There ’s nothing common about the twoUncommon Groundrestaurants in Chicago . At this urban eatery , you often savor what ’s grown on the ceiling of their Devon St. eatery , which opened its doors in 2007 in the Edgewater neighborhood , or from the “ pavement farm ” at their Clark St. restaurant , which opened in 1991 in the Wrigleyville neck of the woods . We knew we were in for a goody when we see owner , Helen Cameron , who with her husband , Michael , have transubstantiate what the taste of fresh and in - season ingredient means to them . It often postulate a walk up the stairs to their roof to harvest the ingredients used in their dishes .
make the eminence of the firstcertified - organicrooftop farm in the United States , Uncommon Ground features on their menu what they raise on the roof and curbside planters at their Edgewater restaurant : a wide selection of vegetable , small fruits andherbs , as well as honey from theirbee hives . What they do n’t mature themselves , they source from sustainable farmers in the region , whose names often find their way onto the carte du jour .
relish these photos from our recent sojourn to Uncommon Ground . Like most “ ecopreneurial ” enterprisingness , it ’s not about competition , but cooperation and coaction . Just about everything they did to make their honor - winning restaurants can be go over on their internet site . So next time you ’re in Chicago , study Uncommon Ground a culinary attraction worth a taste . Tours of the rooftop farm are offer every Wednesday during the summertime calendar month . ( moderate their site for particular . )
Local Cuisine
Uncommon Ground is serious about serving fresh harvested ingredients from their rooftop or various grow seam around the restaurant to serve in meals . agree to Helen Cameron , more than 1,070 pounds of intellectual nourishment , valued at $ 5,600 , were glean in 2012 on their rooftop farm .
After our tour of duty , we baby-sit down for a taste , start off with an appetizer of unfermented potato fries with goat cheeseflower fondu .
Seasonal cuisine sings a delicious Sung here . This root - craw risotto manages to catch the brilliant colour of beets and uses some of the salad greens still being harvested on the rooftop farm . Their creative culinary art smacks of local , seasonal , constitutional and Fair Trade - certified ingredients portray with an creative person ’s touch and a gustatory modality that captures executive chef Matt Holmes ’ own philosophical system .
“ It has always been about the intellectual nourishment to me , ” Chef Holmes says . “ introduction is key , but savor and dining experience are everything . ” moderate out Chef Holmes ’ pork osso buco formula he shared at the end of this mail .
Sustainability at the Forefront
The Camerons took care in nearly every aspect of their eating house ’s green design . Tables , horde stand and hearth surrounds were created by Horrigan Urban Forest Products from downed trees in nearby Jackson Park . The woods scraps from the table - making physical process were repurposed into doors and the Mickey Mantle around the restaurant ’s snug hearth .
rotate creative person exhibits adorn the walls . Permanent artwork , including mitt - blow Methedrine lamp and glass or tile mosaics , were also make by local creative person . Adjacent to the dining area is both a bar and performance arena where live amusement ask center stage most eve .
Water catchment cooler are used to water plants . Inside the restaurant , Energy Star - certified appliances are everywhere ; lighting feature LEDs . They even manoeuver their personal diesel Jeep on biodiesel made from the waste frier oil collected at the eating place . A photovoltaic system to partially power the restaurant is presently in the pipeline .
Farming Fresh Ingredients
At the Clark St. eating place ’s “ pavement farm , ” where basil , Lycopersicon esculentum and beets grow in planter corner decent next to where you savor some of their seasonal dish , the restaurant ’s urban farmers harvest about 2 pounds per square foot of this 70 square feet of growing space . And over at the Edgewood restaurant , the planter boxwood pictured here line the parking region .
Even in November , their rooftop and container planting furnish fresh salad greens or radish plant . A full - time farmer , Jen Rosenthal , deal the farm along with a part - sentence farm music director and numerous intern during the busy outpouring and summer produce season .
The rooftop farm is 0.015 of an acre , as Helen Cameron wish to say . Five , 4- by 10 - foot solar collectors on their roof heat enough red-hot weewee to meet about 70 percent of the restaurant ’s raging water needs .
Owner , Helen Cameron , in front of her Edgewood neighborhood Uncommon Ground restaurant in November . “ You wo n’t see a Lycopersicon esculentum on our menu until next summertime , ” she says with a smile .
Recipe : Pork Osso BuccoRecipe courtesy Matt Holmes , Executive Chef at Uncommon Ground
Yield:4 serving
Ingredients
PreparationPreheat oven to 325 point F.
Dust pork shanks in flour and brown in hot sauté pan . Transfer shanks to oven - proof green goddess and add carrots , cultivated celery , onion , thyme , bay leafage , garlic , volaille broth and one-half of leaf mustard . Bake , covered , for approximately 4 minute or until pith pull well from off-white .
Gently remove shanks and tense up braising liquidity into sauce plenty . tot up table mustard to liquid and use cornflour slurry to thicken to desired consistency . Season with salt and pepper .
service with gnocchi ( see recipe below),sauerkrautand sauce .
Recipe : Pretzel Gnocchi
Yield:4 servings , with some left over
Preparation
Bake Solanum tuberosum and Robert Peel while hot . Process through food grind onto fair board . Make well and add nut , flour and ground pretzels . Combine ingredients together until moolah forms . Adjust with more flour if necessary . Roll bread into logarithm shape . Using bench knife , tailor dough into modest pieces . Poach gnocchi in simmering water until they float and transfer to bowl of ice water . Sear gnocchi in non - stick goat god with butter , and serve with just pork and sauerkraut . The recipe will make more than needed . After the gnocchi are poach , they may be block .
Savoring the good biography ,
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