Roasted pumpkin soup with lump crab meat and creme fraische with dipping crustades. This dish was originally done for an Eating Well magazine recipe I contributed.

Marinated and pan seared pork tenderloin on a bed of rice vermicelli with baby lima beans, black eyed peas and raspberry balsamic reduction

Here’s some background on Rebecca. We know she’ll make a great Friend that Cooks!

Most little girls say they want to be a ballerina when they grow up. But when Rebecca Nedrow was asked that very question as a young girl she responded with, “ I want to bake cookies.” Every Saturday morning, Rebecca and her younger brother would wake up early to watch cartoons, and make personalized menus for their parents to have breakfast in bed. While the eggs rarely turned out, the chocolate chip cookies were always a big hit. Thus the culinary adventure began.

Food was always part of the plan for Rebecca. Early in high school, she decided that nutrition was the way to go. So her senior year when she was deciding where to go to college, Kansas State University was the only logical choice. In 2005, she graduated with her bachelor’s of Science in Dietetics. But instead of taking an internship to sit for the RD exam, she decided that it was time to finish her dream. So she started the apprenticeship program at Johnson County Community College. While taking all of her classes at the college, she also worked full time at the famous Overland Park restaurant 40 Sardines. She started working with James Beard Award winning Chefs Debbie Gold and Michael Smith on pastries and desserts and then moved to the line where she worked each station. Toward the end of her time there, she was in charge of all the private dining events and helped Chef Gold with demonstrations and cooking classes.

 

When she graduated from culinary school with an Associate of Applied Science as a Certified Culinarian, Rebecca decided that it was time to experience what other regions had to offer. James Beard Award winning Chef Mike Lata at FIG restaurant in Charleston, SC responded immediately to her resume. For a year she learned all about Southern cuisine and the true meaning of Farm-to-Table cooking. She was able to work with the freshest seasonal produce and seafood caught that very morning from the local farmers and purveyors of Charleston. She brought back with her also a wealth of knowledge about sustainable seafood when she returned to Kansas in early 2009.

 

 

 

 

After taking a short break from cooking to get settled in Wichita, Rebecca is back and excited to share her passion and love for local fresh seasonal food with you. “I am excited to continue learning with all of the great local products here in my home state. And I look forward to working so closely with all of the great families and friends here in Wichita”.

 

 

I made the peanut crusted salmon below with pan roasted fresh beets and carrots, sauteed napa cabbage and bean sprouts.

Boil potato pieces until fork tender. Strain and remove from pan. Place pan over medium-low heat and melt butter in the pan. Add cream, garlic and green onion whites. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, then reduce heat to low. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, cheese and onion greens. Stir with a spoon to mix all ingredients. Do not mash.

As with all recipes, check your potatoes for salt. You should be able to taste the salt without it being overwhelming. Potatoes require a lot of salt, and the salt will bring out the rest of the flavors of the dish.

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and vinegar. Mix well. Whisk in olive oil slowly until fully combined. Whisk in water slowly until fully combined.

Taste the vinaigrette for vinegar and salt content. Different vinegars have varying strengths. You may need to add more vinegar or salt.

Refrigerate until ready to use.