Veggie U Benefit Hosted by Chef's Garden & Lockwood (past)

All proceeds will be donated to the Veggie U (which teaches 4th grade students the importance of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle). This will be an interactive, digital tasting where Farmer Lee Jones will be broadcasted over conferencing technology from his greenhouse in Ohio to the dining room. He will explain the ingredients and how they are grown and I will discuss how they made their way onto the evenings menu. I will be broadcasted to the dining room from the kitchen while plating up the courses. Additionally, finishing garnishes will be the centerpieces on the tables and guests will clip their own micros to finish their presentations.

See the just released menu below:

4/21/09 - 6-9pm
$95 all inclusive
Limited Space is still available... 312-917-3404

IN SUPPORT OF VEGGIE U

DIGITAL TASTING HOSTED BY FARMER LEE JONES, CHEF PHILLIP FOSS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE TEAMS OF THE CHEF’S GARDEN & LOCKWOOD RESTAURANT
APRIL 21ST, 2009

PASSED HORS’D’OEUVRES
CHERRY BOMB RADISH, KATE’S BUTTER, TAPENADE
BUFFALO-ED WING, MICRO WHITE CELERY
LOBSTER, HEART OF PALM, LYCHEE, AVOCADO, CUCUMBER BLOSSOM
FOIE GRAS SLIDERS, QUINCE, CHAMPAGNE GELÉE, MICRO MACHE
KUMAMOTO OYSTER, STURGEON CAVIAR, LEMONGRASS
CANTALOUPE AND PROSCIUTTO, PARMESAN AIR, PEPPERCRESS
’01 ETOILE, SUR LEES, SPARKLING WINE, BRUT, NAPA-SONOMA, CA, SUSTAINABLE

BUTTER POACHED BLACK COD & BRANDADE
ASSORTED BABY CARROTS, ZUCCHINI FLOWERS, SAFFRON, GINGER, ANISE HYSSOP
’06 GRGICH HILLS, CHARDONNAY, NAPA VALLEY, CA, BIODYNAMIC

JUDITH SCHAD’S GOAT CHEESE WITH LIQUID BLOOD ORANGE CENTER
3 VARIETIES OF SPINACH, BABY CANDY STRIPE BEETS, WALNUTS, PEAR
’0[i]7 BRASSFIELD, ROSÉ OF PINOT NOIR, HIGH SERENITY RANCH, CA, SUSTAINABLE[/i]

BACON & EGGS LIKE YOU'VE NEVER HAD THEM
BACON WRAPPED SHAD ROE, FAVA BEANS, PURPLETTE ONIONS, RED RIBBON SORREL,
VILLA MANODORI BALSAMIC VINEGAR, BROWN BUTTER
’06 DOMAINE CHANDON, PINOT MEUNIER, CARNEROS, CA, SUSTAINABLE

INTERMEZZO
CARBONATED CABERNET VERJUS, MR. FRYE’S RHUBARB BUBBLES, PETTIT RHUBARB

SAMPLING OF DIETZLER FARM’S BEEF
TENDERLOIN WITH MARROW CRUST
SHORT RIB COOKED IN HAY
CHEEK IN BLANQUETTE
TURNIPS WITH TRUFFLE HONEY, MORELS, WHITE ASPARAGUS, CHIVES
’04 CHARLES KRUG, GENERATIONS, NAPA VALLEY, CA, ORGANIC

FOURPLAY OF WILD STRAWBERRIES
COCONUT VEIL, WHITE CHOCOLATE, THAI BASIL
’06 INNISKILLIN, ICE WINE, VIDAL, NIAGARA PENINSULA, CANADA

PETIT FOURS
PU-ERH WILD ROSE TEA, 1997 VINTAGE RESERVE

At this wonderful event, I bid on and won a silent auction for a box of produce from Chef's Garden. I opted to defer the shipment until the peak of produce season, which is right about now. Yesterday, when I got home from work, not 1 but 2 huge boxes were waiting for me . . .


Wait for it . . .



The boy was excited by the contents of the first box we unpacked.



The total haul, from both boxes. This was beyond astonishing in quantity, quality and variety.



A picture of beauty



A selection of cauliflower and romanesco



Baby carrots in a variety of colors



Very cute miniature watermelon-looking things. About the size of the top section of my thumb. Anyone know what they are?



Anyone know what these are?



Or these?



How about this item?



Didn't want to let these sit, so I made a stuffing and a tempura-type batter and fried them up



Unexpected but delightful dinner (we also made a caponata/casserole with the little eggplants)

This is one of the best auction items I've ever won. We received such a haul, we invited several of our friends to come over and 'shop' our kitchen last night. Even after 3 families came through, we still have quite a glorious bounty.

Thanks, Chef's Garden!

=R=

Farmer Jones is perhaps the best argument against locavorism. There is a reason that many of the country's best chefs get so much of their produce from him, even if it has to be shipped across the country. Beautiful haul, Ronnie. I should have bid more

Kennyz wrote:Farmer Jones is perhaps the best argument against locavorism. There is a reason that many of the country's best chefs get so much of their produce from him, even if it has to be shipped across the country.

I can see why. Opening this box addicted me immediately to his stuff. In fact, last night I briefly considered opening a restaurant, just so I could continue to receive shipments from Farmer Jones.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Or these?

The greens on the right look like dandelion leaves (horta).

Hi,

I may be wrong, but they look very similar to some mini cucumbers I saw in David Hammond's garden last summer:



Regards,

Enjoy the bounty and wise move to wait for the season!
I will send him an email to have the items identified as I'm not even sure...

phillipfoss wrote:I will send him an email to have the items identified as I'm not even sure...

Thanks, Chef. That'd be much appreciated.

Fwiw, a knowledgeable friend told me that the yellow flowers on the left in this picture . . .



are broccoli flowers.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:
How about this item?

Looks to me like mizuna, Ron.

What an incredible, beautiful haul!

Kenny -
Here's the 411 from the source:
The first pic is mizuna.
The little melons are 'cucamelons'.
The blooms are bok choy blossoms (yellow) and arugula blooms (white)
The greens (with purple) are mustards. The flatter leaf is red mustard and the jagged leaf is red ruffled mustard.

Bridgestone wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:
How about this item?

Looks to me like mizuna, Ron.

What an incredible, beautiful haul!

Thanks, Jonathan.

phillipfoss wrote:Here's the 411 from the source:
The first pic is mizuna.
The little melons are 'cucamelons'.
The blooms are bok choy blossoms (yellow) and arugula blooms (white)
The greens (with purple) are mustards. The flatter leaf is red mustard and the jagged leaf is red ruffled mustard.

Thanks, Chef.

=R=

Just catching up with your thread, Ronnie. We're so pleased that you enjoyed the delivery of sustainably grown produce from the farm. Perhaps you picked up some preparation tips from Chef Foss from your sneak peek into the kitchen during the event at Lockwood. In case you're interested in further exploring your culinary creativity at home, a selection of our produce is available to purchase online here: http://www.FarmerJonesFarm.com/VeggieU

By the way, thanks for identifying the more unusual products in the box, Chef!