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Foraging enthusiast and chef Logan Cox makes the most of truly local ingredients
By Katie Aberbach for ExpressNightOut.com
July 26, 2012
Logan Cox is driving south down Porter Street NW, making small talk with passengers about a wedding he recently attended, when he interrupts himself to point out a small median covered with lavender-like weeds blowing in the breeze.
“The other day, I stopped there and filled up a big bag of that wild chicory,” says Cox, the executive chef of Ripple (3417 Connecticut Ave. NW; 202-244-7995). “We use the flowers for garnishing. But the roots, you roast them and grind them into a powder and use them as a bittering agent. If you make a tea or some sort of broth that needs a little depth, it definitely adds flavor.”
Some diners might find it off-putting to learn that their chef picks ingredients from the side of the road. For Cox, “urban foraging” is a point of pride. “We take risks,” he says of Ripple. “We definitely strive to be unique and … showcase as best we can the really cool produce that is around.”
