Amuse: Raw Sunchoke Salad, Mouse Melons, Chili Oil
Soup: Celery Root and Foie Gras Bisque
App: Butternut Squash Rissotto, Chantrelle Mushrooms, Rosemary-Goat Cheese Cream
Entree: Duo of Wild Boar. Boar Shoulder Confit on a Pumpin Tart with poached Cranberries, Grilled Boar T-bone on carmalized Sunchokes with toasted Chufa Nuts.
Pronounced [CHOO-fuh], the tiny, tuberous roots of a Middle-Eastern plant of the sedge family, chufa "nuts" have their origin in ancient Egypt. Chufa was one of the first domesticated crops and in fact, was found in vases in the tombs of the ancient Egyptian pharos. The chufa nut was widely used in Egypt and Sudan. The Arabs introduced the plant to Spain during the time of the Moorish kings (700 B.C. a 1200 A.D.). The eastern Spanish province of Valencia was the best for growing chufa.The nut is good for your health, with high levels of iron and potassium. It does not contain sodium and is valued for its minerals and vitamins.
Mouse Melon is also known as Mexican Sour Cucumber, and Cucamelon. It is a member of the melon family, and grows on mostly decrative vines. While native to South America, the decrative plant as spread into North America and as a second thought the fruit. The fruit tastes something like the white part of the watermelon mixed with the seeds of a cucumber.
3 comments:
Damn! I'm drooling all over the keyboard. That can't be good for the electronics.
Hi! Read about your blog on cle.com. When I lived in Spain, I used to drink a beverage called a "horchata" that was a pastey white beverage made from CHUFA beans. I have never seen them anywhere else. Where can I get some?
The Chufa nuts i bought were fresh from The Chefs Garden, and rather pricey. I'm under the impression that a perfectly fine horchata can be made with dried chufa. While i've never searched for them, i would start at Urban Herbs. This company has a stand inside the West Side Market, and they have the most complete cataloge of dried herbs, beans, rices, and salts. Give them a call at 216-621-4643
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