The The Above Ground Above Eight Course Vegetarian Supper Ground Vegatarian Supper GRANT
The Above Ground
Eight Course
Vegetarian Supper
The Team Above Ground Supper Club is the love child of Axel Erkenswick and Christine Forster, borne from a desire to bring folks an affordable, communal alternative to a meat-laden, gluten-heavy eating experience. The ABSC focuses on bringing diners veggie centric menus that showcase the best seasonal local offerings, in addition to heirloom gluten-free grains and pickled, preserved and fermented foods. Dairy is used sparingly, with an emphasis on raw, unpasteurized products. Everything served is either made in house, or purchased from other local vendors who maintain similar standards. Together, Axel and Christine have over two decades of experience working in restaurants, kitchens, bakeries, hotels, and the health industry. AGSC is a culmination of all the things they love about truly good eating, without all the aspects of American food culture they aren’t so fond of.
The Book The Chefs Axel Blank Christine Forster The Photographer and Designer Joey Grant 2015
The Menu 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
Spicy Sunchoke Bloody Mary World’s Best Hush Puppies Roasted Radish & Rutabaga Vegan Slow Cooked Greens Raw Garlicky Zucchini Butternut Mac & Cheese Dirty Rice Blushing Salad Cherry Pistachio Delight
00 Spicy Sunchoke Bloody Mary Koval sunchoke spirits organic tomato juice lemonhorseradish pickle brine Worcestershire sauce black pepper garlic powder fresh horseradish valentina hot sauce sea salt
3 oz 2 large 1/2 juiced 1 tablespoon 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp to taste to taste
For two servings, mix all ingredients except hot sauce and salt in a shaker and shake vigorously. Taste before adding hot sauce to achieve ideal spice level. Sprinkle in sea salt and shake again. Pour into pint glasses filled with ice. Garnish with lemon, lime, mini dill pickles, pickled vegetables and fresh celery. Adopt a thick Southern accent and enjoy.
01 World’s Best Hush Puppy
medium grind cornmeal corn flour oat flour buckwheat flour baking powder sugar cane (unrefined) sea salt yellow onion large egg buttermilk green onions serrano chile
1 ¼ cups 1 cup ½ cup ½ cup 3 teaspoons 1 teaspoon ¼ teaspoon ½ cup small diced 1 each 2 cups 2 each 1 small deseeded & diced
green bell pepper
1 each small diced
remoulade mayonaise ketchup whole grain mustard sweet pickle relish basil fresh oregano garlic extra virgin olive oil Sea salt black pepper Parsley
1 ½ cups ½ cup 1/3 cup 3 tablespoons 10-12 big leaves 4 sprigs 6-8 cloves ½ cup to taste to taste 2 tablespoons chopped
Hush Puppies In a mixing bowl mix all the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the eggs and ½ the buttermilk. Whisk to break eggs and mix into the buttermilk. Add the rest of the buttermilk, and continue to whisk, while incorporating the dry ingredients a little at a time. When all combined add the chopped vegetables and combine. To cook, heat enough vegetable oil in deep pan or deep fryer 2 inches deep to 335*F. Use a small portion scoop to drop directly into hot oil, and fry for 5 minutes total. Flip halfway through cooking. Take out and let drain on newspaper or paper towels. Serve immediately. Remoulade Chop fresh herbs. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Taste and season with sea salt and pepper. Serving Serve remoulade on puppies or in a dish on the side. A bed of greens can be used to present the dish, and keep the hushpuppies from rolling around. Garnish with chopped parsley.
02 Roasted Radish & Rutabaga rutabaga extra virgin olive oil radishes honey red clover sprouts
3 medium roots 1 tablespoon 1 bunch 2 table spoons 2 ounces
sea salt
to taste
Preheat oven to 375*F. After washing the rutabagas, dry off and coat with olive oil. Place on baking tray and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes. A knife inserted easily will show they’re done.Allow to cool, and peel, keeping whole root intact. Cut into medium dice and set aside. To prepare radishes, clean off tail and leaf tops.Slice thinly using a mandoline. Store in cold water. Serving Warm honey very little to make it thin. Add rutabaga, and off heat, Serve in bowl or on plate, top with thin radish slices, season with sea salt. Place few sprouts on top for color.
03 Vegan Slow Cooked Greens
swiss Chard beet greens Green Kale Shiitake mushrooms oyster mushrooms crimini mushrooms sweet onion garlic braggs liquid aminos extra virgin olive oil Carrot
1 bunch 1 bunch 1 bunch ¼ pound ½ pound ½ pound 1 cup small diced 5-6 cloves minced to taste 3 tablespoons Thin ribbons
Wash and strip all greens. Rough chop once each both ways and set aside. Heat a large pan with enough room to fit the greens. Small dice the mushrooms, onions and garlic. Saute in olive oil until slightly caramelized over medium heat. Add the greens, top with some braggs, and cover. Turn heat to low and cook until wilted, and tender, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes. Serving Serve hot in a bowl. Twist a helping of greens in a bowl, collecting some height. Using a vegetable peeler, make carrot ribbons, and drape them on top before serving.
