First in a possibly never-recurring series

[dreda]

Over an exquisite tasting menu last night (T.W. Food - yes, you want to), our thoughts turned as they often do to future menus. Dinner was several hours, so we had a lot of time to come up with ideas. Strangely enough, we were feeling very seasonal.

So, what's on the chalkboard?

Comments

[mermaidlady]

Pea tendrils... ramps... fiddleheads... *swoon*!

[dreda]

Somehow, I had never had pea tendrils until last night, and was delightfully surprised to find out that they taste exactly like peas themselves!

[lanome]

That sounds excellent. I'm starting to get jealous of all the good eating you lovely ladies do. I really ought to get out more.

[dreda]

With a very few exceptions (I have yet to tackle whole stuffed fish, for example, and I still haven't figured out how to toast the goat cheese and still have it hang together well), this is mostly stuff that we've made at home in one form or another. ;)

[dreda]

I suspect that the pros freeze the logs of goat cheese, and cook them that way. Deep-frying, actually, would be the best way to get the rounds crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, but I am quite sure that's not happening at our house. ;)

[dreda]

I have yet to experiment much with whole fish, although I have some excellent resources that have suggestions along the lines of the stuffing. I think that "stuffed" here is a presentation, not a cooking method - there really isn't much room in a single trout, and so the fish is cooked and the pilaf is cooked and then they are plated together so it looks as if they were cooked together. The hashed brussel sprouts are cooked over high heat so that they get a bit crispy - they're there in part to give some textural contrast to the softer fish and pilaf.

It's strange to try and think about seasonality with citrus - I am willing to have a blind spot on the subject of lemons, but it seems a little odd to have oranges next to the pea tendrils. But perhaps my little bistro has an orangery? It would be a great place to sit and eat. ;)

(Grocery cart game? I do not, but am curious.)

[lizziebelle]

Are you taking reservations? *g*

[daft]

When you stuff something with ramps and eat it, do you end up with Matchbox cars trying to merge with your small intestine?

[dreda]

Is it wrong of me to think that I just had an idea for a totally OOP subtlety?