A "recent" event at the CVI..
My last post was largely pictures from a dinner for which I was merely an assisting hand. With post this, however, I return to my own food. In late August I was asked by the my friends at the Chef's Garden and Culinary Vegetable Institute to write a menu and execute a dinner for forty-two. They had a somewhat limited budget, but required as much attention and care as any other group contracting the CVI. I limited the menu to four courses with three passed hors d'oeuvres and a little palate cleanser between the main course and the dessert. My guests were members of the Harvard Business School Club from the east side of Cleveland. I had two assistants for this dinner, Chef Greg Bastien and a local culinary student. Also, local chef and friend Jeff Fisher helped with much of the prep. The menu follows. It should go without saying that all the vegetable products were from the farm.
This is the first of three passed starters. It's a shooter of sweet corn puree, topped with chili oil and micro arugula.
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This sweet potato tempura with chives and tentsuyu (the traditional tempura dipping sauce) was another of the passed hors d'oeuvres.
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I made a paste of pureed edamame with wasabi, put it on mini toasts and topped it with flying fish roe. Micro bulls blood (a beet) adds color and flavor.
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Soup Course (course one): cauliflower and saffron soup garnished with parsley coulis, paprika oil, tagarashi, arugula chiffonade and micro burgundy amaranth.
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Salad Course (course two): heirloom tomatoes with mixed baby greens, with sherry wine vinaigrette and spicy sesame cracker. Chef Greg is on the left. Thanks, Greg!
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Main Course (course three): Sesame Roasted Salmon with melted leeks, olive oil crushed fingerling potatoes, dragon carrot-red wine reduction, mustard emulsion and red malabar spinach. The culinary student just finished making an adjustment to the garnish.
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Intermezzo, palate cleanser: Watermelon with lemon citronette, micro lemon balm and balsamic reduction.
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Dessert Course (course four): cinnamon and star anise apple crepe with crumble garnish, goat cheese creme anglaise, micro cinnamon basil and sweet aztec.
Dessert Course (course four): cinnamon and star anise apple crepe with crumble garnish, goat cheese creme anglaise, micro cinnamon basil and sweet aztec.
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Here's a close-up of the crepe.
It was a fun day. Not overly long and rewarding. The guests were very pleased.
