High Spark of the Low Land Farm
Sunday February 28th, 2016 was 'Oscar' night in America. Most people I'm sure were gathered around their TV's with bowls of popcorn by their side, ready to see which of their favorite movie stars would go home with Hollywood's highest honors. I had the pleasure of being involved with an event at Swank Table, a magically inviting candle lit "Al Fresco Supper Club" on the property of Swank Farms in Loxahatchee Fl. Owners Darrin and Jodi Swank, who were hosting the evenings' event, have been growing hydroponic greens, herbs and vegetables for the pickiest south Florida restaurants, hotels and markets for twenty years now. Along with their Cuinary Chef Liason Simon Stojanovic and Chef Jim Furci (two awesome dudes), they organize and remarkably execute a series of dining events that bring top level chefs, artisans, crafters, and guests from all over south Florida to participate and enjoy. Each event has a charitable cause that some of the proceeds go to. This event, aptly named "The Envelope Please......" was an Oscars themed party benefiting The Palm Beach International Film Festival. Myself being the guest Pastry Chef representing The Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa, along with Chef Josh Thomsen Exec. Chef of the Eau, Nick Martinkovic, Exec. Chef of Jereve at EMKO in West Palm, Micheal Hackman Exec. Chef/Owner of Aioli in West Palm, and Stephanie Miskew, Sommelier perfectionist from The Glamourous Gourmet and The Wine Atelier, all joined forces to bring the guests arriving with papazzi and red carpet style, an event worthy of a 'Best Party' nomination. Not only did DJ Mike Wise from West Palm keep everybody traveling through time with his genius mixes of Funk, Soul, Dance and Hip Hop, but his coolness level rocketed as he was literally spinning real vinyl.
The evening started with a not so Usual Supsects of small plates as Chef Manlee Siu of The Eau Palm Beach, Chef Martinkovic, and Chef Hackman turned wonderful ingredients right from the farm, into a culinary kaleidescope of fresh and enticing apps. Manlee's Tomates and Radish with Almond Hummus was expertly simple.
Guests then took a '100 Foot Journey' to the main open air dining room. Vendors including Craft Brewers Barrel of Monks, chefs, and volunteers were all busy making this evening rock. I had a section in the front next to the stage, in full view so all guests could come and see what was being meticulously assembled for them to lavish in for dessert. My dessert showcased a chocolate Oscar, made with 65% Felchlin Maracaibo Couverture Chocolate then sprayed with edible gold, served with a Chocolate Marquise Mousse covered in Ganache, a luxurious Red Carpet of Raspberry Coulis, and my Salty Sweet Kettle Corn. It was very enjoyable meeting so many guests that came up to take picture of the dessert plating in progress.
On with the show...... As dinner started Chef Martikovic was up first. He got the room buzzing with " A Fish Called Sable" A perfectly smoked Sable fish,
co starring Coal Roasted Cabbage, Aged Beets in Melted Bone Marrow, and Wild Rice Bineshi. Bineshi Rice is a hand harvested, nutty flavored wild rice grown in riverbeds on Leechi Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. A very prized natural wild rice. As the opening act of the night, Chef Nick's dish came charging out the gate and set the tone for this culinary carnival.
Next up Chef Josh Thomsen with "A Silence of the Leg of Lamb". If anyone was having more fun than him, it could only be the smiling scarecrow watching the festivities from his perch in the field. Chef Josh is in his element at events like this, cooler than the other side of the pillow. He and his team served perfectly flame grilled Elysian Fields Lamb, with Swank Farms Yellow and Green Beans rich with an Eggplant Caponata piled high and luscious.
Salsa Verde spooned generously over the succulent lamb brought out the smoky crust and mid rare juicy flavor of this prized lamb dish. At this point, watching from my place still plating the dessert like the tourtise racing the hare, there was a palpable buzz going on as if we were all a big orchestra. The chefs, the servers, the vendors, the craft brewers, the Someliers, all rockin in harmony to the beats being layed down for the pure pleasure of kickin out the most awesome event we could prepare.
The main couse properly named "The Revenant II : The Meal" was in the hands of Chef Hackman with his Seminole Beef Cheeks, Celery Bacon Bread Pudding which was moist and balanced, and Root Vegetable Torta. Can you just feel how good this dish was? It is said so often and has become so cliche', but if the phrase "You could cut it with a fork" was in the dictionary, Chef Mike's Beef Cheeks would be the photo next to it. Yeah, they were awesome. His Root Vegetable Torta looked like a colorful quiche from loompa land. It just fit everything that was this evening. Chefs' working hard but really just having fun punchng out food that tells who they are and what they love. This course delivered the goods.
And then, The Envelope Please...... It was time for the moment where everyone was a winner. All of the adorable little gold chocolate Oscars that my assistant Zach had spent five days tempering chocolate, pouring, unmolding, spraying with edible gold, and after two plus hours of me sticking them to the plate in front of everybody, so that every one of our guests got theirs without it falling over, were finally going to be served. It was time for the appropriately named dessert course,
" Chocolat". The Chocolate Oscars standing proud next to a Bittersweet Chocolate Marquise made with 58% Maracaibo Couverture Chocolate, glazed with an equally decadent dark ganache. My kettle corn that was alot of fun to make BTW, and the red carpet of raspberry coulis was bright and fresh. I was happy with it, I was having fun, and I was proud that we, meaning my pastry team, did a great job. Everyone was raving, everyone was partying, and that is all that mattered. The chef's got together to eat each others dishes, they all were outstanding. For just a few hours on a small farm in the middle of Loxahatchee Florida where the roads are gravel, the sky and stars are just a little brighter at night then where I live, we made new friends and put together an evening to remember.
A quick note about how Chef Josh Thomsen and I jive together so well as professionals......I was going to work about two days before this event, looking on Pinterest and thinking, "I want to add popcorn to this dessert just to give it that fun feel to it. I get to work, and as I do every day stop by chef's office to see what is going on with him, and first thing he says to me?? What about popcorn on the plate?? Already there chef, your good you!!