[4 servings]

INGREDIENTS

2 cups borage sauce [recipe to follow]

2 Tbsp cardoon oil [recipe to follow]

8 baby carrots, roasted gently with oil, salt

8 radishes, roasted gently with oil, salt

4 large porcini mushrooms, roasted on a high heat with butter, salt

2 cups borage leaf

2 Tbsp borage flowers

2 Tbsp fennel flowers

[Borage Sauce]

1 cup borage leaf, chopped

1 cup chopped leek, chopped

1 Tbsp cultured butter

1 cup dashi stock [recipe to follow]

[Dashi Stock]

6-inch piece of kombu

1 large shiitake mushroom

3 cups spring water

Method

Simmer kombu with shiitake in water, until dashi is flavorful. Will yield about 1 cup of liquid.

Method

Melt cultured butter, add leek and stir until almost translucent. Add borage leaf, pinch of salt and sweat until both are tender. Add dashi, simmer for 10 minutes. Puree in high-speed blender, pass through tamis if necessary and season to taste.

[Cardoon Oil]

1 cup cardoon, chopped

1 cup grapeseed oil

2 Tbsp shallot, chopped

1 dried shiitake mushroom

Method

Poach veggies with oil in oven at 180°F degrees for 24 hours, covered.

Assembly

In 4 individual bowls, divide the borage sauce. Spoon a tablespoon of kefir in the middle of each of the bowls of borage sauce. Slice warm radishes, carrots and porcinis in half, compose in the middle of the bowl on top of the sauces. Garnish with fennel and borage flowers, drizzle with a generous amount of the cardoon oil and pinch of flaked salt.

Chef’s Note

The dashi in this recipe is for flavor – simmering is ok as we are trying to get flavor extraction, not a clear broth.

This is a good shared vegetable dish. We make the kefir at Bar Tartine using kefir grains, however a good, thick purchased kefir will work well. This dairy product contains some acidity but if desired, a small amount of lemon can be added to the kefir liquid.