New Late Spring Menu

Last week we started our new menu. It is full of local grown vegetables. Jeff Isbell's farmstead salad with radish, sweet onions and heirloom yellow pear tomatoes finished with honey comb vinaigrette. We added a blackened tuna on flat bread with basil goat cheese pesto, shaved red onions and micro greens. Cornmeal fried gulf oysters, lemon tarter sauce, slaw, and pickled okra. The dish I'm really happy about is the grilled flat iron steak, vidalia onion gratin, asparagus, and chimichurri butter. I will post pictures soon of the new dishes.

Heirloom Romaine Lettuce

Today I planted two  kinds of heirloom  romaine lettuce in the kitchen garden. Paris Island and Freckles.

McClellanville Soft Shell Crabs ( First Of the Season)

Soby's Kitchen Garden Shots

Easter Egg Radish, Micro Greens, Heirloom Tomatoes , Garlic Chives

Heirloom Tomato's

If all goes well we should have over a 100 heirloom tomato plants. I have Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Abe Lincoln, Boxcar Willie, Amish Paste, Black Prince, Watermelon Beefsteak, Lemon Boy, Mr Stripy, Mortgage Lifter, and Hillbilly just to name a few. It has been a hard backbreaking job to break up new garden beds without a tiller. Cross your fingers.

Finally Planting

This week I finally got some item's planted in the kitchen garden. I planted a few rows of Easter Egg Radishes.  I also planted a small amount of micro green's. Hope to have radishes in 20- 30 days. The Garden has been slow going over the last few weeks.  I hope to have it back on track very soon. Here is a pic of what they look like when picked.

Farm Tractors

For the last year or so I have been hoping to start a farm to supply the restaurant with most of it's fresh vegetables, eggs, and maybe Pork. I have been doing a lot of research on tractors.  Green ,yellow, blue , red, what tractor will I chose. After much studying I have chosen the orange one.  I want the Kubota L4400 4WD HST.  It has more horsepower than I will ever need.  I hope to one day have a 15-20 acre farm. If you have any tips, farmland, or just want to talk tractor- email me.

Cornbread

Over the past few weeks I have be working to come up with the best cornbread recipe. The black iron pan is the most important part of the recipe. Finding the right cornmeal is important as well. I've used artisan local cornmeal, store brand, and a few others. The one that I think has the best flavor and produces the darkest brown crust is Yelton's. It is milled in Western North Carolina by Lakeside Mill. They have been milling since the 1700's. You can find their cornmeal in a few locally owned stores (Bilo, Ingles, etc.).

Cornmeal bag photo is from Likeside Mill.

Valentine's Features

Gulf Coast Oysters,Tennessee Bacon,Wilted Spinach, Parmesan

Yellow Fin Tuna, Carolina Gold,

Preserved Tomato’s, Capers, Lemons

Dry Aged Prime Ribeye, 

Horseradish Potatoes,

Asparagus, Truffle Demi

Chocolate Crepes, Caramel, Bananas and Passion Fruit Ice Cream

New Menu

We started a new menu this week.  Smoked Pork Chop with Candied Sweet Potato, Grouper and Sea Island Red Peas, Benton's Ham Jus.  Blue Crab Deviled Eggs with Crispy Ham Cracklings.  And My Favorite is the Gullah Shrimp and Grits with Caw Caw Creek Bacon.  All of the main ingredients for this dish are from South Carolina, Shrimp from Port Royal, Grits and Bacon from Columbia.  Come by and check it out.

Shaun

Red Cross Wine Dinner

-- Post From My iPhone

Virginia Willis Dinner

-- Post From My iPhone

Mobile blogging

Here is my first mobile post to the blog.
Shaun

-- Post From My iPhone

Guest Chef Virginia Willis on Your Carolina

Virginia and I were on Your Carolina today. Check it out.

Shaun

http://www.yourcarolina.tv/ycvideo/entry/chef_virginia_willis/

Last Meal?

Last year a book came on the market asking famous chef's what would be their last meal.  Because no one asked you and me,here we go. This is the meal that would represent my life on earth.  No, it would not be a famous restaurant in Paris, Napa or New York, sorry.  It would be my mamma's baptism in oil fried chicken, pan gravy, macaroni pie, and finishing with chocolate cake.  I am a simple man, I have never forgotten where I came from. Not that I'm far from where I came from in the first place.  So I ask you out in the void of the Internet what would be your last meal here on earth?

What is Southern Food?

Southern food, what does that mean to you? To me it means sweet tea, screen doors and a nice humid summer night. But you say it's winter. I know but that's what keeps me going, waiting to see the fireflies and the smell of Mamma's Sunday fried chicken. As I sit here in January reflecting the year past. I let my mind wander to times that were simpler. I wish I could see my Grandmother again and taste her country style steak and gravy. I still catch smells that bring back many memories, be it chocolate cake, country sausage or even cornbread. This year I want to slow down and really find what southern food means to you. Does it mean Church picnics ,potlucks or fish fries after a day at the lake? As the year goes by please let me know what southern food is to you. Lets have a great year.


Shaun

Shaun's Bethal Trails Farm Heritage Turkey

This Heritage Turkey was raised in Gray Court SC