Farmer's Market Finds
SEA Island LIFE FALL/WINTER 2015/16
FALL FLAVORS CHEFS’ FAVORITE FARMERS MARKET FINDS BETTER WITH AGE UNCORKING WINES FROM THE CELLAR IN GOOD COMPANY OUT-OF-THE-BOX SOUTHERN BUSINESSES
Wooded RETREATS
MARITIME FORESTS’ NATURAL WONDERS
S E A S O N A L F L AV O R S
FARMERS MARKET FINDS
s
CHEFS SHARE WHAT INGREDIENTS MAKE DISHES SING THIS SEASON. BY ALYSSA HAAK AND SEA ISLAND LIFE STAFF
pring and summer may get most of the attention when it comes to fresh produce, but fall and winter offer their own crop of colorful flavors and culinary inspiration. “I don’t talk to the food, but I listen,” says Resort Executive Sous Chef Jason Russell, who oversees Sea Island events. He uses days off to visit The Farmers Market at The Market. These trips aren’t just to purchase ingredients—they often provide the basis for an entire menu. “Farm-to-table is what really got me excited about food. I don’t like to change the flavors too much, but instead just raise and glorify them.” With close relationships between farmers, producers and restaurants becoming increasingly common, chefs are embracing a proactive stance in understanding what is being grown and when it reaches its peak taste. Here, some of Sea Island’s culinary professionals divulge their farmers market fall favorites, plus some tips on selecting and preparing them.
Grapefruit spoons work well to remove squash seeds and fibers.
Good Gourds For Russell, fall is all about squash, starting with simple roasted squash as the weather begins to cool, to the deeper flavors of acorn and butternut squash as the season progresses. While summer squash tastes best when it’s eaten immature, the cool-weather types should stay on the vine longer. These mature gourds are ideal for stuffing and baking. “You’re looking for smooth skin and a bright color,” he says of shopping for squash, advising against the varieties that look like they could win a size competition at the fair. Although squashes should be heavy for their size, he adds, “They shouldn’t be too big.” Squash shows even more variety in autumn and winter; when roasted, it makes a flavorful base for soups, pies or even pasta filling. “It goes from soup to [dessert], like [with] butternut squash,” he explains. One classic Southern dish incorporates squash as a base and is topped with crackers and cheddar cheese, baked in an earthenware pot. It’s a simple yet comforting starter or side dish that displays the fresh flavors of the season.
10 SEA ISL AND LIFE | FALL/WINTER 2015/16
Apples to Apples
Whole apples are made into dumplings at Sea Island.
Cortney Harris, executive pastry chef at Sea Island, oversees the bakery for the entire resort, helping to craft everything from French desserts for the River Bar to fresh fruit Danish pastries for The Market. She starts each day with a stop into The Market to see what produce is in and what baked treats are selling. In the fall, she anticipates the sweet arrival of apples. To select good apples, follow three simple steps: sniff, squeeze and shake. Ready-to-eat apples should give off a sweet aroma, feel firm and have seeds rattling around inside. The fruits are ultimately turned into cobblers for banquets, and apple dumplings—the whole apple (peeled and cored) is wrapped in pie dough and accompanied by syrup and ice cream. It’s not a complicated recipe, she admits, but when executed with a little love, it really lets those familiar fall flavors shine. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” she says. “People want home-style goodness.” Plus, Harris says, when the chefs are excited to make it, the guests are excited to eat it.
Going Nuts Jonathan Jerusalmy, Sea Island’s culinary director, grew up in Champagne, France. One of his seasonal favorites is a staple in the French countryside and an iconic part of fall and winter in the United States: chestnuts. It’s one of the first ingredients he looks for when the leaves start to turn. “The fireplaces are going and you can smell the aroma of smoke in the streets,” he recalls of autumns in France. “The weather gets colder and the dishes get richer.” When shopping the farmers market Chestnut soup for chestnuts, select nuts with smooth, firm and glossy shells; there shouldn’t be any space between the shell and the meat of the nut. Jerusalmy has trained in Michelin-starred restaurants throughout Europe, where there would be 25 or more ingredients on the plate, but lately he’s been returning to his roots of simple preparations. Chestnuts, for example, can be enjoyed on their own. Making a small incision in each nut, then transferring them to an oven or open flame will result in a delicious snack or accompaniment to desserts or soup. Add butter and a sprinkle of salt to really elevate the flavor and texture. “When you use the right ingredients, at the peak of season, you don’t need complicated recipes,” Jerusalmy adds. “Don’t over-complicate cooking. Just let the produce speak for itself.” m
Chestnuts’ rich flavors lend themselves to simple preparation.
