[cape chef]

Just curious,
How often do you change your menus?
When you work with a set Menu are you able to run specials that coincide with the season? For me I write my menus for my ala carte restaurant every two days which is for the most part great.Most all banquet Menu's I can custem design as well with Client input ofcourse.Living in Ct I am lucky to be able to get really anything I would want.What are some of the challanges you face with availabilty of seasonal product?

We have a hard time getting our tuna we caught into the docks while its still kicking.To remedy this we take a nice sharp wusthoff with us, and different tupperware containers of wasabi,pickled ginger,and soy products. This only works on our days off from the Blue Point of course, but the taste of a piece of tuna that is still contracting in your mouth is unbelievable!!!

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Blue Point-Chef

[cape chef]

Sounds great, But what does it have to do with a seanal menu?

[Chef David Simpson]

I think this guy is in the wrong forum cape chef

[This message has been edited by Chef David Simpson (edited 11-01-2000).]

[cape chef]

I tend to agree David!!! The tuna does sound tasty though, Don't you think

[shroomgirl]

Wriggling food.....guys, this is a throw back to eating the heart out of your slain deer/bear/whatever.....oysters at least don't wriggle or scream loud when swallowed.

Seasonal~ wow I just closed the farmers market Oct 28th Hurray!!! we open May 12 2001
the last week was lush...sweet potatoes, butternut squash, spinach, pecans, apples, shrooms, garlic, jerusalum chokes, arugula, winter salad mix, baby and micro greens, herbs, rapini (HURRAY I didn't know they were going to grow rapini!) pumpkins, onions, potatoes, eggplant, peppers,the most luscious carrots I've ever eaten,......
Lamb, chicken, fat free beef (for real and it's OK) eggs, cheeses.....so it's pretty fun right now. Winter is not far from now and it will be bleak......imports I guess...
Whatcha got where you are? Better question is do you do strawberries in DEC? or wait until they are around in Mar/Apr

[This message has been edited by shroomgirl (edited 11-02-2000).]

[cape chef]

Shroomgirl, Just having some fun! Congrats on a great season. I am also enjoying the great produce of Autumn, All the hard squashes I can get my hands on, With rissotos,soups and sides, I have pretty much used up my time with micro greens, But baby spinach wilted and searved with some colorodo lamb,some white beans and pistachioes are in tune. I am running to the root vegetables right know, Celery root,turnips kolrabi, and all the beets I can cook. The fall goat cheese is coming in know, and I love to slice a piece and serve it with those sweet baby beets,with a few crostini for crunch, just a little warm. As for fruit,gold bud pears fiorrela and french butter pears, Cortlands and macouns and I have presearved alot of figs to serve with duck and foie gras.Organic pheasants and sqaub with roasted cheastnuts and baked apples with sage are roasting away, persimmins are finding there way into some sweet challeh puddings. Ah Life is good

[cape chef]

Has anyone ever worked with hen's of the woods?

[Chef David Simpson]

One of my favs. not very well known as other fungi but very goooood for stuffing chicken breast and sauces. They come off the side of a tree, so not good for plate presentation. Its best to hide them.

[cape chef]

I have smoked them (in a smoke box he he)and made a type of venision wellington using the saddle and phyllo and served it with a venison reduction and a new product from italy, Grilled tuscan olives and a little gorgonzola. served it with a badia coltuboino chianti reserva. Very rich and earthy flavor with a somewhat firm texture

[Chef David Simpson]

Sounds good!

[shroomgirl]

Hens are not one of my favorites~ but they are prolific in this area....straight hen ofthe woods soup, stuffings, grinding them if they are not as tender....I'm amazed they stood up to gorgonzolla and olives...the ones I've experienced have not alot of flavor.....I love porcinis! Colorado and New Mexico are supposed to have great crops of boletus Edulus (porcini). I think the Pacific Northwest may too, not sure on that.
So Cape Chef where are you getting your hens?
Are you out scaling trees in your off hours?
Or are the brokers that sell "real wild" shrooms other than chanterelles?

[cape chef]

I'm not scaling trees,although it might get rid of some stress. I buy my mushrooms from a company in new bedford mass. called sid wainer, I have found them to be the most helpful. They have hens and chicken of the woods,lobster mushrooms,porcini,mastake,morels and ofcourse chanterels,amoung others,they have your basic exoctic(non wild)oyster,crimini,shiitake and portabellas, I have bought fresh black trumpets from them as well. They have an incredible line up of produce, a super repoire with farmers and small independent growers.and will work with you to find what ever your looking for, 0r help you design a signature product.maybe a micro mix with pineapple weed that only goes to you et.Anyway, Shroomgirl can you reccomend a book on shroomage for me? much thanks, C.C.

[shroomgirl]

Need more specifics...like how to identify or how to cook? Actually the best thing you can do is find a regional one I can try to source you.....each area has look alikes that are not edible I would recommend going with a mycology group on a hunt or two so you find out what's in your area....LIKE in Mo area Chicken of the Woods looks like the poisonous Jackolantern (unless you know what they look like) or 1/2 free morels are not edible for everyone....It's just good practice to go with someone who knows what they are doing. Audobon Society has one Gary Lincoff is in NYC. I use a small one that our local mycologist published with what's in our area....BIG PICTURES. I'll get back to you.
I know about SID he's big with marinated baby artichokes with stems....I have several friends that use him.

[cape chef]

Thank you shroomgirl, I live in connecticut.
I would take any info you can source or if you know of a site i can search on.I know there are some areas in our state where their is foreging outings. I have never done this ,but would like to try.i would also like to purchase a book with pictures and idenification of species. I buy from Sid grilled long steam tuscan artichokes which are truly amazing $98:00 for 2 Kilos, very expensive. I made a bagna coda last week to get ready for the Novella wines and used these artichokes and freash cardoons. I used Sids white anchoivies in the infusion and god it was good.Thanks for your help
Brad