Fountain Prairie Farm

Mikey Kolodzej, L'Etoile cook

Last summer, I came to Madison for the first time as an intern from Culinary School to start working at L’Etoile.  I moved in on a Friday, in June, and decided to hit up the market the next day with my Dad. We walked around, and eventually made our way past the Fountain Prairie Farm stand. At that point in time, I was familiar with the menu at L’Etoile , and knew that the relationship between Fountain Prairie Farm and the restaurant was pretty important, and that we solely featured their beef.  I stopped, introduced myself to John and Dorothy Priske, the owners and operators of the farm, and told them I’d be spending the next 5 months at L’Etoile. They both personally welcomed me to Wisconsin, and were the first people in Madison that I had really even spoken to. I hadn’t even met Chef Tory yet.  They both wished me luck and assured me that I would see them around quite often.  From that moment on I felt a connection to them, and to their products.

            Later that summer, the whole restaurant staff went on a field trip to Fountain Prairie Farm. It was a beautiful Sunday. I was in a terrible mood from the start, because my beloved Indianapolis Colts had lost earlier that day, but the second I set foot on that farm all thoughts of prior misfortune on the gridiron were completely wiped and were replaced with feelings of wonder and awe at the things I was seeing on this farm. Growing up in Indiana, I had become all too familiar with the world of factory farms. Farms like Fountain Prairie are one of a kind. The cows (gorgeous furry highland cattle) are free to roam about a large natural pasture with wetlands, tall grass, and rolling hills. We all rode out to one corner of the property, stood on top of a hill, and looked out over the farm. At that point in time I was actually jealous of these animals. They got to live in one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. They got to roam freely over the property, grazing and relaxing in the sun. This was CERTAINLY nothing like the farms I had seen driving though rural Indiana, and these cows looked nothing like the ones I had seen all too regularly, tied to posts on show at the Indiana State Fair.

            The whole staff spent the entire day at the farm. There was a barbecue, a keg, and good times to be shared by all, but I spent the majority of my time on the farm in solitude, admiring the animals. I stood next to the finishing pen, where the cattle that are closest to slaughter are kept, and they all looked me in the eye. The cows would back away, in fear. Not one of them would set foot within 20 feet of me. They were scared of me, and I wanted to be able to comfort them. Each one was eyeing me. I felt guilt: guilt that these wonderful animals would be giving their lives to feed people like me.  At that moment, something in my head clicked. I realized why I was here, why I was in Madison, why I was working at L’Etoile, and why I had spent a beautiful Sunday at Fountain Prairie Farm.  My goal as a cook instantly became to make sure that these animals didn’t die in vain. I promised to make sure that whether I was roasting beef bones for stock like I did as an intern, or cooking and plating the crispy orange beef tongue dish currently on the menu, (My favorite dish on the current menu!) that I would do everything in my power to not let the integrity of that beef be diminished in any way. It honestly became extremely personal.  If I make a mistake, not only am I letting myself, the rest of the kitchen, and the guests down because that beef has to go into the garbage, I am also letting that steer down.

            I think that’s part of the magic of L’Etoile, and farmers like John and Dorothy, and Madison as a city for that matter. There are beautiful products here that people are and rightfully should be proud of.  I was in New York for culinary school and there, it’s less about the ingredients themselves and more about the cook’s ability to manipulate the ingredients to make them more desirable.  Here, the less we do, the better.  It’s products like Fountain Prairie Farm beef, and people like John and Dorothy, and the L’Etoile kitchen staff, who take pride in doing things the right way, that made me want to ask for a full time job back at L’Etoile after I graduated.

            Déjà vu. I moved back to Madison on a Friday, three weeks ago. I walked around the market with my Dad the following Saturday, stopped by the Fountain Prairie stand and before I could say anything, John reached out to shake my hand, and welcomed me back to Madison. It feels great to be back.

            People of Madison, listen to me. You don’t know how lucky you are. We don’t have beef anywhere near this great in Indiana, or even New York. Take advantage of it. Come to L’Etoile and order a steak or the beef tongue or the carpaccio. (Or all three!) Come to Graze and order a burger or a steak. Go to the market and buy short ribs or steaks (I currently have several pounds of oxtails in my freezer for a rainy day) from John and Dorothy, they’re wonderful people and will answer any questions you have.

             This beef is truly something that is meant to be savored. It tastes the way beef is meant to taste, because the cows are raised the way they are meant to be raised. The flavor can really only be described as “beefy” and has a slight mineral finish that it picks up from the rich land that the farm is located on. Terroir at its finest. It’s a beautiful system, and beautiful meat. And I, for one, am personally honored to be able to cook it for you.

Visit John, Dorothy and their Scottish Highland Cows at their farm in Fall River, Wi.

And stay at their beautiful inn!

http://www.fountainprairie.com/