The menu changed for dinner at Prairie Grass Cafe. It's always a good time for menu changes when the weather and seasons begin to shift. One of the most asked questions of a chef is, "what are the inspirations for new menu ideas?". I actually don't read a lot of cookbooks or magazines. For me the driving force is the local market. George, my partner, and I both have good solid training and a lot of experience to rely on. Match that with inspiration from great farm products and that is our formula. The pears from Morlock Farm have been delicious. They are juicy and ripe. I also bought small heirloom pears from Nichol's Farm and Orchard. They were crisp, sweet and extra flavorful. The burst of pear flavor was the "the trigger" that set the new duck plate that we are offering in motion.
Here is a description of our duck: We roast the ducks and then crisp
the skins. The ducks are peking ducks from Maple Leaf Farm in Indiana. We serve a half of a duck with the bones removed. Peel the
pears, cut in half and scoop out the stem and seeds. Then saute the
pears until the juice caramelizes and the pear is golden brown. We
serve the whole pear with 1/2 of duck. It also gets a crunchy seasonal
vegetable slaw.
To make the slaw: shave very thin slices of red and green
cabbage . Peel and julienne carrots. Thinly slice a little raw onion
and add to the bowl. Use about a cup of slaw for each serving. Add
a lot of ripe pear slices and toasted pumpkin seeds. Toss the vegetables in red
wine vinegar and olive oil. The sweetness from the slaw is completely
derived from the juice of the ripe pear. So they do not brown, slice the pears and toss
the slaw to order. Finish it all off with a great homemade duck and pear cider sauce. Enjoy!
