Brioche French Toast with Lavender Roasted Strawberries and Whipped Crème Fraiche
For the Roasted Strawberries:
2 pints strawberries, stems removed
3/4c sugar
zest of ½ lemon
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean
8 sprigs of fresh lavender
-Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
-Split the vanilla bean in half length-wise and scrape seeds with the back of a small knife.
-Mix all ingredients except lemon zest, juice and salt in a large mixing bowl.
-Spread in a shallow baking pan and place in the preheated oven.
-Roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until strawberries are soft and juicy, approximately 1 hour.
-Remove lavender and vanilla pod from pan and add zest, lemon juice and salt.
For the French Toast:
6 slices of brioche
butter, for pan
4 egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
2tsp vanilla
zest of ½ lemon
1/4c sugar
pinch of salt
-Whisk the yolks, milk, vanilla, sugar, salt and lemon zest together in a medium bowl. Reserve until ready to use.
-Soak brioche in egg mixture until thoroughly absorbed, but not soggy.
-Melt butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Sear each piece of brioche until golden on both sides.
-Serve immediately.
For the Whipped Crème Fraiche:
1c heavy cream
8oz crème fraiche
3T sugar
1tsp vanilla
1 vanilla bean, optional
-juice of ½ lemon
-Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean. Reserve the pod for another use.
-Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
-Whip until soft peaks.
About the restaurant:
Ubuntu was recently named by the NY Times as the "# 2 Most Intriguing Restaurant in the U.S." and also, both executive chef, and pastry chef were named by the SF Chronicle as two of 2008's "Rising Star Chefs." Ubuntu is unique in that they are a vegetarian restaurant that gathers more than half of their produce from their very own biodynamic garden.
Ubuntu Restaurant & Yoga Studio
1140 Main Street
Napa, California 94559
www.ubuntunapa.com
Restaurant
Seven days a week:
M-F: 5:30pm - 9pm (10p Fridays)
Sa-Su: 11:30 - 2:30pm
5:30pm - 10p (9p Sundays)
707.251.5656
Yoga Studio
M and W: 6:30am - 9pm
Tu and Th: 8:30am - 9pm
Fr: 6:30am - 7pm
Sa and Su: 8:30am - 6pm
707.251.5656
