A Food-Driven Day Off

Since the end of my stint at Tabla, and the end of my sentence at Naidre's (which added on a false bad note due to some bored people spreading lies and gossip and untrue garbage of exhorbitant proportions) I have been enjoying my time at Hearth, ignoring the sometimes stressful evenings with some of the kitchen staff there, and taking Jordan's advice of searching for inspiration. I decided to use today to do just that.
Allen, Poodle, and I hit Tom's Diner in Prospect Heights for a wonderful breakfast complete with a chocolate egg cream, given to us by Gus, the owner (not Tom... there is no Tom...) and some perfectly cooked eggs (the omelettes at Tom's Diner are always overcooked and spongy), and some great beef sausage that was generously squeezed with lemon. One lovely companion ordered the same, with eggs over-hard, and the other one ordered a plate of crabcakes and grits with a a thin but wonderful remoulade that was pleasantly loaded with Old Bay. One of the crowning achievements of Tom's (aside from the orange slices, ice water, sausage pieces, and hot coffee given out gratis while waiting in line) is the service. We were out in an hour, including our wait in line.
This was followed by a trip to the Fort Greene Park Greenmarket to Wilklow Orchards, the farm I used to regularly work for. We picked up an assortment of heirloom tomatoes, all in their prime, some nectarines (gorgeous and fragrant but in need of a day in a paper bag), a few red and yellow plums, two bright yellow cobs of fresh sweet corn, and the PLUMPEST of blackberries.
All of these things came together in a perfect summer late dinner, despite the humidity and pain of a hot oven and boiling water.

Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes with Mozzarella di Bufala, sel gris, black peppercorn "mignonette", and balsamic vinegar

Sweet Corn on the Cob with coarse sea salt and butter

Plum and Ginger Glazed Pork Chops with Garlic Roasted Scalloped Potatoes and Plum Puree

Romaine Lettuce, Garden Cucumbers, and San Marzano Tomatoes with Blackberry Vinagrette

Fresh Blackberries with Lemon Creme Anglaise

Green Grapes.

each course was washed down with generous glasses of dry rose... ice cold.

Happy Sunday (it's meatball night at Hearth, the best balls in the city),
jp

Jordan's advice....

At the staff meeting last week, Jordan (our chef) gave us a list of the usual "make sure there's a sanitation bucket, no tongs, clean more, don't stand around" and other things that require a reminder and a meeting every few months. But at the end of the list there was a more romantic "this is why we're really here" list of things we should do, which shows me that he is passionate and in love with food like I am, and shows me that I will soon be respected and trusted by everyone over at Hearth, not just because of my work, but also because of the passion we share.
One of the things that struck me was that to "Stay Inspired", and I've been thinking about that ever since. I am looking at the things around me that I eat on a regular basis, my real diet and food that I love. Nothing is more of an almost daily ritual that writing menus. I have decided to learn how to write a menu and experiment by posting my ideas here.

Summer Bar Menu - August 2007

first course:
Canteloupe, Prosciutto, and Parmesan with Arugula, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Truffle Honey

second course:
white corn and leek ravioli, sweet crab soup, fried scallions, smoked paprika

third course:
seared jumbo scallops, braised butter lettuce, fried yuca, tangerine gastrque, fried cashews

fourth course:
rabbit confit, zucchini gnocchi, \

and time for bed