It all happened over the last few days, spring just suddenly appeared after some much needed rain. We’ve been busy visiting our farmers & had a chance to survey what’s currently sprouting at Catalan Farm this past Monday. David Byron, one of our kitchen interns got a tour from Maria Catalan herself.

FIELD NOTES FROM CHEF CANALES

Here are some notes from Chef Canales on what we’re getting from our farmers, and how we’re preparing these gems for our menu. These will be on the menu through the weekend. It only gets better after that.

From Catalan Farm in Hollister:
-Long stem purple artichokes that we will caramelize with garlic and mint
-Young baby fennel bulbs and cauliflower that will find their way into a special spring vegetable antipasto with pistachios and orange
-Young, tender fava greens that we will transform into a creamy, delicate sformatino

From Terra Firma Farm in Winters:
-Green garlic that will become a creamy accompaniment to crispy cakes made from local, spring Dungeness crab
-Young carrots and leeks that will adorn the spring vegetable antipasto
-Young red and gold beets that will garnish chilled lacinato kale rolletine

From Cannard Farm in Sonoma:
-Sweet, tender lacinato kale will be blanched, chilled, and rolled into rolletine garnished with red and gold beets, pinenuts, and vincotto
-Fresh bay leaves will be threaded with mussels and pancetta and grilled
-Cardoons will be fried, maybe by themselves or maybe with something else that appears!

From Star Route Farm in Bolinas:
-Wild nettles will become a pasta dough enveloping new potatoes and green garlic in a ravioli and finished with Dickson Regina olive oil
-From Annabelle we have succulent and tender puntarelle that will be dressed traditionally with anchovy, garlic, lemon, and parmesan