FALL/WINTER 2015/16 | SEA ISL AND LIFE 11
FALL FLAVORS CHEFS’ FAVORITE FARMERS MARKET FINDS BETTER WITH AGE UNCORKING WINES FROM THE CELLAR IN GOOD COMPANY OUT-OF-THE-BOX SOUTHERN BUSINESSES
Wooded RETREATS
MARITIME FORESTS’ NATURAL WONDERS
S E A S O N A L F L AV O R S
FARMERS MARKET FINDS
s
CHEFS SHARE WHAT INGREDIENTS MAKE DISHES SING THIS SEASON. BY ALYSSA HAAK AND SEA ISLAND LIFE STAFF
pring and summer may get most of the attention when it comes to fresh produce, but fall and winter offer their own crop of colorful flavors and culinary inspiration. “I don’t talk to the food, but I listen,” says Resort Executive Sous Chef Jason Russell, who oversees Sea Island events. He uses days off to visit The Farmers Market at The Market. These trips aren’t just to purchase ingredients—they often provide the basis for an entire menu. “Farm-to-table is what really got me excited about food. I don’t like to change the flavors too much, but instead just raise and glorify them.” With close relationships between farmers, producers and restaurants becoming increasingly common, chefs are embracing a proactive stance in understanding what is being grown and when it reaches its peak taste. Here, some of Sea Island’s culinary professionals divulge their farmers market fall favorites, plus some tips on selecting and preparing them.
Grapefruit spoons work well to remove squash seeds and fibers.
Good Gourds For Russell, fall is all about squash, starting with simple roasted squash as the weather begins to cool, to the deeper flavors of acorn and butternut squash as the season progresses. While summer squash tastes best when it’s eaten immature, the cool-weather types should stay on the vine longer. These mature gourds are ideal for stuffing and baking. “You’re looking for smooth skin and a bright color,” he says of shopping for squash, advising against the varieties that look like they could win a size competition at the fair. Although squashes should be heavy for their size, he adds, “They shouldn’t be too big.” Squash shows even more variety in autumn and winter; when roasted, it makes a flavorful base for soups, pies or even pasta filling. “It goes from soup to [dessert], like [with] butternut squash,” he explains. One classic Southern dish incorporates squash as a base and is topped with crackers and cheddar cheese, baked in an earthenware pot. It’s a simple yet comforting starter or side dish that displays the fresh flavors of the season.
10 SEA ISL AND LIFE | FALL/WINTER 2015/16
Apples to Apples
Whole apples are made into dumplings at Sea Island.
Cortney Harris, executive pastry chef at Sea Island, oversees the bakery for the entire resort, helping to craft everything from French desserts for the River Bar to fresh fruit Danish pastries for The Market. She starts each day with a stop into The Market to see what produce is in and what baked treats are selling. In the fall, she anticipates the sweet arrival of apples. To select good apples, follow three simple steps: sniff, squeeze and shake. Ready-to-eat apples should give off a sweet aroma, feel firm and have seeds rattling around inside. The fruits are ultimately turned into cobblers for banquets, and apple dumplings—the whole apple (peeled and cored) is wrapped in pie dough and accompanied by syrup and ice cream. It’s not a complicated recipe, she admits, but when executed with a little love, it really lets those familiar fall flavors shine. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” she says. “People want home-style goodness.” Plus, Harris says, when the chefs are excited to make it, the guests are excited to eat it.
Going Nuts Jonathan Jerusalmy, Sea Island’s culinary director, grew up in Champagne, France. One of his seasonal favorites is a staple in the French countryside and an iconic part of fall and winter in the United States: chestnuts. It’s one of the first ingredients he looks for when the leaves start to turn. “The fireplaces are going and you can smell the aroma of smoke in the streets,” he recalls of autumns in France. “The weather gets colder and the dishes get richer.” When shopping the farmers market Chestnut soup for chestnuts, select nuts with smooth, firm and glossy shells; there shouldn’t be any space between the shell and the meat of the nut. Jerusalmy has trained in Michelin-starred restaurants throughout Europe, where there would be 25 or more ingredients on the plate, but lately he’s been returning to his roots of simple preparations. Chestnuts, for example, can be enjoyed on their own. Making a small incision in each nut, then transferring them to an oven or open flame will result in a delicious snack or accompaniment to desserts or soup. Add butter and a sprinkle of salt to really elevate the flavor and texture. “When you use the right ingredients, at the peak of season, you don’t need complicated recipes,” Jerusalmy adds. “Don’t over-complicate cooking. Just let the produce speak for itself.” m
Chestnuts’ rich flavors lend themselves to simple preparation.
FALL/WINTER 2015/16 | SEA ISL AND LIFE 11
