A seasonal menu so elegant, your friends may come to expect it every time.

BY NATALIE ERMANN RUSSELL ● PHOTOS BY SERA PETRAS

WITH A TEAM OF DEFT sous chefs and restaurant-grade appliances, a professional kitchen is way more efficient than any home kitchen could ever hope to be. Thankfully, this simple spring menu from Joshua Wilton House chef Mark Newsome relies very much on the ingredients and very little on the quality of your stovetop. Having a few sous chefs, we must admit, would still be nice.

Newsome makes it look easy. He whips up a lemony sorrel-flecked risotto faster than it takes to get our cameras into place. But the grilled shiitake-and-oyster-mushroom salad, braised beef short ribs, and other components of this menu—which he put together exclusively for Edible Blue Ridge—are simple enough even for a beginner to replicate. And most of them require fewer than 10 ingredients.

That’s because the focus is on letting those ingredients shine, says Newsome, who’s been sourcing from local farmers and artisans for all of his 14 years as chef at this Harrisonburg restaurant, well before it was in vogue. “You have to be flexible to use local products,” he says, rubbing some shiitakes from amFog in Afton with canola oil from Portwood Acres near Port Republic. “You might not get as much as you thought on any given day, but it usually works out on the plus side in the end.”

His commitment to local foods is a yearround endeavor, but now that spring has sprung, there’s suddenly a profusion. It’s not unusual for a mushroom forager or nearby gardener with a surplus of produce to stop by to hawk a basket of seasonal goodies. Most of the time, Newsome finds a way to use them. “He loves the interesting, unusual ingredients,” says his wife Ann Marie Coe, who runs Joshua Wilton House with longtime friend Sean Pugh (the three of them became pals after college, eventually bought the inn and restaurant together, and remain business partners and friends).

“What shows up in the kitchen is really what drives the menu,” says Newsome, whose personal obsession is fruit trees, of which he has 18 types in his yard at home. As different varieties ripen, they make their way onto the menu in savory dishes like duck with gooseberries, and in sweeter offerings like the berry parfait that pastry chef Shawn Richard has created for this special spring dinner party menu. What doesn’t get used in the kitchen, Richard will preserve in jams, which are served for breakfast at the inn throughout the year—after all, this is a bed-and-breakfast.

Newsome also nurtures a small garden just outside the inn, where he’s able to grow most of the herbs he needs in the warmer months: parsley, thyme, dill, sage, basil, rosemary. That’s really no surprise for a guy who earned a masters’ degree in botany. All those years studying plant life have nurtured a broader dedication to eating local products of all kinds—a mission that for Newsome is as much about supporting small farmers as it is about talking shop with them. “Picking their brains helps me a lot,” he says, “giving me different ways to utilize what they grow and raise.”

Take Robin Rider of Rider’s Backfield Farm Beef, with whom he’s been working for about a year and a half. “We talk about what’s available that’s fresh, so that I can age some of the meat myself,” he says as he runs his MAC chef’s knife through Rider’s beef short ribs, an inexpensive yet tasty piece of meat. “Local farmers might have a harder time selling a lesser cut. I like the challenge of cooking those. I feel that using all parts of the animal is something I should strive to do. And it helps the farmer too.”

Newsome arranges a fistful of Planet Earth Diversified microgreens on the plate—including baby beet greens, which, not surprisingly, have a flavor reminiscent of the full-grown vegetable—and marvels at the farm’s mad genius, Michael Clark, who is extremely meticulous, especially about controlling the temperature and adding just the right mix of nutrients. It’s that attention to detail that makes Planet Earth Diversified’s produce a house favorite.

Indeed, there are loyalties and longtime favorites, but Newsome is constantly adding new purveyors to the roster—which has its benefits and challenges. New producers are often eager for feedback, and aim to please; but if they go belly-up, it’s back to square one. Cultivating these relationships takes time, and doing so twice requires even more. Like when Newsome’s best artisan beekeeper, with whom he’d worked to create a honey with a balance of flavors that paired well with his menu, went out of business and he had to start again.

Today Newsome shows off Portwood Acres’ canola oil, his latest find. As he tastes a drop on his finger, he describes it as fruity and robust, becoming visibly excited—not just because it’s the only such product he has found in the area, but because of the quality. “The yellow in this vinaigrette is from the canola,” he says as he holds up a squeeze bottle full of blond salad dressing. “The oil is that flavorful—the color tells you so.” As only a chef with a masters’ in botany knows: If you listen to all of your ingredients this way, they speak volumes.

For more about the restaurant and inn, go to joshuawilton.com.

LESSON #1

Use local mushrooms because they’re fresher—meaning they have an earthier flavor and meatier texture.

GRILLED MUSHROOM AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

Serves 6 to 8

1 tsp. each of salt, pepper, paprika

2 Tbsp. Portwood Acres canola oil

¼ lb. each amFog oyster and shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed

¼ lb. asparagus, cut into 2-inch diagonals

2 cups Planet Earth Diversified baby greens

Lemon-Rosemary Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Mix spices and oil in a flat dish. Toss the mushrooms and asparagus in the spice-and-oil mixture to coat. Grill for 5 minutes over medium heat, or cook in a sauté pan over medium heat. Serve over Planet Earth Diversified baby greens, and drizzle with Lemon-Rosemary Vinaigrette.

LESSON #2

Pair earthy mushrooms with rosemary, and asparagus with lemon. Both are in this dressing.

LEMON-ROSEMARY VINAIGRETTE

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

¼ cup red wine vinegar

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 cup Portwood Acres canola oil

In a blender, combine all ingredients except oil. While still blending, slowly drizzle in oil until emulsified. Pour into sealable container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

LESSON #3

It’s okay to use a less-expensive cut when entertaining. Short ribs aren’t short on flavor when braised.

