Our variety choice of the things that we are growing are basically dependent on what we grow well and our ego system again. So, you know we are basically getting seeds that are either from the same latitude around the world or from seeds that we know that have grown here from the past and right now, we are growing a type of corn, called eight row flint corn.
Eight row flint corn we did an experiment. Actually some guy, some crazy guy from North Carolina who is obsessed with saving seeds paid us , paid our farmer Jack $2,000 to plant 75 of these corn plants, eight row flint corn.
It was the most popular corn among the Native American Indians, and they use to prize it for sibilated dry and feed the tribes during the winter. And so, Jack and I, I was very skeptical that this would not germinate all. And in fact, we got 99% germination, and we got incredible corn.
Now, we harvested and just like if you write this into a novel, you think like this is just not to be believed. But we harvest it the next day, the next day, I am reading this brochure from the very famous market place and actually Michigan that sells wholesale and retail around the country.
And I opened up the middle of the pamphlet and they say, the most famous Italian plant now we have it, on sale, otto fillet [ph] from Italy. And otto fillet [ph] translated as eight row flint corn.
So it is Italians that recognize from the Indians this incredible corn that could make this unbelievable plante[ph], took it from us, preserved it while we and the United States have completely lost it except really for this seed that we have growing and end up germinated. He paid some other farmers to go out and it did not really germinate well. But we are preserving what is our natural heritage. In our natural ecology and this is where it is going North East , it was corn country.
You know for the Native Indians and so the Italians recognize this you know 100 and 100 of years ago and have preserve it over this small family farms.
So, it is one of those things , so now we grind our own polante[ph] you know it is like back and return of the century, like miller and we grind on to make this unbelievably flavorful polante[ph], people cannot, they taste it and they never tasted polante[ph] in their life. You know when they have this stuff.
Now, it is really great polante[ph], there is no question I gave you a bowl right now. You flip out of it so good because you really are tasting things that have been hybernized out of it. You know flavors and oils and the German, and all the stuff that are incredible.
But it is more helpful , it is another thing that I research is that in that German in that oils are lot of micronutrients that totally get out of the course of generations. But I tell that story about this whacky dude who paid us $2,000 and the Native Americans and all [Muffled],and the response in the dining room is as if you just given them the secret to life, right.
Because they are tasting and all of a sudden, they are tasting Italy and tradition and all the stuff and the tradition of Italy is base actually on America this things are just like totally drink the cool aide right away.
You know. So, it is great plantos have no question but it is much better because I have that story that we can relate to everybody and that makes me look like a better chef, you know.
Even in my best days, I might lack an ego and have an ego like the rest of the chef. But I cannot cook as well as those stories can make people taste things otherwise, they would not taste it because seasoning is just priceless
So, I like to get more of those stories in self interest because it makes my food tastes well.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services