In Good Taste: Dinner Party Challenge: Farm Fresh

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Farm Fresh

Raising pigs and vegetables on Wadmalaw Island, Sean has turned locavore dining into a reality at McCrady’s, fashioning fresh menus from seasonal crops.

Ask chef Sean Brock to entertain, and you can count on a farm-to-fork experience. Raising pigs and vegetables on Wadmalaw Island, Sean has turned locavore dining into a reality at McCrady’s, fashioning fresh menus from seasonal crops. And recently, he put down roots at Thornhill Farm in McClellanville, working with Our Local Foods director Maria Baldwin to add pigs, pastured beef, and a seed-saving heritage garden to her chickens and organic veggies.

On an ideal fall afternoon, Sean invited friends to Thornhill for an old-fashioned country supper. “When I go out to the farm, I succumb to its rural tempo,” he says. “I want my guests to have a relaxed evening, so my menu is unpretentious and just as easy for someone else to recreate in their backyard.”

The Challenge

Chef: Sean Brock, McCrady’s
Goal: Prepare a four-course supper that celebrates the Lowcountry’s autumn bounty
Number of guests: 8
Per Person Budget: $20
Menu: 1. Carolina rice middlins with brown butter crumble and squash 2. Lettuces with balsamic roasted pears, goat cheese, and pecan vinaigrette 3. Pork roast with Sea Island red peas, greens, and onion purée 4. Pumpkin bread pudding and bourbon ice cream

First Course

“Carolina Gold rice can be traced back to colonial Charleston,” explains Sean. “It very nearly became extinct, but Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills has dedicated his work to reviving this incredible grain.” Rice middlins, or grits, are the small pieces that come from rice grains broken during milling, and it’s important to cook them with great care. “Extra starch is released because the delicate pieces react like risotto rice,” Sean says, “so middlins are prepared by a similar process. Just don’t leave the stove while they’re cooking.”

The Shopping List

• Yellow onion $1.00
• Rice grits $5.95
• White wine $8.99
• Filtered water $0.89
• Unsalted butter $2.59
• Lemon $0.43
• Parmesan .13 lbs. @ $15.99/lb. $2.08
• Parsley $0.99
• Tarragon $1.99
• Mushrooms 2 lbs. @ $4.99/lb. $9.98
• Thyme $1.99
• Squash 3 lbs. @ $1.79/lb. $5.37
• Anise $5.39
• Milk powder $4.39

Final Cost: $51.90

From the Pantry

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Canola oil
• Cinnamon stick

see all recipes below...

Second course

The chef-farmer likes to use a variety of lettuces in this perfect-for-fall salad and suggests shopping for them at a farmers market. “There are more locally raised and just-picked options,” Sean advises. He also notes that any type of pear will do, just select whatever is fragrant and ripe. “Growing food has changed my life,” he says. “It makes me think about how to highlight the flavors. Let the lettuce be the lettuce, the pears be the pears.”

The Shopping List

• Lettuces $6.79
• Heavy cream 1 pint $2.39
• Pecans $2.59
• Goat cheese $3.99
• Pears 2.25 lbs. @ $2.49/lb. $5.60

Final Cost: $21.36

From the Pantry

• Red wine & balsamic vinegars
• Honey
• Kosher salt & black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Sugar
• Canola oil

see all recipes below...

Third Course

“I didn’t have time to wrangle one of my pigs this week,” Sean laughs, “so we’re having Caw Caw Creek Farms pastured pork.” The red peas are of African origin, “another heirloom crop that Anson Mills is bringing back into our cuisine,” he notes. “According to Roberts, they ‘informed early versions of the dish we know as Hoppin’ John in Coastal Carolina.’ I like this combination of pork, greens, peas, and onion purée for its textural contrasts, and I cook each simply to showcase its flavor.”

The Shopping List

• Pork butt 6 lbs. @ $3.99/lb. $23.94
• Vidalia onions $1.80
• Stock 2 qts. @ $2.59/qt. $5.18
• Red peas $5.95
• Yellow onion $1.00
• Carrots $0.89
• Celery $1.49
• Garlic bulb $1.00
• Greens $2.59
• Shallot $0.65
• Red pepper flakes $1.89
• Lemon $0.43

Final Cost: $46.81

From the Pantry

• Brown sugar
• Kosher salt & black pepper
• Paprika
• Dijon mustard
• Unsalted butter (left over from first course)
• Heavy cream (left over from second course)
• Bay leaf
• Extra-virgin olive oil

see all recipes below...

