The original Blue Hill restaurant, named after a family farm, was opened in 2000 as a local NYU eatery in Greenwich Village by chef Dan Barber. He was featured on the second episode of a wonderful Netflix show, Chef's Table. Dan Barber, who used to work for one of my favorite chefs David Bouley, believes in ethical and sustainable food. He is working to change the culture of how Americans eat by trying to create an environment that supports good agriculture - by serving ethical and sustainable food, and incorporating whatever crop is in season, whether it is fresh asparagus in the spring or a rotational crop like barley, planted just to enrich the soil. On the show he stated, "When you are chasing after the best flavor, you are chasing after the best ingredients. And when you are chasing after the best ingredients, you are in search of great farming." He works with breeders to breed food for flavor and think about what you are "feeding" the food you eat.
I loved his concept, and was excited when I was able to snag a last minute reservation at Blue Hill in New York. The dishes are simple, as to let the fresh ingredients shine. Our first dish was a Habanero pepper, farmed specifically to retain the flavor of the habanero, but remove the spicy part. I was able to try some vegetables I hadn't even heard of before. Our wonderful waitress would bring us the whole, raw form of what we were eating so we could see what it looked like as a plant. It was a really unique experience. Hopefully on my next trip to New York, I can make it out to Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a center for food and agriculture just outside New York City.
Habanero peppers farmed without the spice
Turnips with a tarragon sauce
Badger flame beets with smoked farmer's cheese and chocolate
The raw form of the badger beet, looks a lot like a sweet potato
Celtuce (stems and leaves) with chufa nut milk
Celtuce - whole form for comparison
"This morning's farm egg" - honey nut squash and curried pine nuts
Pastured duck with wild mushrooms and dehydrated grapes
Concord grapes with ginger and blue hill farm milk
Asian pear with blue hill farm ice cream
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