyed every last drop of it. Once again, Alex Seigel didn’t disapoint and I adored Mercantile as equally as I did Fruition.

Dessert on the house!/Photo by Ashley Welch

Surprisingly enough, I didn’t have room for dessert once in my life, but I asked for a peak of the menu anyways. All the desserts were making my mouth water, but my stomach angrily protested against anymore food (I blame the heavy crab aioli), so I handed the menu back and asked for my check. After paying, my fellow Greener gave me a parting gift of a dessert and a breakfast pastry much to my delight! When I finally made it back to my room that night, I opened the brown paper bag and found myself rummaging through the kitchen looking for a spoon. I dug into the ‘Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème’, complete with salted cardamom caramel, chocolate sablé, and vanilla chantilly. To be honest, it hadn’t even been an hour since I had finished dinner, but when chocolate is involved you can’t just let it sit in the fridge overnight.