Sunday, April 14, 2013

14 April 2013



It has been a beautiful weekend. Saturday was picture perfect, except for the pollen count, but today's rain is clearing the air a bit. I struggled with the record breaking pollen count of over 8,000 all week, but yesterday was too beautiful to stay inside. We spent most of the afternoon in Atlanta's Westside district. After a delicious lunch on the patio at JCT. Kitchen, we walked over to White Provisions for a little retail therapy at Room & Board and Billy Reid. Before heading back to Canton, we did a usual stop at Star Provisions. This wonderful little shop is just out front of Bacchanalia, and it is operated by their chef and owner, Annie Quatrano. Annie has amazing taste in the hand curated kitchen and housewares, but the store also carries some amazing food products. In addition to an outstanding variety of heirloom cheese, meats and other imported culinary items, they also feature some local organic produce from Annie's farm and other Georgia growers. Yesterday, I was delighted to find some amazing jumbo asparagus, colorful Swiss Chard, and Baby Radishes. All of these items made their way into tonight's Sunday Supper.

After leaving Star Provisions, we made a final stop at Harry's Farmers Market in Marietta. I have been craving fresh Halibut since I had it for the first time this season at Goin' Coastal. I love it prepared with their soy miso broth, so I did my version of the same dish tonight. While it was a little different than Zach Kell's version, I have to say I did it justice! I served my halibut over stir fried chard, brussel sprouts and radish greens. With a little edamame for color and texture, it was tasty and healthy. At Harry's, I also found some sweet and perfectly ripened strawberries from Mathews Farm in Georgia, so I prepared a strawberry short biscuit for dessert in honor of Loretta Lynn's 81st birthday! It is just like strawberry shortcake, but I used a sweet buttermilk biscuit instead of cake. It was a delectable ending to a great Sunday Supper, and it seemed like something Loretta would have concocted in her Crisco kitchen.

After a nice dinner, we were excited to watch the premiere of Anthony Bourdain's new show on CNN, "Parts Unknown." I really enjoy his travel journalism, and he will be showcasing some amazing destinations as part of CNN, including his first location of Myannmar. The show will be on Sundays at 9 PM, so check it out. Tomorrow, I travel to Michigan to present a very detailed brand strategy for a new client. My team has been working very hard on this presentation, and I am excited to present their work to our client. Thanks to Matt DeFrain, Elizabeth Seidle and Kurt Seidel for all of the great work they do for Grant Design Collaborative.

In addition to being very busy at work, we have a lot of repairs going on at One Britt. Our new roof was installed a couple of weeks ago, and now the house is getting a much needed coat of paint. Hopefully, it will all be completed in time for some amazing Spring and Summer Sunday Suppers on the Side Porch! Until then, I wish everyone a productive and tasteful week ahead. Eat well, and count your blessings.

The Menu:

- Fresh Alaska Halibut in Ginger Soy Miso Broth

- Stir Fried Local Organic Swiss Chard and Radish Greens

- Roasted Baby Radishes

- Jumbo Asparagus with Brown Buttered Breadcrumbs

- Georgia Strawberry Short Biscuits


The Recipe – Jumbo Asparagus in Brown Buttered Breadcrumbs

Ingredients:

- 1 pound jumbo asparagus, peeled and trimmed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup homemade breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

Fill a saucepan or deep frying pan large enough to hold all the asparagus with generously salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a bowl large enough to hold all the asparagus about three fourths full with ice cubes and water. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook the stems until tender but still slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, testing by removing a spear with tongs, cutting off a small piece from the stem end, and carefully tasting it. With tongs or a large skimmer, remove the asparagus from the boiling water and immediately immerse the stems in the bowl of ice water. Leave them there for several minutes, until completely chilled. Drain the asparagus well. In a sauté pan large enough to hold the asparagus, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the asparagus and sauté, turning it with tongs, until it has heated through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to heated serving plates. Add the remaining butter to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until it begins to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the breadcrumbs and continue cooking until the mixture begins to turn a deep golden brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and spoon the buttery breadcrumbs over the asparagus. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.


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