And just like that…..
Winter for me, has been cold and dark. Trying to find time to train for the Bayshore Marathon inevitably led to long runs before the sun came up and after it set. Miles and miles, nearly a thousand in the last 18 weeks, slogging through snow and ice, icicles of sweat hanging from my nose and ears. No treadmills for me.
Memorial Day seemed so far off...
And just like that, it's summer.
A glorious bounty has burst from the soil and the cows, pigs, chickens, ducks and sheep have blessed us with their progeny all at once, it seems.
The nourishing sun sparks new vigor in the souls of cooks, urging us to capitalize on this shining moment, to not waste one iota of precious growing season, to utilize all that mother earth has provided.
Freed from constraints of cold storage, canned and preserved fruits, dried mushrooms and lingering memories of last season's crop, no longer forced to rely on suspect foreign grown products new menus manifest themselves, driven by the daily influx of newly available local delicacies.
To wit:
New aerie menu highlights
Sauteed morels with triple cream brie on toasted baguette, baked right here
Salad of Mike Werp's arugula with tempura mushrooms and candied cashews
Local Bibb lettuce, buttermilk blue cheese, and crisp house cured bacon
Luscious thick sliced Zenner's tomatoes, homemade mozzarella cheese, liberally doused with good olive oil and sea salt with fresh basil
"Bacon and Eggs" the aforementioned house cured bacon with deviled duck eggs and farmers cheese
House cured S & S Farms lamb pastrami with sweet onion jam
Asparagus: grilled, chilled and served with shaved radishes and fresh dill aioli
Grass fed local beef, sauteed in truffle butter with hand cut frites, sea salt and cracked pepper
Pastured Baker's Acres roasted chicken with morels and sage
Local turkey breast with Champion Hill Farms honey glaze and Chef Scott's turkey andouille sausage
Goat cheese cheesecake with Zingerman's fresh goat cheese and orange filling.
Oh yeah, that marathon thing. That's tomorrow.
