Somewhere in the middle of nowhere is how I Iike to refer to Trout Springs Winery.  The middle of nowhere is just about 30 miles northeast of the Fox Valley; a short drive out of town and down a few back country roads.

Steve and Andrea Debaker started the winery along with a few other businesses in 1985. The couple keep their hands in and on several different operations and vocations. To say they are over-achievers is an understatement but I think they would rather be referred to as passionate trailblazers.  

Trout Springs is a beautifully unique property with a transporting quality to it. Up a long drive appears an irregular cobblestone silo which is part of the owners’ private dwelling, definitely unexpected in rural Wisconsin.

To the left is a very inviting summer patio where winery guests can gather to taste wine, converse and snack. Inside is a beautiful tasting room which is one of my favorite parts. Steve and Andrea really did a stellar job here! 

I love tasting rooms and how they differ aesthetically. At Trout Springs you really get the feeling you could be anywhere in Northern California or France. The winery offers local artisan cheese and various pesto and pates that pair fantastically with their wine offerings. 

Further east are several rows of gnarly grape vines. There are roughly five acres of native Wisconsin grape varietals planted here. Behind the whimsical façade lie the guts of the operation. A corrugated steel pole barn for tractors, maintenance and harvesting supplies.  Attached to the barn is fermentation tanks, aging barrels and the bottling room.  Directly behind the entire property is a beautiful small pond where they keep their brood stock of trout for breeding purposes. In addition to the trout the pond is also home to a handful of domesticated wild life. 

Craig and I were lucky enough to catch an up-close glimpse of a giant white mother goose complete with a handful of fuzzy goslings along with the owner’s pair of pet black sturgeon.  Next to the stock pond is a succession of four smaller holding ponds to keep the trout from hatch-fry to mature harvestable fish. All this is really fantastic!

If you sincerely ever want to see two chefs act like a couple of eight-year-old school kids, just take them to a farm.  

While Trout Springs makes some excellent uniquely Wisconsin wines, what I am personally interested in for this visit is their farm-raised trout and how their operation works. I visited the winery several years ago so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. 

Joining me this time however was my friend and fellow foodie Craig Conrad or as I like to call him “special craig” (it’s an inside joke). Craig is a food geek like myself and is currently a line chef at Carmella’s Italian Bistro in Grand Chute. 

I wanted to return to the winery partly because of my first experience, which was fun and educational, and partly because I wanted to share that experience with a friend who I knew would appreciate it. The first time around was a general overview of the business and some great wine tasting.  This time I wanted to specifically focus on the trout farm portion of the business. 

The opportunity to purchase fresh local products is always one that should not be passed up. It’s always a good thing to buy local whether you’re a home cook buying food to serve you family or a chef practicing responsible purchasing for you customers. Obviously one of the advantages is freshness, and rainbow trout form Trout Springs doesn’t get any fresher!

Most people think of farm-raised fish as a bad thing. While it is true that not all farm-raised seafood operations practice organic, sustainable techniques, I can assure that trout springs does. This is quite evident as you see the operation, talk to the owners and taste the finished product.

The first step in the trout farming process takes place in the hatchery, a small wooden shed next to the four ponds. Trout eggs are placed in a plastic tray as approximately 50 degree artesian well water is passed over them.  At this stage the eggs are already fertilized (male trout sperm has been mixed with the female eggs). The eggs remain in the aerated flowing water until they are “eyed out,” basically you can physically see little fish eggs with eyes.  

The eggs are then moved to a holding tank to become sack-fry, the tiny fish are starting form as they feed off of their own nutrient rich sacks. The baby trout remain in the tank for about two months or until they are about one inch in length. They are fed powdered food after they have absorbed the sacks.  After two months the baby trout are transferred to pond one where they live and grow until they are about six inches in length.  It takes several months for the fish to reach this size. 

Next the fully formed fish are moved to pond two to put on more length and weight. At this stage the trout can be sold as pond stock for private home ponds or lakes.

They spend another few months in pond three and then finally to four to full maturity. The fully grown trout weigh anywhere from three-quarters of a pound up to a pound and a quarter, and will be 10 to 12 inches long. The entire process takes about 18 months from hatch-fry to fully mature trout.  Steve and Andrea raise brook, rainbow and a cross breed called tiger.  The couple sells the fish to local restaurants, winery customers and for retail sale.

Spring through fall Trout Springs offers up many opportunities for guests to visit the winery.  For more information on upcoming events like “Music on the Vines” and “Jazz Under The Stars” visit their web site at troutspringswinery.com.

