Welcome spring! ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES OF THE YEAR.

This is the time of the year when so much varieties of produce explodes. Old reliable that are native to the area like rhubarb, ramps, fiddleheads and shad and shad roe are among some of my favorites. When I was much younger and worked on my grandmother’s garden, she would grow rhubarb. We eagerly waited for the rhubarb to bloom so we could pick it and have her make her famous strawberry and rhubarb pies–flavors I still long for today.

In tradition to her garden year after year, I still grow a garden in memory of my gram. On a much smaller scale though, this year my garden includes just a couple of heirloom tomato varieties, lots of mesclun and lemon, Thai, and opal basils. I can only dedicate a small portion of my fenced acre to the garden because, of course, the dogs rule in my yard. I still plant every year because it keeps me in touch with my grandmother.

To take mouthwatering advantage of the spring crops, some big menu changes at ZINC begin on Wednesday, June 4th:

• First we have our not-so-conventional “pizza”–extra flat dough, grilled with spring garlic, fire roasted peppers+ olives and topped with tome d’alsace cheese.
• Another appetizer change is our house-made blue crab + goat cheese Rangoon’s with mango sauce and soy drizzle.
• Lots of changes in the entrée section too, both steaks for starters…the hanger and the New York strip, natural of course. The hanger has an India influence of red lentil dal, chermoula sauce and is topped with yogurt and gold raisin raita. As for the New York strip, it’s served with a rich balsamic sauce with chilled asparagus and a creamy red wine vinegar sauce and French fries with onion aioli for dipping.
• The pork lion is roasted and served with a chipotle pepper sauce made with tomatillos and 3 kinds of chipotles–caned, fresh and dried. Along with the pork is a spicy Dijon mashed potatoes with crispy shallots.
• This time of the year we always like to switch our Arborio rice risotto to a lighter faro risotto and delectably paired with asparagus and fresh wild mushrooms.
• The scallops are house-smoked and dusted with pink peppercorns.
• On the sauté side we have lots of fresh fish. Pan-seared jerk monkfish marinated with fresh salsa, Caribbean black bean sauce and sofrito rice. Not to mention the pan-seared Scottish salmon with a light, but creamy, Riesling garlic sauce/bulghar biryani and a salad of fennel and arugula.
• Lastly our pasta has changed to ricotta cavatelli with tomato pesto with basil and extra virgin olive oil, topped with house made ricotta cheese and avocado.

Many new changes and ideas, so make sure you come in and join us for spring. Of course, the patio at CHOW New Haven is open and perfect for a pitcher of sangria under the stars. There are a ton of upcoming events too [check them out] And remember our Market Menu starts June 18, back by popular demand.

See you soon!

-Denise