RIDER’S BACKFIELD FARM BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Serves 6 to 8

3 lbs. Backfield Farm beef short ribs

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

6 garlic cloves, smashed

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 bottle Virginia cabernet franc

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Generously season beef with salt and pepper. Sear in cast-iron pan over high, on both sides; remove and place in a roasting pan.

2. In remaining pan juices, sear vegetables 4 to 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with bottle of wine. Bring to a boil; then pour veggie-wine mixture over ribs in roasting pan.

3. Add enough hot water to cover meat, and cover with lid or aluminum foil. Braise for 2 to 3 hours, until meat is tender.

LESSON #4 Use sorrel to give creamy risotto a kick of color and a slight hint of citrus.

SORREL-PESTO RISOTTO

Serves 6 to 8

1 cup Planet Earth Diversified sorrel leaves

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp. chopped toasted almonds

2 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium white onion, minced

1 cup Arborio rice

4 cups chicken stock, hot

1. Blend sorrel, garlic, almonds, cheese, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in food processor, adding just enough olive oil to make a paste. Reserve.

2. In a saucepan, sauté the onion in 1 Tbsp. olive oil until tender. Add Arborio rice, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add hot chicken stock while stirring; simmer until liquid is mostly evaporated and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in pesto.

LESSON #5

Opt for a young country ham, which isn’t as salty; Newsome likens Turner’s young hams to prosciutto.

SPINACH—TURNER COUNTRY HAM SAUTÉ

Serves 6 to 8

1 white onion, sliced

1—2 Tbsp. Portwood Acres canola oil

2 cups local spinach

¼ cup Turner country ham, julienned

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Sauté onion in canola oil until translucent. Add spinach and ham, and season with salt and pepper to taste; sauté another 4 to 5 minutes, until spinach is wilted and ham is warmed through.

LESSON #6

Make the components of this parfait a couple days ahead, and then assemble a few hours before guests arrive.

BERRY CRUMBLE PARFAIT WITH LEMON POSSET AND GRANOLA

Serves 6 to 8

2 cups cubed pound cake

Lemon Posset (see recipe below)

Berry Compote (see recipe below)

Granola (see recipe below)

1 cup vanilla ice cream

Tuile cookies

Candied Mint (see recipe below)

Place the cake cubes on the chilled, set Posset, dividing them among the glasses. Spoon the Berry Compote over the cake in each glass. Add a layer of Granola and then another of Posset. Top each glass with Granola and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Garnish with a tuile and Candied Mint.

LESSON #7

Don’t be afraid of fancy words. Posset is simply a mixture of milk, sugar, and lemon juice that is chilled to form a bright, tangy custard-like treat.

LEMON POSSET

3 cups heavy cream

Strained juice of 3 lemons

1¼ cups sugar

1. Place the cream and lemon juice in separate containers in the microwave and heat for 1 minute intervals until warm.

2. Divide the sugar between the juice and the cream, and stir to dissolve.

3. Continue heating for 30 seconds at a time, and remove each mixture just when it begins to boil.

4. Combine the cream and juice mixtures; pour in equal portions into 6 to 8 parfait glasses.

5. Refrigerate glasses to chill for 3 hours (or overnight). As posset cools, it will gel to the consistency of a delicate custard.

LESSON #8

Granola adds great texture to this parfait, but you can also mix it into Greek yogurt for breakfast. Make extra.

GRANOLA

1 cup oatmeal

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

½ Tbsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg (or ½ tsp. dry nutmeg)

1 cup unsalted nuts (pecans, pistachios, cashews, and/or sliced almonds)

7 Tbsp. butter, melted

¼ cup honey, warmed

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Combine and toss together the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with melted butter and honey.

2. Spread the mixture onto a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes, then stir mixture. Bake another 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

3. Allow to cool then break up into small pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

LESSON #9

Depending on the month, use this compote to show off whatever fruits are at their ripest: strawberries, cherries, blueberries, raspberries.

BERRY COMPOTE

6 Tbsp. cranberry juice

2 Tbsp. lime juice

½ Tbsp. cornstarch

6 Tbsp. sugar

1⁄8 tsp. cinnamon

1⁄8 tsp. ground ginger

2 Tbsp. dark rum

2 cups strawberries

1. Combine juices in a small bowl. In another small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch with 1 Tbsp. of juices; set aside.

2. Add remaining juices to sugar and spices in a saucepan; bring to a boil.

3. Add rum and simmer 4 minutes. Add dissolved cornstarch and boil 2 minutes while stirring.

4. Add the berries and remove from heat. Place berries in a large bowl in the fridge to chill, at least 2 hours.

LESSON #10

Don’t be afraid to use the microwave-even for fine food.

CANDIED MINT

Mint leaves

Vegetable spray

Sugar

Spray mint leaves with vegetable spray, and dredge in sugar. Cover a plate with plastic wrap. Set the sugared leaves on top. Microwave 1 minute, until crystallized. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

WHERE TO FIND THESE INGREDIENTS

amFog mushrooms: Afton Mountain Farm Market, Orchard, and Greenhouse; amfog.net.

Planet Earth Diversified: Available at Charlottesville City Market, Foods of All Nations, Integral Yoga Natural Foods, Market Street Wine Shop, Rebecca’s Natural Food, and planetearthdiversified.net.

Portwood Acres canola oil: Sold at the Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market.

Turner country ham: Fulks Run Grocery in Rockingham County; turnerhams.com.