CleverRoot

f a l l 2 0 1 7 | 7 Baker's salad features Broccolini from Mann's, the only producers to grow and sell the vegetable in the United States. Tony Baker is the Executive Chef of Montrio Bistro in Monterey, CA, and a member of Mann's chef panel. Chef Favorites The importance of tasting produce in the field can- not be overstated, but getting chefs to test out your products is an equally essential part of the pro- duce business. After a morning spent in the fields and a groundbreaking ceremony of Mann's new 120,000-square-foot facility, the Ramsey and Nucci families gathered with friends at Hahn Estate winery in nearby Soledad to enjoy a lunch prepared by Tony Baker, Executive Chef at Montrio Bistro in Monterey. What followed was an exemplary meal that highlighted the many uses of produce from Mann's, including grilled Broccolini with charmoula, roasted peppers and cilantro; pickled spiral-cut kohlrabi with pickled enoki mushrooms, thyme and truffle vinaigrette; and a shaved vegetable salad with pine nuts, Madeira-soaked raisins, Italian parsley and chili flakes. "It's easy to come up with dishes when you have great ingredients," Baker says modestly when I compli- ment him on the meal. An English chef with French training, Baker uses Mann's produce at Montrio; one of his favorite dishes to make with their products is the grilled kohlrabi steak, also served at lunch, which Baker adds, "is an excellent vegetarian protein. It's something I came up with for the Produce Marketing Association awards three years ago, and it's stuck!"

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