theStearns

Chefs Chris Shepherd and Randy Evans at Eastside Farmer's Market (photo by Kenn Stearns)

The community benefits when chefs and farmers connect through locally-produced vegetables, fruits, and farm products. Yesterday I spotted these locavore chefs – Chris Shepherd (chef and managing partner of Catalan Food & Wine) and Randy Evans (executive chef of Haven) – comparing notes in the 90+ degree heat/humidity during a break in their buying activities at the Urban Harvest Farmers Market at Eastside. Farmers appreciate the restaurants’ buying power and restaurant customers enjoy fresh ingredients that taste good. It’s all good!

Haven at 2502 Algerian Way in Houston (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Haven is a certified green restaurant in Houston, a city that is not well known for energy conservation. Executive Chef Randy Evans and I recently talked about what it means to be green at Haven.

The restaurant was built from the ground-up to store, prepare, serve, and consume food. The angle of the roof was designed to accommodate solar panels. The dining room color palette includes warm tones of eggplant and artichoke. The vegetables, meats, and fish are all fresh. Chef Evans works with local farmers to not only source fresh food but to recycle waste from the restaurant for compost or other uses. With  10 containers for recycling, the restaurant only needs a 4-foot dumpster.

The dining room at Haven offers warm hues such as eggplant and artichoke (photo by Kenn Stearns)

A new vegetable and herb garden includes the expected basil and cucumbers but also offers surprises such as bronze fennel and edible flowers. Large cedar logs – each one required six men to move and place – line the garden that’s just getting started.

Executive Chef Randy Evans and the new vegetable and herb garden at Haven (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Restaurant grounds are planted with citrus trees, grape vines that thrive in Texas, and berries. Rain chains are selectively used in place of down spouts. A 500-gallon cistern filled with rain water is used to irrigate the vegetable and herb gardens. Chef Evans said two more cisterns will be used to irrigate additional landscaping.

Haven harvests rainwater stored in a 500-gallon cistern for irrigating vegetables and herbs (photo by Kenn Stearns)

As many of us become more aware of how our daily choices affect the environment, Haven demonstrates how a scalable project with a mission can yield real-world results that make a difference. Fresh food from local providers served up in a responsible environment by professionals who are connected to their customers and the community make for a winning combination. (And the food/wine is great too.)

Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs (photo by Kenn Stearns)

I am eternally grateful that my spousal unit of 25+ years enjoys culinary challenges. Mid-week, weekend, family gathering, holidays, or just the two of us are all the same to her and we seldom eat the same thing twice unless it’s a top pick. Trying new dishes is always a treat, so earlier today when she declared it was “test kitchen” night I sorta wagged my tail.

Last month the Houston Chronicle published a recipe from Chef Randy Evans who hails from the very excellent new Houston restaurant Haven. Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs may not be health food, but they are definitely worth making the kitchen look like something detonated. I’ve added the recipe below in case you wanna get adventuresome. And here’s a tip: if a stray oyster gets in the batter let it happen.

Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs
by Chef Randy Evans

• 12 jumbo-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 12 6-inch wood skewers
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup flour (for dusting)
• 3 cups cornmeal
• 1½ cups flour
• 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Texas honey
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 1¼ cups water
• 1 egg
• Oil for frying

Skewer the shrimp lengthwise starting from the tail end. Season the shrimp and dredge in seasoned flour. Roll the shrimp in the batter (make batter by combining cornmeal, 1½ cups flour, baking soda, salt, Texas honey, buttermilk, water, and egg) and fry in 350-degree oil (deep fat fryer if available) until golden brown. Serve with Tabasco Mash dipping sauce.