Sunday, April 17, 2011

17 April 2011







I've been so excited about cooking tonight's Sunday Supper! One of Jeff's customers brought him some ramps on Friday, and I obsessed about what to cook with them all weekend. Ramps are wild leeks that only appear for a very short period in the Spring. They grow wild, and foodies forage for them like truffles. They have a very strong and distinct flavor that is similar to garlic and onions. I have heard about them but never cooked with them until tonight. I love the fact that they are wild and native, so I made sure that everything I prepared tonight was from Georgia. I cleaned the ramps and made two pounds of Amish ramp butter. It is now in the freezer, and it will be great for steaks, chicken and fish. I will experiment with it on other things as well. Our local farmers market begins on May 15, so I am looking forward to some local produce this summer. Jeff's parents joined us for dinner on the side porch, and I began with an amuse bouche of baby green pea soup with pea cream and wasabi pea garnish. It set the tone for a nice dinner. For the entree, I pan seared bacon wrapped filet mignon and topped it with the ramp butter. For sides, we had sweet corn steamed in its husks and baked Vidalia onions. I made some whole grain ramp bread with the butter as well – similar to garlic bread but with ramp butter. It was yummy! For dessert, Jeff made a divine flourless chocolate torte which we served with organic raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream. All in all, a very nice Sunday Supper inspired by an indigenous wild leek.

Sweet dreams!


The Menu:

- Baby Georgia Sweet Pea Soup with Pea Cream and Wasabi Pea Garnish

- Local Grass Fed Filet Mignon with Ramp Butter

- Baked Vidalia Onions

- Sweet Corn Steamed in its Husks

- Whole Grain Ramp Bread

- Flourless Chocolate Torte with Organic Raspberries



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Sunday, April 10, 2011

10 April 2011







It has been a busy weekend at One Britt! On Saturday, my dear friends Steve and Amado came down from the mountains with their tiller in tow. They helped Jeff and I plow up the old herb garden which was too far gone to be saved. Plus, I wanted a fresh start with the herbs and other edible plants and flowers. We couldn't have done it without their help – yet another reminder of our timeless friendship. Although it was a lot of work, we had a great time and ended the day with a trip to two local nurseries. We found some great things to plant in the new garden; including: rosemary, basil, oregano, tarragon, three varieties of sage, cilantro, parsley, and chives. Once we got the herb garden all plowed, we realized it was quite a large space, so I also decided to plant some vegetables and other edible plants. I found four varieties of heirloom tomatoes, Annie Oakley Okra, heirloom mixed lettuces, cabbage, jalapeno peppers and strawberries. Jeff and I spent all day planting these little gems, so I am hoping for some fresh herbs and produce in a couple of months! We centered one of the old iron candelabras in the center, and used it for a tomato cage for the better boy tomatoes. Instead of the candle holders on top, we planted small clay pots with thyme and limelight sedum so it will flow over the top of the pots and drape down. It should be quite dramatic if it works! I posted a few photos of the process below, and I will keep you posted on the garden. Hopefully, I will be using the bounty for many future Sunday Suppers this summer.

After two long days of gardening, we really worked up an appetite! One of my favorite magazines is Garden & Gun! It sounds crazy, but it is really a very tame publication focused on Southern lifestyle. In this month's issue, I was fascinated with one of the featured recipes, "Peanut Chicken." It is basically a roasted chicken with a peanut butter, soy, green onion and other Asian influenced spices. You make a paste of these ingredients, and rub it under and over the skin before roasting. It is really very interesting and delicious! To accompany the chicken, I made sesame rice timbales, organic English peas and fresh local carrots. For dessert, I made individual lime tarts. A great Sunday Supper to celebrate our gardening adventures.

I hope everyone's weekend was as beautiful as ours here in Canton, Georgia, and I wish you a productive and bountiful week ahead.

The Menu:

- Roasted Organic Free Range Peanut Chicken

- Sesame Rice Timbales

- Organic Young English Peas

- Local Carrots

- Key Lime Tarts

- Frogtown Cellars Disclosure Chardonnay, First (2008), Dahlonega, Georgia