This Week @ The Westport Farmers Market

Kausik Roy, Executive Chef and owner of TAWA, Stamford, will be the guest chef at the Westport Farmers’ Market on Thurs. July 1st, from 10-2

Roy will offer two of his restaurant patrons’ favorite dishes.  This self described “rule breaker” seeks to present authentic ethnic cuisine while incorporating an abundance of locally grown veggies, which are not commonly found on menus in Indian restaurants.  His desire to alter how his customers think about Indian cuisine is evidenced in his re-creating many traditional dishes.

A bright and crisp chilled native corn and asparagus salad will highlight the tail end of the asparagus crop and the front end of the early, native corn season.  Roy sources his asparagus from Starlight Garden in Durham. He will grill them prior to combining them with sweet young corn kernels, shallots, cherry tomatoes, fresh mint and cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice , sugar syrup and roasted cumin powder.  He will pick up  as many of these ingredients, as possible,  from the vendors at the market.

Chicken Tikka Masala will be offered also, highlighting chicken breasts from Greyledge Farms in Roxbury.  His seasoning will come primarily from El’s Kitchen Rubs and the sauce will utilize blanched, locally grown tomatoes combined with garlic, shallots and cilantro.  He finishes the dish with a splash of heavy cream and the traditional, distinctive Indian spice called Garam masala.

Roy is so impressed by the wide array of choices offered by the 30 vendors at the Westport  Farmers’ Market, that he has decided to redesign his summer menu at TAWA. He is inspired to highlight more of the local produce in his traditional Indian dishes.  And what could be more creative than responding to the abundance and variety of crops  grown in our state?   He currently sources from Urban Oaks in New Britain and Millstone Farm in Wilton and intends to foster relationships with some of the farmers and producers he has recently discovered in order to incorporate more of their produce.  

TAWA is truly 2 restaurants in one location at 211 Summer Street in Stamford.  BREAD BAR is downstairs and focuses on Indian style tapas. This casual space is open to the kitchen, allowing for a  deeper connection to the complex and thrilling flavors by watching the action in the kitchen. UPSTAIRS is an elegant, full scale dining room with the BREAD BAR menu available as starters and a creative and delicious, full menu of entrees to chose from.