The first crocuses and daffodils have awakened at last from winter’s sleep, and the sun pushes back the night’s curtains a little earlier each day… the first tidings of Spring have arrived! As the birds return to singing sweet songs and the bumble bee queens build their honey pots, our chefs have also been inspired by the changing season – to wit, the launch of our new Spring Menu, created by Chef Reto Ballat.
“For me, spring is all about the fresh ingredients, the new produce bought fresh from the market,” says Chef Reto. “No longer do we need to dig through barrels of vegetables stored from last year’s harvest – our sources are renewed and our palettes refreshed.”
And what better way to celebrate than with a new Spring Menu? Drawing on past years’ experiences of cooking in Zurich, Switzerland’s Eden au Lac Hotel, Reto’s latest repertoire features the sea- salted and meadow-grown flavours of Mediterranean France: Barolo-braised Rabbit Breast, light and succulent Lobster meat, bright rhubarb, young spinach, olive oil, and crisp white wine. “When I sat down to plan the menu, all my old favourites came to mind,” Reto reflects. “I remembered cooking in so many different places, and the French Mediterranean was definitely Number One.”
While the menu especially emphasizes our steadfast devotion to locally-sourced ingredients, we’re proud to feature lobster as a seasonal East-coast treat – another celebration of Spring’s tidings. Lovingly folded into delicate handmade pasta, and bathed in an ambrosial white wine butter sauce, the ravioli is “well worth the effort.” The Rabbit Breast is Reto’s personal favourite, hailing once again to his earlier culinary exploits abroad. “We take care to braise it only until it’s perfectly tender,” he explains, “and for me, spring potatoes and baby carrots have always marked the change of seasons. It’s like tasting the rebirth – the ideal Easter celebration.”
Without further ado, we present our new Spring Menu in its luscious entirety. Enjoy!
Alongside these were Portobello mushrooms stuffed with Israel couscous and goat cheese, house-made potato gnocchi, a mix of exotic fruit, and flame-grilled zucchini, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, red peppers, and mushrooms. “The menu definitely catered to our love of Italian cuisine,” said Hopp. “The gnocchi in particular was a popular favourite.” Coffee and tea appeared at the end with the wedding cake and speeches, and the bartenders plied thirsty partiers with a full selection of sips. Finally, the staff rolled out a late-night taco bar a few hours later, serving up tortilla chips with salsa alongside soft taco shells filled with seafood and pulled pork to satisfy any midnight munchies. “This was a testimony to our love of travel,” Hopp explained. “It was a great finishing touch – although by then Matt and I were so busy celebrating with our guests that we didn’t get a chance to try any of it! We got lots of positive feedback about it, though.”
