Signs of Spring

I spotted this patch of blue on my run this morning. Veronica penduncularis or 'Georgia Blue' was growing on the side of the road, poking through dirt, rocks, and debris. Its presence made me ever aware of the signs all around me. Squirrels were chasing each other and searching for food buried before it grew cold. Birds were chirping and gathering bits and pieces for nest building. Daffodils were blooming and trees buds were beginning to swell.

This is the time of year I like to pick up Thoreau's Walden and read about how excited he was for things to start budding and blooming. "Walden was dead and is alive again" he wrote. The rebirth of our landscape ushers in a rebirth for our souls.

Soon, very soon, the landscape (and our dinner plates) will be augmented by ramps, morels, and fiddleheads, those harbingers of springtime.

Places and spaces I look forward to in early spring:

Empire State South-- foraged spring ingredients always sing on the spring menu.

Seven Lamps-- Drew Van Leuvan created the most spectacular spring menu while at One Midtown Kitchen. I had ramps, morels, and fiddleheads in one meal. I have no doubt early spring will be nothing shy of dazzling at Seven Lamps. The winter menu has thrilled me over and over.

100 Mile Dinner-- the next dinner is in March. I anticipate lots I local foraged early spring arrivals or some of Nick Melvin's pickled ramps from last spring.

No. 246-- Drew Belline is an accomplished forager which makes No. 246 extra dreamy in early spring.

Ecco-- Remember last spring when chef Craig Richards covered a pizza in wood violets? It was stunning and, I heard, delicious. Morels with fish; ramps with rabbit; a pasta with both?

Miller Union-- The menu at Miller Union always revolves around the week's harvest. Wasn't there a ramp sabayon on the menu one spring? I could see morels in chef Steven Satterfield's creamed rice dish. I swear I have ordered the dish 10 times.

Hot and Hot Fish Club-- Tasting some of chef Chris Hasting's food during early springtime is worthy of a road trip from Atlanta. He has a large network of foragers that make possible incredible plates like "A forager's walk"- a dish I saw him tweet about. Beautuiful. His foraging seminar at last year's Atlana Food & Wine Festival was the reason I purchased my pass. It is my favorite session since the festival's inception.

Field of Greens 2011

Field of Greens is one of my very favorite food events of the year.  More than anything, I think it is because of the people it attracts.  We gather on the farm not to look nostalgically but to look forward to sustainability and celebrate local food with the partnerships between chefs and farmers. Many of the restaurants involved base their menus around the week's harvest.

Like last year, the day was as gorgeous as if we had ordered the perfect day.  Before the tasting tent opened I strolled around the market area and picked up some goodies:  tomatoes from a local farm, a jar of Wedgies and Rasta beans from Phickles Pickles and bacon from Pine Street Market. I headed over to the silent auction area to place a few bids to help farmers in need.  While bidding I could check out the vendors nearby. I tried a bit of High Road Craft Ice Cream and smelled the delicious Jittery Joe's coffee while friends bought caramels from Sugar-Coated Radical.

The aromas emanating from the tasting tent was too much and I made my way in. Restaurant areas were well spaced and I never had much a of a wait for a bite. 



Delicious house-made lamb sausage with blueberry pickled onions
 from Duane Nutter of One Flew South

Butterbean hummus with pepper jelly on sweet potato chips
from Leon's Full Service

 



From Brickstore Pub-I could have eaten 10

One Midtown Kitchen goodness from Drew Van Leuvan

#246 African squash soup with pumpkin seeds





Pork pate from Parish

Ryan Smith from Empire State South--deviled ham roulade with pickled veggies and radish on bacon-mustardd crackers.



Robert Phalen from Holy Taco/One Eared Stag
made this trotter terrine. (I may have had more than my fair share)



Nick Melvin of Rosebud serving up some comfort (chicken and biscuits)

Muss and Turner's/Local Three meatballs. ( I had seconds)

Food 101's pork belly slider with kimchee

Chef Justin Burdett preparing  house-made pork sausage, stewed greens, shaved radish
over chestnut puree. I thought he said he drizzled something with thyme over the top. It was
perfect.



