Both celebrity chef Art Smith and his famous former employer Oprah Winfrey shared a passion for supporting local farming efforts.
Winfrey owned her 164-acre farm in Rolling Prairie near LaPorte, which she purchased in 1988 during the time she hosted her Chicago-based talk show. It’s been 20 years since she sold the farm for $3.25 million.
Smith continued as Winfrey’s private chef until 2007 and then began to open restaurants in Chicago and Florida. Now, at age 64, his latest restaurant project is anchored at Chicago’s Navy Pier and named Reunion, which opened in July 2022.
Smith was one of the presenters addressing more than 400 guests at the “Second Annual Taste of the Farm: Chefs and Farmers of the Region” on Thursday at Fair Oaks Farm.
“Even when I worked as the personal chef years ago for Florida governors Jeb Bush and Bob Graham, utilizing local farmers and the produce that was in season always remained key for our menus,” Smith said.
“Today, I still do the same, whether it’s at my restaurant Homecomin’ at Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs or at Reunion at Navy Pier.”
Joining Smith Thursday was farmer Lee Jones of Ohio farm roots and known for his blue jean bib overalls worn in contrast with a white shirt and large prominent red silk bow tie. As the author of his 640-page 2021 cookbook “The Chef’s Garden: A Modern Guide to Common and Uncommon Vegetables” (Avery Press $60), Jones spends much of his time when not in the garden educating and spreading awareness about the dangers of today’s chemical agriculture.
“The head of broccoli grown and eaten in 1940 nearly a century ago was half the size of what’s grown and sold today, yet that same small head of broccoli was also 80% more nutritious compared to what is grown today and how it’s grown.”
Jones said the same chemicals used to save money are neither saving lives nor contributing to diets for better health.
Jones said organizations with missions like the Northwest Indiana ACF Chapter help raise awareness of the ever-growing concerns of the culinary profession by reaching out to the public and asking for community involvement.
Last year’s inaugural “Taste of the Farm: Chefs and Farmers of the Region,” hosted at The Design Bar in Hebron, raised money for the Food Bank of NWI by asking guests to indulge in fresh produce from local farmers skillfully crafted into mouthwatering dishes by our region’s top chefs with live music, door prizes, a raffle and the flavors of Northwest Indiana while giving back to the community.
This year’s 2024 benefiting organizations are NWI No Child Left Behind and Region Roots.
Chef Gabe Rosado, who is head of the dining and dietary at Hartsfield Village in Munster and is the president of the ACF NWI Chapter, asked me to once again don my apron to be the emcee. The nonprofit chefs group is encouraging new membership with details at acfchefsofnwi.org or by calling 219-680-8773.
Of the 39 participating chefs and restaurants at last week’s event, chef Art Smith’s buttermilk battered fried chicken recipe which he demonstrated for guests gathered around the farm yard was the biggest hit of the night, and it’s the same recipe he served at Oprah’s famed 50th birthday party.
Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa @comhs.org or mail your questions: From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374.
Chef Art Smith’s Buttermilk Dipped Fried Chicken
Makes 4 servings
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided use
4 quarts cold water
One 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 quart buttermilk
2 tablespoons Tabasco
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
Directions:
1. In a pot, dissolve 1/2 cup of the salt in the water. Submerge the chicken in this saltwater brine; refrigerate overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the chicken. Rinse out the pot. Add the buttermilk and Tabasco, submerge the chicken in the buttermilk and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
3. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, Old Bay, cayenne, paprika, onion powder, black pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Shake the excess marinade off the chicken, then dredge in the flour. Dip the chicken back into the buttermilk and coat again in the flour.
4. Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 280 degrees. Fry the chicken in batches until golden and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve.
