Blackberries & more: This week's Market Report "Good Buy"!
Berry season is here! Finally! Just the bright, zingy punch what we need after a winter of stews and squash. Blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are some of the most recognizable and widely-used berries in the industry. Duck, another springtime menu classic, is gorgeous when pan-roasted with blueberry reduction. Adding reconstituted ancho chilies to the blueberry reduction transforms this definitive dish into something even more imaginative and alluring. Lamb is another popular spring item, and is perfect glazed with raspberry, mint, and tamarind glaze. To emphasize the raspberry element, pair the lamb with a raspberry tabbouleh with raspberries replacing not-yet-ripe tomatoes. Salad dressing is a natural vehicle for berries, their color and inherent sweetness complimenting the acidity and salt of your favorite dressing base. Brighten up a spinach salad by serving it with a “Blackberry Pie” salad dressing with plenty of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, granny mustard, and pureed blackberries. Of course dessert and breakfast cannot be forgotten (and so often the lines between them can be decadently blurred). Whether served whole on top of pancakes or as a garnish for tarts, pies, or crème brulee, or melted into a coulis to top ice cream or waffles, fresh berries will signal to your diners that spring is here to stay.
About the Chef
Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.