Off The Plate

One of my new line cooks, Brandon told me he had a blog. Check it out, Off the Plate. It looks good. I've been checking it out on a daily basis. The kid has tallent and his plates look clean.

Westfield Farm Bluebonnet

Another great goat cheese by Westfield Farm. Bluebonnet is a surface ripened goat blue cheese. It definitely has blue qualities with the same creamy quality of chevre. The cheese is milky, clean and bright with notes of citrus and finishes with a hint of black pepper.

Veal Meatloaf

This dish was one of the dishes from my summer menu.
Oake Knoll Ayrshires Veal Meatloaf
Cheesy Polenta, Sous Vide Farm Egg, Sweet Corn Succotash

Beet & Apple Salad

I have been bringing in whole pigs from a farm called Brambly Farms. The farmers, Ted & Sandra raise some of the most beautiful animals I have seen, mostly all heritage breeds.They really care about what they do and it shows. A smiling pig is always a good tasting pig. I have been utilizing the belly for bacon. Here is one of the dishes we incorporated the bacon into.

Roasted Beets, Apples, House Cured Bacon, Buttermilk Ranch, Arugula.

Picture taken by Tiffany Smith

Island Creek Oyster

Living in New England I am fortunate enough to have these tasty little gems in my back yard. Island Creek Oysters are one of my favorite oysters. They are a tad bit briny and buttery. Island Creek Oyster / Bloody Mary Gelee / Fennel Pollen

Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms

While growing up I was a vegetarian for 10 years. Why? I don't remember. I guess it's because I have always been a bit crunchy. I know a lot of chefs get annoyed when a vegetarian comes into dine. For myself, I look at it as a challenge. How do I create something that is going to excite and taste amazing without meat? I just put this dish on the new summer menu, and it is turning out to be one of the best sellers. Ricotta stuffed squash blossom / House made spaghetti / Slow roasted tomatoes / Fennel and pollen.

Cilantro Blossoms

These cilantro blossoms are from the roof top garden. They have great flavor. They taste of cilantro with a hint of sweetness from the nectar. We let some of the plants go to seed. The fresh coriander seeds are also pretty amazing. Things always seem better when grown yourself.

Early Summer Menu

Soup & Salads

Green Bean Salad
Benton’s country ham, greens, green goddess dressing

Spinach salad
Baffoni’s fried egg, house cured bacon, radish, Westfied Farm Capri chevre, red wine vinaigrette

Heirloom Tomato & Cucumber Gazpacho
Mozzarella, smoked balsamic

Small Plates

Native RI Popcorn
Duck Fat & lemon thyme

Warm Marinated Picholine Olives

Island Creek Oysters
bloody marry gelee, fennel pollen

Hill Farm Pork Meatballs
Sofrito ,Wisconsin Parm

Truffle Mac & Cheese
smoked crumb crust

Blue hill Bay Mussels
swiss chard, grain mustard, charred lemon, Arbiquino oil

Wild Mushroom Flatbread
caramelized onion, ricotta, arugula, lemon thyme dressing

Point Judith calamari
kalamata olives, Basque pepper, herbs, romesco sauce

Entrees

Half Roasted Organic Chicken
carrots ,whipped potato, jus

Oake Knoll Ayshires Veal Meatloaf
Cheesy polenta, poached farm egg, succotash

Northeast Family Farms Crispy Pork belly
warm black chickpea salad, preserved lemon, flavors of hummus

Wild Striped Bass
Summer vegetable hash, tomato, dill oil, Benton’s country ham froth

Painted Hills Sirloin
crispy potato pave, green beans, glazed shallots

Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms
House made spaghetti, slow roasted tomatoes, fennel & pollen

Braised Pel freez Rabbit
Semolina gnocchi, bright lights chard, shaved radish, hints of citrus, nasturtium

Jasper Hill Winnemere

This is a new cheese featured on my cheese board. It is a complex cheese. It is an old world, raw milk, washed rind cheese from Jasper Hill Farm. It is wrapped in spruce wood and washed in a lambic beer. The spruce gives this cheese a woodsy flavor. Jasper Hill makes some of my favorite cheeses. I always have at least one or two of their cheeses on my board.

