This is the time of year that gets every chef excited. I think you should be excited, too. We are blessed with an awesome growing season here in Columbia. At home and at the restaurant, this abundance of great produce means that I don’t have to “polish a turd” with ingredients that travel halfway around the world in refrigerated containers. Cooking gets lighter and flavors pop, which is a great change after the muted offerings of winter.

During my five-year tenure in Columbia, I have witnessed our food culture evolve. I can get things from purveyors now that I never would have dreamed of five years ago. Of course, this elevation is simply a reflection of a larger national trend. The increased interest in raw ingredients, food preparation and professional chefs has happened because of many factors.

People like to blame the Food Network for creating a nation of armchair chefs, but I think the roots of this trend date back even further, even pre-Martha Stewart. Consumers have become savvy and started to appreciate the subtle nuances and the importance of local food traditions. It’s very good for good restaurants and very bad for bad restaurants. Aren’t you less likely to tolerate crap when you know what good food is?

This cooler weather we’ve had this spring has been wonderful, but dang it — it has slowed down the crops and made me antsy. Mercifully, we finally have some local produce at hand. Most people around here don’t know that South Carolina produces some of the best asparagus in the world. In fact, our green spears were so renowned around the turn of the century they were put on trains daily to New York City and featured on the menus of swank restaurants. You might find this hard to believe, but back then asparagus was a highly seasonal ingredient, available only for a short time. Times are different now, as we can get asparagus year-round grown in some greenhouse halfway around the world by 10 year-olds. But you can still find South Carolina asparagus for at least another two weeks after reading this! The difference is staggering; local asparagus is bursting with moisture and is sweet and not bitter like some spears. Sautéed, grilled, raw (shaved thin) or pickled for a Bloody Mary — you can’t go wrong. Check out Rosewood Market for local Ashwood Hearth asparagus.

One of my favorite spring activities is driving down to Cottle Farms off Bluff Road. They have great strawberries, and I also like to drive really fast down their dirt road. The berries are so ripe that the shelf life is quite short compared to the grocery store berries, but the flavor is well worth having to use them quickly. Since I am usually burning the candle at both ends I have them picked for me, but you could also take a few hours in the field yourself and search for the very best ones.

One activity that my wife introduced me to is canning. I will preserve just about everything I can get my hands on this spring and summer so I can have South Carolina produce year-round. I made strawberry jam for the first time last year, and it was so freaking delicious that now I am in the midst of strawberry hell to make sure we don’t run out at the restaurant this year. If you would like to start canning, I would recommend searching online for the “Ball Blue Book of Preserving,” an inexpensive book that thoroughly explains all you need to know about food preservation. It includes great recipes and important safety precautions. Canning actually makes for a fun day at the house and is definitely easier if you have some extra hands to help with the prep. If you do undertake strawberry jam, I recommend saving the leftover juice of the sugared strawberries and topping them with sparkling wine. It may not be the most masculine drink, but it is so delicious.

Our state has great offerings throughout most of the year, so get out there and find some. Now is the perfect time to delve into the world of local produce because of the beautiful weather and sheer selection. Start at the state farmers’ market, and don’t forget about the smaller markets that have popped up on Saturday mornings. 


Underground Butter is a monthly column from acclaimed Motor Supply Co. chef Tim Peters about life behind the scenes in the restaurant world. Reach Peters by email at food@free-times.com