Regional Chefs and Tastemakers Highlight Their Favorite Harvest Season Ingredients
Regional Chefs and Tastemakers Highlight Their Favorite Harvest Season Ingredients
Ingredients make the dish. Sometimes one is the star; other times it is a seasonal herb or a side or the preparation that takes a dish taste over the top. We asked a number of all-star chefs, authors and local food luminaries which seasonal elements they are planning for this harvest season.
“Well, fall is the most fun, most abundant season for cooking. The basics—peppers, tomatoes, potatoes—are being harvested next to small, sweet winter squash, the second crop of broccoli and Brussels sprouts ... and that second pick of the sweetest figs ... it is so much fun.”
Jesse Cool, Owner Flea Street Café, Menlo Park
“A fall favorite at Sam’s Chowder House is roasted Half Moon Bay Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon, caramelized shallots, thyme and cider vinegar."
Lewis Rossman, Executive Chef/Partner Sam’s Chowder House, Half Moon Bay
“We’re smoking turkeys.”
Mark Bubert, Owner Dittmer’s Gourmet Meats & Wurst-Haus, Los Altos
“We will be featuring chestnuts as a savory ingredient in the fall chef ’s menu and pomegranates as part of a fall dessert.”
David Costa, Chef, and Jessica Carreira, Chef Adega, San Jose | 2017, 2018 Michelin-star restaurant
“I love sunchokes for their versatility, and will use them roasted, puréed for soups and sauces and fried as chips. They are also a perfect complement to Brussels sprouts with turkey.”
Sachin Chopra, Chef and Owner All Spice Restaurant, San Mateo
“We always look forward to the arrival of baby butternut squash and stuffing them with different proteins. Also look for dishes with house-smoked pork shoulder or a house-made boudin forcemeat.”
Andrew Burnham, Partner and Wine Director The Bywater, Los Gatos
“If California trends like France, look for locally foraged seaweed on menus—fresh, dried, smoked and pickled. With our stretch of Pacific Ocean and skilled foragers, we can be ahead of the trend.”
Georgeanne Brennan, Cookbook Author and Entrepreneur La Vie Rustic | James Beard Award Winner
“We’ll be featuring stone crab and plan to incorporate pumpkin into some of our signature dishes and will continue offering our popular Brussels sprouts appetizer and butternut squash sides. We also will be switching up our desserts to include apple crisp made from local orchards.”
Munther Massarweh, Executive Chef The Courthouse 2021, Redwood City
“Versatile, nutrient-rich grain bowls are here to stay! Home chefs are adding more ancient grains and superfoods into their everyday cooking, incorporating faro, quinoa, freekeh, lentils, Brussels sprouts, kale and avocados. Expect to see ceramic bowls packed tight with one-dish meals, complete with roasted butternut squash, almonds and greens, as well as warm breakfast salads topped with spicy chickpeas and poached eggs.”
Lynda Marren, Founder and Chef Just Add Salt, Burlingame | Cooking classes and events
