UF CHEF
TOLEDO ZOO/COMMUNICA INC.
UF CHEF Going Wild BY SARAH MILLER
T
he farm-to-fork movement has caught on like wild — even at zoos. While hot dogs and cotton candy might be common zoo fare, the Toledo Zoo in Ohio offers a unique alternative. Just yards from lions and wild animals, Executive Chef Sam Misiura serves fresh-inspired dishes, elevating zoo dining with his farm-sourced ingredients and innovative urban farm connections. “I really love getting the local sweet corn,” Misiura says. “My favorite way to eat it is elote, Mexican streetfood style. Grill it in the husk, shuck it hot; then, slather it with mayonnaise, sprinkle with queso fresco, salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice.” While an urban zoo — just minutes from Toledo’s city skyline — might seem an odd place to inspire farm-to-fork dining, it works. Guests strolling past elephants and apes find themselves dining alfresco for special events amid lush ornamental yams from the zoo’s botanical garden — also a source for Misiura’s dishes. “The zoo’s horticulture staff and I have been gathering fennel blossoms and drying them so we can harvest the fennel pollen,” Misiura says. “I love dusting this on some fresh goat cheese along with some of the honey we get from hives behind Nature’s Neighborhood [the zoo’s children’s garden].” Misiura delights in finding new ways to use fresh herbs and edible flowers for special events such as the annual Feast with the Beasts fundraiser and on-site weddings. “We had our own vanilla orchids growing in the greenhouse,” Misiura says. “I used vanilla sugar for vanillainfused vodka cocktails.” The zoo’s horticulture staff works closely with Misiura to source honey, fennel pollen and other natural ingredients, just one special feature of being a chef at the zoo. Misiura also strictly adheres to the zoo’s green policies: no palm oil, unless certified sustainable (due to orangutan habitat destruction) and the Seafood Watch Program, a guide to choosing sustainably sourced fish. As a professional chef for 17 years, Misiura’s interest in farm-to-fork started simply, later evolving over time. 52
URBAN FARM • urbanfarmonline.com
Sam Misiura, the executive chef at the Toledo Zoo, supports the farm-to-table concept by purchasing locally and supporting his vendors and farmers in northwest Ohio.
“I have a vegetable garden, and my dad always had a vegetable garden,” Misiura says. “He made homemade sauerkraut and pickles.” Misiura’s trips to Italy after culinary school, however, solidified his food philosophy. “Going into these little restaurants, there are no menus. They give you what they have. It’s completely local and seasonal — house wines, polenta, wild boar and braised olives — all from their farms.” Yet, trying to be a farm-to-fork zoo chef has challenges. “The brides I cook for want predictability and uniformity,” he says. “And, training staff to improvise with CSA ingredients takes extra time.” His efforts, however, are ongoing; this past fall, he spoke at and catered an ambitious farm-to-table plated dinner for 269 Ohio Farm Bureau members — meats served with local creamy sweet corn polenta, salads topped with pickled radishes and apple cobbler. Misiura’s found a farm-to-fork niche in an unlikely venue — a wildly inspired idea. “The zoo even does farmto-fork dining for the animals. We call it farm-to-zoo,” he laughs. Misiura, however, is less interested in trends than creating lasting change and new flavor combinations. If you have a wild appetite, try Chef Misiura’s recipes for Sweet Corn Polenta with Ratatouille (www.urbanfarm online.com/polenta) and Curried Roasted Tomato Soup (www.urbanfarmonline.com/curriedtomatosoup). uf
UF CHEF Going Wild BY SARAH MILLER
T
he farm-to-fork movement has caught on like wild — even at zoos. While hot dogs and cotton candy might be common zoo fare, the Toledo Zoo in Ohio offers a unique alternative. Just yards from lions and wild animals, Executive Chef Sam Misiura serves fresh-inspired dishes, elevating zoo dining with his farm-sourced ingredients and innovative urban farm connections. “I really love getting the local sweet corn,” Misiura says. “My favorite way to eat it is elote, Mexican streetfood style. Grill it in the husk, shuck it hot; then, slather it with mayonnaise, sprinkle with queso fresco, salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice.” While an urban zoo — just minutes from Toledo’s city skyline — might seem an odd place to inspire farm-to-fork dining, it works. Guests strolling past elephants and apes find themselves dining alfresco for special events amid lush ornamental yams from the zoo’s botanical garden — also a source for Misiura’s dishes. “The zoo’s horticulture staff and I have been gathering fennel blossoms and drying them so we can harvest the fennel pollen,” Misiura says. “I love dusting this on some fresh goat cheese along with some of the honey we get from hives behind Nature’s Neighborhood [the zoo’s children’s garden].” Misiura delights in finding new ways to use fresh herbs and edible flowers for special events such as the annual Feast with the Beasts fundraiser and on-site weddings. “We had our own vanilla orchids growing in the greenhouse,” Misiura says. “I used vanilla sugar for vanillainfused vodka cocktails.” The zoo’s horticulture staff works closely with Misiura to source honey, fennel pollen and other natural ingredients, just one special feature of being a chef at the zoo. Misiura also strictly adheres to the zoo’s green policies: no palm oil, unless certified sustainable (due to orangutan habitat destruction) and the Seafood Watch Program, a guide to choosing sustainably sourced fish. As a professional chef for 17 years, Misiura’s interest in farm-to-fork started simply, later evolving over time. 52
URBAN FARM • urbanfarmonline.com
Sam Misiura, the executive chef at the Toledo Zoo, supports the farm-to-table concept by purchasing locally and supporting his vendors and farmers in northwest Ohio.
“I have a vegetable garden, and my dad always had a vegetable garden,” Misiura says. “He made homemade sauerkraut and pickles.” Misiura’s trips to Italy after culinary school, however, solidified his food philosophy. “Going into these little restaurants, there are no menus. They give you what they have. It’s completely local and seasonal — house wines, polenta, wild boar and braised olives — all from their farms.” Yet, trying to be a farm-to-fork zoo chef has challenges. “The brides I cook for want predictability and uniformity,” he says. “And, training staff to improvise with CSA ingredients takes extra time.” His efforts, however, are ongoing; this past fall, he spoke at and catered an ambitious farm-to-table plated dinner for 269 Ohio Farm Bureau members — meats served with local creamy sweet corn polenta, salads topped with pickled radishes and apple cobbler. Misiura’s found a farm-to-fork niche in an unlikely venue — a wildly inspired idea. “The zoo even does farmto-fork dining for the animals. We call it farm-to-zoo,” he laughs. Misiura, however, is less interested in trends than creating lasting change and new flavor combinations. If you have a wild appetite, try Chef Misiura’s recipes for Sweet Corn Polenta with Ratatouille (www.urbanfarm online.com/polenta) and Curried Roasted Tomato Soup (www.urbanfarmonline.com/curriedtomatosoup). uf
