A few new dishes...and wild olives I have known

Nothing too exciting here, but I wanted to test a few pics with my new camera and see if TasteSpotting likes them better.

First, these are wild olives that one of our foragers brought us. These are the size of capers and came from a tree that hasn't fruited in nearly a decade.

PBJ - Hazelnut dacquoise, strawberry gelée and peanut butter mousse

Chocolate cocoa cake, peanut butter mousse, chocolate mousse

Foraging Workshop January 17th, 2011

As I get deeper in the foraging aspect of our restaurant, I've sought the assistance of Doug Simons, a man who lived in the Gila Wilderness for many years. Doug lived exclusively off the land and when he finally stepped back into civilization he started teaching workshops. Doug will be teaching an Edible Gila Wilderness workshop on Monday, January 17th from 10-4. The workshop is free for anyone wanting to forage for me, and $25 for all others. The workshop will have follow-ups in May and October as the seasons change. I'm also working on an agave roasting workshop in the spring. Any out of towners I'll throw in a free dinner at my place.

My latest dishes

As I mentioned previously, currently I'm looking at indigenous foods and historic Apache diets. Naturally I'm twisting them in my own way, but I think its a good place for me to be right now as I settle into my dinner menus. I'm beginning to work with area experts on indigenous foods and Apache diets, so those will make an even stronger mark in the months to come.

Squash, lavender pudding, cacao bean, gruyere, parsley, bee pollen

I have two soups - roasted chayote with pepper and cilantro oils; and tea smoked duck consomme

One of the first pictures taken with my new camera - butternut frites, three sisters (squash, corn and white teparary beans), and white truffle oil powder

Elk osso bucco, creamed corn, wilted arugula, baby corn

Beef cheek, blue cheese grits, wilted arugula, spiced caramel corn - not my best plating

Deconstructed relleno - farmers cheese wrapped in whole wheat fillo atop three sisters, with roasted peppers, squash disk, powdered bean soup and mango coulis

Tea smoked duck breast, acorn blini, duck foam, three sisters, juniper infused goat yogurt, duck reduction

My current intermezzo - figs that have been soaked in limoncello for four weeks, Point Reyes blue cheese, candied pecans, agave nectar

My current dessert - bison mince meat, pecan praliné mousse, saffron infused pistachio butter, cacao

Needless to say I'm glad to have my camera back and I seem to be getting the hang of it. I used to have a simple point and click, and now I have an EOS Rebel XTi with my lenses from back in the film days. The photos above with black backgrounds were taken with the new camera AFTER I read the manual, so I think I'll get better the more I play.