A note about the recipes:

These recipes were developed for a four-course wine tasting menu at Sarah Street Grille in Stroudsburg, PA, where Samuel and I were guest chefs on July 14, 2015.  We wanted to re-create some of the tastes from our visit to Nashville last summer. Recipes were sourced from various web and text sources. All recipes have been heavily modified for the tasting menu.  In some cases, ingredients and quantities were changed during preparation.

Course 1: watermelon gazpacho w/ steamed lime shrimp

STEAMED LIME SHRIMP

• 45 medium shrimp
• 5 limes

GAZPACHO

• 2 large watermelon
• 8 seedless cucumbers
• 8 ripe tomatoes
• 8 shallots
• 10 jalapeno peppers, seeds and veins removed
• 10 limes
• raspberry vinegar
• salt
• fresh mint
• mint sprigs for garnish

PREPARE

1. Lightly steam shrimp until JUST cooked; chill in juice of five limes.
2. Mince shallot and place in bowl with juice of 10 limes. Set aside.
3. Cut HALF of first three ingredients into even dice. Keep VERY COLD.
4. Roughly chop the remainder of watermelon, cucumber and tomato.
5. Finely mince jalapeno. Add to evenly diced ingredients, TASTE for heat.
6. BLEND roughly chopped watermelon, cucumber and tomato with lime/shallot, mint, salt, and splash vinegar.

SERVE

Pour a small amount of blended mixture into serving dish. Add ½ cup diced mixture. Garnish with shrimp and mint sprig.

Course 2: summer salad w/ sweet potato gratinettes & caramelized onion dressing

CARMELIZED ONION DRESSING

• 6 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
• ¼ c. brown sugar
• ¼ c. Dijon mustard
• ¼ c. honey
• ½ c. malt vinegar
• 2 ½ c. extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• dried dill

GRATINETTES

• 12 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 lb. Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 lb. bacon, diced, and fried
• 1 pint heavy cream
• salt
• pepper

SUMMER SALAD

• mixed greens (romaine, Bibb, baby greens, arugula, etc.)
• grape tomatoes (red and yellow)
• baby zucchini
• candied pecans

PREPARE DRESSING

1. Caramelize onions.
2. Blend onions with other ingredients in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and dill to taste.

PREPARE GRATINETTES

1. Preheat oven 400.
2. Peel and slice sweet potato into 1/8” thick rounds. Toss with salt and pepper.
3. Coat muffin tins with a THIN application of non-stick spray, butter, or bacon fat.
4. LAYER sweet potato, cheese, and bacon X3.
5. Spoon 1 tbsp. heavy cream into each muffin cup.
6. Bake at 400. Covered for 20 minutes. Uncovered for 20-25 additional minutes.

SERVE

Toss salad greens with vegetables and a small amount of dressing. Plate salad. Place one gratinette on each plate. Garnish with dressing and candied pecans.

Course 3: pulled pork tacos w/ Southern slaw & fixins

PORK SHOULDER

• 24 lbs. bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder (2 – 12 lb. cuts will work well)
• 2/3 c. fennel seeds
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• ½ c. kosher salt
• 1 c. olive oil
• 1 c. grade B REAL maple syrup
• ¼ c. malt vinegar
• salt
• pepper
• 2 c. fruity ale

PREPARE PORK SHOULDER

1. Bring meat to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven 450.
3. Score skin with ½” grid.
4. Toast fennel seeds and crush in mortar and pestle. Add garlic cloves and salt. Grind to a paste. Transfer to a bowl. Slowly add olive oil. Season with pepper.
5. Spread 1/3 paste onto skinLESS side of pork shoulder.
6. Place meat SKIN SIDE DOWN in roasting pan in bottom 1/3 oven. Roast at high heat for 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, add maple syrup and malt vinegar to remaining 2/3 of fennel paste.
8. Remove meat from oven and carefully flip over (skin side up). Use a spatula to apply maple syrup mixture, pushing into scored skin.
9. Return to 225 oven for 18 hours.
10. Baste the meat with 1/3 of ale and drippings at three intervals.
11. Return heat to 450 for last 20 minutes to crisp exterior, if desired

SLAW

• 2 heads green cabbage, sliced thin
• 2 heads red cabbage, sliced thin
• 2 carrots, grated
• 5 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeds and veins removed, thinly sliced

DRESSING

• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt

PREPARE SLAW

1. Toss slaw ingredients in a large bowl with a bit of salt.
2. Whisk together dressing ingredients.
3. Pour dressing over slaw. Toss to coat.

GARNISH

• 4 large red onions, halved and VERY thinly sliced
• juice of 3 limes
• 2 c. cilantro leaves, picked from stems
• lime wedges
• crumbled feta cheese

100 4” corn tortillas

SERVE

Layer slaw, pulled pork, onions, and feta into a warmed corn tortilla. Serve 2 per person. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

Course 4: biscuits w/ peaches, bourbon whipped cream, and caramel bourbon sauce

CARAMEL BOURBON SAUCE

• 1 ¼ c. butter
• 2 ¼ c. brown sugar
• 1 ¼ c. heavy cream
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ c. bourbon

PREPARE

1. Bring first four ingredients GENTLTY to a boil.
2. Boil on LOW heat for 5 minutes.
3. Remove pan from heat and CAREFULLY stir in bourbon. Adding alcohol will cause sauce to bubble furiously.

BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM

• 2 quarts heavy whipping cream
• powdered sugar
• vanilla
• bourbon

BISCUITS

• 3 1/3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2/3 c. finely ground cornmeal
• 6 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, frozen & grated
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 c. half &half
• egg white, beaten
• raw sugar

PREPARE

1. Preheat oven 425.
2. Sift dry ingredients together.
3. Cut in butter.
4. Stir in wet ingredients.
5. Quick knead on floured surface.
6. Press into ¾” thick slab.
7. Cut with biscuit cutter.
8. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with raw sugar.
9. Bake 12-15 minutes.
10. Store in airtight container.

GARNISH w/ caramel bourbon sauce & basil leaves.