Huitlacoche Quesadilla with poblano from Taqeuria del Sol
Huitlacoche is a fungus that grows on corn. It is expensive
and delicious.



 



My favorite dish, Tennessee Hot Chicken from Linton Hopkins
of Holeman and Finch and  Restaurant Eugene.
So hot, so tender, so wonderful. Do you know about Price's Hot Chicken in Tennesee? Watch this

After all the yummy bites and bowls I headed to the  F'n' Chef Competition

emceed by my favorite radio personality, Mara Davis.  Three chefs, Terry Koval (Farm Burger), Nick Melvin (Rosebud) and Eric Ottensmeyer (Leon's Full Service) battled it out with White Oak Pastures' beef and local veggies. 

 Ottensmeyer took the win!

Master of ceremonies, Ron Eyester of Rosebud.

All in all, a beautiful day on delightful Whippoorwill Hollow Farm with delicious food, smiling people, great market items and silent auction winnings. All this fun in the the name of good will towards farmers in need and promoting local food. Can't wait to hear how much money was raised for Slow Food Atlanta. 

Field of Greens 2011

Field of Greens is one of my favorite festivals of the year in Georgia and it is this Sunday, October 2nd. Celebrating the farmer and the chef, it always has a stellar lineup.  Look at this year's participating restaurants:

Ron Eyester - Rosebud, The Family Dog

Robert Phalen - One Eared Stag, Holy Taco

Jay Swift - 4th & Swift

Stephen Herman - Haven

Matt Swickerath - Valenza

Dave Larkworthy - 5 Seasons Brewing Company

Eddie Hernandez - Taqueria del Sol

Justin Burdett - Miller Union

Matt Palmerlee - Farm 255

Terry Koval - Farm Burger

Linton Hopkins - Restaurant Eugene, Holeman & Finch Public House

Dave Roberts - Community Q BBQ

Eric Ottensmeyer - Leon's Full Service

Cathy Conway - Avalon Catering

EJ Hodgkinson - Woodfire Grill

Linda Harrell - Cibo E Beve

Justin Keith - Food 101

Ford Fry - JCT Kitchen

Drew Belline - No. 246

Lance Gummere - The Shed at Glenwood

Ryan Smith - Empire State South

Chris Hall - Local Three

Todd Mussman - Muss & Turner's

Duane Nutter - One Flew South

Marc Taft - Chicken and the Egg

Drew Van Leuvan - One Midtown Kitchen

Joe Schafer - Parish

Janine Falvo - Briza

Lisa Slater - Dal Cuore Market & Restaurant

Ryan Tittle - Brick Store Pub

Megan McCarthy - Healthy Eating 101

The weather looks to be incredible (just like last year) for a day at  Whippoorwill Hollow Farm, a 74-acre working organic farm located in Walnut Grove, just north of Covington and an easy 45 minute drive east of Atlanta. 

from etsy

                                        

Check out the Farmers Market area:

Little Tart Bakeshop (baked goods)

Antico Mercante (cheeses)

Pine Street Market (artisan meats)

Cafe Campesino (coffee)

Phickles Pickles (pickles)--save me some wedgies.

King of Pops (popsicles)

Nature's Garden Delivered (vegetable home delivery service)

High Road Craft Ice Cream (ice cream)---word on the street isthat they are bringing this:  Tastes like Bourbon with Dark Chocolate Chunks and a touch of sweet handmade Praline. oh. my.

