Home » Monthly Archives: August 2019
Around the Table – August 29, 2019
A TOUCH OF REGIONAL RECIPE HISTORY
There is a difference of opinion as to what exactly the Lowcountry encompasses. The term is most frequently used to describe the coastal area of South Carolina to the Savannah River at the Georgia state line. But there is one belief I think we can all agree on, the Lowcountry enjoys a very diverse and rich culinary history. From the commencement of time, the Lowcountry locals had to make do with what was around them, and with over hundreds of thousands acres of wetlands, marshes, and lakes, it’s easy to understand the Lowcountry philosophy, “If you got it, you cook it.” Still to this day, the philosophy remains true.
WE ARE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE
There was, and maybe still is, a strong sense of rivalry between the cities and people of Charleston and Savannah. They rivaled for hospitability, social graces, and which city was founded first. We, the true Lowcountry, can lay claim to them both, and enjoy the resources, the lifestyles and the histories of the Holy and Hostess cities. One of the most valuable assets of being ‘caught in the middle’ is that we get the opportunity to enjoy the cuisine both cities offer. The costal locations of both Charleston and Savannah provide a soul food inspiration, with foods as rich in history and they are in flavor, and although the Holy and Hostess City have grown and evolved in recent years, classic southern Lowcountry foods like shrimp and grits and she-crab soup remain staples of the food scene.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE LOWCOUNTRY
- Seasonality: There’s a focus on good, locally used ingredients, and luckily for the Lowcountry that means using what we already have. For centuries local cooks have turned to the water for culinary inspiration. Crab, shrimp, fish, and oysters form the basis of any traditional menu. Rice, grits and the produce of the coastal plain also play an instrumental role in the Lowcountry cooking. Cooks and chefs here have always been focused on good quality, and seasonal ingredients.
- Condiments: Because of the climate in the Lowcountry, canning evolved as a ways to preserve the bounty of produce. It’s still true to this day, most dining venues provide some type of condiment at every table.
- Seafood Culture: It is strong and continues to flourish with the popularity of recreational offshore fishing. For convenience, and certainly for flavor, grilling seafood is the preferred cooking method for fish in the Lowcountry.
- Comfort Food: Like most southern cuisine, Lowcountry food is comfort food, best eaten at home and centered around large, one-pot meals.
WHAT LOWCOUNTRY CUISINE MEANS AT COLLETON RIVER
- Variety and quality of the season’s ingredients
- Traditional cooking methods, keeps us true to our roots as cooks
- The world’s best seafood and the abundance we enjoy
- Unique products found right here in our backyard (or marsh)
- Making your dining experience in the Lowcountry memorable and fun
Kent’s Korner – Sands of Time
As discussed in last week’s Agronomy newsletter, during the Nicklaus course closure, we have begun redistributing the sand in the dunes on holes fifteen through eighteen. Years of erosion have moved the sand from the peaks of the mounds and have deposited it along the base of the dunes. While the cordgrass, Spartina patens, and sea oats help reduce erosion, the exposed slopes are especially prone to run-off. Over the next few weeks, our teams will be mining the sand from the lower edges of the dunes and redistributing it to conceal the exposed subsoil on the mounds. In the event an errant shot enters an area where equipment is working, please play the area as required in Rule 16.1b, Abnormal Course Conditions -Relief in General Area, by taking complete free relief from the ground under repair. For your safety, don’t attempt to retrieve the ball. Thank you for your understanding as we complete this much needed improvement project.
Around the Table – August 21, 2019
What It Means to Be A Club Member

- In-home catering opportunities
- Catering carry-out options (order a party dish and pick up on the way!)
- Order pre-cut steaks, meats, and fish items, cut to your specifications!
- Last, but certainly not least, the finest quality steaks available from our Nebraska Beef Program.
Kent’s Korner – Healthy Competition
On good teams, competition becomes a catalyst for innovation and improvement. Last week’s positive changes on the Dye Course certainly stoked the fires on the Nicklaus Course. During the Nicklaus Course closure superintendent Kevin Dugger and his team have several other improvement projects well underway. They are expanding the cart parking area at the range and halfway café, resurfacing the walk bridge on hole four, standardizing the Borland collars, refurbishing landscaping at the eleventh tee complex, and aggressively controlling weeds and redistributing sand in the dunes on holes fifteen through eighteen. While course aeration is the top priority, these additional enhancements help further our goal to continually improve while providing an unencumbered golf experience. Thank you for your patience during this process, and we look forward to completing these projects and reopening the course soon.
Around the Table – August 14, 2019
Summer Salads – Dressed to Kill
- 1 cup White Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Fresh Thyme, stemmed & finely minced
- 1 tbsp White Sugar
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tb Minced Shallot
- 3 cups Light salad oil, canola or light olive oil
- Salt & pepper for taste
- Mince shallot & fresh thyme
- Combine all, except oil
- Incorporate oil by whisking to create an emulsion
- Taste, season, taste again
SHERRY ORANGE VINAIGRETTE
- 2 Oranges, peeled, segmented, squeezed, reserve
- 2 tb Dijon mustard
- 2 tb Honey
- 3 oz Sherry Vinegar
- 6 oz Olive Oil or oil of choice
- Select the best oranges of the season
- Carefully peel with a knife, leave whole
- Segment with a sharp paring knife into your mixing bowl
- Squeeze the juice from the membrane over the orange segments
- Add the mustard, honey & vinegar
- Incorporate oil by whisking to create an emulsion
- Taste, season, taste again
Around the Table – 90th American Culinary Federation Convention
- Informative session on the fundamentals of Dashi, which became the intricacies of Dashi by the end of the presentation. Chef Ivan Orkin not only demonstrated the preparation of Dashi, he shared his philosophy on the cooking broth’s various applications in Japanese and Western Cuisines.
- During the afternoon Tradeshows, attendees spent hours of excitement watching regional student teams vie for their chance to become the ACF National Student Team Champions!
- Chefs Rico Torres and Diego Galicia, co-owners of Mixtli in San Antonio, TX who were recognized by Food & Wine Magazine in 2017 as “Best New Chefs” opened Monday morning with their inspirations on the use of chilis of Mexico, and continued expressing their passion for the history and place in Mexican cooking and culture.
- I had the opportunity to hear famed Chef and TV personality Pierre White describe challenging the odds to be the youngest chef to acquire three Michelin stars in England for his groundbreaking restaurant. Chef White has trained notable chefs such as Gordan Ramsay, Curtis Stone and Shannon Bennett.
Here’s a few of my favorite photos from the contemporary cold food salon. As I hope you notice, this is very distinct work that demonstrates the highest art form and skills.
Kent’s Korner – Dye Course Improvements
“The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection,” is a catchy Lexus slogan that the Dye golf maintenance team put into practice this past week. Along with all the benefits gained from the aeration and verticutting of the playing surfaces, Dye Course superintendent Jake Williams and his team completed a laundry list of worthwhile projects on the golf course. These enhancements included: drainage improvements to alleviate chronically wet catch basins on holes nine and sixteen, adjustments to the cart drive-off area on the left of one fairway, improvements to the walk-off at six green, the regrassing of the egress from the white tee on hole ten, and the leveling of the black tee on hole twelve. These projects addressed important weak points in the Dye Course presentation. When we reopen the course on Tuesday, expect the Dye greens to be slightly slower than their pre-aeration conditions. Within seven to ten days we expect things to be back to normal. Thank you for your patience during this process, and I’ll see you on the course.