TRADITIONS & RECIPES
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Family Times T H E
R E C I P E S
Tavola Meatballs........................................................................................................................... 40 Fiche Pizza................................................................................................................................................ 43 Romano Pizza..................................................................................................................................... 43 Tavola Bolognese........................................................................................................................... 44 Gold Brick Sundae....................................................................................................................... 45
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Sarah’s Take
W
ithout a doubt, some of our best family meals at Sea Island have been at Tavola. Its easy-yet-sophisticated atmosphere and welcoming staff make it an ideal place for families and it is not uncommon to see many generations gathered around one of its larger tables. While a wood-fired oven isn’t required to make the Fiche Pizza (p. 43), Tavola’s open pizza kitchen creates a number of standout pies and often draws the attention of younger diners. Tavola Bolognese (p. 44) is another family favorite. My youngest daughter never fails to order this dish, which is rumored to be the chef ’s family recipe.
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On Bingo nights the restaurant practically bubbles with excitement. Although cute dresses and sport coats now replace the black-tie dress code of long ago, the tradition of Bingo Night is still beloved at Sea Island. The Gold Brick Sundae (p. 45) has been enjoyed by many generations of Sea Island guests and no one will mind if you add an extra dollop of caramel sauce when you make it at home.
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Guests tend to fall into a similar rhythm. After a day splashing at the Beach Club, playing golf, paddling the Black Banks River or biking along the marsh with a staff naturalist, it’s easy to bask in the radiant stillness that comes after a day in motion. Families will enjoy some quiet time — skin still warm and sun-kissed from the day — before changing for the evening when a new sort of energy takes hold and excitement builds for the night ahead.
As the meal arrives, conversation finds its own course and everyone settles in to savor, and celebrate, the simplicity of time together. Many guests reestablish the family dinner tradition in their own lives after returning home. It's one small yet significant way that the memories made — and the meals shared — on Sea Island last long after the sand and sun has washed away.
Gather Together All of Sea Island’s restaurants are well suited for a leisurely family meal, but Tavola at The Cloister — with its rustic Italian fare made for sharing, handcrafted cocktails and open kitchen centered on a wood-fired pizza oven — is particularly conducive to the spirit of familial bonhomie.
P H O T O S C O U R T E SY O F S E A I S L A N D
A
relaxed, shared meal is a simple pleasure that many families don't have the opportunity to enjoy often enough. Between work obligations, extracurricular activities and our generally hectic lives, the nightly family dinner is a tradition that unfortunately has gone by the wayside in many American households. Not on Sea Island. The days are packed — or at least as busy as you'd like for them to be — but the evenings typically unfold at a gentler pace. Perhaps it's no coincidence that sunsets on Sea Island typically coincide with slack tide — those precious few moments as the tidal waters shift direction when all is absolutely calm, still, and reflective.
At Home on Sea Island There’s a reason why more PGA pros — including Team USA 2016 Ryder Cup champions Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson and Davis Love III — choose to live and train on Sea Island than at any other golf destination in the country, and it isn’t just the resort’s three championship courses or the nation’s finest Golf Performance Center. Rather, the same family-friendly atmosphere and abundant activities that attract so many parents and their children to the island. “TK ucide moluptatem hilitio remporatur,” says Love, who has called Sea Island home for TK years. “TK odi denteni ratus modignatibus sus veles magnam nobit dit ratus modignatibus.”
Bingo Night Most everyone has played a game of Bingo in their day, but chances are you haven’t experienced the game the way it’s played on Sea Island. Held twice a week seasonally in a large ballroom at The Cloister, this spirited affair is one of Sea Island's longest and most cherished traditions. Everyone dresses in their finest for the lively happening. Hosted by Ringo Bingo, the evening plays out as equal parts game and game show, and it doesn’t take long before even newcomers pick up phrases like “Clickety-Click, O-66” and gamely quack along with “22 — A pair of ducks.” fa m i ly t i m e s
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Tavola Meatballs These meatballs are a Sea Island crowd pleaser—and are sure to be in your home, too.
M A K ES 25 M E AT BA L L S 1 POUND WHITE BREAD, CRUSTS REMOVED 1/2 CUP WHOLE MILK 5 POUNDS GROUND BEEF 1/4 CUP PARMESAN CHEESE, FRESHLY GRATED 1/4 CUP GARLIC, MINCED 1 BUNCH FRESH PARSLEY, CHOPPED 1/8 CUP KOSHER SALT 1 TABLESPOON BLACK PEPPER 3 EGGS WATER
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Rough tear bread into
a medium mixing bowl. Add milk and soak until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain liquid from bowl and set aside. 2. In a large mixing bowl, add beef, Parmesan, garlic,
and parsley, salt, and pepper, and mix well by hand for 4 to 5 minutes. 3. Add eggs and soaked bread (make sure bread is well
drained). Mix by hand for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
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4. Shape mixture into 3-ounce meatballs, packing and
shaping the meatball vigorously by hand for 1 to 2 minutes per meatball. (Think mud pies or packed snowballs.) Try to shape the meatball into an oval shape. The meatballs will relax while cooking and return to a round shape. 5. Add eggs and soaked bread (make sure bread is well
drained). Mix by hand for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. 6. On roasting rack, arrange meatballs about 1 to 2
inches apart in perfect uniform rows. This helps with even roasting. Add water (½ inch deep) to the bottom of the roasting pan to prevent meatballs from drying out. Roast meatballs to a 145 degree internal temperature, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cover, and rest 10 to 15 minutes. 7. Remove meatballs from roasting tray and serve
with Pomodoro Sauce (page TKTK).
