While many of us fight gluten in our pasta and bread, over at The Land Institute in Kansas, the goal revolves around growing better grains that not only will nourish eaters, but the farms as well. And now, said perennial grains have made it to the menu at Olivia Restaurant in Washington Park.
The first time Olivia’s co-owners Ty Leon and Austin Carson learned about The Land Institute was years ago when the pair worked together at Mizuna. Carson had kept up to date with the organization, and eventually the Olivia team went to check it out. As the head chef of Olivia, Leon, who eats, sleeps, and dreams pasta, was smitten.
“They sent the Baki Bean and the perennial wheat to us, which were and are in the experimental phase,” said Leon. “Luckily we got to test out the best ways to utilize those ingredients.”
After much trial and error, Leon landed on a 50-50 flour combo of regular wheat flour and the special grains. With a plan in hand, Olivia and The Land Institute created a special dinner last month at the restaurant. Not only were the food scientists behind the grains there to talk about the products, but so was farmer Todd Olander. He’s the owner of Olander Farms and Root Shoot Malting, which provides malted grains to distilleries and breweries across the Front Range.
Olander has been experimenting with the Kernza perennial grain, a new item on the market that’s slowly expanding across the United States. Kernza has an extensive root system that reaches over 10 feet underground. It absorbs more carbon than it emits, meaning it’s cleaning the air while providing a nutritious food that comes back each year. Plus, added Leon, it tastes good.
“Kernza, I was shocked by the flavor, it was really good,” he said. “As we kneaded the dough it reminded me of sweet baked goods, which I found surprising.”
The chef used the grain to make brown butter Kernza cookies. He also used Kernza to make cappelletti with tomato, caramelized yogurt, candied garlic, and Signoria Gonzaga Balsamico.
Other sustainable grains of the night included perennial wheat, sorghum, and Baki Bean, which isn’t available for commercial use. The wheat turned into a rich mafaldine pasta with lamb ragu. Sorghum became a nutty risotto under a juicy bison osso bucco and roasted mushrooms. For the latter grain, Leon created a light and crispy tempura batter to coat fresh squash blossoms.
“Baki Bean flour was the hardest one to work with, and we had never heard of it,” said Leon. “The Land Institute sent a spec sheet on what it’s most similar to and how it reacts, so we treated it like lentil flour.”
Right now Olivia is showcasing dishes from last month’s perennial grain dinner, with some tweaks here and there. The sustainable feast runs $115 per person for a five-course meal, ending with the aforementioned cookies and a panna cotta with sunflower honey, another ingredient harvested by The Land Institute.
As for using these grains in the future, Leon said he certainly wants to keep working with them. But, he added, there are other local flours available right now he also plays with, mainly heritage grains from Dry Storage, restaurateur and chef Kelly Whitaker’s Boulder mill.
Leon also mentioned he is eager to see how other things benefit and change from these perennial grains. For example, what does a chicken taste like after it has had a diet of Kernza? That question might come sooner than we think.
Visit Olivia Restaurant Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. 290 S. Downing St., Denver, oliviadenver.com
