Composing a Salad as Glorious as Spring Itself

Spring is a time of renewal, rebirth and regrowth. It is also a very good time for buying and using fresh, local ingredients that you find at your local farmers market. One of the many items you will find in abundance right now at farmers markets is a variety of greens. Restaurant Eugene is fortunate to have formed special relationships with many farmers around Atlanta. Through the nourishment of these relationships, Chef Hopkins has created a salad that encapsulates the taste of Spring.

This salad is certainly not your typical salad. It is void of neither innovation nor creativity, consisting of 25 different wild edible greens from Indian Ridge Farms. It is comprised of no less than 20 steps from concept to completion. Each salad that makes it way from the garde manger of Restaurant Eugene to a guest's table has been made using the same precise steps in the same order every single time.

Here are the steps to building the spring salad, in order:

A swish of Blueberry Jam
A dollop of Mushy Pea
A swish of Sunchoke Puree

A spot of Claypot Pear Puree
A sprinkling of Brandied Peaches

Slivers of Pickled Beets

A dappling of Herb Pistou
A dusting of Mushroom Pan au Levain Soil
A hint of Peanut Powder

Shaved Radishes
A touch of Grated Spiced Pecans
Tuile Crouton (made from H&F Bread Co. Pan au Levain)
Hearts of Baby Lettuce

Wild Edible Greens
A  shower of Sunchoke Chips
Fleur de sel
Pepper

Champagne Vinegar
Champagne
Georgia Olive Oil
Fried Kale

Here is a calendar that can help you eat local!