Chef Walk at Earthbound Farm

bernarduskitchen — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 22:09:15 +0000

This past Saturday, Chef Cal joined long time friend and Earthbound Farm Manager Mark Marino for their annual Chef Walk event. The duo led a group of guests through Earthbound’s 30 acre research and development farm just down the road from Bernardus Lodge. Guests were given the rare opportunity to harvest their own produce right off the farm. After the tour, Chef Cal and Pastry Chef Ben Spungin celebrated the peak of the squash season by sharing recipes & tastes with the group.

Winter squash, also known as hard squash, are available in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. From the tiny deep-orange baby pie pumpkins to the oversized gorgeous blue hubbard, Chef Cal enjoys them equally for their variety, nutrient value and recipe versatility. All varieties are great for puréeing, roasting and baking. Once squash is cooked and mashed, it can be used in soups, main dishes, vegetable side dishes, even breads, muffins, custards and pies.

Click here for more photos from the Chef Walk.

Italian Striped Squash Soup

1 onion – diced / 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil / 1 teaspoon salt / fresh ground pepper / 2 cups white wine / 1 Italian striped squash (about 2 lbs.) / 3 cups chicken stock / 2 cups cream / ¾ cups butter / ¾ cup honey / 2 apples – diced

Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds, and spread ½ cup butter, salt, pepper, and honey over both sides. Bake in a casserole dish in oven for 45 minutes to an hour at 350°. Let cool and remove skin.

Sauté onion and apples with olive oil until translucent. Add white wine and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce by half, then add chicken stock, squash, and cream. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Puree with butter and adjust seasoning.

Blue Hubbard Squash Risotto

2 tbs. olive oil / ½ med onion (fine diced) / 3 cloves garlic / 1 cup carnaroli rice (or arborio rice) 4 cups hot vegetable stock / 2 tbsp. butter / ¼ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese / ½ c. white wine 2 cups blue hubbard squash – diced / 1 black truffle (optional)

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add rice and stir slowly, after increasing the heat add the wine. Stir over rapid simmer for 2 minutes. Keep stirring to maintain even cooking of rice. Add stock a little at a time, keeping a soupy consistency. Tthe whole process should take about 15-18 minutes for carnaroli rice (3-5 minutes less for arborio). Cook “al dente”. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stir in briskly to emulsify. Adjust seasoning.

Sauté squash with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh thyme until soft – about 15-20 minutes. Serve risotto in a warm bowl with hubbard squash and shaved fresh black truffles.

Sugar Pie Squash Crème Brûlée

½ cup milk / 2 cups heavy cream / 142 grams egg yolks / 100 grams sugar / ¾ cup sugar pie purée* / ¾ tsp. cinnamon / ¾ tsp. ginger / ¼ tsp. nutmeg

Stirring slowly, heat milk, cream, sugar pie purée, spices and sugar until first bubble appears. Slowly add hot mixture to egg yolks while whisking quickly. Once all is combined, strain immediately into a bowl that is sitting on ice. Cool, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Fill 6 custard cups with brûlée base, place in a Dutch oven baking dish and fill with water until it reaches half way up the sides of the custard cup. Cover and place in the oven at 325 degrees. Bake 25-35 minutes until set – no jiggling in the center. Cool and chill. Garnish with pumpkin nougatine.

* For purée: Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds, and place skin side up on a flat baking sheet. Bake 12-20 minutes at 350°. Let cool and remove skin. Place in mixer and blend until smooth. Strain through fine sieve.

Pumpkin Nougatine

2 and 2/3 cup sugar / 1/2 cup corn syrup / 5 T. butter / 3 cups pumpkin seeds-toasted / 3/4 t. baking soda / 1/2 t. salt

Heat sugar, corn syrup, and butter for 12 minutes until a light caramel color. Remove from heat and add pumpkin seeds, baking soda and salt. Mix to combine. Spread mixture onto a silpat and allow to cool. Break into pieces.

Zole Takes 3rd Place in National Cocktail Competition

bernarduskitchen — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:42:01 +0000

Zole Andahazy, Wickets Manager/Bernardus Lodge Bar Manager took 3rd Place in the SHAKE IT UP! Cocktail Competition in Las Vegas. 30 committee selected mixologists where chosen from across the United States to compete against one another in the search for a new and unique cocktail. Each had 5 minutes to create their specialty cocktail, from there, 5 finalists were chosen to make another cocktail including a secret ingredient that was disclosed on stage. Zole was discouraged at first when they gave him Dark Crème de Cocoa to make his drink when the recipe he submitted called for White Crème de Cocoa. However, his cocktail, “Strawberry Splendor” was good enough to get him into the top-5 for the mix off. The “secret ingredient” was a Rum-Banana Jam and Zole happened to have grabbed a fresh coconut from the store on the way to Las Vegas. His drink ended up winning in the second round and earned him a third place finish over all.
Judges included SWS Mixologists and Spirit Specialists led by Francesco Lafranconi. Dale Degroff and Toni Abou-Ganim were key note speakers and also cheered on the up and coming mixologists.

Judges Included:
Bridget Albert – IL
Allen Katz – NY
David Nepove – CA
Arturo Sighinolfi – FL
Jason Girard – AZ
Armando Rosario – NV
Strawberry Splendor
.2 oz Basil Leaves (4-5 leaves)
4.5 oz of Fresh Strawberries (3-5 whole berries)
3 oz Level 1 Vodka
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
3/4 oz DeKuyper Crème de Coca White
Muddle fresh strawberries with basil in mixing glass. Add Level 1 Vodka, Simple Syrup, and Crème de Coca. Add ice and shake vigorously Double strain in to chilled martini glass. Garnish with strawberry stuffed with basil leaves.

Bernardus Kitchen » Recipes

Chef Walk at Earthbound Farm

Italian Striped Squash Soup

Blue Hubbard Squash Risotto

Sugar Pie Squash Crème Brûlée

Zole Takes 3rd Place in National Cocktail Competition