Autumn Dessert Menu 2009

Autumn........my favorite food season. Our new dinner menu is in its developmental stage. I am thinking it will be released in late October, barring any unforseen delays. Luckily, the Autumn desserts have arrived right on time. Chef Marianne has outdone herself this season. Mixing traditional Autumn flavors and techniques with some very interesting twists.

The early favorite among our guests (and staff) seems to be the apple-cheese tart.

A mix of apple pie on top of a cheesecake topped with streusel and warmed in the oven. Crispy and crunchy on top and creamy in the center. As if that wasn't enough, this perfectly executed Autumn delight is accompanied by a light and fluffy whipped chantilly cream that has been accentuated with the flavors of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. As you can see by my description, I especially like this dessert. But do not take my word for it, choose your own favorite. Hope to see you all soon.

Eat and Live Well

Chef Anthony Boccella

Ratatouille

Zucchini 1 lb.
Yellow Squash 1 lb.
Eggplant 1/2 lb.
Red Bell Pepper 1
Yellow Onion 1/2
Plum Tomato 2
Garlic 3 Tbsp.
Herbs de Provence 2 Tbsp
Olive Oil 1/2 cup
Salt TT
Pepper TT


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut each individual vegetable to a small dice. ( small cubes)And keep separate.
3. Combine the zucchini and yellow squash in a mixing bowl. Coat the squash with half of the olive oil and season with salt, pepper and half of the herbs de provence. Toss to combine.
4. Repeat step 2 with the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.
5. Place the each of the two bowls of vegetables on separate baking sheets.
6. Roast in a 350 degree oven until vegetables are tender, but not soft.
7. Mix both trays of vegetables together and serve warm as a side dish or at room temperature as an appetizer.

Cook's Notes

Keeping the vegetables separate is due to the different cooking times of the different vegetables.
The Squash will take a bit longer to cook than the eggplant and tomatoes.
This is a great summer dish, all of the ingredients are in season and can be found in your local farmer's markets.

Summer Menu 2009

Grilled Nectarines
Gorgonzola Brulee, aged Balsamic Vinegar
Toasted Hazelnuts, Basil


Grilled Premium Pork Chop
Roasted Red Potatoes, Green Beans
Spanish Chorizo, Saffron-Orange Jus


Seared Hanger Steak
Baby Arugula Salad, Roasted Red Potatoes
Shallot & Red Wine Jus



Tuna Involtini
Lump Crab Meat, Capers, Fresh Chilis
Extra Virgin Olive Oil




Spaghetti alla Chitarra
Soppressata, Heirloom Tomatoes, Summer Squash
Lemon, Fresh Chilis, Pecorino Romano


Atlantic Halibut
Ratatouille, Kalamata Olive Tapenade
Orange Oil

Toasted Israeli Coucous
Asparagus, Baby Spinach, Sicilian Eggplant Caponata
Falafel, Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
(Vegan Selection)


Grilled Sea Scallops
Red Lentils, Green Beans, Littleneck Clams
Tomato Chermoula, Micro Coriander


Heirloom Tomato & Summer Melon Salad
Feat Cheese, Celery, Basil, Oragano

Sauteed Chicken Breast

Manzanilla Olives, Spiced Almonds

Toasted Israeli Couscous, Baby Spinach

Garlic & Parsley Pesto

Veal Skirt Steak alla Milanese

Tomato & Green Bean Salad

Roasted Red Peppers, Pecorino Romano

Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

Locally Yours

I know that have have said this before, but I feel so lucky to be able to work in an area where we have so many local producers. The Summer brings such a cornucopia of fresh produce to the area, that I feel it is my duty to try to utilize as much of the different products as possible. This time of year, it makes it very simple to design a seasonal menu for the restaurant. All I have to do is take a trip to the local farms and see what they are growing. In some cases, they farmers themselves come to me with the day's harvest. What a treat! I make my twice a week trip to Willow Creek Orchards to see what was gathered in the fields that week. They also bring in a number of different products from Lancaster County and the surrounding areas. On Wednesday Marianne( our Pastry Chef), Ray (our Sous Chef) and I take a ride to Overbrook Herb Farm in Lansdale visit with farmers Paul and Betsy. They are kind enough to let us meander around the gardens and choose our own fruits, vegetables and herbs for the week. Talk about fresh. I keep forgetting to bring my camera along on these farm excursions. I hope to have some photos posted soon for all to enjoy.

Go enjoy all that our area has to offer.....Check out the links section on our website for websites and addresses to all of the local farms that we buy seasonal ingredients from.

Home Made Potato Gnocchi

Potato Gnocchi Recipe

3 lbs. Idaho Russet Potatoes

2 cups All-Purpose Flour plus bench flour

1 Egg

Kosher Salt to taste


1.Peel the potatoes and cut into uniform pieces. Boil in salted water until fork tender.

2.Once cooked, drain the potatoes and allow to cool until able to handle. Run the potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill. (This step is very important to achieve a light and airy pasta.)

3. In a large mixing bowl, place the potatoes and flour and lightly combine.

4. In a separate bowl whisk the egg with a pinch of kosher salt.

5. Add the egg to the potato and flour mixture and gently incorporate all of the ingredients with your hands. ( The mixture will be a bit sticky, dust your hands with flour to prevent dough from sticking to your hands.) Approx. 5 minutes of light kneading.

6. Once the dough has come together, shape the dough into a rectangle approx. 2 inches thick.

7. Cut the dough into one inch wide pieces. Gently roll the dough with the pallms of your hands into long thin strips.

8. Cut the strips into 1/2 inch pieces and keep the gnocchi dusted with flour to prevent the gnocchi from sticking to one another. (Store completed gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet to keep the gnocchi separated)

9. Boil for 2 minutes in salted boiling water until firm and remove from water with a slotted spoon and serve with your favorite sauce.

Live and Eat Well!
Chef Anthony Boccella

Spring Menu 2009

Inspiration

Many people have inquired, " Where do you get your inspiration from?" As a chef, I honestly get thoughts and ideas from many different sources. Seasonal ingredients are, in my belief, the most important source of inspiration to all chefs. Every once in a while, we get to travel and experience the different cultures and cuisines abroad. From the pictures above, most would gather that I was recently in Spain. However, these shots were actually taken in Puerto Rico.

Heavily influenced by the Spanish, namely Ponce De Leon and Christopher Columbus and those after them, the city of San Juan, in particular the section known as San Juan Viejo or "Old San Juan" is full of Spanish architecture and cuisine. We were lucky enough to be told of a really authentic tapas bar in Old San Juan that was located in a hotel that was originally a convent dating back over 350 years. I must say that we really enjoyed our experience. I was definitely inspiried by the simplicity and freshness of the dishes and tried to incorporate some of this philosophy in our new Spring Menu. I think that we definitely accomplished our goal.

Eat and Live Well

Chef Anthony Boccella