Yield 6 salads

For the Clover Honey and Bacon Dressing:

Yield 1 qt.

½ lb. bacon diced

1 Tbs. fine diced shallot

1 cup red wine vinegar

¾ cup clover honey

1 cups water

¼ cup corn starch dissolved in water

Kosher salt to taste

Method: Blanch bacon, strain grease then sauté shallots. Add honey, water and vinegar and bring to a boil. Whisk in corn starch and keep warm for service.

For the salad:

Yield 6 salads

½ gallon washed and dried curly leaf spinach (stems removed)

1 cup navel orange supremes (Substitute mandarin orange sections if desired)

1 cup prepared dressing

Fine julienne carrot (for garnish if desired)

1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)

1 cup candied hazelnuts (recipe below)

Method: In a large mixing bowl toss the spinach, orange and grape tomato in the dressing and distribute into six bowls. Garnish with the carrot and nuts and serve.

For the candied hazelnuts:

1 cup toasted hazelnuts (papery skins removed)

2 egg whites whished with 2 Tbs. water

1/3 cup granulated cane sugar

Method: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl toss the nuts with the egg white mixture then sprinkle with the sugar while tossing. Lay the nuts on a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Bake for fifteen minutes, turn the nuts with a spatula and bake another ten minutes or until the nuts are crisp.

Serves 4

For the Bisque:

1 lb. lobster or shrimp shells

1 lb. fish bones (from halibut, sea bass or any white fish)

1 large onion (coarse chopped)

2 stalks celery (coarse chopped)

2 carrots (coarse chopped)

2 bay leaves

4 black peppercorns

2 cups dry sherry

2 Tbs. tomato paste

1-cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbs. shrimp or lobster base

½ cup chanterelle or available mushrooms (sliced fine)

1-cup asparagus (sliced on a 1 inch bias)

Kosher or sea salt to taste

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast the shrimp shells, celery, onion and carrot in a pan for 45 minutes then place them in a 4 qt. stockpot. Add the fish bones, onion, bay leaf and black peppercorns and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Skim any impurities off the top as they occur. After the stock has cooked for two hours remove it from the stove and strain it through a fine sauce strainer. Return the stock to the pot and add the sherry and the tomato paste and allow to simmer for another twenty minutes. Whisk in the lobster or shrimp base and then the whipping cream and allow to simmer for an additional five minutes then set aside till ready to serve. Just prior to service add the prawns, mushrooms and asparagus and allow to poach for 3 to 4 minutes or until the prawns are just barely poached through. Adjust the flavor with kosher salt if necessary.

For the Vegetable Stew

1 Tbs. olive oil

¼ cup chopped yellow onion

½ cup roasted carrot (peeled and bias cut in 1 inch lengths)

½ cup zucchini, yellow squash and/or sunburst squash (1 inch rough chop)

8 small, cooked red potatoes

½ cup green beans (bias cut in 1 inch lengths)

2 cups prepared bisque

Kosher salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

Method: In a 2 qt sauce pan heat the oil and cook the onion until translucent. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for three to five minutes or until the squash softens. Add the bisque and allow simmering for 5 minutes adjusting the seasoning to taste.

For the Rockfish:

4-6 oz. Rock Fish filets (pin bones trimmed out)

½ cup fine ground corn meal

½ cup canola oil

Kosher salt

Ground white pepper

Method: Place oil in thick bottomed skillet and heat over medium high heat to 350 degrees. Season the filets salt and pepper and dust with the corn meal shaking off any excess. Place the filets with the side the skin was removed from facing up and cook for 2 minutes undisturbed. Flip the filet and repeat the process on the other side. Remove the filets to a paper towel and blot any excess oil.

To serve: In four warm bowls ladle the stew and lay the rock fish over the top.

