Peach Pit Amaretto is Ready

Barkeep Nick Hearin's amazing house-made Peach Pit Amaretto is ready to taste after a month of incorporation.


The process is a house secret, but here's a hint: roasted peach pits, rum, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and clove. The results are a perfectly delicious, nutty, sweet, smooth aromatic cordial that is as unique as its maker. Come see for yourself, and sample one of Nick's other house-made palliatives: fennel bitter and lemoncello.

Putting Up Blueberries

Blueberry season is here and it looks to be a good one. Blueberries rolled through the door today from Deep South Growers, in Douglas Georgia. They were big, sweet and bountiful. Soon, they'll be at local farmers market throughout the state.

What to do with a bounty of blueberries? Ice cream, parfaits, pies, pickles (yes!), and of course preserves. In preparation for the opening of Drovers Market, partner Kirsten Hindes (right) has been perfecting our recipes for all of the above. Try this at home.

Blueberry Preserves
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 qt. blueberries, rinsed

Combine vinegar and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

Add blueberries and continue to simmer, stirring constantly, until the berries pop and begin to break down.

Turn heat to low and cook until the fruit is completely broken down and the mixture is think and syrupy.

Allow preserves to cool, slightly, and pour into 2 pint jars. When jars have cooled completely, cover and refrigerate. Use within 3 weeks. Yields 2 pts.

An Historic Day

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama launched her "Chefs Move to Schools" initiative at the Whitehouse. As part of her effort to turn policies into practical solutions for America’s families, Mrs. Obama is calling on chefs to get involved by adopting a school and working with teachers, parents, school nutritionists and administrators to help educate kids about food and nutrition. By creating healthy dishes that taste good, chefs have a unique ability to deliver these messages in a fun and appealing way to the larger audience, particularly children. This is exactly the work that Chef Linton Hopkins, and Gina Hopkins have been doing, along with friend Jenna Schuh, through their Culinary Kids Club at E. Rivers Elementary. The Hopkins were honored to be invited to join leader chefs from around the country live for the launching of this historic campaign. Gina, pictured here in the Whitehouse Organic Garden, donned her E. Rivers Elementary Chef's Whites and her Georgia Organics apron, noting that she was there representing a much larger good food community. Chef Linton Hopkins is rumored to have harvested and prepared food from the garden this afternoon. More good things to come...

Photos from the Beard House Dinner

We just received the photos from the James Beard House Dinner. Thanks to Geoff Mottram for these beautiful shots. What a night to remember.

Chef Hopkins Showcases New Southern Cuisine at the James Beard House

Chef Hopkins recently had the honor of preparing a meal at the James Beard House on May 5th --- Mr. Beard's birthday of all occasions. So what do we serve at the birthday party for the man who the New York Times anointed the "dean of America cookery?" Nothing but the best the south has to offer. Check out the menu for the night. You'll see a celebration of farmers and artisan producers from all around the cornbread nation, which incidentally is exactly what we serve every night at Restaurant Eugene.

A special thanks to Chef de Cuisine Ryan Smith and Sous Chef Jason Paolini for personally delivering all that precious food from Atlanta to New York City.

Permaculture Applied

The goal is always fine food and impeccably gracious service. The means are sometimes unexpected. Keeping ourselves engaged and focused on our food in the context of the world around us renews our inspiration and ensures that we deliver the best to our guests every night. The last week of April at Restaurant Eugene was a boon of exploration and learning.

Staff started the week with a foraging expedition in the North Georgia mountains led by renowned Georgia forager, herbalist and author, Patricia Howell and finished with Friday's visit from Duane Marcus of the Funny Farm who provided an overview of the ethics and principles of permaculture:
1. Observe & interact
2. Catch & store energy
3. Obtain a yield
4. Apply self-regulation & accept feedback
5. Use & value renewable resources & services
6. Produce no waste
7. Design from patterns to details
8. Integrate rather than segregate
9. Use small & slow solutions
10. Use & value diversity
11. Use edges & value the marginal
12. Creatively use & respond to change

It turns out we've been practicing permaculture principles without labeling them as such. It just seems like the right thing to do. Take Friday's visit from Caroline Hoogenboom, for example. The charming new winemaker from Persimmon Creek Vineyards, pictured here with Chef de Cuisine Ryan Smith, stopped by to share some vineyard prunings. A waste stream for the viticulturist proves to be an excellent cooking medium for the chef. The sweet, aromatic vines are wonderful for smoking meats and fish. Check principles 1 through 12 --- Permaculture Applied!

Feeding our Heroes

Serving food, good food, is the reason Restaurant Eugene exists. Every guest, everynight is special and sometimes we even have the opportunity to serve our heroes --- or heroines as the case may be. Ms. Betty Fussell, food writer and 2009 James Beard Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America inductee joined us for dinner recently.

If you're unfamiliar with her work, take a moment to read her brief essay Sustaining the Heart and Body. It says it all.

So what do you feed the author of Raising Steaks, The Life and Times of American Beef on her first real visit to Georgia? Why, White Oak Pastures beef of course! Tartare for starters, then the ribeye, finishing with a little Sweet Grass Dairy cheese cake. A table set for, by and with the work of our heroes --- a toast to you all!