Designing an annual tasting menu is a sacred dance with nature’s rhythm.
Start by mapping out the key produce available in your region during each season.
The early season invites tender leaves, crisp asparagus spears, sweet peas, teletorni restoran and aromatic basil, dill, and mint.
Summer brings ripe tomatoes, stone fruits, corn, and berries.
The cooling air brings pumpkins, beets, turnips, Fuji apples, and wild foraged mushrooms into their prime.
As frost settles, turn to collards, clementines, fermented vegetables, salted duck eggs, and spiced charcuterie.
Resist the urge to mask—let the ingredient speak through simplicity and precision.
The best summer tomatoes require only cold-pressed olive oil, flaky sea salt, and torn fresh basil.
Let the flavor speak for itself.
Avoid overcomplicating dishes; seasonal ingredients shine when treated with respect.
Balance is key.
Each course should offer contrast in texture, temperature, and flavor.
A light, acidic starter might be followed by a rich, savory main and finished with a sweet, refreshing dessert.
Treat each course as a chapter in a story unfolding on the plate.
Consider your guests’ experiences.
It should resonate like a love letter written in flavor.
Share the name of the farmer, the date of harvest, or the memory tied to that heirloom variety.
This adds depth and connection beyond taste.
Change the stars, but keep the constellations.
Perhaps your guests expect the first bite of fresh morel risotto, or the ritual of spiced pear compote.
These become signature moments that guests look forward to each year.
Invite curiosity into your kitchen.
Try a new spice, an unfamiliar grain, or a technique from another culture.
Seasonal cooking is never static.
Let their wisdom shape your plate.
Their knowledge is the quiet compass of your creativity.
Trust the farmer’s smile as much as the produce label.
Archive your culinary seasons like a poet records the moon.
Record how the late frost affected the asparagus, or how the dry summer changed the berry sweetness.
Over time, you’ll develop a living archive of flavors that evolves with the years.
This isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence, attention, and a deep appreciation for the earth’s cycles.
A single meal, echoing the pulse of the earth, year after year