04 Raw Garlicky Zucchini zucchini garlic ginger extra virgin olive oil sea salt black pepper
6 medium fruits 5-6 cloves one finger Âź cups to taste to taste
Use a spiralizer to spiralize small-medium zucchini into a mixing bowl. Grate garlic and ginger on to zucchini using a microplane. Add olive oil and toss to mix all ingredients. Season with sea salt. Serving Arrange a nice tuft of zucchini on a plate, garnish with fresh cracked black pepper
05 Butternut Mac & Cheese gluten free elbow pasta butternut squash Raw cashews sharp cheddar smoked cheddar granulated garlic powder cayenne pepper extra virgin olive oil green onions
1 pound 1-2 medium squash 1½ cups ¼ pound shredded ¼ pound shredded 2 teaspoons ¼ teaspoon ¼ cup 4 onions
Sauce Soak the cashews in water for at least 8 hours. Peel and dice cubes of butternut squash into small bite size pieces, this should total 2 cups. With the rest of the squash, rough chop in similar size pieces. Separately toss the cubes and scraps in a little olive oil and place on baking sheets. Roast in a 400*F oven, until tender and caramelized. Set the cubes aside. Put the scraps in the blender, and blend with enough water to make a smooth puree. Pour out into a mixing bowl. Add strained cashews to blender, and blend with enough fresh water to make a thick cream. Add to mixing bowl along with cheeses and seasonings. Pasta Boil pasta noodles in salted water until “al dente” (just under done), drain and add to sauce bowl. Mix everything together, pour into a baking dish, season with sea salt. Bake at 375*F covered with aluminum foil for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and hot. Cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting. Serving Score baking dish to make nice square portions. Place each piece on a small dish. Garnish with thinly sliced green onion tops.
06 Dirty Rice wild rice black beans vegetable stock Tomato sauce onion Red Bell Pepper european butter smoked paprika fresh oragano bay leaves salt parsley lemons
2 cups 1/2 cup 2 quarts 2 cups 1 cup small diced 1 med-large small diced 2 ounces 2 teaspoons 4-5 sprigs 2 each to taste to garnish cut into small wedges
Beans Soak beans in water for 12 hours. Drain, and set in a jar on its side. Leave to sprout for 8-10 hours. Cover beans with 1 quart of vegetable stock, 1 bay leaf and more water to cover if necessary. Simmer until tender, but not over cooked. Rice Soak rice in water for 12 hours. Drain, cover in 1 qt vegetable stock, add a bay leaf, and cook of the way. Dirty mixture Heat butter in skillet. Sweat onions and peppers until tender. Add the smoked paprika and bloom spices. Deglaze with tomato sauce. Add rice and stir together. Add beans and chopped oregano. Simmer together until rice is cooked. Serving Serve dirty rice in bowl, garnish with chopped fresh parsley and a lemon wedge.
07 Blushing Salad red leaf lettuce red kale red cabbage red onion pepitas dried cranberries Dressing Extra virgin olive oil lemon juice whole grain mustard honey avocado granulated garlic powder capers caper brine black pepper
1 bunch, chopped 1 bunch, stripped & chopped 2 cups thin sliced 1/2 onion thin sliced 1/4 cup toasted 1/2 cup
1/4 cup 1/2 lemon 1 1/2 tablespoon 2 teaspoons 1/2 avocado 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon to taste
Salad Mix together everything in a mixing bowl. Dressing Using a blender or immersion blender, place all ingredients but olive oil, and blend together. Add oil in slow steady stream while blending. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Serving Toss salad with dressing, arrange a tuft on a small plate and serve immediately.
08 Cherry Pistachio Delight whip cream heavy cream powdered sugar vanilla bean cherry preserves sour cherries pitted cane sugar (unrefined) cornstarch water lemon juice lemon zest
3 cups 1/2 cup 1 bean’s pulp scraped
3 cups 1/2 cup 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons 1 tablespoon 1/2 lemon zested
whip cream Whisk powdered sugar and vanilla into cream. Continue to whisk until medium peaks. Reserve in refrigerator. cherry preserves Place cherries and sugar in a pot and bring to a simmer. Mix cornstarch and water together to make a slurry. While stirring cherry mixture, slowly pour in starch mixture. Continue to simmer cherries until thick and bubbling. Add lemon juice and zest, stir in and take off heat. Immediately spoon into prepared jars or cups, distributing evenly. pistachio crumbs Finely mince pistachios, and combine with sugar, cinnamon, and oat flour. Melt butter and pour over mixture. Stir to combine, mixture should clump. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread evenly and place in the freezer to firm up. When chilled, bake in a 400*F oven for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden. Cool and set aside. Serving Top cups of cherry preserves with whip cream. Garnish with pistachio crumbs and serve.
The Above Ground
Eight Course
Vegetarian Supper
GRANT