Sheep's milk yogurt

Sheep's Milk Yogurt, sweet cicely, rhubarb, chartreuse, lemon verbena

Strawberry

(photo courtesy of the awesome instagram skills of Audra Viehland)

White Chocolate, strawberry, whey, olive oil, nasturtium, ricotta 

Strawberry season is finally in full swing. We are actually getting some awesome strawberries here in northwest Connecticut. So good in fact that I was struggling to figure out what to do with them because I just wanted to serve them as is. I was inspired by salad with italian flavors for this dessert. I love the classic combination of strawberries with black pepper and balsamic, especially on a salad of pepperry greens such as arugula and a soft goat cheese. So simple but still one of my favorites. So with this dish instead of macerating the strawberries in vinegar, I substitute the sour- tangy flavor with whey. We get some great local yogurt and we save the whey which is very versatile. . We use the whey for baking and lacto-fermented, etc. The strawberries are just compressed whole in whey, lightly sweetened with sugar. I also use the whey to make a nice peppery olive oil-whey cake that is cut and then toasted to make "croutons" just like in a salad. I serve it with Calabro ricotta from New Haven (which i clearly love- i use it constantly) that is sweetened. It is garnished with peppery nasturtium, untouched strawberries, olive oil, and served in a white chocolate "egg". Dessert salad- Simple but good.

white chocolate eggs

Community Table

These guys at Spanish Hipster do an awesome job!

http://www.spanishhipster.com/2013/05/community-table-washington-ct-2/

Garden

Here are just some shots of our garden at home.... Getting excited for the summer.

Various Heirloom Tomatoes

Garden

Beets

Greens

Kale

Keeping it simple....

Carrot Cake, wild carrot, gjetost, ginger, thyme 

Carrot cake is classic. I decided to update it a bit by using various colored local carrots as well as super intense wild carrots. Some of the shaved "carrots" are actually shards of a frozen carrot-ginger puree. It also served with a gjestost cheese that has notes of milk caramel and is reminiscent of roasted white chocolate.  I serve it warm in a "rustic" ramekin with a simple scoop of ice cream. Boom.

Quark

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Quark / blackcurrant, milk thistle seed, woodruff flowers, St. Germain

Loads of woodruff in my yard. My wife and I are lucky to have such an amazing home deep in the woods where there is a bounty of wild herbs. This herb in particular has such a pleasant aroma. Woodruff has a unique flavor, such as vanilla and clover, and I am currently in the process of drying it to add to my pipe tobacco.

Golden Beet and Dandelion

Golden Beet | white chocolate | brown sugar | kumquat | dandelion root ice cream

I am trying to really embrace spring and what we have to work with in north-western Connecticut. I am happy with the outcome of this most recent dessert. I feel that I have a responsibility as a new england chef to showcase beets in a dessert. Chocolate and beets are a classic combination but I didn't want to go that route. I decided to use the earthier golden beet and highlight its flavor with coffee/ molasses flavors such as brown sugar and dandelion root. The dandelion flower, white chocolate and orange/ kumquat bring a brightness to the dish and tie the flavors together. I keep the colors of the dessert, shades of yellow and orange. I want the diner to immediately think of spring, and the bounty of dandelions. The dandelion is considered a weed and most landscapers have a great disdain for the bright yellow flower. But, every part of the dandelion is delicious, the roots, flowers, and leaves, and they are everywhere! Dandelions, as well as garlic mustard and ramps, are one of the true harbingers of spring. 

At CT, we are trying to get people to embrace Connecticut's fruits and vegetables, but also the wild and less common ingredients. This early in spring, we don't have the bountiful berries, stone fruits, or vegetables yet. Early spring's garlic mustard, chickweed, sorrel, and dandelions may be considered weeds and a nuisance, but they grow everywhere and their flavor can really elevate a dish. We don't need to depend on a farmer to cultivate them when we can just walk outside and pick them ourselves. As I have learned, a good chef will use the undesirable cuts or offal (kidneys, livers, tripe, etc) to make an exceptional dish..  so as a pastry chef, instead of buying expensive exotic fruits, south american bananas or foreign strawberries, I feel more passionate about making a dessert highlighting beets and dandelions grown here in Connecticut...