Spring Salads for Lunch

Two new salads on our Spring lunch menu, and we love 'em both. In the photo above (taken by multi-talented manager/bookkeeper Heather), nearest to the viewer, is the Apple Ribbon and Arugula salad. Crisp and tart green Granny Smith apples are sliced to order (so no browning) into broad, flat ribbons and tossed with peppery arugula greens and sweet-but-not-too-sweet honey-poppyseed dressing. Sprinkled over the whole lovely mess are gorgonzola (a crumbly blue cheese) and pecans spiced with cayenne, paprika, and brown sugar.

The second salad, pictured below, is the 8th Street Chopped Salad, and it is completely filling and satisfying. It's a jumble of avocado, cucumber, crispy onions, radish, celery, tomato, and broccoli. The pile is topped with feta and a sliced "six-minute egg," which means it's boiled for about -- you guessed it -- six minutes, so that the white is done firm and the yolk is mostly done, left just a little creamy at the center. The final touch: toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Salad Niçoise: An Ode

Guest written by manager Becca Evanhoe



For months, I've been trying to convince Chef Brian Strecker to put a salad niçoise on the menu. I suggested. I strongly suggested. I asked politely. I asked with authority. I pleaded. On occassion I demanded. (Brian put up with my hounding, but alas, no salad niçoise appeared on the new spring lunch or dinner menu.

What's the big deal about a salad niçoise? Why my obsession?

First, understand this: salad niçoise is the perfect salad. “Niçoise” refers to Nice, a coastal French city, where the salad originated. There are hundreds of variations, but a typical one contains greens, often tossed with fresh herbs; fresh haricots verts (thin green beans); sliced hard-boiled egg; boiled new potatoes; tuna, anchovies or sardines; black olives; sometimes finely chopped shallots, and occassionaly tomatoes. Tastewise, it's got fresh produce; rich, satisfying proteins; nice starchy potatoes; salty moments from anchovies and olives, and a refreshing salad dressing (a basic vinaigrette, usually). It's light and filling.

And the other contributing factor to my fascination with this salad has to do with nostalgia. Six years ago, I was lucky enough to spend three weeks traveling along the Mediterranean coast of France. While there, I tried enough of these salads to become an expert. Here is an excerpt from the journal that I kept on the trip:

"Lunch: Cassis white wine... the salad niçoise of my dreams: salty, black olives, fresh green lettuces, haricots verts, mealy boilet potatoes, briny anchovies, tomato wedges, fresh tuna, a star of perfect boiled egg on top, a subtle mustardy, vinegar-y dressing... so perfect. A eaten about 300 m from the beach, 10 ft from the harbor, palm trees, boats, clouds and sun peeking out, framed by mountains... best lunch I've ever had."

But back to the present. Yesterday, it finally happened. For a dinner special, Brian created a Pachamama's take on salad niçoise. He layered fried potatoes, caper aioli, asparagus (in lieu of haricots verts), egg, and tuna together. Not just any tuna, though. He used olive-oil poached tuna, which means it’s slowly cooked in lots of olive oil; the olive oil “simmers,” but doesn’t fry the fish. The result is incredibly moist, tender tuna. After you try olive-oil poached tuna, you won’t ever want to see a can of tuna again.

This is one of those meals that’s powerful recalling to me; eating a well-prepared salad niçoise takes back me to one of the most exciting times of my life.

Look at the beautiful pepper sprinkled across the eggs! Look at that shiny green aspsaragus (which, I assure you, was perfectly cooked. Done all the way through, and crisp.) The beautiful brown color and texture of the fried potato rounds.

In this photo, you can see the olive-oil poached tuna peeking out.



I call this shot Salad Niçoise in the Afternoon. (Photo taken by Stephanie Bell.)

Highlights from our Spring Dinner Menu

The image above is our kitchen's prep list for our new(ish) spring menu, which began on April 8. Each time we renew our menu, our employees get a study guide, prepared by Chefs Ken Baker and Brian Strecker, which describes all the new dishes in detail. (The servers eventually take a written test over the menu.)

We wanted to blog about the new dishes, and figured we ought to let customers get an inside look at our staff study guide. So, here’s some insight into Ken’s love affair with food, in his own words. We’ll start with two appetizers and one main dish, with more to follow in future posts.

Grilled Shrimp and Heirloom Roasted Corn Grits, with chorizo, peas, ramp vinaigrette, and tarragon.

“This is a Mediterranean take on a Southern favorite, ‘Shrimp & Grits.’ Plump shrimp are marinated in lemon, garlic, spices, and herbs for grilling. Dried-corn grits made from roasted heirloom corn in the style of the 18th century have a deep, rich flavor. House-made spicy pork sausage with paprika is sautéed with young peas in the ramp vinaigrette. Ramps are wild leeks that have a pungent, garlicky flavor. A first sign of Spring. Fresh tarragon adds a mild anise flavor that compliments the components.”

Little Gem Lettuce Wedge, with apple-smoked bacon rumaki, chive crème fraiche, blue cheese, and pickled onion.

“Gem Lettuce is a compact type of Bibb lettuce. It is iceburg with flavor. Romaine with soul. Rumaki are bacon-wrapped water chestnuts broiled with soy and ginger (created at Trader Vic’s Tiki Bar). They have a timeless “wow” factor. Cultured cream flecked with chives, blue cheese crumbles, and spicy pickled onions round out the salad.”


Wood-Fired Local Lamb Sirloin, with turnip gratin, asparagus, fresh mint, and morel mushroom jus.

“Steve’s Meat Market will be providing the lamb for us, and they source from Kansas and Missouri lamb farmers. The sirloin will be roasted in the wood-fire oven to temperature, then served over a gratin of thin-sliced turnip and potatoes layered with gruyere cheese. Seasonal asparagus is blistered on the grill and the dish is finished with a pan sauce of veal stock, mirepoix, and morel mushrooms. Fresh mint will garnish the plate.”

It's pretty hard NOT to be inspired by the changing seasons around here.