Blue Duck Tavern Blog

Have you seen Food, Inc.?

Last week I blogged about chatting with the producers of Food, Inc., a new movie focusing on the suprising ingredients in the food we eat.  Since then, I have had the opportunity to see the film and thought it was excellent piece and extremely eye-opening!  Have you seen it yet? Let me know your thoughts at brian@blueducktavernblog.com. 

Always Buy 'Em From A Farm

Those of you who frequently dine at the restaurant will notice that many of our vegetables are sourced from the Amish Farms in Path Valley, Pennsylvania.  Last week during their delivery to the restaurant, our friends at the farm, left behind a special poem they had written for us.  It is not only humorous but very cleverly written.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Always Buy 'Em From A Farm

Is your kale real stale? Is it lookin' kinda pale? Do your beans and peas have a hairy green disease? Did your peaches travel far, just to get to where you are?  Not if you get them from a farm!

Is your cauliflower stinky, if you poke it with your pinky? Does your 'off the shelf tomatoe' look more like a rutabaga?  Did your maraschino cherries start their trip in Buenos Aires? Not if you get them from a farm!

Is that ear of corn, looking just a tad forlorn?  Is that yellow squash, looking like it lacks panache?  Are your lima beans tough enough to be marines? Not if you get them from a farm!

If you eat bok choi, have you got the real mccoy?  Have your cukes and leeks languished on a shelf for weeks? Do you have some major doubts about your bag of brussel sprouts? Not if you get them from a farm!

If you like your melons sweet, and your beets a treat to eat. If you think berries by the quart, shouldn't need their own passport.  Be sure to buy them from your neighbor, they'll be fresh and full of flavor! ALWAYS GET 'EM FROM A FARM!

Three Years Ago....

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Blue Duck Tavern!  It seems like just yesterday that we first opened our black colonial doors.  Thank you to everyone, from our guests to purveyors to staff members, for making us one of the city's most popular gathering spots. 

Have any good Blue Duck Tavern stories? Please feel free to drop me a line at brian@blueducktavernblog.com.  Cheers!!

The District Dish Taping

Last evening, the Chef's Table at Blue Duck Tavern was the setting for several upcoming webisodes of The District Dish.  The "Dish" is a new, locally-based internet talk show, with hosts Kate Michael, Pamela Sorensen and Ebong Eka, that airs online every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Look for the webisodes from Blue Duck Tavern mid-July. 

 

 

Food, Inc.

Last Monday, I was fortunate to spend the morning with my friend Wendy Rieger of NBC 4.  Wendy was here with filmmakers Robert Kenner and Eric Schlosser, discussing their new movie, Food, Inc., which reveals surprising facts about the food we eat and how it's produced.  The movie opens in Washington, DC this weekend.

While here, Wendy and I spent some time chatting about the farm-to-table concept at Blue Duck Tavern and the benefits of working directly with regional farmers. 

To see the full interview, please watch Wendy's "Going Green" segment, airing tomorrow during the 5pm newscast.  I believe it also be online at nbcwashington.com. 

Brunch at Blue Duck

Once again it looks as though it may rain in the late afternoon on both Saturday and Sunday.  So why not take advantage of the sun during the earlier parts of the day and enjoy a leisurely brunch on the Blue Duck Tavern terrace. 

We've added several new menu items using the season's freshest ingredients.  Such dishes include the Sour Dough Baked Pancake with port poached figs, fig molasses and clotted cream; Baked Eggs with oil preserved tomatoes, cured tuna roe and creme fraiche; Croque Madame with country bacon and sauce mornay; and Short Rib Hash with olive oil poached eggs and horseradish sauce. 

These items go great with our Ginger Lemonade or Cherry Iced Tea, both part of our summer cocktail menu. 

Sugar Cookies

Last week our friends at Washingtonian magazine gave us a ring as they were searching for information on our fresh-baked sugar cookies. 

Thanks to Laurent for providing them with the recipe to this signature menu item - and a favorite of mine! Click here to learn more about these tasty cookies.

RAMMY Awards

On Sunday evening we donned our finest attire and headed to the Omni Shoreham for the 2009 RAMMY Awards, where Blue Duck was nominated for Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year.  Sadly, we lost this award to our friends at Restaurant Eve.  Congratulations to Cathal Armstrong and his team and to our fellow catergory nominees: 2941, Citronelle, and Vermillion. 

Maybe next week for Blue Duck Tavern!

 

 

A Rainy Day at the Market

Yesterday afternoon, I visited the Penn Quarter Freshfarm Market for my first chef demo.  Sadly, it rained and rained and then rained some more. As Brian blogged yesterday, I made a fresh salad with apples, watercress, almonds and sheep's milk cheese, and decided to bring along some pork to cook at the table.  I believe the smell of pork and butter cooking lured visitors out of their homes and offices to visit our table. Regardless of the weather, we still had a fairly nice turnout and it was a great opportunity to check out what the local farmers were offering.  A big thank you also to Maddy Beckwith from Freshfarm Market, who helped coordinate everything with us. 

My next demo will be at the Dupont Circle Freshfarm Market on Sunday, July 26.  Hopefully it will be a beautiful summer day. 

 

   

  

FRESHFARM Market

 

On Thursday afternoon, Michael will be participating in FRESHFARM Markets' Chefs at Market program, at the Penn Quarter Market. Look for Michael around 4:00 pm, where he will be demonstrating how to prepare a Apple, Almond, Watercress and Local Sheep Cheese Salad, using the region's freshest ingredients.

The Penn Quarter Market is on 8th Street NW, between D & E Streets.  Shop for fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, breads, cookies, meat, plants, flowers, soaps and more! The market goes on - rain or shine!

For those who are unable to attend the demonstration, here is the recipe for this seasonal salad:

Apple, Almond, Watercress and Local Sheep Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

2 apples, cored and sliced

1/4 cup almonds, toasted

1 cup lightly packed watercress, cleaned

shavings sheep milk cheese

extra virgin olive oil

sherry vinegar

salt

pepper

chiffonade of basil

3 tears of mint

Method:

Combine all of the above except for oil and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in vinaigrette to taste.