asparagus salad
poached egg, sarvecchio cheese,
shaved radish
8
green salad
goat cheese royale, melba
cucumber vinaigrette
7
flatbread
house cured trout, apple, pickled ramp
12
bologna sandwich
fried mortadella, sunny side up egg
brioche, mustard aioli
9
masa cake
crispy pork, creamy sunflower/chili slaw
9
gnocchi
tomato confit, fiddlehead fern,
verjus/pepita vinaigrette
7
charcuterie
house cured meat selection
15
pork belly
chow-chow, mustard seed, spicy vinaigrette
10

mains.

flat iron steak
pommes boulangeres,
braised radish, fiddlehead, sauce au poivre
26

andouille
black eyed peas, greens, cornbread,
poached egg
17

soft shell crab
risotto, nettle, sarvecchio
25

pan roasted chicken
ramps,  mushroom, cheese polenta,
black garlic
22

pork chop
berkshire pork, beluga lentil,
violet asparagus, roasted shallot
27

cheese course
upland creamery “pleasant ridge reserve”
montforte dairy gorganzola
zingerman’s dairy “lincoln log”

$12

morel tasting menu
$75

beverage pairings an additional $25

arugula salad
white beans, olive oil, lemon, sarvecchio
7
green salad
soft boiled egg, pleasant ridge reserve, shallot vinaigrette
7
flatbread
house cured trout, apple, pickled ramp
12
bologna sandwich
fried mortadella, sunny side up egg
brioche, mustard aioli
9
masa cake
crispy pork, creamy sunflower/chili slaw
9
gnocchi
tomato confit, fiddlehead fern,
verjus/pepita vinaigrette
7
charcuterie
house cured meat selection
15
pork belly
chow-chow, mustard seed, spicy vinaigrette
10

mains.

flat iron steak
pommes boulangeres,
braised radish, fiddlehead, sauce au poivre
26

andouille
black eyed peas, greens, cornbread,
poached egg
17

wild king salmon
risotto, nettle, sarvecchio
24

pan roasted chicken
ramps,  mushroom, cheese polenta,
black garlic
22

coppa fresca
berkshire pork, beluga lentil,
pea shoots, roasted shallot
27

cheese course
upland creamery “pleasant ridge reserve”
montforte dairy gorganzola
zingerman’s dairy “lincoln log”

$12

hidden stream farms berkshire tasting menu

$75

beverage pairings an additional $25

kitchen table.
$125.  reserve it. ask us.

starters.

arugula salad
white beans, olive oil, lemon, sarvecchio
7

beet salad
golden beets, lavash, pickled mustard seed vinaigrette, horseradish créme fraîche
7

bologna sandwich
fried mortadella, sunny side up egg
brioche, mustard aioli
9

masa cake
crispy pork, creamy sunflower/chili slaw
9

gnocchi
brown butter, tomato confit, ramps,
preserved lemon
7

charcuterie
house cured meat selection
15

pork belly
chow-chow, mustard seed, spicy vinaigrette
10

mains.

flat iron steak
carrot, parsnip, shallot,
pommes boulangeres
26

andouille
black eyed peas, greens, cornbread,
poached egg
17

wild king salmon
risotto, nettle, sarvecchio
24

pan roasted chicken
ramps,  mushroom, cheese polenta,
black garlic
22

berkshire pork chop
loin chop, beluga lentil, pea shoots
braised radish, fiddlehead fern, violet mustard
27

morel tasting menu

$75

beverage pairings an additional $25

arugula salad
sarvecchio, white beans, olive oil, lemon
7

beet salad
golden beets, lavash, pickled mustard seed vinaigrette, horseradish créme fraîche
7

bologna sandwich
fried mortadella, sunny side up egg
brioche, mustard aioli
9
masa cake
crispy pork, creamy sunflower/chili slaw
9

gnocchi
parisian style, brown butter,
tomato confit, ramps, preserved lemon
7

charcuterie
house cured meat selection
15

pork belly
chow-chow, mustard seed, spicy vinaigrette
10

mains.

flat iron steak
crispy potato, ramp hollandaise
26

andouille
black eyed peas, greens, cornbread,
poached egg
17

trout
nettle risotto, green garlic, sarvecchio
19

pan roasted chicken
ramps, mushroom, cheese polenta,
black garlic
22

pork cutlet
beluga lentil, pea shoots
roasted shallot, violet mustard
24

bibb salad
crouton, vegetable conserve,
tarragon dressing                                              7

beet salad
golden beets, lavash, candied lemon vinaigrette, horseradish créme fraîche
7

bologna sandwich
fried mortadella, sunny side up egg
brioche, mustard aioli
9

masa cake
crispy pork, creamy sunflower/chili slaw
9

gnocchi
parisian style, brown butter,
tomato confit, ramps, preserved lemon
7

charcuterie
house cured meat selection
15

pork belly
chow-chow, mustard seed, spicy vinaigrette
10

mains.

