For me, vegetables, fruits, and grains define flavor, texture, and seasonality in cooking. Looking back, I can see the changes in my menus. First, it was about the "center of the plate protein." Vegetables and starch were just secondary players. But as I became more aware of the vegetables around me, they became the primary focus and the proteins slid to the second spot. I must confess, I am far from a vegetarian. I just love cooking with vegetables.
Vegetable cookery is one of the most interesting parts of cuisine. Vegetables provide an incredible depth and range of color, shapes, flavor, and texture that can not be matched by beef, chicken, or salmon. (yes, I know that there are many people out there that would wholeheartedly disagree with me) As a chef, I'm excited about "first of the season" vegetables. Just around the corner is asparagus, rhubarb, sorrel, garlic chives, strawberries, English peas, fava beans! And the list goes on.
It is also the fleeting nature of vegetables that inspires me as well. Optimum eating time can be so short that one has to take advantage before they gone. Local asparagus, artichokes and sorrel only last for a few weeks. The parsnips that I purchased for this week are all gone. The sign that winter has given up and spring is coming on strong.
So, lets enjoy our vegetables and all their glory!!!!
Menu for this week:
Pate de campagne (meat)
Roasted parsnips with local honey and ginger(vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free)
Parsnip salad with orange -yogurt dressing(vegetarian, gluten-free)
Sicilian style Swiss chard(vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free)
Radish and cabbage salad with honey-ginger vinaigrette(vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free)
Roasted radishes with sesame seeds(vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free)
Sorrel soup(vegetarian, gluten-free)
Limited supplies of:
Shredded duck salad with apple, sunchoke, and orange vinaigrette(meat)
Poleanta cakes with mushroom ragout(vegetarian)
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