The New Deal Supper Club @ Greenspaces

Wow, I AM waaaaaay overdue on posting… Mid November I checked out The New Deal Supper Club presented by Chef Suzanne Barr and Rabbit Mafia at Green Spaces New York.  Sustainable dinner party meets progressive commercial kitchen/event space in TriBeCa? That’s most definitely my thing.

The dinner was inspired by the flavors and dishes of Armenia and “forests from around the world”, the musical guest was soul singer Nucomme (very good performance and a seriously talented vocalist, I ended up buying her CD at the end of the night), the featured non-profit was Armenia Tree Project and  stylish and eco-friendly Wrecords by Monkey provided gifts. Pomegranate-Vodka Cocktails made possible by 44 North.

The highlights….

A variety of Armenian Appetizers including Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), Eech (traditional bulgar and tomato dish) Zucchini Hummus, raw milk cheese, with mixed olives and local/seasonal vegetables. Everything was delicious. Full of flavor and filling but not heavy.

Autumn Mushrooms with Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts in Red Pepper Curry Sauce over Quinoa with Bastirma ( garlic and pepper cured beef native to Armenia and Turkish Cuisine). The meat is made by curing it between heavy flat slabs of stones. It was tangy and earthy, really enjoyed it.

(Raw and Vegan) Walnut Carrot Cake with Pomegranates and Orange Glaze. Frankly, I don’t care for most desserts. However, little Miss Barr knows what’s up! Perfect balance. The creamy glaze was made with cashew butter. I even licked my fingers. That says a lot, no?

All of this includes tax and tip- PLUS music, interesting people, and gifts for $33. This was the last event for the season. They start up again in the spring and we are looking forward to it.

For information on the next event series check out the Rabbit Mafia website.

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Pork Loin with Pomegranate Molasses, Brussel Sprouts, and Pumpkin

Hacked off the top of a small pumpkin, scooped out the seeds, added sprigs of sage and rosemary, slathered it in olive oil, wrapped it in foil, cooked it at a low heat (around 425 or so) for about two hours.

The outside became lacquer like and the pumpkin literally fell out. I scooped it out, gently smashed it with some high grade fancy schmancy European butter, added in a little Kosher salt and poultry seasoning (to elevate the rosemary and sage infusion). This will be the base for many of my soups, raviolis etc. this fall…

I served it with a pork loin and pomegranate molasses that I snagged at Sahadis, and roasted brussel sprouts. The pomegranate molasses was very tangy and had subtle burnt sugar undertones. It does not have a strong flavor like a deep black strap molasses. This is a fairly inexpensive, easy, and fast meal to put together too. Sliced the brussel sprouts, lightly tossed them in olive oil and Kosher salt, and put them in a shallow baking pan. The pork loin was about a 1 lb, so I seared it off, topped it with a little cracked pepper and finely chopped fresh thyme, put it in a shallow baking pan but covered it with foil and baked them both at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.

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