Morning Light

It is amazing what can inspire and influence our food.  This morning the clouds were sitting below us in the valley.  The sun began to rise dancing of glistening evergreens and reflectinf off of orange and yellow oak brush leaves.  If only I could capture these natural wonders on a plate.  So I tried, and with some careful editing captured falls light with some pretty remarkable ingredients.  The dish began with our poached scallops, slice thick to show off their texture.  We added preserved matsutake mushrooms with a natural vinaigrette.  To balance the acidity we tied in a persimmon-vanilla puree.  Tarragon added a brightness and our tofu-yogurt crackers added a caramelized texture to the dish.  Today, with my head above the clouds I was able to let weave cuisine and nature together.