BLACKBERRIES
It’s happening! It’s really happening! Spring is coming, and with it are the berries. Nothing else shakes off the dregs of winter like them, especially blackberries, my personal favorite. Blackberries are, in my opinion, the most beautiful berry, with their bulging black juice bellies rippling one under the other. Because they are both sweet and tart, they lend themselves very well to both sweet and savory applications. Try slicing large, ripe blackberries lengthwise and then searing them, cut side down in a bit of foaming salted butter until they become caramelized and jammy. This is a knockout garnish for pate, charcuterie, and even ice cream. Blackberries are also gorgeous muddled right into cocktails because they release a purplish hue into your margarita or martini. Stunning! Of course, you can’t forget about blackberry ice cream, cobbler, pie, and cake! That is, unless you boil blackberries down with veal stock for a demi-glace that could make boiled chicken look like a feast.
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.