June in Vermont: the season of garlic scapes, radishes, herbs, spring greens, and strawberries.
Warren’s Pitcher Inn operates seasonally, updating their menus on a weekly basis to incorporate as many local, seasonal ingredients as possible.
Executive Chef Jacob Ennis and his team take a creative approach to building the menus for the inn’s two restaurants, starting with the ingredients they’re able to source from their partners and determining the best ways to incorporate them into exciting and interesting dishes. After working the breakfast shift at the inn every Saturday, Chef Jacob heads a few minutes up the road to the Waitsfield market to meet up with his family and scope out what’s available for the coming week from his many partners who vend at the market.
Vermont has a famously short growing season, so finding creative ways to process and preserve fresh, local ingredients is key to the Pitcher Inn’s culinary programs.
While locally-raised meats may feature on the menu as entrees, wild foraged greens may be used to infuse vinaigrettes and dressings. Garlic scapes become pesto, fresh veggies are pickled, and locally-grown strawberries are incorporated into desserts and are preserved as jams to use throughout the year.
Celebrate the flavors of the spring season with this flatbread recipe from Chef Jacob.
VERMONT SPRING/SUMMER FLATBREAD
Recipe courtesy of Chef Jacob Ennis
Described by the Chef as a “non-recipe,” this is easy to customize based on what’s available seasonally, and according to your own tastes and preferences!
Ingredients:
- Flatbread or pizza crust (make your own, or use a locally-made crust such as Green Rabbit pizza shells)
- Local cheese, such as Sage Farm Goat Cheese
- Local meat, such as Triple J Pastures pork shank
- Garlic scape pesto
- Pickled radish
- Arugula
Prepare meat or any toppings as desired. Assemble toppings on pizza crust; bake if required or desired, or if crust is already prepared, enjoy at room temperature. Drizzle with vinaigrette before serving.
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This recipe was provided as part of a farmers market tour series, supported by Specialty Crop Block Grant 02200-SCBGP-18-05, awarded to Vermont Fresh Network by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets.
