Thursday, March 22, 2012

morel dinner #1 of 2012

it's spring! it's the time of year when chefs and restaurants are chomping at the bit to get there hands on bright green vegetables. after an albeit mild winter, we are pumped to have access to the awesome bounty of our local and regional farmers. this dinner is a little bit of a transition between the seasons. spring vidalias and foraged morels come together with short rib, rich reductions and butter.
first up, a salad of grilled baby vidalia onions with roaring 40's blue cheese, marcona almonds and arugula.
it's morel time, and we went out and found some beauties for this truffled gouda grilled cheese with morels.  we served it with a chicken jus that we steeped wild garlic for dipping.
slow braised beef short rib with beet butter, baby beet salad, toasted bread and foraged baby pepper cress.
i ate a almond joy last week and it must have stuck in my brain.  so, for dessert, we made a coconut custard with chocolate ganache, toasted coconut and macadamia nuts.
thanks to everyone who made it out... pete, kirsten, michael, katherine, anais, iman, courtenay, chris, elmer and catherine!