In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in summer’s peak produce period. The harvests have been bountiful and the results are gorgeous. From colorful heirloom tomatoes to juicy melons, there’s something for everyone. We’ve gone over what to do with your CSA haul and how to keep the summer love going all year long in this space before. Today, we take a look back at Monday’s class with Ian Moroney from Pumpkin and how he made use of the summery gifts that David Zaback of Z Food Farm brought to the table.
If you’ve never been to Pumpkin, it’s a must-try. For a restaurant to be around 15 plus years, you know they’re doing something right. Owners Ian Moroney and Hilary Bor do a superb job of presenting a seasonal menu that is determined by what they get in daily. On Sundays, they offer up a 5-course tasting menu, and at $45 it’s easily one of the best values in the city.
To start the night, Ian and his team beat the summer heat with a chilled zucchini soup. This smooth vegan-friendly dish is thickened with almonds as opposed to cream and finished with mint oil. Light and refreshing are two words you could use to describe it. Or you can opt for several superlatives like amazing, delicious, or mind-blowing as those in attendance did.
Keeping with the spirit of bright and invigorating, the scallop crudo that served as the second course was a crowd pleaser. When asked about scallop choice, Ian implored people to look less at the size and more at freshness and quality. Taking baby scallops in this instance, placing in a bowl with balled cantaloupe, jalapeño, roughly chopped cucumber and tomato water yielded a tantalizing composition that had everyone trying to savor every single spoonful.
The idea that a combination of butter, salt, potatoes and crab could still come across in the same vein as the previous two courses is kind of mind-boggling. It screams rich and decadent on paper. However, salt potatoes are a hallmark of Ian’s hometown of Syracuse that rears its head mostly during the summer. Add in that crab is a warm-weather indulgence (complete with dipping those claws in butter) and you can see why it fits the bill.
The last savory course again incorporated seafood as Ian steamed halibut along with cabbage and red onion. Upon plating this beautifully flaky fruit of the sea, recently picked heirloom tomatoes were tossed with ground cherries over a healthy serving of coconut curry and garnished with sorrel. The tomatoes were a testament to the quality work David and his team are doing at the farm. If you want to check them out for yourself, visit their stand at the Rittenhouse Farmer’s Market on Saturdays!
Last but certainly not least, what summer’s without delightful peaches. Macerated peaches were adorned with crushed bourbon cookies and topped with aerated peach creme anglaise. It was the perfect ending of a night wrought with powerful flavor profiles and creative use of summer’s bounty.