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Fiche Pizza
Romano Pizza
A classic Italian pairing of figs, speck, and arugula tastes even better on pizza.
This Sicilian-style pizza is usually square, but you can use a circular pan if need be.
M A K ES O N E 8 - I N CH P IZ Z A
M A K ES O N E 8 - I N CH P IZ Z A
1 Tavola Sfincione dough (recipe page TKTK) 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated 4 tablespoons goat cheese 1/2 cup dried figs, sliced 2 ounces speck or smoked prosciutto, sliced 1 ounce arugula 1 bunch of fresh sage leaves, sliced Flour as needed
1 Tavola Sfincione dough (recipe page TKTK) 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 3 spears asparagus, thinly sliced 4 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese, grated 3 slices fresh mozzarella, or more to taste Black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 500° and have dough proofed
and ready to be shaped. 2. Stretch dough to approximately an 8-inch circle by
hand or with a rolling pin. Place dough into pizza pan coated with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Continue to stretch and pull dough until it is shaped to your liking. 3. Brush top of dough with remaining 2 tablespoons of
olive oil, leaving no dry spots. Top with Parmesan, goat cheese, dried figs, and speck. Arrange ingredients evenly. 4. Bake until evenly brown and slightly crisp, 12 to 15
minutes. Remove from oven and allow pizza to cool slightly. Slice and top with arugula and sliced sage leaves.
1. Preheat oven to 500° for 30 minutes. Have pizza
dough well proofed and ready to be shaped. 2. Stretch dough to approximately an 8-inch circle by
hand or with a rolling pin. Place dough onto a pizza pan coated with 2 tablespoon of oil. Continue to stretch and pull dough until it is shaped into the corners and has a square uniform shape. Brush top of dough with remaining olive oil, leaving no dry spots. 3. Top with asparagus, Pecorino Romano, mozzarella, and
black pepper. Arrange ingredients evenly. Bake until evenly brown and slightly crisp, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow pizza to cool slightly, slice and serve.
Sarah's Tip:
I like to add red pepper flakes or Aleppo chile flakes for a little heat.
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Tavola Bolognese Everyone needs a go-to Bolognese — make this once and it’ll become your staple. For best results, have all ingredients at room temperature.
S E RV ES 4 – 8 P EO P L E ¼ CUP OLIVE OIL
CHEF SECRETS
½ CUP PANCETTA, MINCED 2 ONIONS, SMALL DICE 6 LARGE CARROTS, MINCED 1 POUND CELERY (ABOUT 2 PACKAGES), TRIMMED AND MINCED 1 POUND GARLIC (ABOUT 6 HEADS), MINCED 2 POUNDS GROUND PORK 2 POUNDS GROUND VEAL 2 POUNDS GROUND BEEF 6 TABLESPOONS WHITE WINE
When dining at Tavola, Sarah’s youngest daughter, Coco orders the Bolognese every single time. When Sarah asked about the recipe, the chef explained that the kitchen adds a secret ingredient—fish sauce—for depth of flavor. Concerned that might turn people off, we’ve omitted it but should you like to include it, add 1 tablespoon after the white wine.
1 CUP HEAVY CREAM 3 TABLESPOONS TOMATO PASTE 6 CUPS TOMATO PURÉE SALT AND PEPPER
1. Preheat a heavy-bottomed stockpot on medium
heat for 20 minutes" to 2 minutes. (Having the pot very hot is crucial for the browning of the meat.) Add olive oil and after a minute, add pancetta. Brown quickly and evenly. Add onions and cook; stir frequently to allow onions to caramelize evenly. Add carrots and celery and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 45 seconds. 2. Add all ground meats and stir thoroughly. Continue
to heat and stir until meat begins to brown. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Meat should begin to simmer and become brown and crispy. Scrape and stir as needed. If beef begins to stick too much on the bottom, slightly reduce heat and stir vigorously to avoid burning. Season meat thoroughly while browning evenly.
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3. Add white wine and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Add
heavy cream and stir well. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes on low. Stir frequently and do not allow meat to stick to the bottom of stockpot. Stir in tomato paste and tomato purée. Season again. 4. Simmer sauce on low heat for 1 hour. Stir frequently.
You are looking for a soft, supple, and creamy looking sauce. You may need to add a little water from time to time if sauce appears too dry. If it resembles Texas Chili it’s too dry. Adjust seasoning, set aside and keep warm until needed.
Sarah's Tip:
If you don’t like the idea of cooking with veal, simply omit and adjust the ground pork and ground beef to three pounds each.
Gold Brick Sundae If you fondly remember Magic Shell, this is the recipe for you. Feel free to half the amount.
M A K ES 1 0 –12 S E RV I N G S 10 OUNCES MILK CHOCOLATE 10 OUNCES DARK CHOCOLATE 4 STICKS PLUS 4 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED 4 OUNCES PECAN PIECES
1. In a double boiler, melt the milk and dark chocolates
together. Whisk in melted butter and remove from heat. Meanwhile, toast pecan pieces until fragrant and dark. Fold nuts into chocolate mixture. Store in a container. When ready to serve, warm and pour over ice cream. Top with whipped cream and your favorite garnishes.
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