new spring lunch menu

[vinnecooks]

So here's the deal i'm the chef at a small restaurant in the gulf islands and it's time to change the lunch menu.But the thing is i'm stuck for ideas.

here's what i'm working on

"fish and chips"

potato crusted pacific halibut with green chile pickle aioli

gulf island lamb burger

pistachio-mint chutney,goat cheese and sour cherry mustard

grilled beef striploin

chipotle scented mac and cheese and chimuchurri butter

lemongrass-ginger poached spot prawns

arugala,golden beets and macadamia nut vinaigrette

this is what i've come up with so far and keep in mind I have no deep fryer.

any imput would be great.

cheers!!!!!!!!!!!

vinnecooks

[Matt R.]

Well, right out of the gate, spell check yer menu.

As far as input goes, love the locality of the spot prawns. But you are missing a couple of key regional/seasonal ingredients. Rhubarb and asparagus. A lovely rhubarb (vanilla) compote goes very well with all sorts of meat (especially Cowichan Bay chicken liver terrine, or duck leg confit) and asparagus can be simply grilled, tossed with good quality red wine or sherry vinegar and served on it's own as an appetizer with some aioli.

Spring is not the best time for potatoes the way you are using them. New potatoes are coming in pretty soon, but not yet. This is a bad time of year for yukons/russets/etc. Have you noticed big, brown hollow cores on your potatoes yet? If you are slicing on a mandoline to wrap, these can be a pain in the ass. Perhaps a nice potato roesti instead? Or instead of potato fries, make some hard polenta, cut to shape and pan fry this as the starch component.

Perhaps change the sour-cherry on the lamb burg with some red onion compote. Cherries are not a spring crop.

Perhaps take out the macadamia nuts (Hawaii?) and sub for some local, organic filberts/hazelnuts. These should still be pretty easy to source, and freeze well.

As for the Mac & Cheese, good on you! Chipotle is a good combo, but I would omit this and go crazy with the chive blossoms. They have that sweet, oniony flavour.

Also, try to put some braised greens out there. This may come across as fall/winter, but chard is coming up all over the place, as are beets. The same family, both of these plants offer wonderful braising green components to any plate.

Be sure to use your local green supplier for all of their flowers right now. Borage, anchusa, comfrey, viola, mustard, cornflower (batchelor's buttons), calendula (mix the petals into salad greens, or on top of a finished plate) and many more are flowering right now and will until the summer. Keep an eye on nasturtiums too. The flowers are prone to earwigs, but are beautiful on a plate, and the leaves are nice in a salad. Don't be afraid of paying 3-5 cents/flower. It may seem like a lot, but they go a long way.

Unfortunately, you are kind of screwed for fruit right now, but soon.. very soon you will have more than you know what to do with.

Looks good!

-- Matt.

[vinnecooks]

Wow matt thanks for the imput.

Making chicken liver terrine would be great beause as cook I love that kind of stuff

but I can't give it away.As for the potato with the fish I was thinking about using potato flakes for a crust you know like a fun play on highliner fish sticks but with fresh pacific halibut.I do like the idea of the polenta fries.

cheers!

vinnecooks.

P.S Do you work at a restaurant in victoria? if so which one?

[Ling]

Can't give away chicken liver terrine? You need to open up a restaurant in Vancouver and send some my way.

I'm not a vegetarian, but maybe you could add a vegetarian option on your menu? Perhaps something like a goat cheese and ramp tart. I had a morel mushroom pizza a few days ago...I'm sure that would be pretty popular. Or a wild mushroom and pea risotto.

Is there a dessert menu?

[shelora]

Being a lady who lunches, I think you need a soup, sandwich and a salad on that lunch menu.

Perhaps a grilled sandwich of some sort with an accompanying salad. And I'm sure you will be offering some sort of soup du jour.

Now that spring has sprung I'm avoiding confits, braises and foie gras. I'm craving the fresh green flavours of spring. Take advantage of what's in season. Yes to asparagus and the first sprouts of damn near everything. Yes to fresh tuna - salade nicoise with a free range egg is one of my favourites.

A wonderful bowl of steamed clams or mussels done lightly with a white wine or make it heartier accompanied by chorizo.

A dish that is popping up around the island is the Ploughman's Platter. Perhaps a better name is needed but the concept is great and wonderful for sharing over lunch with a bottle of wine and a few small plates. Island cheeses, chutney, charcuterie, great bread and wonderful olives does a great platter make.

Good luck with your menu.

[Radio7]

I vote for a light tuna salad sandwich on seedy toast with lots of sprouts and tomato.

[paul mitchell]

Not having a deep fryer is a good thing.

Maybe you could give some parameters of what style of place you are working in and some sort of theme you may be running on - maybe even break your cover and say what island it is - then I assure you the sleuths on here will be giving you all the suggestions.

[vinnecooks]

Paul I agree that not having a deep fryer is a great thing and if anyone cares to know the restaurant is called wild fennel food&wine and it is on mayne island.I change the dinner menu weekly and the lunch menu monthly as for the overall theme of the food we try to highlight the best of the season with touches of the exotic.If anyone would like to see a curret menu you can email wildfennel@cablelan.net

cheers.

vinnecooks.

[Daddy-A]

if anyone cares to know the restaurant is called wild fennel food&wine and it is on mayne island.

Hey! Where on Mayne? We holiday there quite frequently, and other than the Oceanwood and in a pinch, The Mayne Island Inn (which I believe they were going to close and develop the property), there's really not much in the way of dining-out options.

A.

[Jeebus]

Paul I agree that not having a deep fryer is a great thing and if anyone cares to know the restaurant is called wild fennel food&wine and it is on mayne island.I change the dinner menu weekly and the lunch menu monthly as for the overall theme of the food we try to highlight the best of the season with touches of the exotic.If anyone would like to see a curret menu you can email wildfennel@cablelan.net

cheers.

vinnecooks.

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I am curious then, if you change you menu weekly and your lunch menu monthly why can't you get past 4 items on your spring menu? Should the chef of a restaurant really be coming on here and asking these kind of questions? isn't this why your employers are paying you and not us? no offense intended, but perhaps you are in over your head?

However when I think spring I think of

Morels

Asparagus

Fiddleheads

Fava beans

Fresh peas

radishes

Lamb

Ramps

just to name a few. And the food should be light, as mentioned this is not braise, confit season. 1 dish on a menu perhaps but beyond that keep it light.

Edited May 15, 2006 by Jeebus (log)