THE KITCHEN

MAY 2016 MENU

Celebrating 25 Years

Presented by Executive Chef Kelly McCown and Chef Owner Randall Selland

Please call 916 568 7171 for reservations

 We are happy to accommodate any dietary restrictions, allergies and preferences. Menus are subject to change due to seasonality and availability of the best quality ingredients.

First Course
Rumble Fish
Crudo of California Hamachi
Avocado, Ginger, Roasted Chili, Trinity Herbs and Citrus “Snow”

Chef’s Notes: As the year passes quickly, we find ourselves on summer’s doorstep, and just like Rusty James, we run for the Pacific Coast. Welcoming us to our favorite of seasons and the cool waters of the ocean is early summer hamachi. Prized for its rich and succulent texture, we pair it with hints of roasted chili, ginger, and spices, sprinkled with a bright and vibrant citrus “snow.” Tantalizingly spiced and redolent with bold flavors, this dish lets us know it’s time to say “hello” to summer.

Second Course
The King of Vegetables
Gratin of California Asparagus
Crispy Young Onions, Farm Egg Gratiné, Sesame-Soy and Mixed “Caviar”

 Chef’s Notes: King Louis XIV was said to have had asparagus growing in the palace greenhouses all year long to make sure that all of his guests could enjoy this most regal of vegetables. Though we lack the greenhouses, we do share the king’s affinity for the tender spears at the precipice of summer. Roasted until just tender and blanketed with rich sabayon, then served au gratin with tiny greens and mixed “caviars,” we think the royal guests would approve.

Intermission
Walk around. Visit and sample at chef stations.
Enjoy our garden patio. Relax by the fire.

 Third Course
Cacio Pepe
Dungeness Crab “Cacio Pepe”
Parmesan, Pecorino, Ziti, Cracked Tellicherry Peppercorns and Dungeness Crab

 Chef’s Notes: A staple in Roman cuisine, our next dish dolls up a classic while paying homage to another. In honor of The Kitchen’s 25^th Anniversary, we direct a tip of the hat to Chef/Owner Randall Selland’s famous “Mac & Cheese.” Starting with house made pasta tossed lovingly with pepper, parmesan, and pecorino, we then add magnificent Dungeness Crab to the party, creating an incredibly decedent ode to a beloved dish. Finished with a crab glaze richened with cultured butter, here’s one to make Randall proud.

 Fourth Course
The Devil’s Milk Churn
Rosemary and Sage-Cured Smoked Beef Tenderloin
Morel Mushrooms, Nantes Carrots, Feuilles de Brick, and Green Garlic

Chef’s Notes: In American folklore, wherever the devil sets his milk churn is where the toadstool sprouts, just as from the fiery scorch of the year before morels will rise up. And we can’t resist the pull of the morel mushroom. We wrap beautiful local morels in crispy feuilles de brick and place them atop lightly herb-cured and smoked beef tenderloin in an absolute celebration of this seasonal delicacy. We then finish with a sauce of braised green garlic. Who could imagine a better way to “dance around the milk churn’?

Dessert Course
Josh’s French Toast
(A 25^th Anniversary “Greatest Hits” Dish)
Early Summer Berries and Brioche “French Toast”
Bachelor’s Jam, Brown Butter Ice Cream, and Butter Brittle

 Chef’s Notes: With 25 years of dishes and history at The Kitchen and even more from “the family,” it can be hard to get a straight answer when asking about classic Selland Family dishes. May’s dessert dish is considered one of the better desserts ever done at The Kitchen and seems to have been born from the mind of Co-Owner Josh Nelson (Chefs Nancy and Randall’s son who worked for many years at The Kitchen as a manager and wine director). We’ve taken some new liberties with this classic. Lightly battered brioche plays perfect foil to early summer berries from our friend Patrick Hoover up in Placerville, while brown butter ice cream and crisp butter brittle round out the final flavors for May, our first 25^th Anniversary month. Bon Appetit!