Chef’s Culinary Garden at Beechwood Inn

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The Chef’s Culinary Garden at Beechwood Inn, Clayton, GA

The Northeast Georgia Mountains are home to some of Georgia’s leading fresh food producers. Vegetables, fruit, flowers, cheese, wine, nuts, grain, poultry, eggs, fish, pork and cattle are all seasonally available throughout the area. An abundance of fresh water, combined with soil rich in nutrients and a temperate climate offer a recipe for great fresh seasonal foods. Rabun County is particularly known for its cabbage crop. Maybe it’s the soil, but the cabbage grown here just tastes better. As spring moves towards summer we can hardly wait for our first ears of Osage Silver Queen Corn.

With all this local abundance we fret each spring as to what things we should plant in our culinary garden next to the Inn. We’ve been to restaurants where just moments before you are seated for dinner you observe the chef clad in her white coat tip toe into the gardens to snip fresh herbs and edible flowers. You just know you are in for a treat. We want to offer the type of experience where the diner sees and tastes things on their plate they know came out of the garden minutes before. The chef’s culinary garden should provide wonderful products but also needs to be close to the kitchen’s back door so it is as handy as walking into the pantry. And we want the garden to enhance and add to the variety, color and unique flavors for our guests’ dining experience.

Through the years we have honed our culinary garden to our style of cooking. Here is what we have planned for this year. We will plant a hedge of Genovese basil, as well as about 8 other varieties and colors. Other necessities include bay, dill, English thyme, tarragon, mints, lavender, oregano, rosemary, sage, parsley, savory and fennel; a rainbow of toy box tomatoes, lemon verbena, bee balm, heirloom tomatoes, edible flowers to bloom in succession. We also have an established asparagus patch, raspberries, blueberries, two varieties of crabapples, wild cherries (for drying), peaches, plums and a forest of Chanterelles. We can also count on Leckie Stack supplying us with some seasonal fruits from the Stack farm including Asian pears, persimmons and grapes. And Jenny Sanders will share with us wild ingredients in season such as ramps, elderflowers and berries, fiddleheads and a variety of mushrooms.

We would plant an acre of basil if we could. To many gardeners, basil is the king of herbs. Basil can play many roles while basking in the sun. Basil is essential in our kitchen, but it is also highly ornamental in our gardens and on our tables. We add branches to bouquets of flowers. Hot summer days become bearable if I can pluck fresh basil and use it in pestos, herbal vinegars, vegetable dishes and, most heavenly of all, nestle the leaves between slices of fresh bread along with a large slice of a ripe heirloom tomato and some creamy homemade mayo. Members of the mint family, basils are native to India, Africa and Asia but have a long, rich history of legend and use worldwide. Basil is best used fresh. Small leafed varieties can be grown in a pot on a sunny windowsill during the winter. To preserve summer’s flavor for winter make plenty of pesto and freeze it. We make sure that each year our garden has several Thai Basil plants. It is characterized by a strong licorice fragrance and flavor. Thai basil has many applications in the Beechwood kitchen due to its flavor appeal. It is the highlight of many Asian cuisines, including Thai, Vietnamese and Indian fare. The inn’s specialty is Thai Basil Rolls with Satay Peanut Sauce.

Another staple that we plant each spring is lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla). It is native to South America and grows well in North Georgia, but it does not survive our winters outdoors. The Spanish brought it to Europe where it was used in perfume. It has been a favorite for garden rooms in North America since its introduction in the 1800’s. It has a clean, sharp lemon scent that makes it the Queen of lemon-scented herbs. In Gone with the Wind, lemon verbena is mentioned as Scarlet O’Hara’s mother’s favorite plant. One whiff of the smell, and I predict you will not want to live without this luscious smelling herb.

The inn’s specialty is lemon verbena ice cream but we use the leaves in a number of recipes. It makes an excellent tea, especially when blended with mint. It can also be used to brighten the taste of fish, poultry, veggie marinades, stuffing, salad dressing, sorbets, pana cotta, jellies, and vinegar. As the leaves are tough, remove them before serving. Finely crumbled dried leaves can be added to the batters of carrot, banana, or zucchini bread. Try adding some to cooked rice just before serving.

A rainbow of toy box tomatoes is essential to our culinary garden each year. They are cherry and grape tomatoes in a variety of wonderful colors and flavors, some heirloom some hybrid. The most important thing to the chef is the palette of colors and unique flavors they offer. Some are sugary and sweet some are puckeringly tart. But oh are they beautiful in tarts, salads, bruschettas and as garnish. Last year we planted about a dozen varieties and I had to resist eating them while I picked them fresh off the vine. We plant them in giant containers and they surround the Beechwood gardens. We will often see guests plucking a sample as they walk by.

