Root To Leaf

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: April 2023

When guests settle into their seats at The Farm at Old Edwards on Thursday, May 18, they will discover that their plates are filled with food as fresh and vibrant as the budding leaves outside. “Fresh” is not a word often used to describe the foodstuffs of the South, but it is in fact the very essence of guest chef, Steven Satterfield’s cuisine. Heck, he’s even written a book about it, Root to Leaf: A Southern Chef Cooks Through the Seasons. The book has served as Satterfield’s podium – a chance to bang his drum on behalf of Southern cooking and his advocacy for using the freshest and most local ingredients. An exhaustive and fascinating guide to the four seasons of vegetable life in the South, it is meant to be Satterfield’s call to simplicity and a contemplation of the light, bright tastes of herbaceous garden-fresh foods. Just released, is Satterfield’s second book – Vegetable Revelations, a study of how texture affects the eating experience.

At Satterfield’s Atlanta restaurant Miller Union, dishes are based on the very best of those ingredients, serving as a starting point for an imaginative, improvisational menu. From its beginnings in 2009, Miller Union has brought an inventive vigor to what was then a staid Atlanta restaurant scene; described by food critic Bill Adison as “an antidote for jaded diners. He’s made a point of creating dishes that reflect the agrarian roots and ingenuity of the region. As Addison noted, he “has a knack for unpretentious food that transcends cliche.’ His dishes, beautifully prepared, are understated revelries, honest explorations of the modern South, with an emphasis on vegetables– farm eggs baked in celery cream; cornmeal hushpuppies with new Vidalia onion spread and trout roe; or seafood stew with peas, bok choy, and rice grits.

The clean, uncomplicated flavors and honest simplicity of his dishes has not gone unnoticed. Satterfield and Miller Union have been recognized by national publications such as Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and Esquire. Deeply committed to Atlanta’s progressive culinary community, Satterfield holds leadership positions with Chefs Collaborative and Slow Food Atlanta. In 2017, he won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Southeast award, and the website Eater included Miller Union on its annual list of the country’s Most Essential Restaurants.

As the New York Times said, “He’ll make you a meal you won’t
forget anytime.”

The evening will commence with cocktails in The Orchard and proceed to a seated five-course dinner to include recipes from Satterfield’s forthcoming book, accompanied by thoughtful wine pairings. To book online, visit OldEdwardsHosptality.com/Events.