Edible East Bay Recipes

"Chef Wall’s first inklings of a culinary career began in Danville, California, at the age of 14, working as a busboy and prep cook at his godmother’s restaurant. At the age of 20 he was able to realize his dream and attend the California Culinary Academy, from which he graduated in 2000. An East Bay native, Wall was pleased to secure a coveted externship at Lark Creek Walnut Creek upon finishing his courses, where he first began creating classic and contemporary American cuisine. When his externship ended, he was hired on as a line cook. Excelling in that position, he was promoted to sous chef in 2004. In late December 2006 Wall was appointed to the role of chef. “I’m excited to be at the helm and creating flavors and dishes from my personal repertoire, which will always include local, seasonal, farm fresh ingredients. I believe the key to good dishes is to start with a stellar product. Use simple flavors that enhance those products and the dishes will shine. The best part about the job is supporting local ingredients whenever possible. “What’s in a name? If it’s local, seasonal or farm fresh then it’s all in our name.”

GRILLED JUMBO ASPARAGUS
WITH ROASTED GARLIC, RED BELL PEPPER AND KALAMATA OLIVES

24 to 30 spears of jumbo asparagus, trimmed and peeled
2 bulbs of roasted garlic
2 medium red bell peppers, roasted and peeled
12 Kalamata olives, sliced in half
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Lemon wedges
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper

Prepare garlic, peppers, and olives before grilling asparagus.

To roast garlic: Cut the top off the bulb, exposing the garlic cloves. Drizzle each bulb with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a shallow baking dish. Add a little water to the bottom of the baking dish to prevent scorching. Roast at 350 degrees for up to 1 ½ hours until the cloves are tender. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the cloves and set aside.

To roast bell peppers: Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a small cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for up to 30 minutes, or until skin is charred and wrinkled. Cool peppers, then peel away the charred skin, remove seeds, and cut into thin strips. Set aside.

To grill asparagus: Have grill very hot and clean. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Place asparagus spears on grill in batches of 5 to 6 at a time, rotating them until they become tender (3 to 4 minutes).

To plate: Arrange 5 to 6 grilled asparagus spears on each plate, overlapping them to build height. In a sauté pan heat 2 ounces olive oil, then add the roasted garlic, bell peppers, and olives. Warm ingredients through, season with salt and pepper and spoon equal parts over each plate of arranged asparagus. Squeeze lemon over each plate and serve immediately.

Serves 6.