Our heirloom tomatoes are good in almost anything but one of our favorite recipes is Black Krim Tomato Marmalade. Our wild cherries and crabapples are very tart, so they are best used in coulis, jams and remoulades. The blueberries and raspberries will find their way fresh to our breakfast table and also baked into muffins, breads and sinfully wonderful desserts.

The gardens also yield a succession of seasonal edible flowers. Today, many restaurant chefs and innovative home cooks garnish their plates with flower blossoms for a touch of elegance. They can be sprinkled on salads or added to your recipe. The secret to success when using edible flowers is to keep the dish simple. Most edible flowers have a very delicate taste, so when using them as a flavor component do not add them to something that already has strong flavors. Today this nearly lost art is enjoying a revival.

Not all flowers are edible, and the edible varieties should be grown without the use of pesticides or other chemicals. Edible flowers should be carefully identified and in some cases there are only parts of the flower that are edible (in some flowers the anthers should be removed). The Beechwood Chefs will often use a flower as the central part of an appetizer or entre. For instance, we use colorful organic daylilies and fill them with a light stuffing of local goat cheese and fresh herbs.

Writing about our culinary garden and thinking of these recipes makes us long for tomato season once again. Planting our culinary garden each spring renews our spirit and brings us joy. We appreciate the efforts brought to bear by local farmers and ranchers, but most of all we thank God for the variety and abundance of fresh products we bring to our table.

by Chef David Darugh http://www.beechwoodinn.ws

Beechwood Inn is Georgia’s Premier Wine Country Inn

Choosing A Culinary School

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You have made the decision to go to a culinary school. Now what? Culinary school options are many, around the world, even. To choose one, you need to consider several aspects. Think that it doesnt matter? Around the world there are hundreds of thousands of people looking to be the next big chef. One of the first deciding factors on who you are as a chef is the culinary school that you attend. On that note, let us help you to find some answers to your questions about finding the best culinary school for you.

Your first step is to decide in what area you will specialize. Bakery, gourmet, and everything in between are your options. Not sure yet? Then, look for a culinary school that can provide you with a basic learning of many aspects of cooking. This will lead to a foundation of love in one or more eventually.

Use the web as a tool. You have heard it before, but most culinary schools now have the ability to provide details about their school, including why you should choose them, on their websites. This is an excellent way for you to learn more about the schools on a preliminary plane.

Venture into the arena of scholarships. Look at culinary schools that are abroad. Understand the various schools of thought that are presented in each culinary school. Ask questions and get answers.

Visit the culinary schools that are known for their excellent students. Find out where students who have graduated from that school have gone and done with their lives. Observe a class. Tour the campus.

Of course, one of the largest concerns that people have when it comes to culinary school choice is the cost. These schools are not cheap by any means, but the education you get will last you a lifetime. It is wise to consider quality well over price as much as you can. And, make sure to look into financial planning and financial aid.

Choosing a culinary school that feels right is important. Get all aspects of the decision just right and you can find yourself on your way to earning a culinary school degree in no time.

What You Should Know About Culinary Arts Schools

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It takes dedication to become a chef. Many people entertain the idea of becoming a chef and owning their own restaurant but few actually make this dream come true. Even fewer individuals make their restaurant a success. You may know how to chop an onion or saut some vegetables but that isn’t enough. Before you go looking into culinary arts schools, you are going to need a lot more information in order to make such an important decision.

The best culinary school can only teach its culinary students so much. There has to be a will and drive to succeed. Being a chef means checking your ego at the door, at least while you are learning. There is no such thing as a weekend off and the hours can be late. You will have to clean, cook and prepare food long before your first customer sits down to order a meal. You can expect to work holidays and work more than a forty hour week.

Culinary arts schools vary across the country and the world but if you are determined to go ahead and know what is in store for you, then you cannot go wrong with the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School offered at many campuses across the world. They have what it takes in order to teach you how to become the award winning executive chef that you want to be. The program can be found in many different states and you will not regret gaining admittance.

The programs at Le Cordon Bleu are divided into three different course programs. The Culinary Arts program, Patisserie and Baking, and Hospitality and Restaurant Management. If you can afford the time and money to attend all three programs, then you will be ahead of many culinary students in the industry who elect to just attend one program.

It is a great way to learn all facets of the industry. You will be well rounded in different cooking and baking techniques, as well as learning the skills needed to run your own restaurant.