Fourth Course

“I grew up making pies from fresh pumpkin,” says Sean. When shopping for a cooking pumpkin at the farmers market, he advises chatting with purveyors about their favorite varieties. “They probably chose the kind they grow because they enjoy eating it.” He also warns to avoid pumpkins that look perfect for jack-o’-lantern carving: “The best-tasting ones are often the ugliest!”

The Shopping List

• Croissants $3.89
• Half-and-half $1.29
• Eggs 2 doz. @ $1.49/doz. $2.98
• Pumpkin pie spice $3.49
• Walnuts $2.29
• Pumpkin $3.00
• Maple syrup $6.59
• Milk $1.99
• Heavy cream 1 quart $3.99 (plus more left over from second course)
• Bourbon $7.95

Final Cost: $37.46

From the Pantry

• White & brown sugars
• Unsalted butter (left over from first course)
• Vanilla

see all recipes below...

The Results: Challenge Met!

McCrady’s chef and Thornhill farmer Sean
Brock successfully dished up a down-home four-course dinner on a budget of $160.
Amount Spent: $157.53

Carolina Rice Middlins with Brown Butter Crumble & Fall Squash

Serves

8

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups small dice yellow onion
• 2 cups Anson Mills rice grits
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 8 cups filtered water, kept hot in stockpot on the stove
• 7 Tbs. unsalted butter
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon
• Mushrooms (recipe follows)
• Roasted fall squash (recipe follows)

Brown butter crumble

• 1/2 lb. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk powder
• Kosher salt

Mushrooms

• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 2 lbs. crimini mushrooms (for a splurge, use Mepkin Abbey oyster or chantrelle mushrooms)
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter

Fall Squash

• 3 lbs. heirloom fall squash (acorn, sweet dumpling, butternut, delicata, or a combination)
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Brown butter (reserved from crumble recipe)

Directions 

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add oil. When hot, add onion and cook slowly for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When onion is soft and translucent, add rice. Continue to cook for five minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add white wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until pan is almost dry. Start adding water four ounces at a time and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until liquid has almost evaporated. Continue this process until rice grits are al dente, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from stove and stir in butter and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt. Keep warm.

When ready to serve, lightly fold in the cheese. Stir parsley, tarragon, and mushrooms into the rice at the last minute. Spoon rice into a bowl and garnish with roasted fall squash and brown butter crumble.

Brown butter crumble
In a medium saucepan over low heat, cook butter and nonfat milk powder very slowly, stirring, until butter solids are brown and nutty, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season mixture with salt and allow to sit at room temperature for as long as possible, at least 30 minutes.

Strain the solids using a fine mesh colander. Reserve the liquid to cook the squash and use the solids to garnish the middlins.

Mushrooms
Scrub mushrooms with a soft toothbrush and cut into bite-size pieces. Place a large cast-iron pan over high heat. When pan is very hot, add canola oil. When oil is smoking, add mushrooms and do not disturb. Allow mushrooms to caramelize for two minutes. Remove from heat and add thyme and butter. Toss to coat. Keep warm.

Fall Squash
Peel squash and dice into half-inch by half-inch squares. Place squash peel and ends into a small stockpot and cover with water. Add star anise and cinnamon stick and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain, discard squash peel, star anise, and cinnamon, and keep liquid hot.

Place a large sauté pan over high heat. When pan is very hot, add brown butter and diced squash. Do not stir. Allow squash to caramelize. (If you don’t have a big enough sauté pan to fit all of the squash in one layer, do this step in batches.) When squash is golden brown, add stock—two ounces at a time—until squash is fork tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Keep warm.

Autumn Lettuces with Balsamic Roasted Pears, Whipped Goat Cheese, & Pecan Vinaigrette

Serves

8

Ingredients 

• 1 lb. fresh lettuces
• Pecan vinaigrette (recipe follows)
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Whipped goat cheese (recipe follows)
• Balsamic roasted pears (recipe follows)
• Balsamic vinegar reduction (reserved from roasted pears recipe)

Pecan Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 4 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs. honey
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whipped Goat Cheese

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 6 oz. goat cheese
• Kosher salt

Balsamic Roasted Pears

• 4 ripe pears
• Sugar
• Kosher salt
• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions 

Wash lettuces in cold water and drain in a colander. Dry with paper towels and refrigerate.

Toss lettuces with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Spoon goat cheese on the platter. Top with dressed greens and warm pears. Drizzle with the reduced vinegar.