Goodness Gracious Granola (granola)

Indigo Bath & Body (soaps)

Little Red Hen Bakeshop (baked goods)

Fairywood Thicket (jams)

Kriya Kitchen (cookies)

Jittery Joe's Coffee (coffee)

Decimal Place Farm (goat cheese)

David Jeffries Kitchen (biscotti)

Madeline Burdine Jewelry (jewelry)

Cirkelfish Studio (clay)

Back to the Roots (mushroom growing kits)

Songbird Soaps (soaps)

Garlic Clove Foods (quinoa dishes)

sugar-coated radical (chocolates)

Farmer D Organics (gardening supplies)

Great Cupcake Company (cupcakes)

Emily G's (jams)

Sustenance Design (sustainable & edible landscape design)

Beautiful Briny Sea (organic herb salts)

Dal Cuore Market (local food marketplace)

OmniGreen Life/Gia Film Productions ("Frequency of Genius" movie)

FARMERS MARKET: FARMERS

Whipporwill Hollow Organic Farm

Moore Farms & Friends

Morningside Farmers Market

Double B Farm

Darby Farms

Mills Farm's Red Mule Grits

McMullan Family Farm

MEALS FROM THE MARKET: FARMERS

Besmaid Garden Essentials, Decatur

Third Angel Farm, Stone Mountain

Burge Organic Farm, Mansfield

Heirloom Gardens, Cumming

Love is Love Farm, Decatur

Crack in the Sidewalk Farmlet, Atlanta

Native Sun Farm, Bogart

Front Field Farm, Covington

Truly Living Well, Atlanta

Riverview Farms, Ranger

Whippoorwill Hollow Farm, Walnut Grove

Dillwood Farms, Loganville

Umurima (Burundi Women's Farm), Decatur

Get tickets now. Here

This year they have added The F' n' Chef Competition -- an Iron Chef-like competition that will take place in the middle of the day next to the Chef Tent. Three chefs will be selected for the competition. The chefs will be given a secret ingredient and then they will need to prepare a dish using that ingredient and those items from the small food pantry to be stocked by Whole Foods. The dish will be scored by five judges and the F' n' Chef 2011 winner declared.

Competing Chefs: Terry Koval (Farm Burger), Nick Melvin (Rosebud) and Eric Ottensmeyer (Leon's Full Service).

Judges: Will Harris (White Oak Pastures Owner/Rancher), Tom Maicon (Food & Beer Atlanta Publisher) Andrew Sasser (Whole Foods Regional Prepared Foods Coordinator), Julie Shaffer (Slow Food USA Southern Regional Governor) and a judge to be identified soon.

Emcee: Mara Davis of Dave-FM. (how cool is that?)

See you Sunday!



Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival

The tomato: seductively red with sensuous curves and flesh bursting with juice. What better gift of summertime to have for a muse? On Sunday July 17,2011 hundreds of fanciers converged at JCT Kitchen to taste and toast the heirloom jewels from local gardens on a dazzling summer day.

I look forward to Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival each year. Along with Field of Greens, it is my favorite gathering of chefs, mixologists, farmers and the food community. Not only is it an homage to the mighty mater but proceeds benefit Georgia Organics, a non profit close to my heart. Sunday's event raised nearly $40,000!

The tomato has come a long way from being banned by the Church of Rome as "the devil's fruit" to being the "benign majesty" it is today. I re-read Pablo Neruda's "Ode to Tomatoes" in preparation for Sunday's fete. In the poem he writes, "at the midpoint of summer, the tomato, star of the earth, recurrent and fertile star..." I thought of that line all day as people discussed the beauty, flavor and totality of the tomato. I wasn't the only one feeling poetic about the tomato.

Aside from a few different chefs and mixologists this year's fest was much the same as last year's festivities. I loved how the bridge was utilized this year to give more space to stations and spread out the crowd. I didn't follow a route on my way. I probably crossed the bridge 4 or 5 times as I flitted about, occasionally stopping to listen to The Spazmatics and Five Bone Rack, composed of chefs Ford Fry, gary Mennie, Jamie Adams, Zeb Stevenson and Justin Brogdon.