casoncelli
braised beef, marrow fonduta, green garlic
20

boudin blanc
dijon sauce, ramps, apple, lardon
16

risotto
bok choy, nettle, sarvecchio
17

pan roasted chicken
ramps,  mushroom, cheese polenta,
black garlic
22

pork cutlet
beluga lentil, pea shoots
roasted shallot, violet mustard
24

7

beet salad
golden beets, lavash, candied lemon vinaigrette, horseradish créme fraîche
7

bologna sandwich
fried mortadella, sunny side up egg
brioche, mustard aioli
9

masa cake
crispy pork confit, sunflower/chili slaw
9

gnocchi
parisian style, brown butter,
tomato confit, ramps, preserved lemon
7

charcuterie
house cured meat selection
15

andouille
house made and smoked sausage,
black eyed peas, greens
10

mains.

boudin blanc
dijon sauce, ramps, apple, lardon
16

pan roasted rainbow trout
roasted mushroom duxelle, creamed swiss chard, preserved lemon
19

lamb carbonara
lamb bacon, farm fresh egg, parmesan, fettucini
17

pan roasted chicken
brussels sprout, cheese polenta,
black garlic
22

roasted spring lamb
beluga lentil, fiddleheads, pea shoots
roasted shallot
26

Mains:
lamb
saddle, beluga lentils, roasted shallot
26

trout
mushroom duxelle, creamed chard, preserved lemon
19

carbonara
fresh fettucini, house cured lamb bacon, farm fresh egg
17

flat iron
pasture feed beef, chimichurri, fork crushed potato, cippolini
25

chicken
black garlic, polenta, brussies
22

taster:
5 course $65 add $20 for pairings
La Bete $75
Kitchen Table $125

BIBB SALAD

pickled vegetables, creamy tarragon dressing

6.

BEETS

house made mascarpone, black pepper lavash, citrus vinaigrette

7.

TROUT SALAD

cherrywood smoked, pickled watermelon, apple, chives

8.

GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA

red kabocha squash puree, herb salad, sarveccio

7.

AGNOLOTTI

spiced pork and cranberry, mushroom broth

10.

PHEASANT

confit, heirloom potatoes, poached egg, shallot vinaigrette

9.

NOSH

charcuterie, pickles, cheese, bread

9.

MAIN PLATES:

bison BURGER, au poivre, roasted shallots, fingerling potatoes

17.

marinated pan roasted PHEASANT breast, caramelized Brussels sprouts, soft polenta, black trumpet jus

21.

pappardelle, LAMB ragu, sarvecchio,

19.

pan roasted FILET OF TROUT, apple puree, brown butter, wild rice

19.

braised PORK shoulder, crispy garlic, sage, swiss chard, white beans

21.

One of the most difficult things for me, is to put my thoughts and feelings into words.  I am not a writer.   My feelings are that if you can write, you should, if you can’t you should talk.  Well, if you have any idea of who I am you know this post will be a bit choppy.  I am the latter of the two.

My cooking career has taken me down some very different roads.  I never thought when in culinary school in 1997 that I would get the chance to work for Jim Grell at the Modern Cafe, meet Mike Philips and get a chance to open my own restaurant.  Nor, did I imagine I would get to work with a man that I never heard of; Jim Denavin with Outstanding in the Field who made me realize how much inspiration can do for a person’s soul. Then there was the national attention in the documentary, “Troubled Waters,” by Larkin McPhee and, “In Search of Food,”on the Ovation Network with Barton Seaver.  I never imagined that I would be talking to people like Andrew Zimmern, and then talking to the folks behind the fundraising efforts for the James Beard Foundation with the Celebrity Chef Tour.  I never even thought for a second I would ever get to do any of that and along the way get to meet so many amazing cooks, chefs, waiters, dishwashers, customers, friends and more importantly the farmers that are my true inspiration with their thankless hours, time and devotion to such a humble way to make a living.  This is starting to sound like an acceptance speech at some awards show now, so I will stop.  But I never imagined any of it.  I just wanted to cook. (P.S.  That was a huge thanks to all those people up there, and there are so many more to mention that have helped me get here.  You know who you are.)

But now, things are different.  I have cooked, and I love cooking to this day.  The craft and the simplicity of it sometimes just blows my mind.  What I desire now in my career is change… to challenge myself in a whole new way.  I love teaching.  I have been teaching in my restaurant, at Tour de Farm, at speaking engagements, at charity events, in all that I do, I feel that I am slowly starting to understand that I have the ability to get people to start to understand the importance of food and helping them have conversations about what is important with food.  Let me be the first to say that I am not always right, nor does the way I do things and the way that I look at food make sense to everyone.  I am ok with that.  But I know some people are not.  I talk about food because I love food.  It is who I am.

