Springtime means out with the old, and in with the new. Even our tastebuds are looking for a different approach to food, which can only be satisfied with pure flavors after the heavy comfort foods of winter.
Chefs Ben and Tony welcomed the arrival of spring vegetables with a restraint that belied Ingredients Café’s April 28 wine-pairing dinner’s title of “Spring Fling!” I guess the exuberance was expressed by the diners, who could hardly contain themselves as each simply prepared, rare spring jewel was set before them. And, as is usual, the wines provided by The Wine Company fleshed out each of the five courses’ flavor pallet.
The saying, “age before beauty” could also be said to mean “age before youth,” in the way that the chefs started the evening with a sort of farewell to Old Man Winter, by featuring beets in the first course. The cheery orange of the golden beets used in the beet and goat cheese terrine, however, certainly made us think of sunny days. The goat cheese even had a bit of a citrus flair. Plus, the hydroponic arugula from Twin Pine Farms, garnished with 15-year-old balsamic vinegar, gave a Mediterranean pepperiness to the whole dish.
The Riondo Prosecco that was poured for this first course was slightly sweet and actually picked up lemony hints from within the terrine.
My dinner companion polished off the second course in one minute flat! He proclaimed it to be the best spring pea soup he had ever had. Dressed with pink nubbins of smoked ham, roasted cashews and a swirl of lemon crème fraiche, the vibrant green soup was exceptionally pure tasting. The Ecker Gruner Veltiliner paired with it continued this sense of purity, and was even described as spring water strained through herbs.
When hunting morel mushrooms, you never know how many you will find, and each discovery is like winning a prize. Chefs Ben and Tony kept these feelings alive with their third course, morel risotto croquette with fresh asparagus and asparagus broth. The meaty mushrooms were hidden deep within the crusty ball of rice. We had to break apart this salty, crunchy gift box to get at them. The asparagus provided a vegetative foil for the fungus, and the broth was perfect for sopping up with the rice.
The Vin de Vienne Cotes du Rhone Les Cranilles poured for this course was the only red of the night. It was complex and rich, bringing out the meatiness hidden within this meatless course.
Speaking of meat, the fifth course was the only truly meat-centric dish of the night, but as it was roasted halibut, the fish’s unassuming nature was only a backdrop to the concentrated flavors of the grilled, garlicky ramps, and the pea shoots dressed with lemon butter sauce.
A fruity Simonsig Chenin Blanc balanced the intense flavors of the greens. Its lush lingering actually added a fattiness to the leanness of everything else.
For dessert, the chefs’ restraint was expressed even more adamantly. If wine had been served with the fresh berry tart and lemon basil sorbet, it would have conflicted with the dish’s inherent play of sweet and tart. Instead, they served a strong black coffee, and left the dessert’s flavors intact. The basil in the sorbet provided a mysterious sophistication to the lemon. I found myself making a mental note to try that combination myself the next time I made a sorbet.
Look for a beer-pairing dinner, 6:30 pm Wednesday, May 20, hosted by Summit Brewing Company.
