Lettuce Fried Rice
Photo: James Lenhart / Contributor
Eating vegetables and fruits grown by local farmers with stellar practices is one of the best ways to build immunity in our bodies. Whether it’s by visiting neighborhood farmers markets or getting a farm share, there is no time like the present to support our farmers and ranchers — they need our business.
One resolution I’ve had for the past few weeks at my restaurant is to primarily cook produce grown by area farmers. So when Knopp Branch, a beautiful lush organic farm in Wharton, asked if we would partner to use its entire harvest, which amounted to hundreds and hundreds of pounds of fennel, carrots, turnips, greens, herbs and more, I jumped on it. I knew we could pickle and preserve much of it.
Always looking for ways to incorporate more vegetables into our meals, at the recommendation of a friend, I tossed fried rice with torn lettuce, and it made for a delicious light lunch. The lettuce wilted every so slightly but tasted really good — and who doesn’t love a flavorful, light fried rice?