Hello! I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Here are a few updates before I get into the menu.
Vacation; I am in Mexico for the next two weeks. Jesus is in charge and I expect everything to go completely smoothly. As some of you may know, as Executive Sous Chef, Jesus has the skills, training, and the authority to make any changes or decisions he deems necessary. The day to day operations will not change and he will be conducting the Culinary Corner in my absence at 10 am on Mondays. I won't ask him to do this blog for me though, so we will return to regular articles when I return on July 11th.
Brewing: The Honey Wheat beer we made on June 9th was racked to a secondary fermenter on June 24th, and it looks great. When I get back on Monday the 11th, I will rack it to a keg, and we will enjoy later that week. We will be brewing beer on July 15th, I am buying some
Colorado Cherries and would like to make a Cherry Ale, as our second brew as we enjoy our inaugural one: "the Bee's Knees". All interested feel free to join me on the Dad Clark Patio.
Bees: the bees are mostly healthy, there are seven hives, five of which look very good, two of which are not really growing in numbers as much as I expected. If numbers have not increased by the end of July, I may combine them into one hive that is stronger for the upcoming winter. It looks like honey production is coming along, we will know more soon but I expect to harvest honey in early August in time for our Farmer's Market.
Garden: We finally did some weeding which was much needed. We are actively using our herbs, while patiently awaiting heirloom tomatoes. The Hops don't seem to be doing well, I think that late snowfall may have shocked them. I will replant them in the fall and see if that works better.
We lost an excellent employee this week as Samten Tharchin has resigned as our Sous Chef in order to spend time working on his own business. Samten has been a dedicated employee for nearly ten years, and will definitely be missed. We are interviewing candidates for Sous Chef and I expect to make an announcement when I return from vacation about a replacement. As it stands in the kitchen we are seeking two dishwashers and one Sous Chef.
OK.
So the soup this week is Black Bean with Ham. We don't think about black beans very much, they are a common ingredient in our cooking but were relatively unknown in American cuisine before the 1980's. These nutritious meaty beans are a great addition to any diet, and have been cultivated for at least 7,000 years, although their origin is debated. We season these with onion, garlic, tomato paste, cumin and other spices and the ham adds a smoky salty flavor that is unbeatable.
The cheese this week is aged Provolone. Provolone cheese is a very common ingredient in America, and so we tend to lose focus on the fact that it is a fine cheese on its own and can stand up to strong flavor as well.
It is made very similarly to Mozzarella in that the curd is stretched and pulled while still hot, but provolone is generally aged longer and has a firmer texture. We are serving this one with apple butter and crackers.
The Appetizer is Midwest Meatballs. This is a simple one, beef and pork meatballs are simmered in grape jelly and chili sauce until very tender. That's basically it. When I was first told about this dish I was skeptical, but they are quite delicious, and I recommend you try it.
At Dinner we have Fried Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish, with house tartar sauce. Catfish has a firm texture, but a subtle flavor. This one is a nostalgic one for me, growing up in the south, my father was an avid fisherman, and it seemed like catfish from the Rodman Reservoir in North Central Florida was almost always on the menu. Farmed catfish has a much milder taste than wild, so if you haven't had any lately give this a try. During the pandemic, domestic supply of catfish became scarce, as the aquaculture industry faced the same pressures as everyone else: labor shortages, increased pricing and supply chain problems. It seems like availability is up, even if prices are also up. We are also serving cheese grits and crispy zucchini with his one.
We have Beef Barbacoa Quesadillas on the menu with Nopales and pepper Jack cheese. Barbacoa refers to slowly cooked meat that is tender and delicious. Nopales are the leaves of the prickly pear cactus, the flavor is mild, reminiscent of squash. Of course we will serve fresh green salsa, borracho beans and top it off with fried avocado.
Look out for Pork Chops this week at dinner with our homemade applesauce, green beans and roasted potatoes.
We have a Leek and Cheese Panade this week. Basically think of this as a savory bread pudding as a vegetarian option.
Also Vegetarian and a great choice for those looking for a healthier alternative is our House-made Spaghetti tossed with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, fresh basil, and toasted pine nuts.
Again, I will be away for a much needed vacation the next few weeks, I will return in early July and will continue our blog then. As I mentioned, Jesus is in charge (The Executive Sous Chef I mean...), and will be handling everything in my absence.
See you all soon.