For the Mushroom Duxelle:

1 Tbs. canola oil

1 cup fine diced mushrooms

¼ cup fine diced yellow onion

½ cup dry white wine

1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves

Kosher salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

Method: Heat a large skillet with the oil to just before the smoke point. Cook the onions tossing frequently until they become translucent (about two minutes). Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for another two minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine, stir and allow to cook for three to five minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the tarragon and season with the salt and pepper. Place the mixture in a strainer over a bowl and allow any excess moisture to fall off. Set aside to cool

For the vegetables:

1 large zucchini

1 large yellow squash

1 large eggplant (roasted and peeled)

1 large red bell pepper

½ cup roasted garlic scented olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

Method: Heat grill to medium high heat and wipe with an oil rag. Wash the vegetables and cut them lengthwise into ½ inch slices. Brush the slices with the olive oil, season with the salt and pepper and grill them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Place the grilled vegetables on a plate to cool.

For the Wellington:

Prepared mushroom duxelle

Prepared vegetables

1 sheet prepared puff pastry

1 cup herbed cream cheese (recipe below)

1 egg whisked with one Tbs. water

Vegetable Wellington Continued:

Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay puff pastry out on a lightly floured work surface, and roll out to ½ depth. Cut the dough in 4 rectangles. On two of the rectangles stack the vegetables leaving a 1 inch border of pastry. Place the mushroom duxelle on top then the cheese. Brush the exposed edge of the pastry with the egg mixture. Drape the other two sheets of pastry over the top and crimp the edges with a fork dipped in flour. Trim the edges with a knife, and “dog ear” the edges with the back side of the fork. Place the two Wellingtons on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with the egg mixture. Prick several holes in the top with a knife and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board for several minutes to rest. Cut the pastry from corner to corner and place ½ on each plate. Drizzle the herb cream over the pastry and serve.

For the Herb Cheese:

1 tsp. tarragon leaves

1 tsp. chopped basil leaves

1 tsp. cilantro leaves

1 cup cream cheese

Kosher salt to taste

Method: Place the ingredients in a mixer and whip until smooth.

4 Lamb hind shanks

Salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

1-cup canola oil

2 carrots peeled and diced

3 stalks celery Diced

1 yellow onion diced fine

1 bottle cabernet sauvignon

2 qt. Brown stock (from lamb, beef and/or pork bones)

6-8 sprigs fresh mint

6-8 sprigs fresh rosemary

8 small red potatoes (cooked)

¼ cup tomato paste

Method: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a thick-bottomed braising pan heat the oil on a stove top until almost smoking. Season the lamb shanks liberally with salt and pepper and brown them on all sides in the oil. Remove the shanks from the pan and pour off the oil and return the pan to the heat. Add ½ of the carrot, celery and all of the onion to the pot and allow to cook for two minutes. Return the shanks back to the pot and deglaze the pan with the wine then add the stock, and herbs. Place the pan in the oven to cook for three hours. Every ½ hour rotate the shanks 180 degrees. This will allow the caramelized top that is poking up out of its broth to share its color and flavor with the broth.

When the meat is all but falling off the bone remove the shanks to another pan and strain the broth through a chinoix (fine sauce strainer). Carefully skim all the fat off the broth and return the broth to the pan. Add the remaining carrot and celery to the broth with the tomato paste and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the broth by ½ or until the constancy of warm maple syrup. Reheat the shanks in the pan and serve the shanks in warm bowls with the broth, vegetables and potatoes.

Six 7 oz salmon filets

2 tbs canola oil

3 large russet potatoes

salt and pepper

2 eggs

½ cup milk

flour for dusting (or use rice flour for Gluten Free)

Method: Add the canola oil to a skillet and preheat over medium heat. Make sure the oil is hot, but does not smoke. Whisk together the eggs and the milk. Season the steelhead filets with the salt and pepper and dust with the flour, dip in the egg mixture and pack the top with the potato and chive.  Place the salmon potato side down in the oil. Cook until the potatoes are golden brown without disturbing the salmon (about 3 1/2 minutes). Flip and cook for one more minute or until the fish is just barely cooked through.