The Winery is also available for group events, wedding receptions and private wine tastings by appointment. All other information including location, hours of operation and directions are also available online or call them at 920-864-7761.

Herbs

By Kyle Cross

In the last 10 or 15 years professional cooking has experienced a great rise in popularity.  With this advancement comes both passion and opinions on everything from proper technique to the best ingredients to use.

When I moved to Napa Valley several years ago I had a conversation with the chef at my first wine country restaurant job. The chef had asked me to get some parsley for the dish he was creating.  Thinking I was smart, I followed his questioned with one of my own, fresh or dried? With much disdain and without hesitation the chef replied, fresh, of course, always fresh!

Up until this point I had never really thought about food in this respect, fresh or dried. I mean, what was the difference really? The difference in this case is hugely important to chefs, culinarians and, of course, the final outcome of a dish. 

Fresh herbs are bright, vibrant and floral. They have the ability to enhance or complete a dish. If you think of parsley as relatively boring and useless, now feel quite the opposite. Used correctly, parsley has amazing potential. You can use the herbaceous plant material, (the leaves), the green pigment for coloring, and the grassy pungent flavor as a layer to help build a finished dish.

Parsley is just the starting point, as there are many other herbs to choose from and cook with, each with its own distinct characteristics and flavor.

So what’s my opinion now? I use fresh herbs and fresh herbs only for every culinary use! To me dried herbs are for potpourri only.    

Storing fresh herbs: The debate over how to store fresh herbs can be just as volatile among foodies as when and where to use them. All home refrigerators vary a little in humidity and temperature, so a little trial and error may be required.

When you buy or use fresh herbs from your garden, treat them as if you are trying to keep fresh flowers for an extended period of time. First, snip off the bottom of the stems, then throw away the damaged leaves. Stems that are soft can be eaten along with the rest of the herb.

Put the herbs, stems down, in a tall glass of water, leaving the top part of the herb exposed. Cover the top with plastic and place the glass in the refrigerator. Change the water every other day or so. Some fresh herbs store better than others, so this will also take a little experimentation on your own to find what works best for you.

Hardier herbs such as rosemary and thyme tend to store better than do more delicate herbs such as chervil, tarragon and basil.

Basil happens to be one of the most perishable herbs around and can be quite frustrating to work with. There is, however, no substitute for its unique flavor and ability to complement many foods. Fresh basil has the tendency to oxidize (brown) quickly so a little extra care is needed to use it.

Cut or tear basil at the last possible second before use. One option that you can try to help prolong the shelf life of basil is to actually not store it in the refrigerator. Try keeping the herb stems in a small jar of water on your kitchen counter top. Keep the jar in a cool, dark place out of fresh sunlight also may help. Initially the basil may droop a little but should come back. Changing the water daily will also help to keep it fresh.

It seems as though each individual herb comes with a different method for preservation.  Parsley is hardy and may last for a week in the fridge, integrity intact with little effort. Thyme is best keep using the water in the jar method as it also tends to brown quickly. All other herbs you will have to experiment for yourself to find what works best for you. 

Ultimately buying small quantities and using them quickly, or, spring through fall, grow herbs yourself.

If you like using dried herbs there is a rough conversion ratio you can use because dried herbs are a lot less potent than fresh. The recipe quantities will vary as well as the flavor impact. One tablespoon of dried herbs is approximately equivalent to one teaspoon of fresh.

Whether using fresh or dried, always add herbs toward the end of the cooking process so you don’t cook away their unique presence. The only circumstance where I don’t use this rule is when I am serving or preparing cold items such as pasta salads and hummus. In  those cases, it is important to give the herbs time to marry with the other ingredients.

Chef’s note: If you like the idea of using herbs from your garden year round, you can preserve in several ways. Use a microwave on very low power to dry them, freeze them, or use a dehydrator to dry them.

Simple Herb Crust for Steaks & Fish

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp chopped fresh chives

¼ cup finely grated parmesan

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Method: Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.

Basil Pesto

1cup packed fresh basil leaves

1 tbsp finely grated parmesan

1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 clove garlic (chopped)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Method: In a medium mixing bowl mix all ingredients until the basil leaves are well coated.  Place the mixture into a food processor, season with salt & pepper and pulse into a loose paste.  You can also do this by hand using a mortar and pestle.

In a very broad and generic definition a spice is the dried fruiting part of a plant. This can refer to whole fruit, as in allspice berries. Spices also include kernels or seeds of fruiting plants such as nutmeg or fennel seeds, and are usually but not always are dried. Roots and bark such as wasabi or cinnamon are also spices.