Roof Top Garden

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been really busy at the restaurant. I have taken the Executive Chef position at Tastings. Rich, my long time friend, felt it was time for him to move on and my time to move up. My Sous Chef, Justin, left also; he moved out to California. I would work with any one of these guys, including my previous Sous Chef Imani, any day in a heartbeat. Each of them are solid chefs! On top of it all as I am going through rough times at the restaurant with the lack of staff, working everyday and making the change to Executive Chef, I broke my right hand while riding my bicycle. When it rains it pours! As my hand is in the healing process it has been hard to take decent photos. Here are the last ones I took before the big spill. I bought a bunch of starter plants from a plant sale at White Barn Farm. Chris and Christie grow some pretty amazing stuff. I am fortunate enough to work about 10 minutes away from them. I will post some more pics in the next few days.

Blood Orange & Rosemary Sorbet

Simpler the better

Blood Orange Rosemary Sorbet / Fluid Gel / Chantily Cream / Meringue / Jorge Ordonez Victoria 2

Whole Maine Shrimp

These shrimp are from Port Clyde Fresh Catch. When sautéed or fried whole you can eat the shell and all. The shell is nice and crispy while the meat has a custard like texture.

Whole Maine shrimp/ Pickled ramps / Young garlic sauce / Spring onion and flower

Lilacs

Lilacs are one of my favorite edible flowers. They smell amazing, taste the way they smell, and are very mild in flavor. They are the definition of spring to me. Lardo / Lilacs / Fava Beans / Picked Ramps / French Breakfast Radish / Red Ribbon Sorrel / Landaff / Vanilla Balsamic

Stuffed Point Judith Calamari

Hill Farm Pork Sausage Stuffed Calamari / Garlic Sauce / Preserved Lemon

Spring Menu Release

Salads & Soups

Seasonal salad

organic greens, vegetables, herbs, house vinaigrette

Shaved asparagus salad

Jamon Serrano, red ribbon sorrel,Landaff cheese, caper vinaigrette

Spring Vegetable Plate

asparagus, baby beets, fiddleheads, baby turnips,carrots, black garlic ranch dressing

Spring Pea Soup

lavender gremolata, yogurt

Small Plates

Native Popcorn

brown butter, Spring garlic

Point Judith Calamari

romesco sauce, ramps, black olives,Basque peppers

Blue Hill Bay Mussels

leek, mint, chili, young garlic baguette

Fluke Crudo

French breakfast radish, sea beans, lime, extra virgin olive oil

Rabbit Leg bruschetta

crushed fava beans, citrus aioli

Entrees

Roasted Organic Amish 1/2 chicken

whipped potatoes, carrots, fiddleheads

Painted Hills Sirloin

roasted white asparagus, glazed shallots, sunchoke puree

Black Tagliatelle

Hill Farm pork stuffed squid tubes, spring onion, preserved lemon

Magret Duck Breast

smoked spring dug parsnip risotto, morels, horseradish, chervil

Stinging Nettle & Ricotta Ravioli

garlic scape and vermouth emulsion

House Made Lamb Sausage

white beans, artichokes, green harissa, picholine olives

Summer Flounder

organic mushrooms, peas, watermelon radish, sorrel broth

Braised Lamb Belly

Braised Lamb Belly / Foie gras and lamb sausage / Asturian bean stew / Green harissa

Fried Head Cheese

It's too bad that animal parts like the head are usually thrown out. There is so much great meat on the pig's head. So why waste it? You can utilize these odds and ends in so many other ways, like bacon with the jowls, porchetta de testa, coppa de testa, so on and so on. Here we have fried head cheese. I cooked the pig's head for about 14 hours in a low simmering water. Afterwards, I pulled all the meat off the head while the stock reduced more than half way. Then in a separate bowl I bloomed a few sheets of gelatin and added it to the stock. The meat was seasoned with fennel seed, cinnamon, juniper, salt, and pepper. I drizzled some of the gelatinous stock and rolled the meat in plastic wrap to form cylinders. I let the cylinders rest, cut portions, then breaded and fried it. Rich paired these little delights with romesco sauce.

Poached Island Creek Oysters

Poached Island Creek Oysters / Green apple puree / Bacon dashi /Meyer lemon oil

Cooking At The Beard House

Here are a few pictures of the boys and me at the Beard house that Tiffany took, some pretty amazing shots. I will be posting more pictures in the next coming week of the food and maybe some more good times.

Pork Meatballs & Calamari

Hill Farm's Pork Meatballs / Point Judith Calamari / Calasparra Rice / Soffritto