I don’t know where the last two months have gone; it happened so fast. 69·çÁ÷’s last Bistro Verde menu and class were quite successful and are now done. To the many of you who joined us for lunch and allowed the students to share their talents and learning experiences — thank you. We are now on to the next menu, which offers plated dishes that are a little more upscale casual, but very reasonable. Service just began on Oct. 22 and will go through Nov. 21. We are open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (closed Nov. 5).
This class is focused on more challenging techniques and timings. In addition to our regular menu every week, each of the students will take turns being responsible for creating a three-course lunch menu that includes an appetizer, entree and dessert for $16.
Speaking of the regular menu, let’s discuss the appetizers. We are doing a version of pad kaprow, a quick sauteed dish with lots of basil and a little garlic, chilis and soy sauce but using cauliflower instead of meat. We are making traditional Japanese gyoza, or pork dumplings, which provide a great opportunity for the students to practice the tedious task of folding tiny pleats of dough while keeping the delicious filling inside. I also thought it would be fun to have some southern flavors and offer a homemade chicken tender served with a fried macaroni and cheese ball sitting on braised greens with a candied yam sauce and a drizzle of honey. Making this involves many cooking methods and timings. For the last appetizer, the students are butterflying shrimp and giving them a coconut breading. We serve this with yellow curry sauce, fresh pineapple and a little cilantro.
We go back to Japan for the first soup on the menu. We are making miso soup topped with tempura mushrooms. The second soup is a chicken and coconut soup from Thailand called tom kha gai. We are also going to have a version of a wedge salad using a variety of smaller lettuce heads and adding a pepperjack croquette for texture and fun.
Of course we are also offering a rotation of smashburger choices: Oklahoma, Flapper, Carolina, Santa Fe Hatch and the Luther burgers. Each of these regional smashburgers will be offered for one week respectively and can be enjoyed as a horseshoe if you prefer. For a grilled cheese, we are having caramelized onions and mushrooms with Swiss cheese on sourdough. It seems simple, but it takes almost an hour to properly caramelize onions then melt the cheese just right without burning the bread while doing 10 other things. It is a little more challenging than you might think. For the fish sandwich, we coat a large cod filet with crunchy course panko. It is served with pickled vegetables and homemade katsu sauce, all on a brioche bun.
For our pasta-themed entrée, we are taking the idea of a Cajun seafood boil and tossing it with homemade sweet corn gnocchi. Don’t worry, all the seafood will already be shelled and ready to enjoy.
The grilled steak choice for this menu is petit filet mignon. This gives the students another opportunity to butcher larger expensive cuts of meat down to an individual steak. They then sous vide the steak to make sure it is flavorful and perfectly cooked and finally finish it on the grill. It is served with romesco sauce, a roasted tomato and red pepper sauce, topped with a poached egg, a side of broccolini and homemade shoestring potatoes for a little crunch.
Lastly, they are making a version of cassoulet, though we are making it with chicken instead of duck. They will sear thinly sliced chicken breast and serve it over a white bean stew, crispy potatoes, sauteed green beans, a couple slices of chicken sausage and finished with a very rich chicken and herb sauce.
I tried to use as many cooking methods as possible and introduce international flavors while helping the students make delicious food to share with our guests at Bistro Verde. Hopefully we will see many of you and look forward to your feedback as our students learn about running a restaurant that offers plated foods in courses.
Sweet corn gnocchi
10 ounces sweet corn
2 eggs
5 ounces ricotta
1 cup grated parmesan
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup flour
Directions
Place sweet corn and eggs into a blender until smooth.
Combine with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl with a spatula.
Shape the dough into long ropes about 1 inch in diameter, using lots of flour to avoid sticking.
Cut into 1-inch pieces.
Drop the gnocchi into boiling water for 1 minute.
Carefully remove, and gently rinse in cold water.
You can freeze these for a later time or for a quick dinner. Space them out on a tray in the freezer until they completely freeze, and then transfer them to a freezer bag. This will prevent them from sticking together while frozen.
To finish
Use a little butter or olive oil to sauté the gnocchi just to a light golden brown. They are a little delicate, so turn gently.
It is fun to add a little minced garlic, a splash of cream, grated parmesan and chopped parsley to make a quick and delicious dish.
Or add them to any sauce with the meat and/or vegetables of your choice.
69·çÁ÷
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through 69·çÁ÷ Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.