Miller Union & Root to Leaf

This past weekend I was in Atlanta and finally was able to enjoy dinner at Miller Union, Chef Steven Satterfield's farm to table restaurant. Like a total geek, I went (nevermind traveled to Atlanta) with my cookbook in hand, hoping to meet the Chef, chat a bit and get my book signed. Unfortunately for me he was at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee with Chef Sean Brock (who's book, Heritage, is on my Bookshelf page). I am a huge fan of Sean Brock so I was happy for Chef Satterfield to be having this awesome weekend collaborating and hanging out with awesome people in an equally awesome place. Who wouldn't want to get that invitation? But, if I'm honest, I was feeling sad at the news. Well, more like a wide eyed groupie who just missed the chance to talk to the lead singer of one of your favorite bands kind of sad. I did call myself a geek earlier. But I digress.

For anyone who took one of my Fall cooking classes, you remember hearing me talk and reference endlessly Chef Satterfield's cookbook, Root to Leaf (it is on my Bookshelf page as well). One of the 2015 Food Trends was "peel to stem" and this cookbook is the perfect guide. It is not a vegetarian cookbook by any stretch but rather a celebration of vegetables in their season.

Miller Union did not disappoint. Appetizers (pictured above) of Pan Seared Diver Scallops with Hakurei Turnips, Cider Glazed Pork Belly, Grits Fritters and English Pea Hummus with homemade Lavash were exciting and delicous. Entrees of Porchetta, Little Neck Clams and Red Snapper were complex and very satisfying. For dessert we enjoyed Chocolate Pavlova, Meyer Lemon Tart, Blood Orange Cake with Honeycomb Ice Cream and a chocolate tart. The Chocolate Pavlova was my favorite and I could have eated a gallon of the Honeycomb Ice Cream - ice cream headache be damned. What was super fun for me was seeing the hakurei (pronounced hack-er-eye) turnips on the menu. Chef Satterfield has a beautiful recipe in the cookbook for Turnips and their Greens with Bacon (page 354) in which he combines both the common purple top turnips and hakurei turnips to roast, puree and their sauteed greens with bacon. The puree is made by simmering the purple top tunips in cream which gives a beautifully light and luscious puree to balance against the roasted hakureis and deeply earthy greens with the salty bacon. You do get sweet, salty, sour and earthy in this dish. I enjoyed teaching this recipe to my class guests. Turnips are a misunderstood, under utilized and underappreciated, in my opinion and this dish shows just how beautiful, complex and delicious they are. I also made his popover recipe. I added pumpkin spice to mine to make them seasonal and I have to say, hands down, Chef Satterfield's popover recipe is my new favorite. The extra egg makes all the difference in the world - all the recipes I've used to this point have called for two eggs and he uses three. I also taught two pumpkin classes and we made his Gingered Pumpkin Custards, which is now one of my new favorite desserts. The full ginger flavor hits you first, like a bear hug, but mellows and somehow makes the pumpkin more pumkiny.

So if you find yourself in Atlanta, make it a point to eat at Miller Union. You can purchase signed copies of the book at the restaurant. But in the meantime, do yourself a favor and buy Chef Satterfield's cookbook. It will be educational and delicious! Enjoy!