Flourish Magazine

30 FLOURISH • SPRING 2014 nitely more work, but it's worth it," he said, agreeing that cooking this way means be- ing something of an educator as well as a chef. "We spend a lot of money on our food, so we want to maximize every little thing we serve. When you look at the roots of many classic Italian dishes, you see that they were created based on necessity: how to get the most out of everything you grow." Originally influenced by Margaret Gradé of Manka's at Inverness, with her emphasis on only cooking and serving food grown or raised within 20 miles of the restaurant, and by Tomales Bay Foods and Cowgirl Creamery, Caiazzo noticed that the classic French culinary tradition in which most chefs are trained, is a very different way of thinking than what he's now trying to accomplish. "To cook farm-to-table, you're not searching out foie gras and truffles. You're trying to figure out what to do with meats that come to you in larger amounts, such as a whole animal. You're looking at what to do with abundant squash, zuc- chini, eggplant in season. For me, it's mom or grandma cooking. You look in the larder and see what you have, then figure out what to do with it, using up each scrap from parmesan rinds to the heel of pro- sciutto, to bones, innards and everything." In addition to Osteria Stellina, Caiazzo has owned and run the coffee bar at Toby's Feed Barn for 8 ½ years. In a sense, the coffee bar was his practice run at put- ting the emphasis on farm-to-table ingredi- ents. Though it's got a limited menu, you can enjoy farm-to-table tastes in most of his pastries, egg and cheese dishes. Caiazzo also owns and operates a popu- lar grilled cheese stand at the Point Reyes Farmers Market in season. His most esoter- ic venture into farm-to-table cooking is still ahead. The restaurateur is hoping to debut a solar-powered Italian ice cream cart and sell artisan gelato made from water buffalo milk created by a friend of his in Tomales. Finally, the seemingly indefatigable chef has just taken over the storefront space next to Osteria Stellina at 11285 Star Route One in Point Reyes Station. He said he's in the process of turning it into a curated shop of locally produced foods, wines and beer. Look for fermented specialties from Wild West, grass-fed beef and specialized kitchen tools, such as oyster knives. It's an intense, essentially 24/7 focus on sourcing and cooking local cuisine, but Caiazzo thrives on it. As he put it, "I want to hopefully offer a good life to my family and create a sense of community where farmers, chefs and diners can all grow to- gether." To get a taste of Caiazzo's earthy, ro- bust culinary sensibility, here's a luscious, complete meal to create at home. Made all together, these four recipes (below) make for a savory spring feast that celebrates Marin's beautiful local produce. OsTERIA sTEllInA's BRAIsED BARInAGA Ranch Lamb Shoulder with Star Route Farms Green Garlic, Marin Roots Farm Kale & Soft Herb Polenta BRAIsED lAMB shOulDERs 2 spring lamb shoulder on bone, ap- prox. 1 ½-2 pounds each, preferably locally grown lamb such as Marin Sun Farms. (Caiazzo uses Barinaga Ranch lamb through a special arrangement with Marcia Barinaga, a Tomales-based cheese-maker specializing in sheep's-milk varieties.) 1 tablespoon olive oil Pinch crushed red chili flakes 4 large carrots, large dice ½ head celery, large dice 1 large yellow onion, large dice 4 whole, peeled cloves garlic 1 cup red wine of your choice 1 gallon water 1 bunch Italian parsley 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns 2 whole bay leaves 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season the lamb shoulders with a mod- est sprinkling of salt and pepper, and let warm to room temperature. Meanwhile, clean the vegetables in wa- ter and let drain dry. Quickly chop into similar sizes the onion, carrots and celery. Using a large, thick-bottomed braising pan (such as Le Creuset), add the olive oil and warm on medium high heat. Brown the lamb shoulder for 2 minutes on each side in the hot oil. Remove the lamb shoul- der and set aside. Add the garlic cloves to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds, then add the pinch of crushed chilies. Stir well to flavor the oil, then add the chopped vegetables. Saute for 5 minutes to soften. Add the thyme leaves, bay leaves, pep- percorns and parsley, stems and all. Saute for 2 minutes, then deglaze pan with the red wine. Add the lamb shoulders into the mix- ture and add the rest of the water. Check the level according to your pot size and adjust the water so that it barely covers the meat. Bring up to a boil on the stove, then turn off the heat. Cover pot with a heavy lid or aluminum foil and put in the pre- heated oven. After 1 hour of cooking, remove the cover. Let the juices slowly reduce while still braising the meat. Turn the meat every so often to let each edge poke out of the juices and brown further. Don't open the over too often however. Braise the lamb shoulder for approxi- mately 2 ½ hours until the meat easily pulls away from the bone. Remove the braise and set on stovetop to cool. When the liquid has cooled enough to safely remove the meat, take the lamb shoulders out of the liquid and put in a holding pan. Let them cool further. Pour the remaining pan juices into a food mill or food processor and process thoroughly. Strain what is left through the mill through a medium sieve. Check the consistency of the braising liquid as you may want to cook it a bit fur- ther on the stove to intensify and thicken it. Reserve the lamb's delicious natural juices. By this time the meat should be

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