Morsels: April 24
Published: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 8:21 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 8:21 a.m.
Thursday is Dining Out for Life fundraiser
More than 100 restaurants in Western North Carolina are participating in the Dining Out for Life fundraiser for the WNC AIDS Project on Thursday.
The participating merchants have agreed to donate 20 percent of their gross sales on Thursday to the WNC AIDS Project. Hendersonville restaurants joining in the effort are Champa, Cypress Cellar, Jongo Java, Mrs. G & Me, Three Chopt Sandwich Shoppe, Two Guys Pizza and Ribs and West First Pizza. The Purple Onion in Saluda also is participating.
The fundraiser is sponsored by Prestige Subaru. Last year's event raised more than $157,000 for WNC AIDS Project, which provides case management for people affected by HIV/AIDS and works to increase AIDS awareness and education in the community.
For more information, visit www.wncap.org/dofl.
Passion for Pinot wine dinner at Season's
Season's Restaurant at Highland Lake Inn, 86 Lily Pad Lane, Flat Rock, will host a Passion for Pinot wine dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The pinot grape is chiefly cultivated in the Burgundy region of France, but can make its home in cooler regions of other countries. A principal area of growth for pinot varietals in the United States is Willamette Valley, Ore. The region is world-renowned for its award-winning wines, producing some of the best pinot gris and pinot noir in the country.
Michelle Bailey, executive sous chef at Season's, is a three-time award winner from the American Culinary Federation. At the Passion for Pinot wine dinner, Bailey will introduce and explain the menu inspired by the pinot grape. The vintner from Willamette Valley wines will also be on hand to describe each wine, how it was made and explain why the wine pairing complements each particular dish.
The cost is $55 per person plus tax and gratuity, and reservations are required. For a complete menu, visit hlinn.com/ news.
West Asheville tasting event on Saturday
Savor the Westside, the inaugural West Asheville tasting event, is set from noon-2 p.m. Saturday at the All Go West Festival, 743 Haywood Road, Asheville.
Savor the Westside will be featuring 18 dishes from six premium West Asheville restaurants, beer from The Altamont Brewing Co. and wine samples from Hops and Vines.
Isis, The Admiral, Sunny Point Cafe, Lucky Otter, Short Street Cakes, West Asheville Lounge and Kitchen (WALK), The Altamont Brewing Co. and Hops and Vines are the participating businesses. Tickets are $40 in advance or $45 at the door. All ages are welcome.
Visit allgowest.com for more information.
Restaurants gear up for ramp season
Ramps fans can rejoice: Harvest time is ramping up for the region's beloved early spring vegetables, which are found growing wild in forests and cultivated on forestland. The harvest is short — only two to three weeks. That won't stop area Appalachian Grown partner restaurants from reveling in ramps this month. In fact, the Get Local celebration, like the veggies of honor, will be bold. Ramps' flavor can be described as a mix of onion and garlic.
The following restaurants in the area will be serving ramps:
u “We'll feature ramps as much as possible in the coming weeks,” says Jen Pearson of Guadalupe Cafe in Sylva. “They'll be on our brunch menu, in nighttime specials and, if they last until strawberries arrive, in a grilled ramps, fresh strawberry, and gorgonzola dish we like to do.”
u Nate Allen, chef and co-owner of Knife & Fork, takes the same approach. “We do everything we possibly can with ramps: We make a pesto, we tempura batter and deep fry them, create flatbreads, saute them with morels and serve over cheesy grits. You name it.”
u Kaighn Raymond, executive chef and owner of Frogs Leap Public House in Waynesville, has been busy creating at least four new ramps dishes for the season, including skillet-blackened Sunburst Trout with a spring succotash and grilled ramp broth, spring potato and ramp vichyssoise with local baby arugula, potatoramp pancakes with a ramp creme fraiche, and a local morel and ramp pesto flatbread.
u From pesto to pickles: Chestnut in downtown Asheville plans to pickle the piquant delicacy for use in its bar items, then grill local ramps for use throughout its kitchen dishes.
u Elizabeth Button of Asheville's Curate shares that ramps are very similar to calcots, an early spring Spanish scallion. Curate plans to serve up the Southern staple Spanish- style with a Romesco sauce.
u Highland Lake Inn in Flat Rock is also going the route of a special sauce; it's blending local ramps into a brarnaise to serve with grilled asparagus as a side dish. It's also making ramp butter to garnish its Sunburst Trout dinner dishes. How? “We clean the ramps well; toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper; grill them lightly, puree with a little cream and finish with softened butter in a mixer with a paddle attachment,” Sous Chef Matt Lineback says.
For a list of Appalachian Grown farms offering ramps, visit appalachiangrown. org.
Compiled from staff reports
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