March 20th, 2014 will signal the beginning of
spring, and I can’t wait! This winter
has been the coldest and grayest winter I have seen in years. Massive piles of snow clog our streets, temperatures
so cold even the salt is freezing to the streets. I need a fresh new wind to break the monotony
of these winter doldrums. I need some
color and excitement to burst through these low hanging clouds and splash some
color upon my fatigued palate. Enter the
colors of spring, bright and bold dishes inspired from the heart of the season
to distract our senses from our current climate and transport our taste buds to
the warm embrace of a spring day.
There is no better way to start our seasonal culinary
venture than with a twist on one of my favorite vegetables, the beet. Now I have posted many times before about my
love of beets; roasted, pickled and fried I love them all, but this fun little
appetizer is a new favorite. A perfect
taste of spring in every bite of this, our fried beet chips topped with a
wasabi and green onion Japanese mayo, toasted sesame seeds and chiffanade
cilantro. The beet crisp starts your
journey with a deep and earthy bite, mixed with that touch of natural
sweetness, followed by the spicy and sweet kick of the mayonnaise all finished
off with the herbal hit of cilantro and the crunch of sesame seeds.
But why stop at this one format? Let’s revamp the classic fish and chip basket
with tempura fried tuna, roasted red and golden beets all served with this
scallion-wasabi mayo and fresh cilantro.
It's a brand new take, for a brand new season.
While we are discussing beets, and why should we ever
stop, let’s talk about golden beets.
Both beautiful and tasty, and they don’t stain your hands, golden beets
are slightly tamer and sweeter than there crimson brethren. And in this application I think we found
their perfect match, Roasted Golden Beets with grilled asparagus tips, shaved
fennel and parmesan dressed with a charred fennel vinaigrette. The sweetness and slight earthiness of the
beets dances with the darker green asparagus while hitting its high notes with
the sweet anise of shaved fennel. The
parts that really take this dish over the top is the charred fennel
vinaigrette, a smoky and sweet concoction pureed smooth with diced shallots and
cider vinegar. The saltiness and texture
of the shaved parmesan is the final cap to each bite.
Speaking of cheese, there is no better pizza in my mind
than a classic pizza margherita. Sweet
and fresh tomatoes and gooey mozzarella cheese all on a crisp flavorful crust
accented with fresh basil and herbal EVOO.
But with the increase awareness of people with gluten allergies we
wanted to create a pizza pie worthy of the name, yet still safe for our gluten
intolerant friends to enjoy. In comes
the Cauliflower and Polenta crust, topped with fresh heirloom tomatoes, creamy
mozzarella, torn basil, EVOO and a healthy drizzle of aged balsamic. The crust has a deep earthy flavor with a
perfect texture and sweetness from the grains of polenta. But spring is not all about vegetables and
tomatoes, meat and fruit play very well together as the mercury rises and the
BBQ grill come out of hibernation.
There is something so magical about the combination of
meat and smoke, make that pork and smoke. Whether we are talking Carolina pulled pork or
apple wood smoked bacon, pork and smoke were made for each other. This year we decided to try something a
little different and were shocked by the results, so much so that this segment
features two dishes with pork loin as the star. Introducing our Golden Pear wood smoked pork
tenderloin, with purple Peruvian potato salad tossed with fresh arugula and
roasted corn, garnished with house made preserved lemon. The potato salad is dressed with a light and
refreshing mixture of EVOO and white balsamic vinegar, a perfect combination to
the peppery bitterness of the arugula.
The smoke on the pork loin is subtle and smooth with a light touch of
sweet fruit flavor. 
But why not play up that fruit flavor by adding more fruit? Since we were working with a golden pear
wood, let’s get some golden pear in on the action. Now you could just slice the pear, add it to
the pork and move on, but we wanted more.
So we grilled the pear slices adding another element of smoke and
caramelization to our flavor profile.
But now we wanted something to light and fresh to balance out the deep
flavors. The combined dish is quickly
making its way to my top dish for spring.
Presenting our green and red kale salad tossed with black berry vinaigrette,
crumbled Gorgonzola and fresh blackberries.
This flavor pack highlighted by the deeply fruity smoked wood and
grilled pears is a perfect combination for the warm spring luncheon or cool
night in. 
Let’s talk about brinner, or the wonderful phenomenon of
breakfast for dinner. Now the fried
chicken and waffle trend has taken the world by storm, but we wanted to play
back to breakfast’s sweet side in a new and exciting dessert. To me spring means citrus margaritas, sweet
sangria and mimosas all enjoyed in the warm sunshine. What do all of these drinks have in common?
Citrus! To that end we created an extraordinary
brinner treat, the citrus trio pancake stack.
Blood orange pancakes topped with white chocolate mouse and a blood
orange syrup, Myer lemon pancake topped with chocolate mouse and Myer lemon
syrup, and finally a key lime pancake topped with toasted coconut and white
chocolate mouse and key lime syrup.
With the weather warming and our winter coats finding a
more seasonal place in our closets, it’s time to drop the heavy winter dishes
and get ready for the colors of spring.
