As we change seasons, we’re talking seasonal foods with chef Zane Dearien at a unique restaurant in St. Louis’ Central West End — Bowood by Niche. The restaurant is paired with a garden center, providing a perfect patio environment to enjoy a relaxed meal with friends and family. Our conversation focuses on the importance of utilizing seasonal foods and the on-site herb garden at the restaurant, and ways home cooks can up their game too.

A full transcript created by Castmagic AI is available.

Chef Zane Dearien fanning the flames at Bowood by Niche. Photo by Matthew Holleran.

Infusing Food & Seasonality

Zane acknowledges that the farm-to-table buzz may not be the same as it was years ago, but the philosophy and practice of having respect for how food is produced and stewarding it is still near and dear to the heart of many.

And if you are there to enjoy a meal, you can’t help but feel it too, especially if you sit in the patio area. As Zane says, it feels more old world thanks to the abundance of plants in the nursery and the community feel.

Look at the view from my side of the microphone during our interview.

Looking at the menu, the first thing that catches your attention is their unwavering commitment to working with seasonal ingredients. The menu is a reflection of the incredible flavors that each season brings, and it’s awe-inspiring to see how dishes are crafted dishes that truly capture the essence of each ingredient’s peak freshness.

From vibrant spring salads to hearty fall stews (and Zane is looking forward to comfort foods that come with cooler weather & live fire seasonal cooking!), the creativity that emerges from Bowood’s kitchen is nothing short of spectacular.

The view of the outdoor kitchen is also pretty spectacular.

Raising Herbs on the Roof

One aspect of cooking that I’ve always been intrigued by is the use of fresh herbs. Whether it’s a sprinkle of basil on a caprese salad or a pinch of rosemary in a hearty stew, herbs have the power to elevate flavors and add a touch of freshness to any dish. I’ve even been known to have a planter right out the front door so it’s just a few steps from my kitchen.

Zane shared with me his passion for growing herbs right at the restaurant. He explained that having a herb garden is not only practical but also allows them to provide the freshest ingredients to their customers. There are huge planters of herbs on the patio and a much larger herb garden on the roof. 

When it comes to using herbs in the kitchen, Zane believes in the power of simplicity. He emphasized that a sprinkle or a small handful of freshly chopped herbs can completely transform a dish. Whether you’re adding them at the beginning of the cooking process or using them as a final garnish, herbs have the ability to provide a burst of aromatics and bring life to any meal.

I asked Zane about the herbs that he thinks are a must have and he gave a list: basil, mint, chives, parsley and thyme with two additions that stood out. He added chevril which is closely related to parsley but adds in some complexity that he tends to choose over cilantro. And one that we’ve talked about a lot — lavender which is especially good at attracting pollinators that help keep that herb garden thriving outdoors. As the temps drop, indoor growing means a bit of additional light. 

Speaking of indoors and light… the indoor dining rooms are pretty awesome too!

A Culinary Niche in St. Louis

Is it wrong to feel like I need to confess a love of all foods Niche-related before I sign off on the blog post? I moved to St. Louis around the time Gerard Craft, the chef who started Niche more than a decade ago began to get noticed. I started going to his restaurants there and am a forever fan. Absolutely every meal has been fantastically prepared at each and every place in the Niche Food Group, deserving each and every accolade from James Beard and everywhere else.

But there is a lot more than great food whenever you visit Niche restaurants, you feel welcomed in & comfortable. The staff is friendly but some how senses whether this is a day to chat much or let you focus on the guests you are with. Everyone seems to enjoy the work they do and want you to really enjoy your meal. You get that in the restaurants but it also is felt throughout social media too. I have well over a decade of proof in blog posts and social media shares!

Give them a follow and you will see what I mean! You can find Bowood by Niche on their website bowoodbyniche.com, Instagram at @bowoodbyniche and Zane’s chef account @zdearien. You can also check out the other locations, including: @pastariastl, @brasseriestl, @pastariadeliwine, @fordoskillerpizza,
@brasswellstl, @cinderhousestl and for those visiting Tennessee, check out @pastarianashville.

The post Tapping into Fresh & Seasonal Cooking: A Convo with Chef Zane Dearien appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Imagine the smell of a lavender farm…. it is something that will captivate your imagination for all sorts of things!Lavender farms may not be everywhere, but thanks to Long Row Lavender, just west of St. Louis, Missouri, it’s an easy drive for much of middle America. Tracy Smith shares the lessons learned about growing lavender, cooking with it, and bringing the great look and scent into your homes!

Tracy, her husband Chad and their four children started the farm several years ago as a way to spend time together outdoors. They would take things to local farmers markets, etc and eventually decided to build a gift shop. Later a cafe was added and with seating around the farm, it’s become a popular destination. Two of the kids are adults and doing their own thing but all of the family comes together now and then to get projects done, etc.

An ai-generated transcript of the podcast episode on growing lavender is available here. 

Different Varieties of Lavender

Tracy tells us there are more than 400 varieties of lavender! Long Row plants several of them but acknowledges they hardly touch the surface. And part of that is because of the location… most lavender varieties like a more temperate climate than Missouri offers.

The hybrid Phenomenal seems to best fit this farm with its slight hills. But they plant several varieties — Monstead is the second variety that does pretty well for Long Row and they try different English Garden types and love showing guest some of the various colors that come with the beautifully fragrant plants. I went out to the farm before the plants were blooming to be sure I could give people a good heads up, but even then I could see some of the differences like with the two varieties I mentioned above.

Planting Lavender

I love how encouraging Tracy is about having people grow lavender at home. And while it frightened me learning that lavender is related to mint, Tracy says the trait that means mint will spread everywhere isn’t present with lavender. With that in mind, I bought some and have decided to plant it in a pot for the summer. This fall I may find a place to plant it in a flower bed…. fingers crossed it overwinters well. I want to see how much it grows in the coming year.

Tracey said they have been playing with planting times and all at their lavender farm. She laughs saying lavender doesn’t like having wet feet anymore than people do. That is part of the reason I went with the recommendation to have it in a pot this year. so I can be sure it is draining well. The challenge of too much rain has been a problem for Long Row Lavender. In fact, the heavy rains led Long Row to make a number of changes at the farm in the past year and the rows they have planted are shorter. She thinks the rows are still plenty long and there are even more rows.

See, the rows were going north to south, but the hill slopes going east to west. When they had a lot of plants damaged last year, they moved the older plants to raised beds and decided to change the row pattern on the rest of the farm while they replanted. The rows now run east and west and have plastic mulching down to limit the amount of water that soaks in or runs further down to peony beds, etc. that do better with more rain.

If you look closely, you can see different varieties as well as different planting times. Some went in the ground last fall and the winter seems to have treated them quite well Tracy points out.

You can see some of the video we captured while touring the lavender farm in this piece we did for the Grounded by the Farm YouTube channel.

Enjoying Lavender in Many Ways!

When I talk to farmers, they always have ways of using their crop I’ve never considered, and Tracy wasn’t about to disappoint.

Walking through the show you can find all sorts of personal care, home decor and kitchen products that you will want to try (I sure did!) The team at this lavender farm make quite a few of the products in house, and they work with some suppliers on other pieces too. They offer opportunities for people to cut and create their own bundles of lavender. My niece is slowly building up a bouquet at her house… made a few cuttings already and has them hanging to dry! (She is further south.)

The cafe at Long Row offers lunch and hearing some of the things they do made it clear I need to go back when they are open.

• Ever thought of mixing a bit of lavender or herbes de provence (lavender, oregano, marjoam thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, and bay leaf) in on a ham sandwich?
• The idea of lavender chocolate chip cookies was a show stopper! And wow. She’s right. Lavender really compliments chocolate! It’s like mint or salt compliment chocolate.
• And I had to buy the brownie & lemon bread mixes that include lavender for Molly and I both! She loves cooking with lavender so I knew she’d love it since she didn’t have a chance to go. She even wrote a separate post on some of the ways she uses lavender in the kitchen.

Finding a Lavender Farm

I love that Tracy talks about how the family would search for lavender farms online as they were thinking about getting into this.

So often you think of lavender in the English countryside from movies, and the climate there is really better for many types of lavender. That’s why most larger lavender farms are in the Pacific Northwest. But there are lots of smaller farms like Long Row Lavender around the country. And there is even a map of US Lavender Growers who open their farms to the public!

And you can find Long Row Lavender Farm online! You can shop and learn a lot about Long Row on their website longrowlavender.com. The Long Row Lavender Instagram quickly caught my eye, the farm’s Facebook is updated regularly too.

And if you think Long Row is a good destination for you, they are just off Interstate 70. The farm & gift shop are open 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday, and the cafe is open 11 am to 2 pm the same days. You can get dessert and coffee/drinks whenever the gift shop is open.

Connect with Us on Social Media

We love connecting with listeners/readers online. You can find and follow our podcast in almost any app out there. In fact if you find a platform we aren’t on, please let us know so we can add it!

• You are on GroundedbytheFarm.com which is our hub for photos & videos, blog posts, show notes, podcasts are here and more. You can even get new content emailed once a week as we publish by subscribing.
• Find your favorite foods or fun food educational resource information here on the website
• Grounded by the Farm Facebook Page
• Groundedbythefarm_ on Instagram
• TikTok @groundedbythefarm
• Grounded by the Farm on Youtube
• @groundedbythef on Twitter

The post Longing to Visit a Lavender Farm? Get to Making Plans! appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.