“Great Plains states are often referred to as ‘flyover’ country,” writes cookbook author Summer Miller, “meaning there aren’t many reasons to stop here and look around.”
Miller’s new book, “New Prairie Kitchen: Stories and Seasonal Recipes From Chefs, Farmers, and Artisans of the Great Plains” (Agate, $29.95), will convince you otherwise.
Sophisticated images of farmers, chefs, bakers, artisans and cheesemakers fill the pages. You’ll imagine the flavors of lamb on a bed of sauteed spring vegetables by chef Clayton Chapman of The Grey Plume in Omaha, Neb., or caramelized pattypan squash salad with summer peaches by chef Jason Simon at Alba in Des Moines, Iowa.
And you’ll wonder why you haven’t left the interstate to eat walleye tacos with charred salsa at the M.B. Haskett Delicatessen in Sioux Falls, S.D. For as Michael Haskett tells Miller: “When the tomatoes ripen and the fish are biting at the lake, then you know it’s time to fire up the grill.”
Miller’s clarion call? “A ‘good food’ movement has begun percolating in the region, creating a delicious clash of Old Prairie meets New Prairie.”
And Miller is telling the story having road-tripped across Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota with photographer Dana Damewood, heading out early to get farms at dawn, restaurants in the afternoon and more farms at dusk. “They were epic road trips,” she says.
Yet “New Prairie Kitchen” is much more than a book with recipes, pictures and resources reflecting its local and sustainable food focus. It was, Miller says, “a community effort.”
“I didn’t have a book contract until the book was almost finished,” she says of the four years she spent collecting recipes and stories from more than two dozen farmers, chefs and artisans. “It was me saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got this idea. I’m working on this. … There was no guarantee it would ever come to fruition. … That sense of trust for me, the relationships and that sense of helping each other and that camaraderie was there — that’s what made the book so joyful for me to work on.
“It wasn’t just a whole bunch of people coming together to try to make a book. It was a whole bunch of people coming together to try to elevate our food culture.”
When she’s not on the road, you can find Miller in her garden with her husband, 6-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. “We just pulled our radishes out last week. And they get very excited about that.”
Miller, who’s written for several publications including Saveur, nurtured her cooking knowledge in college followed by some classes at Omaha’s Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan Community College.
“From a home cook perspective, one of the biggest fascinations I had with the project was that so many people don’t know the basics of cooking,” says Miller. “And then we are convinced that we need something that we really don’t, that we need to spend more money than we really have. So in a very Midwestern, fundamental, utilitarian way, cooking was about resourcefulness.”
“I think you should have a basic foundational knowledge of how to feed yourself. If you’re choosing to eat something that’s raspberry-flavored, that’s fine. But you should know that it’s not the same thing as a raspberry. And as long as you’re making that decision, then I think that’s OK. But you need to know the difference.”
Roasted Rhubarb and Asparagus Pasta Salad
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Makes: 4-6 servings
Adapted from the “New Prairie Kitchen” and Maggie Pleskac of Maggie’s Vegetarian Cafe in Lincoln, Neb. Rhubarb may seem like an unusual ingredient in a pasta recipe, but it adds a delicious tart accent to the mix along with striking color.
1/2 lb. bow tie pasta
1/4 lb. fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped, thicker stems removed
1/2 lb. rhubarb, about 2 large stalks, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 lb. asparagus stalks, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more to taste
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. each: sea salt, red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh sorrel leaves, optional
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of well-salted boiling water. While pasta cooks, place chopped spinach in a colander; set aside.
Toss rhubarb and asparagus in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. Spread mixture evenly on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven just until fork tender, 6 to 8 minutes; you do not want the rhubarb to break apart.
When pasta has finished cooking, pour into the colander with the spinach; spinach will wilt. Drain spinach and pasta. Transfer to a serving dish. Add rhubarb mixture, basil and sorrel, if using. Toss together adding more olive oil, salt and red pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving: 222 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 32 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 251 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
About the Author
