OJAI FOOD & WINE 2025

THE LUNCH WITH JEREMIAH TOWER & FRIENDS

The Team

From left Elizabeth Falkner, Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger.

Photo Credit Bonjwing Lee

I was asked to create a lunch at the Ojai Inn for the Ojai Food & Wine festival of 2025. With some friends to cook with. Curtis and I chose the three wonderful women above. Because I admire them all, Curtis had worked with Elizabeth before, and I was in love with the idea of Mary Sue and Susan’s new restaurant in Palm Springs, “Alice B.”

The Menu

Petrosian was a sponsor of the event with lots of Royal Ossetra, and the resort’s Olivella & Vine restaurant had diver scallops on their menu.

The Food

DIVER SCALLOP

Petrossian Royal Ossetra caviar

The scallops were poached in a mild white wine bath with tarragon. That broth poured while hot over the scallops and let sit for 30 minutes. The sauce was Meyer Lemon and freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper crème fraiche. The flowers were Nasturtiums. And Borage with their mild cucumber flavor (why they are used to garnish a Pimm’s No 1 cup).

PAN SEARED BRANZINO

Arbequina olive oil almond relish, kohlrabi remoulade

The quite fabulous Branzino was seared, skin side down, and then finished in the oven, the timing done by Mary Sue’s cellphone. Mary Sue below.

LAMB MEATBALLS & GRILLED TRUMPET MUSHROOMS

Coriander tzatziki, whipped cilantro tahini, pickled kumquats

The delicious meatballs were small enough to serve five per person and place on the tzatziki and whipped tahini.

Since Allen Brothers was also a sponsor, I looked at their website and, because I had been allocated the “meat course,” my heart leapt when I saw “A-5 Japanese Snow-Aged Wagyu” medallions.

I knew I had to have those.

They arrived more rectangular then medallion round, and when tested, the kitchen staff were very quiet as they took the first bite. Almost too busy in awe to speak. Only contentedly sigh.

ALLEN BROTHERS SNOW-AGED WAGYU FILET

Celery root risotto, Green Goddess

Celery root and ten percent parsnip cooked like a risotto, but no rice. I wanted something fairly austere against the massive richness of the beef. So no butter.
Half teaspoon of sauce was a riff on Green Goddess: chervil, watercress, tarragon, and chives steamed for a minute and then pureed. With salted anchovy filets (more umami on top of the beef) soaked to remove most of salt, then marinated overnight with the stems of those herbs and extra virgin olive oil.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

T’MARO toffee sauce, pecans, creole cream cheese ice cream, citrus zest

I didn’t need my glasses to see the swoon-worthy toffee pudding since I was too busy tasting it. But here Elizabeth is asking me to check something out.

The Wines

The non-vintage Krug from the reception for 500 the night before (that and its photos next week’s Substack) was not as I remember it when drinking it with Remy Krug and Richard Olney at Krug, but when I tasted the 2006 I was right back in the cellars with them both.

A stunning wine.

2006 Krug

2022 Miani Sauvignon Friuli Colli Orientali

2021 Antica Terra Luciferin Rosé

2009 Rouget Vosne Romanne Cros Parantoux

2007 Didier Daguenteau Les Jardins de Babylone

Recipes

Meyer Lemon and freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper crème fraiche.

The quantities are really up to you as to how much lemon and how much heat you want, but in a quart of crème I mixed in 2 tbs of lemon zest and 1/2 tbs of the pepper. A pinch of salt. And let sit overnight to develop all the flavors.

Good on many things. In Salamanca (Spain) this July I will put it on smoked sturgeon with salmon roe.

A riff on Green Goddess.

Again the quantities are up to you, but equal fresh chervil, watercress, and tarragon leaves, half that of chives. And add the anchovies to the food processor (I did add a bit of olive oil and some beef stock just to get the puree working and to get a smooth puree) in small batches until you get the flavor and salt level you want.