April showers bring May flowers or so they say, but here in Chicago, I'm expecting to see Noah and his ark pass by the restaurant. Now that May is finally here, there are signs that we are turning the corner on winter. Local farmer's markets will be starting over the next several weeks, our patio will be opening soon and as promised; we've started construction on our new restaurant next door which will be opening later this summer. (Check out the green buildout on the XOCO blog)
Peeks into the chef's inspirations: Spring has definitely sprung on the Topolo menu this month. Chef Brian Enyart has created the essence of spring in this fabulous dish of grilled asparagus, lime-poached rhubarb salad, grilled fiddlehead ferns, slow-cooked sunchokes, and Bayless garden microgreens. This dish, Ensalada de Esparragos, is available on both the lunch and dinner menu. Some of the other spring items that Brian has incorporated into his menus are: house-cured Alaskan king salmon, halibut, ramps, spring peas and morel mushrooms. In the news: Cheer Rick on as he competes on Bravo's Top Chef Masters starting on June 10th at 10/9C. He's up against 23 fellow chefs for the grand prize of $100,000 to be donated to the winner's favorite charity. We have our fingers crossed for him.
Profiles on Frontera Farmer Foundation recipients. Wellhausen Farms is really a family affair. Jim Wellhausen, his wife Karen, his three children, Jamie, Jim and Jackie, their college friends, aunts, uncles and cousins all pitch in to make this farm a success. Jim originally purchased the farm to grow stock for his landscaping business, but soon became interested in organic farming. He started small, just growing vegetables for his family. It mushroomed from there and in just 7 years, the business has grown into a CSA with over 200 members. The family applied for a grant from the foundation in order to buy 2 polytunnels greenhouses and a bench warmer heating system to protect their seedlings. These additions will make it possible to extend their growing season by two weeks in the spring and several in the fall. This grant, and all the others we have awarded throughout the years, is possible through your generous support.
Frontera Farmer Foundation Benefit. Speaking of support, join us at this year’s Frontera Farmer Foundation Benefit on Sunday, June 14th. The daytime farmers market tickets are $40.00/pp advance purchase or $45.00/pp at the door. The evening “Dinner Like No Other” is $125.00/pp. Call 312-661-1434 for reservations. We’re just starting to get together this year’s list of silent auction prizes. Here’s a preview of some of the items.
We’ll keep updating the list on the Frontera Farmer Foundation section on the web site.
Kitchen gadget adventure. These stainless steel measuring spoons are the ones that I use most often at home. No more shaking out spices to fill a spoon. As you can see from their shape, they fit right into the spice jar. You can even use the top of the jar to level them off. They’re available at Sur La Table, either in the store or on line. The set includes 6 spoons (1 tablespoon to 1/8 teaspoon), and retails for $12.95.
Frontera Foods. Frontera Foods created 4 salsas exclusively for Crate and Barrel. The flavors are: Roasted Garlic Chipotle, Tomato Cilantro, Cucumber Lime and Peach Mango Chipotle. Check them out at a Crate and Barrel store near you or order on line. The Cucumber Lime is a seasonal salsa available for a limited time only. The salsas sell for $6.95 each. New recipes from the test kitchen. I posted two new recipes to the web site this month. First, a recipe that we're testing for our new restaurant XOCO. It's a Crispy Chicken Torta layered with a black bean spread, avocado, pickled jalapenos and shredded cheese - and it tastes as good as it sounds. The second recipe provides another use for the rajas recipe Rick taught on "Building Blocks of the Mexican Kitchen." It's an adaption of the burger that Rick competed with at the South Beach Wine and Food Fest in February. It's called the Queso Fundido Burger and it's the perfect reason to fire up your grill.
Sustainability. People often ask where we get our seeds for the rooftop garden and Rick’s backyard. Seeds of Change is one of the seed companies that we use. In 1989, Seeds of Change began with a simple mission, to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable, organic agriculture. Not only do they have an extensive catalog of seeds and live plants, but they provide in depth information on each of the varieties they sell. Check out this heirloom tomato from Oaxaca. See you next month. Sincerely, Deb Silberstein Test Kitchen Director/Web Site Culinary Director P. S. For those Chicago people out there, Rick invites you to check out 500 Clown and their signature work Macbeth. 500 Clown is a Chicago-based performance art theater group. Rick joined the board of directors in 2008. Follow Rick on Twitter Become a fan of Topolobampo on Facebook Become a fan of Frontera Grill on Facebook  |
