CHEF'S CORNER

Scott Motschenbacher Executive Chef chef@oxbowcc.com

Hello, Oxbow! I hope everyone had a lovely February. I am really hoping for a sunnier and warmer March. Golf season is a lot of work for everyone out here, however, I am so ready. Bring on the golf tournaments. Bring on the hot sweltering kitchen. Bring on the loud and ever annoying pop music blaring from the pool. Bring on the hundreds of gallons of ranch and the massive amounts of chicken strips. Bring on BATB bring on Derby! I seriously cannot wait for all of this. It’s what it’s all about. We do 70% of our business in 30% of the year. It’s hard, and fast. When September hits there is a collective PHEW from all staffers. I can’t wait!!

There is not a ton of news…… OH, WAIT!!!! There is one giant piece of news! Her name starts with an Aja and ends with a Nyquist. I will let the following (the kitchens letter of recommendation) say how I and my staff feel:

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter on behalf of myself (Scott Motschenbacher) and the entire culinary team. We have all come to the same conclusion, we believe Aja would be the best fit for the GM position. She has the full respect of the sTtaff, both BOH and FOH. She has proven herself to be a great leader. A few examples include our last Santa brunch. I was quite nervous leading up to the day of. We had nearly 100 more people in attendance than previous. That coupled with the ballroom filled with the arcade and simulators, I thought disaster was in store. It could not have been farther from the truth. The truth is, it was the easiest and most flawless Santa brunch we have ever hosted. That was all due to Aja’s vision and leadership. She was thrust into the position right before our busy holiday season and performed magnificently. She has shown us all that there has been a lot of undue stress in the past. She successfully got us through our cleaning week and surprised us with a staff holiday party. She continues to improve morale amongst all staffers.

When Sedi decided to leave us for the second time I immediately went into panic mode. All the memories of 2020 came flooding back into my mind. I don’t need to elaborate, you were all there for it. After talking myself off a ledge I started to think about it rationally. Without speaking to Aja previous I immediately thought she would be the best fit. She knows the club, the membership, and the staff. To me it only makes sense. We had quite the failed experiment before. There is no experimenting when it comes to Aja. She has the motivation and the fortitude for the position. I believe there is a lot of longevity with her as well.

Whatever our opinion is worth, I hope you all take this as our official recommendation. Thank you for taking the time to read through this.

Back to what I was saying… I believe I speak for all the staff. We could not be happier with the hiring committee’s decision. Aja will bring this club into a future that no one else could even come close to providing. If you have not yet congratulated her, I urge everyone to do so.

For this month I want to share my gremolata recipe. Now that Lent is upon us, this pairs very well with fish.

CHEF SCOTT'S RECIPE OF THE MONTH: GREMOLATA

Ingredients:

1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley

2 garlic cloves minced

Juice of 2 lemons

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Rough chop your parsley and add to a mixing bowl. Add your garlic and lemon juice. At this point you want to add your salt. Salt is non fat soluble, meaning it won’t “melt” in fat. After mixing well add your olive oil. Mix it all together and use as a condiment on your cooked fish. It can double as a fresh and vibrant marinade. If you use it as a marinade, only marinate for 2-4 hours. The acid from the lemon juice will start to “cook” your fish. That is how ceviches work. Enjoy!!