Kundrat - Fairfield County chefs table: extraordinary recipes from Connecticuts Gold Coast

Amy Kundrat is the executive editor of CTbites, the award-winning website devoted to chronicling great food in Connecticut, especially her home in Fairfield County. A communications specialist with a concentration in new media, Amys career leading external communications teams has taken her from world-class art museums to technology start-ups, and academic institutions. She currently works in New Haven at Yale University, where she indulges in the citys vibrant food-truck scene. She lives in the woods of northern Fairfield County with her husband.

Stephanie Webster is the editor in chief and founder of CTbites.com. Born and raised in New York City by parents who design restaurants for a living, she developed a passion for finding out-of-the-way gems during weekly trips to the depths of Chinatown and frequent trips abroad. Professionally she began her career as a photo editor in the magazine industry and then migrated to the world of new media consulting and website building during New Yorks first dot-com wave. She led strategy, brand development, site architecture, and content development assignments for top consumer brands. A seven-year excursion to Seattle exposed her to a casual yet innovative approach to food that hadnt yet made it to the East Coast. When she relocated back to Connecticut, she made it her quest to find great food and support a community of eaters that live for their next meal.

A project like this is the result of the contributions of many. My deepest gratitude must go to the chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, and artisans of Fairfield County who gave generously of their time and talent in sharing their stories and their recipes. Thank you for opening your kitchens to us.

To my family in foodthe writers of CTbites and my roving gang of fellow gourmands, Steph, Ellen, Liz, Leeanne, and Jeffyour passion for our Connecticut home and its thriving food scene keeps me constantly inspired.

To my partner in all things food, Stephanie. Thank you for your friendship, partnership, and support. Your beautiful photographs on these pages are the soul of this book.

To the fine folks at Globe Pequot Press, thanks especially Amy and Chris, for your support of this project and steadfast devotion to the art of the written word.

To my mother, Nancy. Thank you for always encouraging me to experiment, explore, and take risks both inside and outside of the kitchen.

And finally to my amazing husband and favorite dining companion Ryan, whose ceaseless support, humor, and love makes a project like this, and just about everything, worthwhile.

109 DANBURY ROAD

RIDGEFIELD, CT 06877

(203) 438-5757

109CHEESEANDWINE.COM

OWNERS: MONICA AND TODD BROWN

Bloomy, soft-ripened, blue-veined, flowery, and peppery. Ridgefields 109 Cheese & Wine shop is a center for the education and appreciation for artisanal cheese and wine in northern Fairfield County.

Owner and cheesemonger Monica Brown, with her husband and partner, Todd Brown, fill their intimately scaled shop with a carefully curated selection of cheeses, from a creamy Hudson Valley goat cheese to a sheeps milk cheese crafted by Benedictine monks from northern France.

Cheeses perfect partnerscharcuterie and gourmet snacks such as flatbreads, terrines, and hors doeuvres from nearby Bernards Restaurant (page 19)are also stocked by 109. Seasonal luxury food items such as black and white truffles, jamn ibrico, and caviar come and go with availability, while low-yield producers of olive oils, vinegars, and salts are staples year-round.

Located in Ridgefields Marketplace, a European-style collection of small food shops, 109 Cheese & Wine also boasts an intimate companion shop that sells a thoughtful collection of wine and craft beers chosen for their ability to pair well with food. Roughhewn wooden wine shelves and riddling racks line the walls of the shop, and an old barn window visually and physically connects to the adjacent cheese shop. Its scale and materials lend a feeling of intimacy, making the experience seem like a visit to the private wine cellar of a dear friend.

Private classes and tastings hosted by owner Monica Brown marry both sides of the business, from Beer and Cheese of the Pacific Northwest to Pinot Noirs and the Cheeses Who Love Them. Co-owner Todd Brown, a vintage-car enthusiast, spearheads a popular picnic-basket program, with customers ordering packaged provisions for road trips near and far, or just for an evening at Ridgefields popular Concert in the Park series.

While the cases filled with cheeses and charcuterie and the shelves piled high with wine are certainly a draw, 109 has made their savory mark with a selection of made-to-order gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches. The not-so-secret ingredient? Fresh seasonal ingredients, such as wild mushrooms paired with a variety of cheeses. Pop-up Grilled Cheese and Raclette evenings abound in the fall, as 109s vintage Dodge pickup truck serves grilled cheeses piled high with other provisions from its flatbed, in its dual role as host and kitchen.

The perfect platform for the shop, 109s grilled cheese sandwiches combine rich and creamy cheeses with various piquant ingredients. The Wild Mushroom Grilled Cheese, made with two cheeses and three types of sauted wild mushrooms on a freshly baked baguette, is a case in point: It pairs ideally with a white Burgundy or a red Rhne wine.

(SERVES 4)

pound hen-of-the-woods or maitake mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

1 pound portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

2 shallots, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for spreading

2 tablespoons olive oil

teaspoon salt

teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

8 slices sourdough bread

8 ounces raclette cheese, very thinly sliced

8 ounces Al Tavolo cheese from Arethusa Farm, grated (Arethusa Farm is located in Litchfield County and their cheese, milk, and ice cream products are available at select shops across Fairfield County, such as 109 Cheese & Wine.)

2 cups baby spinach leaves, washed