A dozen curious eyes lit up as the professorly Dr. Peter Jacobsen peered out from beneath his straw hat and plucked off a few ruffly leaves of ice lettuce for everyone to taste. An edible succulent, ice lettuce gets its name from the tiny little bubbles on its surface that make it look like it’s kissed with morning frost. With a crisp pop of lemony sea-salt flavor, this funny little plant has been making its way onto dinner plates around the country as a unique garnish that boasts both looks and flavor.
Every semester our culinary students take a field trip to a working farm to make discoveries just like this one. Being out in the fresh air, smelling freshly turned dirt, and grazing their way through the farm tour always sparks at least a few ah-ha moments.
Chef instructor Kirsten Goldberg notes:
“We believe this is an important aspect of their education because it shows students the complete chain from farm to plate. It also stokes the fire of creativity and shows the possibilities of using other parts of the plant, like peach leaves, or basil seeds.”
It’s not just culinary students who are gaining creative inspiration from farmers. More and more, chefs are turning to specialty farmers to help them create inventive menus. These farmers are willing to experiment with growing exotic fruits and vegetables, and focus on quality rather than quantity. Jacobsen’s farm supplies restaurants like The French Laundry and Meadowood, establishments who share his enthusiasm for the possibilities of culinary farming.
The line between farmer and chef gets blurred in this realm of farming. Jacobsen’s palate is as sharp and sophisticated as any Michelin-starred chef’s. Moreover, he can envision the end game for his goods, plant the seeds for a dish concept, and even suggest flavor pairings. On this particular field trip, SF Cooking student Alie Guico danced across that line as well and put on her farmer’s hat.
Alie explained, “I’m really into gardening and have been growing my own food for years. After our tour was over, I stopped to talk a little bit more with Dr. Jacobsen. I was really intrigued by the ice lettuce we tasted. He had received the ice lettuce seeds from Cynthia Sandberg from Love Apple Farms in Santa Cruz, which I’ve visited on many occasions for gardening classes. Before I left, he offered those seeds to me to try and grow. The next day, I sprinkled the seeds in an empty container, watered deeply, and kept my fingers crossed.”
Alie’s green thumb didn’t let her down. Her ice lettuce flourished, and just in time for Restaurant Week, the culmination of each semester when the class gets to show off everything they’ve learned for friends and family. Alie and her classmates conceptualized a salad for one of the first course offerings.
“We were at the height of summer, so we had a bounty of produce before us. Chef Kirsten brought us a variety of cucumbers — lemon, Persian, serpent — and gave us a few suggestions on how to present them. Over several iterations, we came up with the final salad: charred cucumbers, compressed stone fruit, cherry tomatoes, and a garnish of my homegrown ice lettuce leaves. The garnish of ice lettuce was just enough to give the salad some uniqueness and flavor without overpowering the true standouts.”
The salad was delicious, and no doubt, made that much more special knowing its lineage. From Jacobsen’s farm to our table, our little field trip had come full circle.