I’m not going to explore the history of spices this issue, just facts, uses, flavors and recipes. While the ancient spice trade is the backbone of today’s market, to me it’s not as interesting as to why saffron is so expensive or which vanilla is best.

Cooking with Spices

The proper care and handling of spices is important to the final outcome of a dish or to get the most out of the spices themselves. For whole spices it is important to grind them fresh! I use a coffee mill for grinding small quantities of spices. I have a separate electric grinder for both spices and coffee.

If you don’t want to buy a separate grinder for spices you can use a few pieces of fresh bread to clean out the fine coffee grounds or vice versa with spice remnants. Place a few one inch cubes of bread into the grinder and pulse a few times. Repeat the process until the vessel is clean. Use a damp towel to wipe out any remaining material.

Like with whole peppercorns, grinding dried spices fresh will help release natural oils. The next step and what I consider to be critical is toasting. Toasting spices helps to bring out aroma and flavor. Heating fresh ground chili powder or whole fennel seeds develops both depth in flavor and natural smokiness.

To toast spices, place an even layer of ground spice powder or whole seeds into a medium sauté pan. On low heat, toast the spice for a few minutes, stirring often until aromatic. Allow the spice powder or mixture to cool completely or use slightly warm for best results. You can also toast whole seeds and grind them just before using.

A spice can be added at the start of the cooking process such as sautéing with aromatic veggies for soup,  or added at the end to finish a dish. Either way it helps to thoroughly cook the spice into the dish to develop flavor. Cooking the spice in the dish for a few minutes or longer will help to remove the rawness or sharpness out of a pungent spice. Of course you always want to taste the spice but it should be part of a finished dish, working in harmony with the other ingredients.   

Proper usage & storage

Spices do not have as long a shelf life as one might think, but proper storage and prompt usage can make the difference in the quality of a prepared dish. Spices loose potency over time so buy spices in small quantities and use over a period of just a few weeks or months. Whether it’s spices or almost any food it’s better to buy fresh, small quantities, use them up, and buy more again.

Buy whole spices like nutmeg or star anise and grate them fresh using a metal rasp. Even though spices are dried, it is important to keep them fresh! Moisture is the enemy of ground spices, especially curries and five spice powder.

To help keep spices fresh you can follow a few simple rules: # 1, keep spices in airtight containers, #2, keep them away from sunlight or direct heat, #3, remove them from their original packaging and store in your own clean airtight vessel. Keeping certain spices that contain curry powder or cayenne pepper in the refrigerator will help to keep their potency.

Vanilla

Vanilla is the dried pod of an orchid plant; the name derives from the Spanish word vainilla, which means “little pod.” The United States is one of the largest consumers of vanilla in the world. Unfortunately most of it is vanilla flavoring or synthetic vanilla, which has very little to do with the real deal.

Vanilla extracts are high in alcohol, unnaturally flavored and usually less expensive than pure extract.   Even if you buy pure vanilla extract the quality can vary dramatically. I like to use whole vanilla beans which are prized for their flavor and aroma. Some of the world’s best beans are grown in Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico.

You can always tell a good vanilla been from a lesser quality one because you can see, and smell it!  A quality vanilla been should be moist, almost wet in  appearance. At the very least it should have an oily sheen to it. Good beans should be plump and full of seeds or vanilla caviar as we call it in the restaurant business. Store vanilla beans airtight in the refrigerator or freezer for up to two months. 

Saffron

Saffron is one of the world’s most expensive spices and is used to flavor and color food. The spice is actually the dried stigma (tiny threadlike strands) of the crocus flower, which is a member of the iris family. Each stigma is very small, and tens of thousands of individual strands go into a single ounce of the spice.

There is no mechanized process for harvesting saffron threads, each are hand-plucked from the individual flowers, which has a lot to do with why the spice is so expensive. Saffron originated in the middle east, but is now also associated with Greek, Indian and Spanish cuisines. Although it’s very expensive, a little saffron goes a long way. It is a spice to be added one thread at a time. Just a few threads can flavor and color an entire pot of rice. The flavor is distinctive and pungent.

Homemade Five Spice Powder

2 Tbsp black peppercorns

3 star anise

2 tsp fennel seeds

Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces

6 whole cloves

Method: In a medium sauté pan toast all the spices together on low heat until fragrant, about three to five minutes. Place all spices into a clean electric coffee grinder and blend into a fine powder. Store in a cool, dry place for up to one month.