Spicy Roast Cauliflower with Turmeric & Toasted Cumin in hammered copper on The Barn’s reclaimed cedar planks.

Summer has arrived in the Midwest bringing with it seasonal produce.  Local farmstands once shuttered, now open and buzzing with activity.  Stands piled high with fruits and vegetables.  Stirring memories of dad’s quick stops near Erb’s farm before Little League games to score a beefsteak tomato or two.  Perhaps early experiences with in-season, peak-of-perfection produce cultivated my love of summertime’s local bounty found within our town.

However, no doubt my introduction to a mother’s home-cooked, traditional South Indian cuisine by her daughter is the root of my deep appreciation of vegetarian cooking. Long commutes to Hyde Park over thirty years ago with a co-worker and now long-time friend brought new understanding while on the Metra: