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Hallie Harron
Artist (Chef) in Residence
Quiessence Culinary Center
The Farm at South Mountain
Phoenix, Arizona
In the foothills of arid peaks, a stone's throw from downtown
Phoenix, lies an oasis of cool and calm called The Farm at South Mountain. Meander through the ancient pecan grove. Explore the organic
gardens and vegetable stand. Stop at The Farm kitchen for breakfast
or lunch and enjoy the Herb Shop. But above all, introduce yourself
to Hallie Harron in the farmhouse nestled at the back of this
special place. Her center for cooking classes and fine dining
is called Quiessence - "a quiet place." You'll understand why
the minute you arrive.
Hallie Harron has a culinary resumé most chefs would squawk about. Not Hallie. She shares her gifts as easily as sunlight filters through the pecan trees. On a warm afternoon in January, Hallie talked about Quiessence and described her perceptions of American eating with honesty and hope. It is with great pleasure that I share her insights with you.
Joy Rotondi-Cann
foodies.com
Enjoy Hallie's recipes for:
Sfincione (a rustic pizza)
Caramelized Fennel Tart
Vegetarian cuisine is the thrust of Quiessence. How would you categorize it?
H: People often ask me to categorize what we do. It's not a matter of fusion, or French, or Mediterranean, though we head in those directions. People say, "What kind of food do you do?" I answer: "Slow. Not fast."
I have the best job in this neck of the woods. We serve dinner on Friday and Saturday. I don't know what I'm cooking on Thursday. Fridays are strictly vegetarian. Saturdays we have poultry and fish. We don't serve red meat. Last year I wasn't sure where I was going with this. I used to serve lamb and beef. I don't really know the tricks of the trade with that. I don't really resonate as well with meat.
No one in Phoenix has the good fortune we do here at The Farm. We walk through the garden groves with the farmers and pick out a cauliflower and Denny says, "Why did you choose that one?" And I say, "Because it was the closest one to me and I found it beautiful." "It's good, but this one is better. You should take this one."
One morning I forgot to pick the lettuce greens. They picked them for me at 4 and I served them at 6.
What kind of cooking do I do? "What is there." It's the same kind of cooking I do at home for my family.
Our format now is always the same. We start with a tasting of what's going on in the garden. Soup works very well in our restaurant because we are a two-man band. The soup is usually very light so it prepares you for what's coming. Everything is served family style except the soup. Then we have two vegetarian entrées vegetable night and maybe a shrimp - I feel comfortable with shrimp . I don't feel as comfortable with some of the other fish. It ain't Boston. Nor is it San Francisco or Florida or Mexico. It's Arizona. Poultry is easy for me. I can get organic quail and chicken and squab. Fish? If I can't know where it's grown or how long it's been on the shelf...
You use locally grown and regionally grown foods - you're more subject to the weather and growing calendar. Does that mean your menus are sometimes a surprise?
H: Yes. Someone made a special request in January to do asparagus. Well, I explained that sure, you can get asparagus in January, but it wasn't great. You can get Christmas in July!
You've had so much experience in Europe and the States. What's really good and bad about American eating habits?
H: The minute you said that I got a smile on my face. The worst thing that symbolizes American cooking? I would love to see cars come without cup holders.
My students see me and sometimes say, "Hallie, you're scrawny! Do you follow some special diet?" Yes, I have a very strict diet." (I say that especially if they're nutritionists!) I think they expect me to say some type of soy three times a week, "best quality protein," or Andrew Weil's business with the salmon and broccoli." "Well, what is it?" "I never, ever, eat in front of the TV."
Do you eat over the sink?
H: No! My husband eats over the sink and there's only so much I can tell him. I don't eat in a moving vehicle. No reading. And I like to know who the cook is. I don't know who's cooking at McDonald's.
What might help correct this "instant gratification" approach many Americans have to food?
H: Young chefs should go to Europe where people go to market every day, buy fresh produce, and go home and cook it. Many young chefs think food comes off the SYSCO truck! It comes packed in cryovac - they don't understand the food. They can chop like human Cuisinarts. But palates? That's a different thing.
What do we have that's good and unique in America?
H: I think of the tradition. I do. I was part of the team that redid The Joy of Cooking. I was interviewing people trying to determine what recipes to upgrade and add. The old ladies would take me by both hands and say, "I was weaned on that book. I gave it to my kid when they went off to college." Some of the traditions in that book I bring right here. I can't say we have Tuna Noodle Hot Dish, but some of the traditions we really stick to. Here at The Farm we have Pecan Pie from the South. I do my own family traditions. Solid, good cooking.
I'm glad to read lately that this craze for architectural dishes is waning. Side by side dishes are becoming popular again instead of these towering infernos! Oh no, is it going to fall over before I ever get to it?
I think we're getting back to what really fresh food tastes like.
Take shelling beans. That's a tradition that's coming back that
I'm thrilled about. We can get fresh fava beans, cranberry beans.
It's getting away from canned things. I think that's starting
to happen.
And I'd like to think, especially in the more urban areas, Phoenix being one of them, you don't have enough time to cook, but some people who've made a career of it are making it easy for you to do pretty well if you don't start cooking until after 5 o'clock. Even the packaged things are a far cry from what was packaged ten years ago. For instance, in California I can get rotobirds, but they're Sonoma free-range chickens.
At Quiessence, do you see your customers recognizing the quality of what they're eating?
H: Last night at dinner, 80% of our guests were returns. We get a lot of repeats. They watch us through the seasons. That's what I love about it.
Hallie Harron teaches, cooks, and leads culinary tours to Paris and San Francisco. You can reach the Quiessence Culinary Center at (602) 305-8192.
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