Here is a rough draft of the idea…. Now we just have to make it a reality.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Living Tea Service
Here is a rough draft of the idea…. Now we just have to make it a reality.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Soft Shell Crabs
Tonight I prepared the soft shells in a light almond batter with Castelveltrano Olive-Padron Pepper Sauce and a variety of Sorrel Leaves from the garden. The acidity from the sorrel leaves pairs perfectly with the salinity of the crab and gentle heat of the roasted padrons.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Cooking for Solutions with Vikram Vij
This year we hosted Chef Vikram Vij from Vancouver. Chef Vikram has three restaurants in Canada as well as two popular cookbooks and a line of spices and curries. Each year he makes a pilgrimage to India to hand select spices that will go into his proprietary curries. Classically trained in Austria, Vikram is one of the few chefs who has taken traditional Indian food to such a refined level. For the event he prepared Pacific Halibut seasoned with dried green mango on a black garbanzo bean curry. He was also gracious enough to prepare a pot of chicken curry for our kitchen team.
Following the event I took Vikram into Carmel Valley to check out some local vineyards. He was very impressed with the ingredients and wines available around Monterey Bay. Working with Vikram was a real pleasure and I hope to have him back to Post Ranch soon for a collaborative dinner.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Octopus and New Plates by Shelby Hawthorne
Chef Ono has prepared a Baby Octopus with Riesling Marinated Apricots, Charred Shallot, Avocado and Black Sesame.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Fog Front
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Quail Egg
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Onion Scapes
Anton just harvested a beautiful bunch of Vidalia Onion scapes for tonight's dinner menu! The young scrapes are quite versatile and can be either grilled or sautéed. They have a texture reminiscent of asparagus and a mild onion flavor.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Carrot Cavatelli
A fresh harvest of carrots from the garden inspired me to dust off the pasta machine and work on some fresh cavatelli. When done right, cavatelli is a thick-shell shaped pasta that is simultaneously dense and lite, somewhere between a gnocchi and rustic rolled pasta. The ingredients can be as simple as flour and water, and the trick is to create a dough that does not get stuck in the rolling machine, but is also not too dry. Once you have achieved the right ratio, making cavatelli is quick, easy and delicious.
Here's a quick video clip showing how the pasta is made.
I wanted the pasta to be dark orange, just like the freshly harvested carrots. To do this I juiced the carrots and brought the juice to a gentle simmer, removing the orange froth as it formed on the top of the pot. We drained this orange froth through a coffee filter and used the resulting paste to flavor and color the dough. The carrot liquid that was left behind smelled and tasted like carrot juice, but was completely clear like consommé. With the addition of a little balsamic, lemon verbena leaves and sea salt, this makes a perfect broth for the finished dish.

Once the cavatelli are rolled, we store them in a single layer so they don’t stick to each other. After three minutes in simmering, salted water we transfer the pasta to a pan full of sautéed morels, fresh garden peas and ramps. The pasta is then transferred to a presentation bowl and the broth is warmed in a small cast iron tea pot and steeped with fresh lemon verbena leaves. At the table the dish is finished with the herb infused broth and fresh parmesan.
Here's a quick video clip showing how the pasta is made.
I wanted the pasta to be dark orange, just like the freshly harvested carrots. To do this I juiced the carrots and brought the juice to a gentle simmer, removing the orange froth as it formed on the top of the pot. We drained this orange froth through a coffee filter and used the resulting paste to flavor and color the dough. The carrot liquid that was left behind smelled and tasted like carrot juice, but was completely clear like consommé. With the addition of a little balsamic, lemon verbena leaves and sea salt, this makes a perfect broth for the finished dish.
Once the cavatelli are rolled, we store them in a single layer so they don’t stick to each other. After three minutes in simmering, salted water we transfer the pasta to a pan full of sautéed morels, fresh garden peas and ramps. The pasta is then transferred to a presentation bowl and the broth is warmed in a small cast iron tea pot and steeped with fresh lemon verbena leaves. At the table the dish is finished with the herb infused broth and fresh parmesan.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Back To The Beginning
Will these incredible trees have any more surprises in store for me?
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Bubbles

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