Since coming to Kentucky in 2003, Gil Logan has traveled the state looking for the best foods that represent Kentucky, and this year’s menu at Derby 134 says “Kentucky” more than any other.
Logan is executive chef for Levy Restaurants, which operates all the food venues at Churchill Downs. The most exclusive areas at Churchill are the Turf Club and Millionaire’s Row and their menus will include:
Kentucky Bibb salad – Sliced strawberries, almonds and feta cheese, cider vinaigrette served atop Kentucky-grown Bibb lettuce.
Country cassoulet – Braised chicken, duck, black-eyed peas, country ham and vegetables, made with country ham from Broadbent Smokehouse Meats in Kuttawa.
Roast chicken breast – Topped with wild Kentucky shiitake mushroom cream sauce, with more than 200 pounds of oak grown shiitake mushrooms provided by Hunter’s Run Mushroom Farm in Kentucky.
Western Kentucky-style pole beans – Fried onions and hickory smoked ham hocks.
Mint julep – For the signature drink of the Kentucky Derby, this year 200 cases of mint have been supplied by local farmers.
Desserts – Silks cookies and mint julep strawberries with spring biscuits.
Additional Kentucky dishes and ingredients include local artisan cheeses such as bourbon cheese; Kenny St. Jerome Farm aged cheddar; organic bourbon smoked garlic sea salt from Rattlesnake Hills Farm, and locally-produced fig preserves and honey.
Here is Logan’s recipe for Kentucky Bibb salad.
Kentucky Bibb salad with strawberries in an apple cider vinaigrette
2 heads Bibb lettuce
1/8 cup apple cider vinaigrette, recipe follows
¼ pound Maytag bleu cheese
½ cup candied pecans, recipe follows
1/8 cup strawberries, sliced
1 cup cinnamon raisin croutons, recipe follows
Remove roots from Bibb lettuce and cut into quarters. Toss with apple cider vinaigrette, bleu cheese, candied pecans and strawberries. Place on serving platter and garnish with cinnamon raisin croutons.
Candied pecans
2 cups pecan halves
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon warm water
Mix powdered sugar and water. Dust pecans with powdered sugar mixture on parchment paper and bake at 275 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Apple cider vinaigrette
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dry leaf oregano
½ tablespoon dry leaf basil
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup olive oil
Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, except the olive oil. Add the olive oil gradually and whisk until thoroughly mixed.
Cinnamon raisin croutons
1 loaf cinnamon raisin bread
½ cup butter
Cut bread into ½ inch cubes. Melt butter and toss bread cubes with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
I grew up with Gil. It’s great to see how well he is doing. We got in a little trouble, but that is part of growing up.