Pecan Vinaigrette
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add pecans and stir until almost burnt. Place pecans and vinegar into a blender, and blend on high speed. Add honey and season with salt to taste. Slowly drizzle in oil.

Whipped Goat Cheese
In a standing mixer, whip the cream with whisk attachment. When soft peaks start to form, crumble in goat cheese. Whip for one minute. Season with salt to taste.

Balsamic Roasted Pears
Peel and halve pears. Using a melon baller, remove seeds. Season with sugar and salt.

Heat a sauté pan over high heat. Add oil. When hot, add pears cut-side down. Turn heat down to medium. Allow pears to caramelize, about five minutes. When pears are dark brown, add vinegar. Turn over and cook until fork tender, about five minutes, occasionally basting them with vinegar. Remove pears and leave at room temperature. Simmer remaining vinegar until it is reduced to a glaze. Reserve.

Slow-Cooked Pork Roast with Sea Island Red Peas, Garden Greens, & Sweet Onion Purée

Serves

8

Ingredients 

Pork Butt

• 2 Tbs. brown sugar
• 2 Tbs. Kosher salt
• 2 Tbs. black pepper
• 1 Tbs. paprika
• 6 lb. pork butt, skin removed
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard

Sweet Onion Purée

• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 large Vidalia or Wadmalaw onions, peeled and sliced thin
• Kosher salt
• 2 Tbs. heavy cream

Sea Island Red Peas

• 2 qts. pork stock (or substitute chicken)
• 1 cup Anson Mills Sea Island Red Peas, soaked in cold water, refrigerated overnight, and drained
• 1 1/2 cups medium dice yellow onion
• 1 1/2 cups medium dice carrot
• 1 cup medium dice celery
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt

Garden Greens

• 3 lbs. of assorted fall greens (collard, mustard, turnip, and/or kale)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, peeled and minced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• Kosher salt
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Juice of 1 lemon

Directions 

Pork Butt
Preheat oven to 250°F. Mix sugar, salt, pepper, and paprika. Using a brush, paint top of pork with mustard. Pat in seasoning mixture. Place in a roasting pan with a rack. Cook pork, uncovered, for 14 hours. Baste occasionally during the last hour to produce a glaze.

Sweet Onion Purée
Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add butter. When frothy, add onions and sprinkle lightly with salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and add heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Purée in a blender until smooth.

Sea Island Red Peas
In a large pot, bring stock to a simmer and add remaining ingredients. Cook, partially covered, for one hour over low heat. When peas are tender, season with salt to taste.

Garden Greens
Remove large stems from greens and roughly chop. Wash all greens thoroughly and dry.

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil and sauté shallot for two minutes. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Add greens and a splash of water. Continue to stir and cook the greens until they become wilted. Finish greens by seasoning with salt and crushed red pepper to taste and lemon juice. When ready to serve, drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil over the top.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Maple Syrup Sauce

Serves

8

Ingredients 

• 5 cups torn day-old bread (croissants or challah work best)
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 16 oz. pumpkin purée (recipe follows)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• Dash of pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts

Maple syrup sauce

• 1 cup high-quality maple syrup
• 2 Tbs. heavy cream
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter

Pumpkin Purée

• 1 small heirloom pumpkin, about 3 pounds
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Bourbon Ice Cream

• 1 ¾ cups egg yolks
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
• 1 qt. milk
• 1 qt. heavy cream
• ½ cup Maker’s Mark bourbon

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a medium casserole dish. In a bowl, combine bread and half-and-half. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add bread mixture to pumpkin mixture. Place in casserole dish and cook for 45 minutes, or until set. Serve warm with maple syrup sauce and bourbon ice cream.

Maple syrup sauce
Place the syrup in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook it over medium-high heat until reduced to ¾ cup. Remove from heat and whisk in cream. Finish by slowly whisking in butter. Keep warm.

Pumpkin Purée
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. Rub inside of the pumpkin with butter and season with spice. Place in a roasting pan skin-side down on a baking rack. Cook for 40 minutes or until flesh is fork-tender. Remove from oven and scoop out flesh. Purée in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate.

Bourbon Ice Cream
In a stand mixer, beat together yolks and sugars until pale. Bring milk and cream to a simmer in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. With mixer on low, slowly pour two cups of hot milk and cream into egg/sugar mixture. Stir this back into remaining milk and cream. Bring to a scald over medium-high heat, stirring. Stir in the bourbon. Place the pot in an ice bath until very cold. Process in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.