Fresh from the Source

At two of Arizona’s premier spa resorts, the desert provides the backdrop for a succulent harvest of tasty, sustainable fare.

Deep within the cactus-studded drama of the Sonoran Desert, the landscape lends itself to intense feelings of harmony with the rhythms of the earth. Chefs from two of the Southwest’s most fabulous spa properties have embraced that connection, focusing their creative menus on local, sustainably produced ingredients that showcase area food producers, along with ingredients pulled straight from the soil of their own kitchen gardens.

“When it comes to making choices about health, we all need to make a decision to not only watch how much we eat, but also to consider the integrity of what we eat”, says Scott Simpson, executive chef at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. Simpson’s twenty-five years of culinary experience were earned in kitchens in Italy, Ecuador, Chile, and India. “When we hear words like organic, pesticides, or GMOs, most people tune out, but you really must pay attention. Why use safety latches on cabinets to protect children from ingesting harmful items, and then unknowingly set some of those same chemicals before your family at every meal?”

Paul O’Connor, executive chef at Camelback Inn, says his philosophy of using local and handcrafted ingredients was inspired by his French grandmother. He helps promote his philosophy of using local growers and suppliers by showcasing these choices, and including the names of producers directly on menus.

“As organic foods become more accessible in our everyday lives, guests have become more knowledgeable about the issues surrounding sustainable and locally sourced foods”, adds Phoenix native Brian Archibald, chef de cuisine at Desert Ridge. “We make using organic and locally grown foods a priority at all of our restaurants.”

Adds Simpson, “We all need to educate ourselves and assume more responsibility as the guardian of our own well-being, and the well-being of future generations. The moment the consumer begins to demand food purity from all sources, we can hopefully return to the heritage of wholesome meals that once enriched and nourished our lives.”

LEMONGRASS STEAMED BLACK COD WITH WHITE ASPARAGUS & MUSHROOM BROTH

From Executive Chef Scott Simpson and Chef Brian Archibald, JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dry shiitake mushrooms

1 white onion, diced

1 bay leaf

1 sheet Kombu (kelp leaf)

3 lemongrass stalks, chopped

2 qts. water, separated

3 shallots, chopped

1/2 cup fresh ginger, minced

1 cup white wine

6 4-oz. pieces of black cod (can also use sablefish)

1 tsp. olive oil

2 oz. Morel mushrooms, cut in half (about 1 cup)

1 cup white asparagus tips

sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

Make broth by placing shiitake, onion, bay leaf, Kombu, and one chopped lemongrass stalk in a saucepan. Cover with 1 quart water. Bring to simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain through sieve and set aside.

In a separate saucepan, place second quart of water. Add shallots, fresh ginger, remaining lemongrass, and white wine, and heat to gentle boil. Place cod in a steamer basket that has been brushed lightly with olive oil. Set basket on top of infused water. Cover with foil or lid, and steam for 8 minutes.

In saute pan, saute Morel mushrooms and asparagus tips in olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot but not soft. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Place on a serving platter, and place cod on top. Pour broth (as desired) over top, and serve warm.

HEALTHY TARRAGON MUSHROOM BISQUE

From Executive Chef Scott Simpson and Chef Brian Archibald, JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 tbs. olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

3/4 lb. assorted mushrooms (button, shiitake, portabella, cremini) cleaned and sliced

1 cup Madeira wine

1 tbs. fresh tarragon

8 cups vegetable stock or vegetable broth

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

Place a 6-quart pot over low heat. Add olive oil, onion, and garlic. Saute onion and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.

Raise heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms, and continue to saute, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 12 minutes.

Add Madeira wine and reduce heat to low.

Stir in tarragon and vegetable stock or broth. Simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

Pour 1/3 of the soup into a blender or food processor and puree. Repeat with remaining soup in separate batches. Return to pot and season with salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly, but do not allow mixture to boil. Serve in small soup bowls.

BRAISED BROCCOLI RABE

From Executive Chef Paul O’Connor, Camelback Inn Resort & Spa

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

3 tbs. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 lbs. broccoli rabe, cleaned and stemmed (also called rapini)

1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

1/4 tsp. red chili flakes

1 tbs. aged balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

Heat olive oil in large saut© pan over medium heat, just until oil starts to bubble. Oil should be hot but not browning. Add garlic, and saut© until it begins to soften. Add rabe, salt, and chili flakes. Add balsamic vinegar, stirring mixture occasionally until tender. Remove pan from heat.

Place greens in serving bowl, leaving liquid in the pan. Continue cooking liquid over medium heat until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. Using a fine grater or lemon zester, remove zest (outer layer of lemon skin) from lemon. Add zest to pan, and drizzle mixture over the top of the greens just before serving. Garnish with Parmesan cheese shavings.

PINEAPPLE CARPACCIO WITH COCONUT SOY SORBET

From Kaushik Chowdhury, Senior Pastry Chef, JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

Serves 6-8

** The pineapple carpaccio needs to be prepared one day in advance.

CARPACCIO INGREDIENTS

1 pineapple, fresh

1 cup water

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, slit in half

PREPARATION

Slice pineapple into very thin slices. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and sugars to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugars are dissolved. Boil until mixture becomes thick and syrupy, about three to five minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla bean and cool. Cover pineapple slices with sugar-syrup mixture, and place in refrigerator overnight.

SORBET INGREDIENTS  

1 cup sugar

1 cup warm water

11/2 cups coconut milk

1/2 cup soymilk

11/2 tbs. rum, optional

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

PREPARATION

To prepare sorbet, mix sugar with warm water until dissolved.  Add coconut milk, soymilk, and rum. Churn the mixture in an ice cream machine until ready (following manufacturer’s instructions), and place in a covered bowl in freezer until ready to serve.

You can also make the sorbet by hand without an ice cream machine. To do this, pour the sorbet mix into a freezer-proof container and freeze for four hours. Remove from freezer and beat in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return mixture to freezer, repeating this process again after two hours. Let rest for at least four more hours before serving.

To serve, arrange pineapple slices on a plate in a circular pattern, with edges overlapping. Top with a scoop of sorbet, and garnish with fresh raspberries.

By Debra Bokur

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