Q: Do you have a favorite season that brings ingredients you most enjoy working with? What is your favorite ingredient to work with? How does it complement the dishes?

NC: My favorite season is spring. There are so many incredible vegetables that are only available in spring: English peas, perfect strawberries, spring garlic. It’s so amazing to go to the farmer’s markets and see all of the colors as spring turns into summer. I really don’t think I can say I have a favorite ingredient, there are too many amazing flavors, but I really love tomatoes when they are perfectly ripe. Most people haven’t had a great tomato. They’ve only had flavorless, mealy, hard tomatoes that you see at the grocery store.

Q: What is an often underrated dish True Food offers that you would like more guests to try?

NC: The Spaghetti Casserole. It’s a classic True Food Kitchen menu item, and I can’t say it’s underrated, because we do sell a lot, but I think to the average guest that doesn’t know too much about Dr. Weil*, or True Food Kitchen, they might glance over it. It seems simple, and it is, but it’s so good. It really exemplifies True Food kitchen and what we do. Fresh ingredients, simple preparation, great tasting, and healthy.

*Andrew Weil, MD is an American celebrity doctor who is a physician, author, spokesperson, and broadly described “guru” of the alternative medical brands.

Q: For the meat-lovers, what dish is an absolute must-have? What about for the veggie-lovers? Vegans?

NC: When we are talking beef, I love the Grass-fed Burger. It’s grass-fed from start to finish, most grass-fed beef is finished on corn, and ours is completely grass-fed. It’s ground in-house fresh each day. The combination with the cheese, mushrooms, and Umami sauce is amazing. All of those flavors compliment the beef so well. For the veggie-lover, I would recommend the Spaghetti Squash Casserole, or, my favorite salad, the Mediterranean Chopped Salad. Both of those dishes can be vegan if you remove the cheese. The Roasted Squash Pizza on our menu right now is vegan, and with the Almond Ricotta, that we make in-house, you’d never know. I think that’s something we do very well here at True Food Kitchen, we don’t try to make a dish something it’s not, and we make great tasting dishes that also happen to be vegetarian or vegan. I am not vegan, but I would be happy eating the Roasted Squash Pizza and not miss the “meat”.

INSIDE OUT QUINOA BURGER

Ingredients – Quinoa Patties

Method

Ingredients – Burger Toppings

• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 0.5 tsp Red Chili Flakes
• 2 Whole Eggs (whipped)
• 4 c Red Quinoa (cooked)
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tbsp Mint Leaves (minced)
• 1 tbsp Oregano Leaves (minced)
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• small pinch Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 c Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs

1. In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, red chili flakes, and eggs. Whisk together. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine quinoa, cumin, mint, oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Combine the wet ingredients with the quinoa mix. Mix together well, until evenly incorporated.
4. Fold the breadcrumbs into the mixture.
5. Press 1/3 cup of the mixture into a ring mold, gently pressing down at the edges of each, to form patties.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes.
7. Let the patties cool before using.

Note: If saving patties, they should be held at 41 degrees or below.

Shelf Life: 3 days

• 4 Sliced Tomatoes
• 4 Cucumber Slices
• 2 leaves torn Butter Lettuce
• 6 pieces Red Onion
• 2 tsp Feta Cheese
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 pinch Salt
• 0.5 tsp Lemon Juice
• 2 tbsp Hummus
• 2 tsp Tzatziki