Little Tastes of the Dahlia, Fall 2008
As fall approaches, the trees change color, the kids head off
to school, and you sign yourself up for another series of Little Tastes of the
Dahlia. Leave your school supplies at home, but don’t forget to bring your
tastebuds as we explore three fascinating new topics.
For reservations, please contact Dennis Jensen at
206-682-4142 or email
dennis@tomdouglas.com.
Each event is $25 plus tax and gratuity. Seating is festival style.
Washington Apples
Tuesday September 9th, 5:30- 7:00 pm
When you talk about Washington produce, you’re talking
apples. Half of all the apples grown in the United States
for fresh eating come from orchards right here in the
Evergreen State. Cameo, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Jonagold,
Pink Lady, Braeburn, Honeycrisp and other flavorful
varieties have all but replaced the once ubiquitous but
often bland Red Delicious commodity apple. The apple
varieties available today are scrumptiously sweet, spicy,
juicy, aromatic, and crunchy enough to tempt Adam and Eve
out of the Garden of Eden! Which apples taste best served
crisp and fresh and which taste best roasted or baked until
soft and melting? Sample apple dishes both savory and sweet,
sip a cool apple cocktail, and get all your questions
answered by our scholarly apple expert.
Honey
Wednesday October 15th, 5:30- 7:00pm
About 80% of flowering plants, including many of our food
crops, depend on bees for pollination, but half the nation’s
honeybees from managed hives disappeared last year due to
Colony Collapse Disorder. This is a good time to contemplate
the importance of bees by celebrating sweet, golden honey.
Sample monofloral honeys from local beekeepers such as
fireweed, blackberry, lavender, and buckwheat. Taste infused
honeys and honeycomb. Learn to use honey in savory dishes.
Indulge in warm biscuits slathered with butter and drizzled
with luscious honey while an apiary professional explains
more about the all important bee.
Goat
Wednesday November 19th, 5:30 – 7:00pm
Think it’s weird to eat goat? Think again. Goat meat has
been enjoyed for centuries in the Middle East, Asia,
Mediterranean countries, and Latin America. In fact, goat is
the most commonly consumed meat in the world. What’s the
best way to cook goat meat so it’s falling-apart tender and
succulent? Where can you purchase goat in the Seattle area?
Join us for an adventuresome bite of “the other red meat”
plus delectable tastes of goat cheese and goat yogurt.
Sunday Supper at the Palace Kitchen!
Every Sunday, Palace Sous Chef Audrey Jones
offers up a special three course prix fixe dinner. The price, which varies
depending on the menu, ranges between $30 and $50 for all three courses.
Since Audrey chooses the menu each Sunday according to what’s fresh and
delicious that day, we can’t give you the menu ahead.
You might be served Waygu steak tartare, sautéed Alaskan halibut with crispy
fried morel mushrooms, and a rice pudding cornet with horchata ice cream. Or you
might dine on a new potato and tarragon tart, a cornmeal crusted pan roasted
veal chop, and a bowl of raspberries with Muscat jello and double cream.
Stop by the Palace Kitchen this coming Sunday and find out what Audrey’s been
cooking up (or call after 4:30pm that day and ask about the Sunday Dinner). If
the prix fixe doesn’t tickle your fancy, just choose from the regular Palace
menu instead. Either way, Sunday supper at the Palace is sure to be seasonal and
luscious! Come and join us!
Lola's Lamb at the Bite!
This year’s Alley at the Bite of Seattle was a blast!
Thanks to all of you for coming by and making the Tom Douglas- hosted Alley a
huge success. Brock Johnson, Lola’s chef, served up a few thousand tastes of
this Cumin Scented Leg of Lamb with Tzadziki. We’re giving you the recipe
because it’s perfect for a low and slow summer barbecue. For the best flavor,
get the lamb boned and spice rubbed a day ahead so it can sit, refrigerated.
Then set up a covered charcoal grill for indirect heat and allow a few hours to
slow roast the lamb to tender perfection. Serve the lamb with cool spoonfuls of
tzadziki, in other words, cucumber and dill flavored Greek yogurt. For a
complete Lola-esque feast, stop by the Dahlia bakery first for some handmade
pita and Lola dips!
Lola’s Cumin Scented Leg of Lamb
Makes 8 Servings
One 6 to 8 pound bone-in leg of lamb
6 tablespoons cumin seed, toasted and ground in a spice grinder or a clean
electric coffee bean grinder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Kosher salt or fleur de sel
Tzadziki (see recipe below)
Trim and bone the lamb, removing the hip bones and leaving
the shank bone in place. After the hip bone is removed, you can open up the
lamb. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the cumin, 1 tablespoon salt, 1
teaspoon black pepper, the rosemary and garlic cloves. Sprinkle this mixture
evenly all over the inside of the lamb. Roll up the flaps of lamb and tie with
butcher string. In a small bowl, combine the remaining cumin, salt, and pepper.
Rub this mixture evenly over the outside of the lamb. If time permits, season
the lamb a day ahead and refrigerate.
Roast the lamb slowly on a charcoal grill over indirect heat,
with the grill covered and the vents open, for about 2½ hours, turning it
occasionally and adding coals as needed, until the meat is cooked to your liking
(internal temperature of the meat is about 125°for medium rare.) Or you can
place the lamb over a rack in a roasting pan and roast in a preheated 325° F
oven for about 2 to 2½ hours. Remove the lamb and allow to rest in a warm place
for 10 to 15 minutes, then carve. Serve the slices of lamb with a sprinkle of
salt and a large spoonful of tzadziki.
Lola’s Tzadziki
Makes about 3½ cups
1 small English cucumber
3 cups whole fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped dill
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt or fleur de sel
Grate the cucumber, skin on, then mince very finely. Gather
up the cucumber in a piece of cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you
can, discarding the liquid. In a bowl, combine the cucumber with the rest of the
ingredients. Season to taste with salt.
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