Culinary arts schools are not cheap nor are they quick. It takes time to become an chef. You will want to choose a program that is accredited and has a high success ratio from former students.

Small factors such as these can make the difference between being a mediocre chef and being someone who commands respect from the culinary community. With hard work and determination you can get your culinary degree and perhaps be the next big television cooking star or be in command of your own five star restaurant. Good luck and try to enjoy what you are cooking!

Enrich your knowledge further about culinary arts schools from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our cooking school blog where a free gift awaits you.

Culinary Schools Start Your Own Restaurant

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The demand for cooks and assistant culinary artists is expanding; it is just because the chow trade is increasing as well. For that reason, many people were able to forecast that this can be a good livelihood choice. At present, quite a few would like to evolve into a gourmet chef.

If you’re among those individuals who are faithful about cooking and would like to become an ace in cuisine, taking lessons in culinary arts would seem imminent; particularly now that it is studied as an art.

Baking at this moment is not only paying notice to basic dishes. Assorted culinary programs now offer programs in a variety of categories, which include:

?Distinctive Cuisines ?Style Cookery ?Regional Culinary science ?Desserts ?Sauces ?Pastry Planning ?Knife Techniques ?Healthy Foods ?Desserts ?Holiday Foods ?Wine and Beverages ?Chocolates ?Safety and Hygienics ?Cost Executive ?Food and Nutrition ?Food Handling and Cataloging

After graduating from any of the culinary schools, you can be an executive chef, sous-chef, pastry chef, gourmet chef, saucier, wine steward, chef garde manager and more. In any way, you can put up your own eating house.

culinary schools offer three types of certificate: Level 1, which focuses on elementary nutrition or cookery introduction; Level two, which is aimed at for more accomplished cooks; and Level 3, which is for resourceful cookery.

Getting enrolled in a culinary schools will not only give you a degree that will be accepted in the entire earth, you will also get directed in an fantastic facility, educated by experts of culinary arts and given job placement support after finishing the program.

You can get the enlightenment you’ll need about a certain cooking or gastronomic culinary school by visiting their office personally or by traveling their websites. By doing so, you’ll find more about the courses they are offering and the range of education fees.

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Why Your Macarons Are Going Wrong – The Most Common Pitfalls

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Making macarons is not easy – anyone that tells you otherwise has either never trued making them or is lying for some reason. If some of the world’s greatest chefs admit that they often struggle to make perfect macarons, how can any of the rest of us claim otherwise?

However, the good news to come out of all this is that making decent macarons you don’t in fact intend to serve to members of the aristocracy or sell to the public doesn’t have to be an unmitigated nightmare. The basic recipe is pretty simple and so too is the process of putting the ingredients together – tasty and pretty macarons do not demand a degree in the culinary arts.

So, you may ask, why are you coming out with pure garbage pretty much every time you try? Well, the simple answer is that you’re most likely making once of a few extremely common mistakes and not even realizing it. So if you happen to be guilty of any of the following, you probably have your answer as to how and where you’re going wrong:

1 – Fresh, Cold Eggs The most common pitfall of all that’s happening all over the world right now as you’re reading this is the use of fresh eggs straight from the fridge. Any good recipe will tell you that it is preferable to use fresh egg delivery that have been -aged’ for a few days to get the right texture for your batter. It will also tell you that using eggs that aren’t at room temperature is inadvisable. Of course, some see it as easier to ignore the rules than to delay their baking any longer, so they end up with a batch of bothersome biscuits they have no use for. Ignore this tip and you’re wasting your time.

2 – Weak Whisking If you don’t give your egg whites enough time and attention with the whisk, your batter will be a disaster. This is pretty much the be all and end all of your macarons after all, so be prepared to really go for it and not stop until you know you’re on the money – even if you’re getting sore and bored. Just to coin a comparison, you’ll know you’re heading in the right direction if and when the mixture looks similar to shaving foam.

3 – Timing the Sugar Call it dull and boring all you like, but if you don’t time the adding of the sugar exactly, you’re in for a disappointment. You need to add the icing sugar – NOT icing mix – after you’ve been beating the egg whites for about 30 seconds-no more and no less. This timing is essential to ensure the right consistency, so don’t ever overlook its importance.

4 – Oven Issues About half way through the cooking process, you should open the oven door and rotate the baking trays. Why? Two reasons – one being that you need to let the excess moisture escape from the oven and the other being the importance of even cooking across the board. Ignore either and you may end up with half your macarons fit for a king and the other half not fit for the dog.