Home-Grown Cooking

Julia Rappaport likes to cook and garden, so she combines the two hobbies by growing a cook’s garden. On her North Tustin property, Rappaport grows a wide variety of fruits, herbs and vegetables that help make meals gourmet.

“Tomatoes are my favorite, and this year I’m growing 41 different types,” said Rappaport, who also grows peppers and an assortment of herbs such as pineapple sage, salvia, rosemary, Spanish tarragon and fruits including, meyer lemon, seedless pomegranate, avocado, apple and Satsuma mandarin tangerine.

When it comes to cooking, the fresher the ingredients, the better, said Jamie Kingsland, chef partner at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Newport Beach. Like many professional chefs, Kingsland has his own cook’s garden.

“Starting with high quality ingredients from the garden enables you to make good food,” he said. “Herbs you grow yourself and harvest to season dinner, for instance, are far superior to those you find in the store, and they add a wholesomeness to any meal.”

Kingsland grows basil, thyme, rosemary, mint and lavender in his Orange garden.

Infusing tastes is one of the chef’s favorite things to do with herbs.

Take, for example, his recipe for lavender syrup: heat 2 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar and a handful of lavender. Remove the leaves just before the mixture starts to boil and boil for 8 minutes or until it thickens. Put the lavender back in for more steeping and remove before serving it over fresh fruit, such as peaches, pears, apples and grapes.

“The lavender infusion is a really refreshing end to a summer meal,” he said.

Kingsland also makes a rosemary and thyme butter for chicken and fish, and enjoys making sun tea with mint.

Herbs are a favorite choice among chefs for cook’s gardens because of the intense flavors they impart to food and how easy they are to grow and maintain.

Franco Barone, executive chef of Antonello Ristorante in Costa Mesa, buys zucchini and potatoes, but grows garlic, onions, basil, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, mint, thyme and lemon thyme.

“I enjoy making a roast on the rotisserie on my day off,” said Barone, who lives in Lake Forest. “I use a variety of fresh herbs, garlic and onions.”

Like many chefs, Barone also grows citrus trees. He uses the citrus to make salad with diced lemons or oranges, red wine vinegar, chopped green onions, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, basil and parsley.

Cilantro is a favorite of George Poston, executive chef of Maggiano’s Little Italy in Costa Mesa. He has the herb growing in his Aliso Viejo backyard and uses it regularly to make tomato salsa for his children.

“It’s really easy to make salsa,” Poston said. “In the food processor, I puree three Roma tomatoes--cut into chunks--diced onions, one hot chili pepper to taste and a good squeeze of lime juice.”

Poston gets the lime juice from the limequat tree in his backyard. He also has kumquat and a Satsuma mandarin, and uses the fruits to make salsas.

Most professional chefs would agree that a cook’s garden isn’t complete without tomatoes and basil. Zov Karamardian, owner of Zov’s Bistro in Tustin, creates tomato-basil sauces and salads.

“In the summertime, it’s heaven to have a fresh tomato salad straight from the garden,” said Karamardian, who lives in Irvine. “I top garden tomatoes with basil and drizzle on extra virgin olive oil, well-aged balsamic vinegar and sprinkle on fresh ground pepper and feta cheese.”

She also enjoys various herbs in her garden, such as mint, rosemary, basil and thyme.

“Herbs are easy to grow and they do so much for food,” Karamardian said. “I use mint in salads and I often make a pita bread burrito using fresh mint, cucumbers and tomatoes. It makes a great snack.”

Karamardian also finds lemons to be a necessity and uses lemon juice instead of vinegar at home and her restaurant.

“Once a lemon is cut, it loses its flavor, so fresh is best,” she said.

Zov’s pastry chef Michelle Bracken grows blackberries in her Fountain Valley garden, which she uses to make fresh fruit cobblers, pastries and salads.

She also has a variety of herbs and uses the edible flower nasturtium to garnish salads.

“In our climate it only makes sense to grow your own herbs and fruits,” she said. “Not only can you use them to create great food, they make interesting conversation pieces and beautify your garden.”