I didn't take many photos this year which made the experience all the more enjoyable. I immersed myself in the moment. Besides, I can just look at Savory Exposure's gorgeous photos here.

My first bite came from Chris Neff of Sprig who was inspired by French lore of the tomato's aphrodisiac qualities. Chef Neff filled different heirloom "love apples" from Noring Farms with summer heirloom tomato salad and red snapper ceviche. This was the only station where you could catch festival goers feeding one another their pomme d' amour. This delicate bite made with a watermelon-looking varietal was one of my favorites of the day-gorgeous, delicious, fresh and fun.

And we were off! A roasted tomato galette with bacon horseradish creme fraiche from Jessica Hanners of Souper Jenny, incredible heritage breed pork trotters and sungold tomato salad with guanciale vinaigrette from Matt Palmerlee of Farm 255 and a killer pimento cheese sandwich with sliced tomatoes, pickled green tomato relish and bacon from Farm Burger. It was great fun watching chef Terry Koval toast the bread while we nibbled.

Craig Richards of La Tavola had the most amazing octopus salad with heirloom tomatoes, Thai basil and chili melon with tomatoes from Yoder Family Farm. It was bright, fresh, colorful and the octopus was super soft and tender. Craig explained a Mediterranean tenderizing technique that involves simmering the octopus along with wine corks. Truth or old wives tale; who knows? It works for Craig. The octopus was perfect.

I loved Drew Van Leuvan's dish- a tomato ceviche (Dillwood Farms) with lemon verbena, white chocolate and horseradish granita. Tasting it was one of those rare instances when the flavor combination was something never before experienced. It was graceful and dainty, savory and robust. Pretty sure I grabbed Drew's hand and said "this is so good" to which he replied "I know!" He always surprises and delights me at One Midtown Kitchen. Another I really loved with similar lightness was Empire State South's tomatoes with flowering basil, shoyu-tomato vinaigrette and fromage blanc. Lush flavors and local ingredients are just what I expected of chefs Hugh Acheson and Ryan Smith. Hugs and big smiles were great bonuses.

Two of my favorites that I could eat as an entree: Miller Union's Steven Satterfield served up shrimp, tomato (Love is Love Farm), okra and hot pepper over rice grits. Hot and Hot Fish Club's Chris Hastings had the most beautiful head-on Florida hoppers with heirloom tomatoes, grilled Vidalia onion, avocados and a basil lime vinaigrette. Holy smokes, they were lobster-like in flavor.

My votes for best booths would be Linton Hopkins' of Holeman and Finch and Restaurant Eugene and Hector Santiago of Pura Vida. Behind the H&F/Eugene area were perfect logos from the restaurants created out of toothpicks and cherry tomatoes. Ingenious. Pura Vida's booth had house cured meat hanging alongside a pig face complete with earring and tomato in it's mouth. The best part, besides his amazing "Montadtod de Tomates", was the display holder he made the night before. He laughed about hammering out the the metal late at night after I complimented him on it. He went into incredible detail about the tomato creama inside his beautiful bite. As he always says, "heart and balls." He never phones it in.

My three favorite creative (and delicious) bites:

• Pimento Cheese profiterole with tomato jam- Patric Bell of West Egg. Exquisite and delectable.
• Tomato and charred watermelon pop- Matt Adolfi of Floataway Cafe. Sweet, savory, cool.
• Heirloom salsa gelee with shrimp ceviche, tortilla powder and micro cilantro- Cooper Miller of The Feed Store Restaurant. Colorful and amazing in texture and taste. Putting all the bits together tasted like a bite of chips and salsa. Yum-my.

