Spring cooking, like the season itself, is light and ephemeral.
Tender, green vegetables such as spring garlic and leeks, asparagus and fava beans require just a simple saute, a lick of the grill or a swift plunge into hot water to bring out their natural, grassy flavors.
"With spring garlic, I like to make a brothy soup or a light cream sauce," said chef Matteo Silverman of Chalk Hill Cookery, a catering business run out of the Tierra Vegetables Kitchen in Windsor. "That's the flavor of spring."
The 36-year-old chef sports a colorful array of vegetable matter tattooed on his forearms, including a watermelon radish, an artichoke, a morel mushroom and a habanero chile. He has eschewed meat and dairy products since he was 15 years old.
"That propelled me into food and cooking," said the native of San Jose. "I want people to eat tasty, delicious food that happens to be plant-based."
To help readers get into the spring spirit, we asked the veritable vegetablist to design an easy feast that would showcase some of the tender, green produce now poking its head out of the ground.
As a first course, Silverman suggested a Shaved Asparagus Salad with Radishes, Arugula and a simple Mustard-Tarragon Vinaigrette.
Asparagus spears can range in width from pencil-thin to finger-thick. Contrary to popular belief, the larger spears are actually more tender.
"The big, fat asparagus spears are the youngest, and they are sweeter," he said. "The skinnier ones are not as tender."
In his spring salad, the asparagus spears are served raw, though once they're sliced razor thin and dressed with the vinaigrette, they soften up.
For a main course, Silverman suggested a Tartlette of Spring Garlic, Leeks and Fava Beans.
Cooking fava beans can be a labor of love. First you shell them from the pod, then blanch them in hot water. After that, you often need to remove the outer peel to get to the creamy, green pea in the center. (Yes, they are peas, not beans).
For a sweet finale, the vegan chef offered up a Parfait with a Tangy Rhubarb Compote.
Although technically a vegetable, the rhubarb stalk lends itself to both savory and sweet dishes and pairs well with spring fruits like strawberries and raspberries.
Silverman studied at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York, then worked as a personal chef in Brooklyn and Manhattan for the last 10 years. He still serves as the raw-food consulting chef for Eric Helms, owner of Juice Generation, a chain of 10 juice shacks in New York City.
Silverman decided to move back to Northern California last year to take advantage of the longer growing season on the West Coast.
"It's more seasonal and more local here," he said. "In New York, local was 100 miles away."
Back east, Silverman used to serve four-course, plant-based suppers in a loft. In Santa Rosa, he's launched a series of pop-up, all-vegan dinners at local farms like Rochambo and DaVero in Healdsburg.
His next dinner is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 18 at Tierra Vegetables in Santa Rosa. (For more information go to www.chalkhillcookery.com).
Silverman's food is so beautiful, it appeals to everyone from a strict vegans to omnivores.
"Vegan is a diet and a lifestyle that eschews all animal products," he said. "But I don't like to call it vegan, because people think of it as bland and outdated."
Drawn to cuisines from around the world, the chef often incorporates the piquant spices of Mexico, Southeast Asia and India into his cuisine.
"I like bright flavors, more bold than subtle," he said. "It's a worldly style."
In addition to catering dinners at farms, Chalk Hill Cookery turns out a line of all-vegan baked goods, including Lavender Shortbread, Dark Chocolate Macaroons and Sesame and Hazelnut Toffee.
The baked goods are available at Shelton's Market in Healdsburg, the Criminal Baking Company and The Share Exchange in Santa Rosa.
You will also find savory and sweet treats from Chalk Hill Cookery at the Healdsburg Farmers Market when it opens on May 4.
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The following recipes are from Matteo Silverman of Chalk Hill Cookery.
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Arugula and Mustard Tarragon Dressing
Makes 6 servings
For salad:
1 pound asparagus, tough ends sliced off
3-4 French breakfast radish, sliced paper thin
2 ounces baby arugula
? cup loosely-packed, torn basil leaves
? cup loosely-packed cilantro leaves
For dressing:
? cup olive oil
? cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons p chopped, fresh tarragon
Pinch of salt and pepper
For garnish:
Small handful of pea flowers
?cup toasted sunflower seeds
For salad: Shave asparagus lengthwise with a vegetable peeler (save scraps for another use) and place in a bowl. Add radish, arugula, basil, and cilantro. Toss salad to combine.
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