This summer, Four Seasons Hotel Chicago debuted a fun bike-to-table excursion for a pair of foodie guests. Wednesday and Saturday mornings, you can cycle with Executive Chef Stephen Wambach to the Green City Market – Chicago’s largest farmers market – and shop the freshest produce of the season, along with local meat, dairy and baked goods.
Photography courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
You won’t need to tote any produce home. Chef Wambach will load all the delicious finds onto his J.C. Lind Bike Co. Workcycle, which holds up to 175 pounds, and take everything back to the hotel. While guests enjoy the rest of the afternoon, he’ll be hard at work in the kitchen preparing a personalised four-course dinner for the lucky couple.
Photography courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Along with a romantic meal and a lovely bike ride through Chicago’s Old Town neighbourhood, Wambach will offer plenty of farmers market shopping tips to take home. To get the pick of the produce, Wambach recommends developing relationships with your favourite farmers. “Buy a couple things from somebody every week,” he says. “You can’t just go once and expect the best service. But when you’re a regular, they’ll put aside stuff that they know you like.”
Photography courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
There are still great finds at the market in the fall. Here are some of Wambach’s favourites:
Squash – “In Chicago, you have blue Hubbard, red kuri, butternut, acorn and sweet dumpling squash along with regular pumpkin. Pick it up and make sure that it feels heavy, with no visible bruises. The weight is important because it determines how porous the squash is. If there are holes in the middle, it will feel light.”
Cabbage – “You have green, red, savoy and napa varieties. Look for tight heads, and pull a couple of leaves back so you can see what the inside looks like before you commit to purchasing the whole head. Make sure there are no brown spots or critters.”
Photography Cindy Kurman, http://flickr.com/photos/kurmanphotos/14847694596/
Rutabaga – “This is probably the most underused fall vegetable, because people don’t really know what to do with it. You can pickle it, or shred it raw and mix it with potatoes in an equal ratio for hash browns. It’s a great vehicle for herbs and garlic. Look for one that’s firm and heavy, but not too big, with smooth skin.”
Sunchoke – “They’ll be a lot smaller at the farmers market than at a traditional grocery store, but the flavour is a lot more intense. Farmers market produce can be more difficult to clean. There’s lots of dirt, and they’re always gnarled, so they’re hard to peel. If you’re making a purée, then you have to peel them, but if you’re just roasting it’s OK to leave the skin on, as long as it’s not too thick.”
Parsnip – “To cook parsnips, you have to peel them first, and then put the bottom third aside. Then take the top two thirds, quarter them, and take out the woody centre. I really enjoy the creaminess of a roasted parsnip. It almost has a dessert-like sweetness to it, which pairs well with brown butter and vanilla bean.”
Salsify – “Salsify has the flavours of an artichoke, with hints of oyster. You can combine artichokes, salsify and sunchokes to make a great soup. Salsify does oxidise very fast, so you have to get it into water after it’s peeled, either with lemon or vitamin C powder. It’s one of the moodier vegetables when it comes to oxidation.”
Photography courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
The Market Bike Experience at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago can accommodate two guests at a time and includes a trip to the market with the chef, all selected ingredients and four-course, wine-paired dinner for USD 400. Reservations must be made at least 72 hours in advance through Allium Restaurant and Bar, (+1) 312-799-4900.
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