FROM THE CHEF

This week marked the return of the Rogue Valley Growers Market—a highly anticipated seasonal shift for the kitchen. It’s the moment when the menu morphs into the rapid rhythm of hyper-seasonality—when dishes begin to change, not by the week, but by the day.

Stopping by stalls to see what farms like Barking Moon and Runnymede have just harvested—broccolini, bok choy, baby turnips, pale spring roots—I start imagining new dishes on the spot. Farm-fresh ingredients speak for themselves; they simply ask me to listen and let them lead.

As winter wanes, I love spending time outside looking for the first wild notes of spring. Cherry and almond trees begin to bloom, and the tiny flowers on brassicas appear in the fields. I carefully gather these fleeting flavors that only exist for a brief but wonderful window each year. 

Right now, foraged cherry blossoms are making their way into a caramel glaze that brings a rich botanical base and a crispy crust to one of our new canapés—Crab French Toast, made with Japanese shokupan, a milk bread brioche. Together with my first haul from the market, foraged flavors guide the menu as it evolves day by day, dish by dish.

Remember dipping French fries into your milkshake as a kid? That mix of salty, sweet, hot, and cold is a combo I still crave. This week, I’m channeling my childhood memory into a decadent dessert: Fried Potato Ice Cream finished with a burnt white chocolate shell and a soft parsnip marshmallow to bring it all together.

I look forward to serving you at the kitchen soon!

Evan Bolling
Chef de Cuisine