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Foraging enthusiast and chef Logan Cox makes the most of truly local ingredients
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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.”