Solheim food: Top-rated golfers deserve top-rated courses

Aug. 22—It'll be Team USA vs. Team Europe at the much-anticipated 2021 Solheim Cup, being held at Inverness Club from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6.

At the host site, those elite golfers will enjoy a top-rated course and what we hope will be gorgeous weather.

They'll also be treated to specially curated dishes prepared just for them by the club's talented culinary staff.

"Our kitchen will be feeding both Team USA and the European team," said Inverness' Executive Chef Josh Miller, who has been working for weeks on creating menus for the event.

First and foremost, "these ladies are athletes," Mr. Miller emphasized. So they have very sport-specific dietary needs.

Marathon runners, for example, carb load in the days immediately preceding a race to help sustain their energy over many miles.

Golfers, on the other hand, "prefer lean protein," the chef said, for the competition rounds being held the during final days of the event. "They don't want to be bogged down with carbs, nothing really heavy."

So a vegetable lasagna will be served "earlier in the week," he said, "during practice rounds," rather than on that Friday or over the weekend.

There will be slightly different menu variations for each team, Mr. Miller said, but the offerings will be "mostly the same."

He's taking into consideration preferences requested by both teams, including scrambled eggs in the morning and some gluten-free items such as breads and wraps. Also, "turkey sausage and pork bacon, they've requested specifically," the chef said. (He also noted that "some parts of the world refer to our bacon as 'streaky bacon,'" with strips of fat, which is what's been asked for. This is instead of, say, Irish bacon, Mr. Miller pointed out, which is prepared from the back rather than the belly of the pig.)

Team Europe would like salmon or cod to be served later in the week, and "an additional seafood dish for their lunch," the chef said. And they've "requested rolled oats or porridge for breakfast," as well as "the addition of pecans with their yogurt."

Some of the menu items Mr. Miller has finalized for the Solheim competitors include a vegetable stir fry that can also include additions of beef or chicken. Cilantro chicken served with a green curry sauce, accompanied by white rice, is another option.

Seared salmon with an herb butter emulsion, offered with a couscous pilaf, is yet another dish that will be prepared.

And Mr. Miller raved about a riff on Inverness' classic Chicken Wittenburg.

"We've done a sandwich in homage" to the dish, he said. It's "chilled roasted chicken that we have pulled, [and] we will put that on a potato roll with an herb mayonnaise that's very much like a fresh herb ranch."

Rather than tailoring the Solheim menus to the members of Team USA's or Team Europe's home states and countries, instead the Inverness staff will showcase the end-of-summer bounty found right here in northwest Ohio.

"We are blessed in this area," Mr. Miller said with pride and gratitude, "especially at this time of year."

There is so much goodness to cook with, "it's hard to utilize it all," he continued.

"But we try."