So, now that some of you have just read all of that and rolled your eyes, well, you can stop reading, cause you are not going to understand the rest.  If you don’t like what I do, what I have to say, how I make my choices, that is just fine with me.  You can stop reading and move on.  If you feel that you need to comment on my blog, or other blogs anonymously and take cheap shots at what I say or do, well, that is your choice.  I am ok with it and wish you well. (Whew, I have been wanting to say that for a long time).

Here it is.  Yes, I have accepted the job of Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Manager at the Minnesota Valley Country club.  Yes, Corner Table is still open and my amazing kitchen crew of Chad, Thomas, Dan and Kyle are still going to be cooking everyone dinner from now on and doing just as an amazing job as they have done for the last year.  I have to say, I eat their food, and they are damm fine cooks.  Yes, all the great staff at CT is stepping up.  They are a talented bunch of professionals and I would not have accepted this position if I did not believe in each and every one of them to keep CT going on the course that I have started.

My choice to make this move did not come easy.  The underlying thing was the opportunity to work on another level of local and sustainable food. The ability to bring this message and this style of food into this location is really a continuation of what they are already doing at MVCC.  Just to give you an idea,  some of the things that we are working on are establishing a composting program for the kitchen and weighing the pros and cons of doing it ourselves on property.  We are looking at all areas of food, including our staff meals.  We’re figuring out what will the food be like.  I have an idea where we are going, but at the same time, this is a work in progress just as Corner Table was when I started.  Will it be local?  YES.  Will it be sustainable? YES.  Will it have burgers, fries, salads, steaks, chops, fish… sure… will the food on the course reflect this change… YES.

Even now, as I type this after working out there for almost three weeks, I get excited at all the potential and all the ability that we have to share our vision of local and sustainable food to all the members. (By the way, the members and the staff all have been very welcoming to me during this transition time and I thank them for that.)

I had no idea in the beginning of the year when I started talking about Tour de Farm and the idea of getting local food in places that it had not really been known for, that it would mean I was going to go to those places too.  Yes, there are a lot of questions that remain.  There are a lot of things that will be learned along the way.  Yes, I will be working on them. Tweeting and talking about them.  If you are interested in learning more about it, keep listening.  If you really just have a bunch of speculation and “what if”s” to talk about.  Well, go for it.  If you have questions, ask them, and I will try and keep everyone up to date on things, but if you don’t hear from me for a bit, just understand I might be teaching or maybe even planting a garden… and sure as hell doing a lot of cooking.

Turf-to-Table: Local, seasonal food soon to be at “The Valley”

A new chapter has begun for local foods chef and advocate, Scott Pampuch, owner of Corner Table Restaurant in south Minneapolis and Tour de Farm. After consulting the Minnesota Valley Country Club’s executive staff on taking their food and beverage program in a new direction, Kurt Stangler, Clubhouse Manager, offered Pampuch the executive chef position. Pampuch accepted the opportunity.

Recognized as the first country club in Minnesota to be a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary from Audubon International, the club demonstrates commitment to the health of the land, water quality, and wildlife. Pampuch’s local food philosophies compliment their mission. “This is the biggest step that’s happened in my career in six years,” Pampuch explained, “I have the opportunity to introduce local, sustainable food to a new audience.” The transition to local food won’t happen instantly, but will be an evolution of bringing in new vendors, the farms, and training the kitchen and Front of House staff. Working with the grounds crew, Pampuch also has plans for a kitchen garden next Spring.

The Corner Table employees are excited for Pampuch’s opportunity to expand local food in Minnesota. Corner Table will remain a leader in serving local, sustainable food with the seasons. Corner Table is open for dinner Wednesday and Thursday 5pm – 10pm, Friday and Saturday 5pm – 11pm, and breakfast on Sunday from 8am – 1pm.

About the Minnesota Valley Country Club and Audubon Society

A beautiful “classically-styled” golf course designed in the early 1920′s by Seth Raynor, one of this country’s most renowned designers. Host of the 2010 Minnesota Section PGA Senior Championship, 2009 MGA Mid-Amateur Championship & 2008 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship. Winner 2009 & 2010 Environmental Leader Award.

In the spring of 1994, Minnesota Valley Country Club became the first golf course in the state of Minnesota to achieve the status of a Fully Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary from Audubon International. This was the result of the Club demonstrating leadership, commitment, and high standards to environmental management. http://www.mvccgolf.com/guests/home.htm

Audubon International oversees many education and conservation programs throughout America. www.audubonintl.org