Thursday, July 28, 2011

What Would Alice Do?




Despite the fact that summer is in full swing, I found myself uninspired in my menu planning today. And I found myself wondering, What would Alice Waters do?

I found the answer on Chez Panisse Cafe’s website: A menu inspired by Deborah Madison, whose wonderful cookbook Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone is a welcome presence in my own collection.

I love how the menu focuses on the best organic produce, like zucchini, greens, corn, sweet peppers, rosemary, and tomatoes. Sample dishes from the menu:

Salads:
- Blue Heron Farm Little Gems lettuce with mustard dressing, spiced beets, egg, and chives
- Shaved fennel and parsley salad with black pepper and Parmesan

Entrees:
- Pizzetta with zucchini, bottarga di muggine, and mint pesto
- Sheeps milk ricotta and greens cannelloni baked in the wood oven with porcini mushrooms
- Grilled Riverdog Farm chicken breast with succotash and sweet pepper relish
- Pizza with Flammé tomatoes, pancetta, and rosemary

And for dessert, the simplest one I saw was a bowl of Frog Hollow Farm Santa Rosa plums! The fancier options included a peach, nectarine, and berry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream.

Alice: Consider me inspired.

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