Neidy Venegas, our new pastry chef is young and gifted, a heady combination when you’re also channeling Alice in Wonderland’s wide eyed appetite for adventure. With every creation she establishes a familiar reference point you can relate to, then takes a leap in a direction you least expect. Only last week she noticed something we walk by everyday at the farm without ever thinking of it as edible - beautiful fig leaves from our 100 year old trees - and transformed them into a magical dust and an aromatic oil to finish a confection that was both sophisticated and childlike - a lush perfectly baked chocolate financier cake with clouds of white chocolate crémeux and a summery blackberry sorbet.
This week’s new dessert showcases an ingredient grown only a few miles from the Barn, but to my knowledge one we have never used in the kitchens before: Husk Cherries. It’s a confection as delightful as a hat at Ascot, with delicate sherbert shades, flirtatious form, and flavors both fresh and capricious.
These are desserts that feed the body and soothe the aching soul, perfect companions to Jordan’s remarkable command of all things savory. The irony that this level of talent is reaching full expression in a time of Corona, wildfires, and a maddening election (oh my) has not been lost on us. But there’s never been a better time to put food like this on the Barndiva menus. We are grateful to our Executive Chef Jordan Rosas and to Lukka for bringing Neidy and her beautiful collaborative energy into the Barndiva Family.
Husk Cherries, a distant relative to the Cape Gooseberry, are an Ashwagandha nightshade sometimes referred to as Indian Ginseng. Its flavor is ephemeral, with notes of citrus, pineapple and tomato. The fruit grows in a delicate calyx which Neidy has made a central feature of her dessert. This confection presents the Husk Cherry’s delicate flavor four ways - raw, lightly frozen, candied, and as jam. Our Husk Cherries come from Freckle Farms here in Healdsburg.
After carefully removing the cherries from the calyx without breaking, it is lightly candied and set aside. Husk Cherry jam is pipped over an almond GF sable cookie, then decorated with sliced slightly frozen fruit. The sable sits atop a scoop of house made lemon verbena ice cream, held in place by a dollop of jam. Raw whole Husk Cherries are delicately placed in the candied husks.
Pears from the farm; Neidy Venegas (@spontaneidy); the new Barndiva Bagel (soon to make a debut on our all-star Brunch Menu with a Jordan Rosas signature schmear.)
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