For the Vegetable Bean :

1 cup chopped tomato

1 tsp chopped fresh dill

8 chanterelle mushrooms ripped in half

½ cup baby green beans

½ cup baby wax beans

½ cup white beans (fully cooked)

¼ cup salmon stock

¼ cup dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp butter

1 tsp chopped shallots

Method: In a sauté pan, heat the butter and blanch the shallots.  Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes stirring often. Add the stock and white wine and cook until the tomatoes are soft (about ten minutes). Add the beans and simmer for about one minute.  Season with dill, salt and pepper.

To Serve: In warm bowls distribute the ratatouille with enough broth to cover the bottom of the bowl and serve the salmon potato side up. Garnish with dill sprigs and lemon wedge.

Serves 8

For the spice rub:

1 cinnamon stick

2 Tbs. Cumin Seed

½ tsp. Cayenne pepper

2 Tbs. Salt

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Place the cinnamon stick and cumin seed in a small sauté pan and roast in the oven for ten minutes. Allow the spices to cool slightly. Place them in a spice mill and combine with the cayenne and salt.

To prepare the pork chops:

8 eight-ounce Snake River Farms Kurobuta Pork Chop

Prepared spice rub

Method: Season the pork loin with the spice rub and grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side on a well-seasoned grill.

For the very best results sear the pork on a very hot grill for two minutes on each side (crossing half way through to create “diamond” markings). To finish place the pork chops on a baking sheet and finish in a 350 degree oven. This method will retain more juices.

Serves 4

For the Bisque:

½ lb. shrimp or lobster shells

1 lb. fish bones (from halibut, sea bass or any white fish)

1 large onion (coarse chopped)

2 stalks celery (coarse chopped)

2 carrots (coarse chopped)

2 bay leaves

4 black peppercorns

2 cups dry sherry

2 Tbs. tomato paste

1-cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbs. shrimp or lobster base

Kosher or sea salt to taste

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast the shrimp or lobster shells with the vegetables and tomato paste in a pan for 25 minutes then place the roasted items in a 4 qt. stockpot. Add the fish bones, bay leaf and black peppercorns and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Skim any impurities off the top as they occur. After the stock has cooked for an hour remove it from the stove and strain it through a fine sauce strainer. Return the stock to the pot and add the sherry and allow to simmer for another twenty minutes. Whisk in the lobster or shrimp base and then the whipping cream and allow to simmer for an additional five minutes then set aside till ready to serve. Strain the bisque through a chinoix (fine sauce strainer) and keep warm till ready to serve.

For the halibut:

4-6 oz. filets of halibut (cut in cubes)

Kosher or sea salt

Ground white pepper

Flour for dusting

¼ cup canola oil

Method: Heat the oil over medium high heat in a 12-inch non-stick skillet. Season the halibut with the salt and pepper and lay the top of the filet in the flour, but don’t coat any other side with it. Place the filets flour side down in the pan and cook until they begin to brown. Place the pan in the 400 degree oven and allow to cook for eight to ten minutes or until the filet is just barely cooked through.

For the lobster mashed potatoes:

1 lb. lobster meat (tail, claw or knuckle fully cooked)

2 cups prepared mashed potatoes

12 strands Mancha saffron

½ cup ½ and ½

Kosher salt to taste

Ground white pepper to taste

Method: In a sauté pan bring the ½ and ½ to a simmer, turn off the heat and stir in the saffron, allow to steep for 20 minutes. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and stir in the potatoes and the lobster and cook till fully warmed.

To Present:

In four large, warm entrée bowls ladle 2 oz. of the bisque then distribute the lobster-mashed potatoes in the center. Place the seared halibut on top of the mashed potatoes and garnish with available herb sprigs.

Yield 8 individual flans

For the caramel:

2 cups pure cane sugar dissolved in ½ cup water

In a thick bottomed, non-reactive sauce pan heat the mixture on medium high heat. Once it starts to brown at the edges, make sure you are stirring it, to prevent any spots from burning. However, do not stir consistently- stir just enough to keep it from burning. Be patient, and after about 10 minutes the caramel will begin to turn a light brown color. Turn down the heat slightly, or your caramel will cook too quickly. If you wish, you can use a candy thermometer and take the mixture to 340 degrees. As soon as the carmel turns to a dark amber brown pour it immediately into the custard cups.

