Do chefs really go to the farm with no menu in mind for that evenings service? We DO!

The team at the Schoolhouse has been so dedicated over the last two years, coming up with creative service techniques, sourcing local food and spending their free time brainstorming about fresh ideas.  They have come a long way from the early days and contiue to push to get better everyday.  They spend long hours doing what they do and I wanted to share my thanks for their professionalism and expertise.  Thanks guys.

Here are some of their recent accomplishments

Whole Team-

Won Editors choice for 2009 “Yankee Magazine”

Best overall Restaurant 2009 Opentable

Top 50 American restaurants  Opentable

No 1 ranking for Neighborhood Gem in CT

Kitchen Staff-

Achieved No 1 ranking on Opentable for Best Food

Won best desserts by CT Magazine

Waitstaff-

Achieved No 1 ranking on Opentable for Best service

Have found and begun sourcing local Artisan cheeses

We change the menu so frequently that our guests often wonder what is on the menu now.  Here are a few dishes that are currently on the menu or have been recently.

The garden has had the tendency to be a bit waterlogged this late Spring-early Summer but with a few hot-sunny days strung together now we are seeing a great harvest.  We have already blown through most of our lettuce, watermelon radishes and carrots but there is still so much more to come zucchinni, cucumbers, parsnips, tomatoes and pumpkins.  Stop by the restaurant to sample our local harvest.

Baby carrots, watermelon radish, variety of baby beets, haricot vert, spring peas, nasturtium flowers, zucchinni blossoms, and chamomile blossoms

Here is the garden at my house that provides some of the produce for the restaurant

What screams summer to you? Fresh muddled drink of the moments? Friends gathering together outside and enjoying the warm weather? Listening to the rolling Norwalk River or a roaring outdoor fire pit? We have them all!

Come join us out on the patio for cocktails and small plates every Friday this summer starting at 5pm. You no longer have to drive to South Norwalk for a good time with great drinks and food. We’re right around the corner! It’s been a hit so far, so come on down!

As always, our menu’s change weekly depending on the best fresh food we can plate for you! Our most recent menu’s included the below:

Drink of the Moments:
Skinny Margarita
Mojito
Grapefruit Refresher
Caravella Champagne
Lynchburg Lemonade
Raspberry Smash
Sangria & Beer

Small Plate Menu: (all $9)
Duck leg roulade with polenta crouton and fried mustard greens
Aged New York strip, toast points, horseradish crème fraichè sauce
Mixed greens salad, radish, peas and orange
Mini soft shell crab sandwich with bacon and avocado served with hand cut fries
Cornbread with crème fraichè and strawberries

Cheese 1 for $6
2 for $10
3 for $12

This year inconjunction with the foodstuffs we get from our amazing local farmers we’re getting into the act ourselves.  We will have gardens both at the schoolhouse and at my home to help supply our extended family with produce through the fall.  

Staring to digg out the new garden

As a chef that is always focused on what’s in season and grown locally I start get a little stir crazy this time of the year.  There only so many times you can cook a rutabega or cauliflower before you start to look for something new.   Finally that time is almost here.

Yesterday I had a great lunch up at Millstone farm in Wilton.  I met with the farmer, the owners and a  couple of other chefs.  Other than the killer snacks (Millstones maple syrup, lardo from Bill at Napa,  some Schoolhouse quiche, and salad from Adam at Barcelona)  we started colaborating on the seeds that will be bought and planted for the new season.  There are so many good ideas from the group, catmint, red okra, pole beans, chamomile on top of all the tomatoes.

Soon we should be getting the first of the Spring staples ramps, fiddle heads, radishes, then morels, peas and favas.  I am really looking forward tho the delicate, light flavors that will be arriving soon.

http://millstonefarm.org/index.html

Matt Lounsbury an old friend of mine who works at Stumptown roasters in Oregon sent me  a bunch of samples to try out.  There were some real winners.  The Guatamala was my favorite and then the Kenyan roast followed by the Ethiopia.  All the coffees had that delicate roast to them and had many complexities to them.  MM delicious.  Thanks Matt

My hands are already shaking

Ooo...that's good

The Schoolhouse at Cannondale & Tim LaBant Catering welcomes Lauren Kreter to our team.   Lauren brings her Marketing and Event Planning expertiece as well as her gracious hospitality.  Her bright personality and commitment to excellence has helped us continue to strive to be the best in CT.  Lauren has already dove right in by planning weddings, birthdays, and corporate functions.  When she’s not out and about planning parties you can find her at the Schoolhouse behind the bar or taking care of our wonderful guests.

Welcome to the team Lauren!

After the Farm To Fork Dinner that Bill and I did, Martha Stewart called and invited me on her show to demonstrate the Autumnal Parfait that Robyn came up with.  Julie, Robyn, and I had a great time meeting Martha and her amazing staff.  As a guy who is usually just a cook behind the scenes they did their best to try and calm my nerves.   If you want the recipe you can grab it off of Martha’s website> 

Link to the Show:http://www.marthastewart.com/show/the-martha-stewart-show/stephen-colbert?lnc=4ef2dc5bfca40110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=showarchive_tv_show-archive

Link to Recipe:http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/autumnal-parfait?lnc=38f9cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD&rsc=showmain_tv_the-martha-stewart-show

This was the parfait that Martha and I made on her show. This photo was taken by one of here team members.