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Chef John Foster: Hearts racing, patios open, weather warms; great time to be chef as tool box fills


It’s as if someone turned on the faucet and everything started to flow. In the space of one week, the farmers I deal with have doubled their offerings and opened my menu up to the possibility of transforming the seasons. Mushrooms, spinach, baby kale, green garlic, green onions, fresh herbs all practically non-existent a few weeks ago, now flooding into my kitchen along with the remnants of winter.

It’s a great time to be a chef, this spring awakening. And it always comes at a time when our interest is waning a bit. We need to be sharp this time of year, with Keeneland a few days away, and graduations coming soon, most of us hopefully will see an uptick in business. The weather turns warmer, patios open and the heart races a bit faster.

Food takes a quantum leap as well, accelerating with the increased business and in certain aspects increasing the difficulty of running a restaurant. If you’re a locally sourced restaurant, known for farm to table, the pressure is now back on. As the raw materials start to flow in, there are no more excuses for getting product in from elsewhere. I have customers who start to pry and probe into my sourcing as soon as they see something appear in the store or market. That will continue to be the case until everything is exhausted next January.

Truthfully, if you’re a chef, this should be the best time of the year for you. From the near empty tool box you had at the end of February, you are now seeing the seasonal bump in the number, and soon the diversity of the items at your disposal. It’s only going to get more exciting.

It couldn’t happen at a more opportune time of the year. If Easter is one food gateway to spring, then Keeneland is the other. I’m sure every city and region has one or two events a year when it’s all hands on deck, and the spring and fall meets at Keenelend are as much a part of the seasons as spring snow storms and fall foliage. Twice a year we gear up by hiring staff, changing menus and in general stocking up. Woe to the chef who neglects to pay attention, for retribution can be swift. Crowds surge, food supplies are exhausted overnight, and the general feeling around town is one of siege. It’s a good feeling actually as it also signals to most of us that the winter is over, and we’ve made it through another one relatively intact.

Keeneland itself goes through a metamorphosis, as the track is reopened, the menus re-evaluated, and there is a surge in interest for traditional Kentucky fare. Being the showcase for tradition, Keeneland’s kitchens do not disappoint. There is no shortage of Kentucky favorites like burgoo and bread pudding, and there is also a chance, with a huge audience to create a little new magic as well.

This sense of tradition spreads to other restaurants in the area, and with it a renewed sense of pride in what we produce in Central Kentucky. For several weeks in the spring and fall we are able to highlight techniques, ingredients and dishes that exemplify years of culinary artistry.

In my role as a culinary educator, separate from being a chef, the emphasis this time of year may not be on the traditions of Keeneland but on the opportunities that await an extern, a graduate or even the motivated culinary student. In addition to the shiny new toys that spring brings us to play with, there are new jobs, new sites to apprentice at, and new concepts that present opportunity and challenge. The spring and fall are the best times to secure a position as restaurants gear up for the busiest times of the year.

All these new beginnings can be a bit overwhelming, but to me they present opportunity, challenge and change which eventually lead to growth. In essence that to me is what spring is all about; new beginnings, fresh flavors, a fresh look at an old tradition, and sometimes a fresh start altogether.

Spinach and ramp pesto

When the ramps flood into the market, it means two things; spring has arrived and the clock is ticking. Better wild foraged than domesticated they are very much like a spring onion with a garlicky twist. They need to be cleaned and trimmed of their root end, but the entire ramp can be used. Adding spinach increases the color and body without overpowering the rest of the recipe.

2 cups of cleaned, chopped ramps
2 cups of cleaned chopped spinach, local large leaf if you can get it
¼ to ½ cup of olive oil
½ cup toasted finely chopped walnuts
Grated parmesan cheese to taste
Salt to taste

Place the ramps and spinach into the food processor and gently pulse until they start to break down. Add in the olive oil slowly and let the processor run until the mix is thoroughly combined and lighter in color. Remove the mix to a bowl. Fold in the chopped walnuts and mix thoroughly. Taste the mixture before you add cheese and salt to see if you like the garlic undertones. To increase the garlic, add more ramps of some fresh minced garlic. Add the parmesan a little at a time by hand, season with salt.

Spring onion lemon caper brown butter

Great with that first catch of fishing season this is an a la minute sauce. You will assemble the ingredients and make the sauce in the same pan that you cooked your fish in.

Chopped spring onions, up to three onions per portion of fish
Capers, approximately a half tablespoon drained of juice
Juice of 1 lemon
Whole butter cubed up to a tablespoon.

After the fish has been cooked, remove from the pan and dump any excess cooking fat. While the pan is still hot add in the spring onions and wilt quickly, keeping the pan at high heat. Don’t burn the onion. Add in the whole butter, it should start to brown immediately. To stop the cooking add in the capers and then the lemon juice. If needed, salt and pepper. Pour over the fish and enjoy.

John Foster is an executive chef who heads the culinary program at Sullivan University’s Lexington campus. A New York native, Foster has been active in the Lexington culinary scene and a promoter of local and seasonal foods for more than 20 years. The French Culinary Institute-trained chef has been the executive chef of his former restaurant, Harvest, and now his Chevy Chase eatery, The Sage Rabbit.

To read more from Chef John Foster, including his recipes, click here. 


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