Soup on a hot day? Yes, please. I loved Shaun Doty of YEAH! Burger's smokes tomato soup with mussels even on such a warm afternoon. Tomatoes go very well with the salt of the sea. Jay Swift of 4th and Swift cooled my palate after a spicy dish. His tomato melon gazpacho was velvety, soft and delightfully topped with a slice of crisp radish. Cooler still was Ron Eyester's chilled bloody Mary soup with Celia's cherry tomatoes and crumbled farm egg which could be enjoyed inside JCT. I love the green tomato bloody Mary that is seasonal at his restaurant, Rosebud as much as I adored the tomato lemonade champagne he served in The Family Dog cups at the festival. He said it was inspired by Kat Kinsman's tomato lemonade mocktail recipe found here in Food and Wine.

Speaking of cocktails, the mixologists of The Attack of the Killer Tomato were extremely inventive. I liked all but one. Stand outs:

• Tomatina Punch- Kellie Thorn of Empire State South. Loved the tomato foam from Woodland Gardens tomatoes and the lavender bitters.
• Rio Rosa Swizzle- Paul Calvert & Raul Aparcana of Pura Vida
• The Pineapple Express- Brian Stanger of Top Flr
• Scoundrel's Waltz- Kevin Bragg of 4th and Swift

Here are the winners as judged by the people and the celebrity judges, including Kate Krader (a senior editor of Food and Wine Magazine), Andrew Knowlton (restaurant editor of Bon Appetit magazine, Carolyn O'Neil (registered dietitian and columnist for the AJC), and Cybil Wallace (features editor at CNN.com):

• Best Booth: Linton Hopkins of restaurant Eugene & Holeman and Finch Public House
• Best Presentation: Hector Santiago of Pura vida
• Best taste: Andy Carson of Bacchanalia
• Best Cocktail: Miles MacqQuarrie of Leon's Full Service
• Special mention: Donald Sargent of Morelli's Gourmet Ice Cream and Desserts

Peoples Choice

• Best Dish: Eddie Hernandez of Taqueria del Sol
• Best cocktail: Paul Calvert and Raul Aparcana of Pura Vida

I can't wait for next year!

ONE. Midtown Kitchen Summer Chef Series

Extremely thrilled for this summer chef series at ONE Midtown Kitchen. Drew Van Leuvan is one of my favorite chefs in Atlanta. When you dine at ONE with Drew you get the best of both worlds. He uses the finest, freshest local product with a sophisticated and creative approach to the ingredients. He takes the simplest ingredient and elevates it to tantalizing. Just this week I had his take on asparagus soup: a cool foam of white asparagus over a layer of creamy warm green asparagus. It was as luscious and delicious as it was stunningly beautiful. Fiddleheads were on the menu as well but I chose scallops with foraged mushrooms and pickled ramps.

This chef series will gather some of Drew's friends and favorite chefs to showcase their skills. Guests will be treated to a 5 course summer feast prepared by that evening’s Chef and Drew. Chef Van Leuvan will prepare an amuse and the first and fifth courses while the Guest Chef will prepare the second, third and fourth courses. All courses will be creatively paired with cocktails, wine or beer courtesy of each Chef. A ticket for a 5 course meal, with beverage pairings, will be $75.00. Pick 3 dinners for $200. Pick 5 dinners for $300. Guests can make reservations through ONE. midtown kitchen at 404-892-4111. Dinner begins at 7 pm. Menu themes for each evening will be posted on onemidtownkitchen.com. Just look at the talent coming:

June 1st-Hugh Acheson of Empire State South, 5&10, The National and Gosford Wine

June 15th- Shaun Doty of Yeah! Burger

June 29th- Bruce Logue of La Pietra Cucina

July 20th- Ford Fry of JCT Kitchenand Bar and No. 246 (coming soon)

August 3rd- Hector Santiago of Pura Vida and Super Pan

August 17th- Drew Belline of No. 246

August 28th- Richard Blais of Flip Burger Boutique (sold out)

August 31- Carvel Grant Gould of Canoe

September 14th- Joshua Hopkins of Abattoir

September 28th- Ron Eyester of Rosebud and The Family Dog