The Organic Hassle

“Organic” to many people is a word that equates to elitism, privilege, and an overly gourmand lack of sensibility. Organic has woven itself into more of a Dean and Deluca persona than, as in the past, a local natural food store. However, organic is more than the product and has grown far beyond an idealized pursuit of wholesome perfection.

I have always viewed Organic practices as my ethical bond to the depth of meaningfulness that comes from all elements of food. It is also my inspiration as a basic and simple home and professional cook when I create nurturing and delicious food for myself, family, and others.

Organic is not only a guideline by which I live my life and purchase food but a methodology that is then applied to its preparation; at the core, this means that true organic cooking is seasonal, local, and ultimately delicious.

For many, with the industrialization of Organics, this simple way of approaching purchasing and cooking food has changed. The challenge of it all has been thrown into a larger cauldron (or for me, a big steaming pot) while the true essence of what Organic stands for remains the same. The definition has not changed for me as a cook. What has changed are the broadening decisions that come with the task of discerning what remains genuine, earnest, true, well...organically true.

In the midst of an Organic decision, both large and small production is viable. Beginning as close to home as possible then moving outwards, like a concentric circle is how I purchase my ingredients. Knowing who and where the ingredient comes from, how the people, the soil and the ingredient are treated, from beginning to end has become a paramount task in my home and professional kitchens; ask questions as both farmers and producers will appreciate recognition of their added attention and care.

It may not be an easy undertaking, but, in the midst of this current Organic hassle of ethics, there is no choice.

When it gets right down to the meat of the matter, I am merely a cook and after sorting through the ethics, playing with food, and making it as yummy as possible the act of nurturing people and a community is what drives me.

An Organic meal is about taking a single ingredient and working it in, one might say Organically, to a dish that accentuates it. For me, cooking is not about a recipe or overly stylized food but rather a single ingredient put on a pedestal during that prime moment of its natural season, when it reigns supreme in flavor and freshness.

Inherent in this mindset is that the most well grown and delicious ingredients are in abundance, readily available and cost effective. Purchasing seasonal allows you to get the best and freshest while also allowing farmers to sell off their current stocks.

I start to cook in my garden or at my local farmers market, walking through in search of inspiration for what gets tossed in a bowl or cast in a pan. Talking with my farmer friends, drifting through aromas, leads to the inner indulgence of what I want to cook next.

Somehow, this has become trendy in this crazy western way of perceiving food and cooking. For me, it is hardly an act of privilege but rather the way it has always been and should remain.....not opportunism, but supporting local community. Anyone who has traveled to far corners of the world and visited local markets experiences the same...meet the people who produce our food...and pick when the pickin is good!

Along these lines I have always enjoyed having friends, family, and neighbors over for Sunday dinner. Although this seems to draw a willing crowd, my restaurants keep me as busy as any overworked person and I don’t do it enough to nurture my own soul. When I do, with good food, wine and friends at my table, I am as happy as any human being can be.

When I cook, it is always garden inspired and these seasonal meals are simple and naturally flavorful. In the growing season, ingredients come straight from the garden or the farmer’s market. In winter, my cooking makes use of those ingredients in dried, frozen or canned form. This too is an important element in understanding local, seasonal and Organic cooking.

The most important goal of a meal is to relax and be with friends and for the cook to not labor too long in the kitchen. Sunday dinner presents a perfect opportunity to utilize my garden or local market in pursuit of an Organic meal. In the spirit of summer I have included a favorite summer time dinner that is quick, easy, and perfect to be carted outside, put on a table surrounded by friends and enjoyed in your own back yard.