Yancey House Newsletter
May 2010

Letter from the Chef.The Yancey House Restaurant is once again in the finals for the “Best Dish in NC” Competition sponsored by Our State Magazine and the NC Dept. of Agriculture. If you recall, we won last year’s competition for our four-course casual dining menu which included crab cakes, gazpacho made from vegetables from the Yancey House gardens, Chicken Isabella (which is still on the dinner menu), and a peach trio dessert featuring McKinney’s Farm peaches.

The Best Dish in NC is state-wide competition recognizing restaurants that feature NC products. In addition to working closely with farmers, we also grow herbs and vegetables served at the Yancey House. Last year, we beat out stiff competition. However, this year, the competition is even tougher, but we will do our best to make Caswell County proud.

The 2010 four-course entry is entitled: “North Carolina’s Bounty: from the Mountains to the Coast.” The first course is a delicately house-smoked trout bruschetta with a fresh cucumber salad served with ciabatti topped with Sleepy Goat Farm cheese. This will be followed by an heirloom panzanella (a Tuscan bread and tomato salad). This second course turned into a major research project (reminding me of graduate school), as I searched for the perfect tomatoes for this dish. Luckily, I met Craig LeHoullier, the tomato expert-slash-chemist from north Raleigh who generously offered his time and expertise. During a lively email correspondence we discovered that in addition to shared concerns about the “dumbing down of America,” we also shared a passion for history, literature, gardening, and tomatoes.

Craig helped me select 10 varieties of heirloom tomatoes for my summertime panzanella from which I could choose to create my special salad. What intriguing names! Tennessee Britches, Cherokee Purple, Burgundy Traveler, Lucky Cross, Italian Red Heart, Mr. Stripey. With Craig’s help, I later hope to track down the stories behind the appellations.

Black drum topped with shrimp, crab, and a lemon meuniere sauce served with summer squash gratin is the main entree. The dessert features the fruits of summer: peach hand pies and blackberry ice cream topped with blackberry sauce spiked with blackberry wine from Iron Gate Winery.

During July, food critics will visit as mystery diners to judge the dishes. The grand prize winner will be announced in August. During the next few months, I will write about the farmers whose produce, products, and wine will contribute to the creation of each dish. They will include old friends, including Catbriar, Iseley, Sleepy Goat, Iron Gate Winery, and Terry Walker Farms, as well as some new faces, including Sunburst Trout Farm in Canton, NC.

"Nothing is so beautiful as Spring--When weeds, in wheels, shoot lovely, long, and lush. . . . What is all this juice and all this joy? A strain of the sweet earth's being in the beginning." -- Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Lucindy
Chef, Yancey House Restaurant & Gallery

Upcoming Events

Father’s Day. June 20, 2010. It seems that Father’s Day is far away but since the Yancey House is already booked for Mother’s Day, we thought you might need a reminder. Chef Lucindy hasn’t designed the menu as of yet but you will be able to find it online at yanceyvillage.com in a few weeks. For reservations, call 336.694.4225.

Cooking Class at a Southern Season in Chapel Hill. Tuesday, June 29. Chef Lucindy has been invited to present a cooking demo at a Southern Season. Come and support your local chef as she travels to the big city to prepare her 2010 NC Best Competition entries. Sign up for the class at www.southernseason.com.

Congratulations to Frank Johnston of Caswell County for winning the Grand Finale of the Poker Tournament sponsored by our non-profit YanceyVillage Preservation. He had to defeat 50 astute poker players to win a $10,000 entry to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas this July 2010. If you would like to take part in next year’s competition (our fourth year), play resumes in June at the Pavilion located behind the restaurant and will continue every other week (except when the restaurant has a special event) until October. Your tax deductible entry of $40 includes dinner, served at 6:30. Play begins at 7. Reserve your seat by calling 336.694.4225. For more details visit our website at yanceyvillage.com. The winner of next year’s event receives a $10,000 entry to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in June 2011.

Tobacco Stick Arbor. On your next visit, check out the tobacco stick arbor on the west side of the restaurant that Michael and Wayne constructed last month. We were going to have a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony; however, guests began gathering under the arbor before work was completed!

Liquor by the Drink Referendum. It’s hard to believe but the referendum passed on May 4, 2010. Hopefully it won’t be long before we can offer hard liquor and mixed drinks. If you have ideas on what you would like to see on our bar list, email Lucindy at lucindy@yanceyhouse restaurant.com.

E-Newsletter. For more information about upcoming events, visit our website at yanceyvillage.com. subscribe to the Yancey House E-Newsletter & receive bi-monthly updates, community news, and recipes, email lucindy@yanceyhouserestaurant.com.

Late Spring Recipe: I have received numerous emails requesting my strawberry torte recipe. It’s a strawberry season winner and family favorite . . . I hope it becomes one of your family’s favorites as well.

3 egg whites
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. soda
1 cup chopped pecans
10 saltines, crushed
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 1/2 c. whipping cream, whipped and sweetened to taste

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat until stiff. Add vanilla, baking powder, salt, and soda. Fold in chipped nuts and crushed saltines. Spread in greased 9” or 10” pie pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool. Slice into individual servings. To plate, top torte with cold strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

Other ideas: Be adventurous. Of course, strawberries are a great addition to smoothies and fruit salads, but have you tried them in green salads? They pair well with baby spinach, sliced kiwi, and toasted almonds topped with a yogurt dressing or poppy seed vinaigrette. Or layer sliced strawberries and bananas, whole blueberries, and plain yogurt in a martini glass (top with granola and honey) to make a parfait. For breakfast, mix berries with cinnamon, lemon juice and maple syrup and serve on top of pancakes.