On the job last night for an intimate party of four.

The trick with the fish: cut the bone and skin from the sea bass (unless you love the skin) and salt lightly with sea salt. Sear in a hot pan on one side only with a drizzle of olive oil. Roast in the oven until nearly done. When ready for service, heat butter in a saute pan w/clove of garlic and sprig of thyme and allow it to go just a teeny weeny bit brown spotted. Add a little ladle of homemade vegetable stock and a good squeeze of lemon. Set the pieces of fish into the pan and spoon the hot butter over and over, just to heat through.

Appetizers:

dates stuffed w/bouchon (semi firm goat’s cheese), orange zest and chive

fresh fennel topped w/pickled rhubarb compote (rhubarb, vinegar, whole clove, coriander seed, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, peppercorn, sugar)

raw radish, cumber, braised string beans w/sea salt

First Course:

Borscht w/finely diced beet, potato, crushed fennel seed and bouquet garni w/horseradish lemon yogurt cream

Roasted Spring root vegetables (radish, turnip, onion and carrot) on seared polenta w/garnish of slow cooked fennel and beet chip

Main Course:

Roasted Sea bass w/vignole (sauteed asparagus, peas, leeks, artichokes, and mint)

Salad:

Baby arugula w/sauteed shitake and button mushrooms and capers

Dessert:

Mixed berries