The Tasting Panel magazine

June 2014

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30  /  the tasting panel  /  june 2014 CHEFS: ONE-ON-ONE WITH MERRILL SHINDLER H arrison Keevil does his cooking at Brookville, just down the road from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. There may be something in the air or the water in historic, scenic Charlottesville—for Jefferson was famously obsessed with food and drink, and growing heirloom produce—and Chef Keevil shares that commitment to locally raised ingredients. Brookville proudly proclaims that more than 90 percent of their ingredients are "sourced within 100 miles." And to make that number even higher, Chef Keevil is creating his own farm. Which is no stretch for him—for that's how this Virginia native grew up. Merrill Shindler: Tell me about growing up in rural Virginia... Harrison Keevil: I grew up on a horse farm half an hour from Richmond. When I was young, I worked on an organic farm caring for chickens and cattle, bailing hay, understanding where products come from. I learned that we're involved—farmers leave blood, sweat and tears in the fields where the cows graze. What are your earliest food memories? My mother would cook five nights a week -- lamb chops, steaks, artichokes. For Thanksgiving, we'd have a huge gathering, 50 people or more for turkey, ham, sweet potatoes. We'd cook everything. We had no McDonald's. What do you remember cooking? I remember making pancakes with my dad on Saturdays. When I was ten or 11, I remember the coals were lit on the barbecue, but my folks had some issue to deal with, so I went to the grill and cooked steak. I became the grill guy for the family. How did growing up in the South influ- ence your cooking? My grandfather had a plantation in the Peanut Belt. We ate Smithfield hams, Edwards hams from Surry Farms. The flavors were so smoky. I loved their sausage—I could have it for breakfast every day. And my other grandparents lived outside of London. The smell of mint brings them back to me. What pleasure did you find in cooking? The same then as now. It makes people happy. The smile on their faces gives me so much joy. You apprenticed under Heston Blumenthal. What did you learn? That what was necessary to run a restaurant is total dedication to perfection. That every detail, no matter how minute, matters. What is it about Charlottesville that inspires love of things culinary? The terroir is very rich. Produce grows so well, grapes grow well, animals grow well. And we have a long season. New farmers keep arriving, to reinvigorate the food. They do all the hard work. I don't want to mess it up. What part does wine play at Brookville and do you source mainly (or exclusively) from Virginia producers? Wine plays a very important part at Brookville. We source and serve only Virginia wines. Many of the vintages are small so we are constantly tasting to see what we should rotate into our cellar. Over the past four years since we have been open Virginia Wine has come a long way and we feel it is our responsibility, as with the food, to serve only what grows in Virginia soil. PHOTO COURTESY OF BROOKVILLE RESTAURANT Harrison Keevil AT BROOKVILLE RESTAURANT IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, THIS NATIVE VIRGINIA CHEF REJOICES IN LOCAL BOUNTY AND SOUTHERN TRADITION Harrison Keevil. TP0614_001-33.indd 30 5/23/14 8:30 PM

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