Try local spring produce with a Southern twist
If you’re hankering for some spring-fresh Southern delicacies, Yardbird Eatery can slake your craving.
Chef Neal Drysdale has procured that most divine of southern vegetables, okra, from local growers for the first time. He prepares it in the most delicious way possible, soaking it in buttermilk, dusting in cornmeal and frying to a golden crisp. He also makes okra stew, a Southern staple, combined with tomatoes and onions and slow cooked to a bright, savory finish. And for fun, Drysdale pickles the cylinder for a tangy punch.
Also coming in from Four Corners farmers are green tomatoes, another delight once they hit the fryer. Drysdale also turns local farmer Mike Nolan’s mustard and collard greens into a Southern favorite by slow cooking them with pork fat, ham bones and apple cider vinegar.
For Southerners, it’s a taste of home.
Just ask for fried foods that are gluten-free
Speaking of fried, if you love nothing better than fresh fried fish but can’t eat wheat, you’re usually out of luck when dining out.
But Durango restaurants are catching on to gluten-challenged diners and adapting to their needs. The Palace Restaurant switched up its wheat-based batter last week to fry up a tasty fish and chips special using corn starch instead. (All you have to do is ask.)
East by Southwest will make its scrumptious shrimp tempura with cornstarch as well, rendering a crunchy version that goes well with the noodle soup (rice noodles, of course).
And Rice Monkeys, that maker of all things sushi, will prepare your favorite tempura roll, such as a crab or shrimp, gluten-free too, again with corn starch.
It may not be on the menu, but if you ask, many local restaurants will save the day for those of us who can’t eat wheat.
Pamela Hasterok
