Sunday Meals Part 3

One of the best meals we have prepared, full of local seasonal ingredients.

Lemon Basil, an amazing herb

Local heirloom tomatoes

Amuse of Creamy Polenta with braised shallots

My homemade lemon basil vodka martini....it tastes very similar to lemon cello

Recipe:

1 large handful of lemon basil, chiffonade

1 350l bottle of Svedka Vodka (any decent vodka can be used)

Wash and chiffonade the lemon basil, add to the vodka (remove approx 1/2 oz from the bottle first) and store upside down overnight. Strain and then re bottle.

The Lemon Basil Martini:

2 oz lemon basil infused vodka

1 splash dry vermouth

1/2 oz Kina Lillet White

Combine all of the above over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and then strain into a chilled martini glass. Enjoy with the following dish!

Trio of heirloom tomatoes: Heirloom tomato salad with fleur de sel, red wine vinaigrette, Roma tomato "Timbale BLT", with lemon basil mayo, and homemade tomato chutney and pepper crackers

From the top down (the best way to look of course) Toasted Rye Bread, lemon basil mayo, crumbled bacon, romaine lettuce, red Roma Tomato, lemon basil mayo, more bread, more mayo, more bacon, yellow Roma Tomato, mayo, bread.

Duck Confit with fresh and dried cherries, Cherry Kijafa Sauce

2005 Barbaresco, really really good

Jeong Woo plating the duck entree

Sauteed Duck Breast, Duck Leg Confit, over Fregola sauteed in duck fat, greens, cherry Kijafa Sauce, and micro greens.

An emergency dessert preparation, after a creme caramel disaster. Sliced peach with a Japanese sweet rice cake?, chocolate sauce, lavender, and strawberries. My System-D at its best.

And our dessert wine to pair with the peach rice cake thing....Florus tastes like fresh peaches, sweet like a Sauternes.

A palate cleanser between entree and dessert. A watermelon and chocolate mint popsicle. A new take on a sorbet course.