22 August 2009
4 Comments
Dinner, Events

Simply Outstanding


Tomato Taster

A few weeks ago, Meggie, David, the Bun and I were blessed to have the opportunity to attend one of the dinners in the Outstanding in the Field series (see link at the right), run by Jim Denevan and a crew of loyal and committed farm groupies.  I call them that because their philosophy is about food, but not so much about the end product on your plate.  They are committed to making people become more aware of food origins and how it actually makes it to your pantry or your dinner table.  Throughout the evening, a slew of wonderful farmers and food providers came by to talk about the amazing raspberries that were in our dessert, or about the delicious beer they made to accompany our first course.  Each one had a great story to tell, or at least some interesting facts to relay, and made us all feel we were part of something very special.  Some of our favorite dishes were a beautiful, smooth corn chowder with sausage (and fresh coriander seeds from an herb patch not 20 yards from where we were sitting), amazing fried rabbit pieces, and phenomenal pecan pie.

City Farm II

One of the things that I had a difficult time grasping, for at least the first part of the meal, is where we were in the city of Chicago.  The dinner was held at the City Farm, which is essentially right in the heart of what used to be one of the most crime-ridden housing projects in the country.  The remnants of the Cabrini-Green towers still loom to the west, the condition of which plays a strong discordance with the beauty and spirit of the farm.  What I tried to do throughout the evening was to reconcile the many disparities of time, place, and sociology in that place.  There we were, indulging in an expensive meal with 150 other people to whom the luxury of fresh, organic, delicious food was given, when a block or two away, people were potentially eating cheap, processed food because it was all they could afford.  Several more blocks to the other side of us, the residents of the Gold Coast might have been sucking down foie gras and obnoxious vintages of French wine, just because they could.  We were happy to learn that the City Farm is, in fact, connected to the community through service and food provisions, so it isn’t just the privileged who reap the benefits of the food they grow.

Table Setting

For those of us thinking about the concept of place over the course of those courses, I think that there was something garnered in making the effort to consider the proximity between oneself and the food one eats.  It also seemed important to consider that, regardless of who we are and the money we may or may not have, we should know what it means to eat good food.  Part of me felt guilty about having that amazing meal there under the stars, prepared lovingly by our chef, Mindy Segal, and her tireless staff.  But then another part of me realized that my presence there was not the norm for the City Farm, but the exception.  Though they might provide food for some of the more high-end restaurants in Chicago, they also seem committed to their own sense of place and the people who live in the area.  Does a tomato taste better when it is turned into a luxurious soup at a table set with white linens than, it would simply sitting on a plate, sliced and sprinkled with salt and pepper?  I think I’ve been on both sides of the tomato here, and I can say that they taste equally good when they come from the ground outside your door.

The End

19 August 2009
1 Comment
Dizzarts

Fresh Fruit Tart


Fresh Fruit Tart

Fresh Fruit Tart

This dessert was inspired by my friend Christine. As teenagers, we often put together little dinner parties or just made food together from recipe books we started collecting at a very early age. She started making something called a Tranchee aux Fruits, which was basically a crust, a sweet cheese layer, and a layer of fresh fruit. To make the dish especially appealing, you melt a little apricot jam with some water and brush it over the fruit, which gives it a beautiful, jewel-like shine. Once you have the crust made, this dish could not be simpler to make, and everyone seems to find it quite impressive. You should feel free to play around with the combinations of fruit you use, depending on what you find freshest at the market. Also, alter the cheese mixture to your liking. Most often, I just use a bit of regular cream cheese, mixed with confectioners sugar and flavored with a little vanilla extract. Here, I used some almond extract and I think that, in the future, I’ll try a little orange flower water. Go with your instincts on what you think works together. I chose the almond flavor here because the peaches (and all stone fruits) are related to almonds. If I am feeling a little more fancy or frivolous with money, I might try some Mascarpone cheese in this recipe, or some other Neufchatel-style cheese.

As far as the crust is concerned, make it as simple or complicated as you like. For this version, I made a pat-in-pan shortbread crust which was delicious and easy. Granted, it was not as easy as the store-bought crescent rolls that Crissy and I used to use, but not too bad. A homemade or store-bought flaky pastry crust will work, too. Just make sure that you get enough crust up the sides of your pan to hold the cheese and fruit. Regardless of what you choose as the crust, I think a fluted tart pan makes the most attractive presentation. In these high-summer days, when fresh, local fruit is at its best, I cannot think of a better way to showcase those delicious flavors.

Fresh Fruit Tart

14 August 2009
23 Comments
Cocktails

Cocktail of the Week: The Pinkerton


Pinkertons

Pinkertons


As the Bun was rummaging through the refrigerator the other day he said, “Hey, we still have mint – we should make Southsides before it goes bad.” I immediately thought that it was time for a new application for the mint and a new cocktail for SW.

As a kid, I loved Country Time pink lemonade – the pink, specifically. No triangle jokes, please. I learned well after my thirsty childhood that the pink powder really bore no difference in taste to the regular yellow stuff and discovered that good pink lemonade is made with the addition of real raspberry or strawberry. I don’t think I have ever made good pink lemonade of the child-friendly variety, so I decided to go ahead with my adult version, which would use the innocuous flavor of vodka to enhance the pleasure of its refreshment. With the judicious addition of fresh mint, I think that this one sealed the deal as a summer-time keeper. The name is a product of my own fit of whimsy, based on the color, so don’t go ordering this libation at the local dive, unless you plan to bring your own strawberries and guide the bartender through the blending process. Do, however, invite your friends over for this one. Be ready to make a second batch.*

In a blender, combine:
5-7 whole strawberries
1 cup of vodka (I use Skyy)
1-2 sprigs of mint, leaves only
1-2 tablespoons of simple syrup, or to taste
Cover and blend this all together until the strawberries and mint are completely puree-d. Strain through a fine strainer and into a small serving pitcher, stirring the pulp of the fruit around until all of the liquid is through the strainer. To serve, pour into rocks or short glasses filled with ice, evenly distributing amongst four glasses. Top off each glass with club soda and stir gently, adding a mint leaf for garnish, if desired.

*Dear friends Keith and Mario enjoyed a few rounds of this cocktail with us during the Market Days weekend and we quickly found that one round may have been enough! Check out Keith’s shout out to SW on his blog, but be warned, he’s hilarious, but not for the faint-hearted!

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