While making caramel is not overly difficult, it does require patience and other steps to make sure it’s done safely. Sugar melts around 338 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring an immense amount of heat to create the gooey and sweet caramel finished product. Be sure to heed all warnings, including keeping children away from the melting process, for safety and best results.

For the vanilla bean Flan:

1 qt. half and half

¾ cup sugar

2 vanilla beans

6 eggs

Steep half and half with sugar and vanilla beans. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the eggs. Strain through a chinoix and bake in custard cups lined with caramel in a water bath at 275 degrees for one hour or until set.

For anise Flan:

Poach anise stars, cinnamon stick and saffron before adding eggs. Allow the mixture to steep in the refrigerator overnight before straining into the prepared custard cups.

For pumpkin Flan:

Replace 2 cups of the ½ and ½ with 2 cups of pumpkin puree and lightly season with ground ginger, allspice, clove, ground cinnamon and molasses

Yield: 8 servings

2 red bell peppers

2 yellow bell peppers

1 oz olive oil

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 large Vidalia onion

5 cups chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

1 ½ tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp Hungarian paprika

6 fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt to taste

2 tbs corn starch dissolved in water

Method: Coat the bell peppers with olive oil and char on the grill (or in the oven using an overhead broiler).  Place in a paper bag until cooled. When cooled, peel off the charred skin and remove the core and seeds and rinse in cold water.  Remove the skin from the onion, slice in half and then julienne slice.  Heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in two separate stock/sauce pans.  Divide the onions between the two pans and cook until translucent.  Add the red peppers to one pan and the yellow peppers to the other pan.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add half the stock to each pan and add the turmeric to the yellow pepper pan and the paprika to the red pepper pan.  Cook the soups for 10 minutes at a low boil and whisk in one-cup cream and add three basil leaves into each pan.  Puree the soups with an immersion blender until smooth.  Bring the two soups back to a low boil and slowly whisk in half the dissolved cornstarch mixture into each pan. Cook for two more minutes then season with kosher salt.

To serve:

Place the soup into different pitchers and pour 4 ounces of the yellow pepper soup on the left hand side of a soup bowl and finish with 4 ounces of red pepper soup poured on the right side of the bowl.  Be careful not to jiggle the bowls too much so as to maintain the 2-toned coloration of the soups.  Garnish with basil tops or chopped chive if desired

Yield: About 12 cakes

For the cakes:

3 cups cooked, picked and chopped crab meat

2 cups fine bread crumbs (plus additional for adjusting and cooking)

½ cup fine diced yellow onion

½ cup fine diced celery

½ cup fine diced red bell pepper

¼ cup fine sliced green onion

1 cup mayonnaise

2 eggs

1 tsp. dried dill weed

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. Coleman’s mustard

½ tsp. fresh nutmeg

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Canola Oil for cooking

Method: In a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine the crab and 2 cups of the bread crumbs then add and combine the fine diced vegetables. In another bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients (except the canola oil) then combine thoroughly with the crab mixture. Pack the batter down in the bowl, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours prior to forming into 2 ½ oz. cakes.

To cook the cakes: Heat a non stick skillet with 1 tsp. canola oil. Pack the cakes with fresh bread crumbs and brown on one side (about 90 seconds). Flip the cakes and finish in a 350 degree oven for 4 minutes.

For the Whole Grain Mustard Sauce:

1 cup Mayonnaise

½ tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. very fine diced shallot

3 Tbs. whole grain mustard 2 tsp lemon zest

½ tsp ground black pepper

Method: Combine ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

For the Cucumber Salad:

1 large Cucumber (Scored with routing knife)

½ cup red bell pepper (very diced fine)

1 cup rice wine vinegar

½ cup water

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. sesame oil

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Method: Using a mandolin process the cucumber in very fine slices. In a bowl combine all ingredients, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours prior to service