CORN AND OYSTER MUSHROOM SALAD

Each month, our Great Performances menus feature seasonal ingredients. This month for the September Food Festival Recipe, we chose to celebrate corn with this Easy Seasonal Corn and Oyster Mushroom Salad Recipe.

It’s our way of celebrating the earth and bringing our special touch to every menu.

To get more seasonal ingredient tips, check out more recipes at Katchkie Farm.

Katchkie farm is a NOFA-certified organic farm in Kinderhook, New York, dedicated to building connections between consumers, food professionals and families and healthy, delicious local food. 

Corn Recipe

INGREDIENTS

PROCEDURE

  • ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced

  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar

  • ¼ tsp sugar

  • 4 tbsp olive oil, divided

  • Paprika

  • 10 oz cooked corn, cut from the cob (cook on cob in salted boiling water for 3 minutes)

  • 2 oz cooked wild rice (cook in salted water or vegetable stock until just al dente)

  • 10 oz oyster or shiitake mushrooms, sliced

  • 2 oz arugula

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 pound pasta, shape of choice

  • Dissolve sugar and a pinch of salt in sherry vinegar in a medium bowl.

  • Add thinly sliced onion and combine.

  • Set aside for 1-2 hours to pickle the onion.

  • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in small skillet.

  • Add mushrooms, tossing until browned.

  • Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

  • Let cool.

  • Add a pinch of paprika and remaining 2 tbsp olive oil to pickled onion and combine.

  • Add corn, wild rice, mushrooms and arugula and toss gently.

  • Season with additional salt and pepper and serve.

  • To Serve garnish the top with a few pieces pickled onion and arugula.

EMBRACE WELLNESS TIP

Corn is rich in prebiotics, a type of fiber that acts as food for our good gut bacteria.

Keep your gut happy and healthy by including corn in your way of eating!

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Fueling Creativity, One Grant at a Time

The Great Performances Artist Fellowship Awards celebrate and support the artistic pursuits of our team members. Each year, we award four $5,000 grants to employees engaged in creative projects across various disciplines, helping them advance their artistic careers while continuing their work in hospitality. The fellowship embodies Great Performances’ long-standing commitment to fostering a community where the arts and hospitality thrive together.

A Legacy of Supporting Artists

The Artist Fellowship Awards were founded by Great Performances’ CEO and founder, Liz Neumark. As an aspiring photographer, Liz built GP to provide flexible work opportunities for women in the arts, allowing them to support themselves while pursuing their creative ambitions. What began as a small initiative in 1986 with two $1,000 grants has grown into a celebrated program that has awarded thousands of dollars to emerging and established artists within the GP family.

Why We Invest in Creativity

Great Performances has always been deeply connected to the arts. From our origins as a catering company designed to support artists to our continued collaborations with New York City’s most prestigious cultural institutions, creativity is at the heart of what we do. The Artist Fellowship Awards were established to reinforce our commitment to the arts by directly investing in the artistic dreams of our team members. We recognize that many of our employees are multi-talented individuals balancing their work with their artistic aspirations, and we want to help them succeed.

How It Works: From Application to Award

Each year, GP invites employees to apply for the Artist Fellowship Awards by submitting proposals detailing their artistic projects and how the grant will help bring them to life. Applications are reviewed by a panel of distinguished judges from the arts and cultural sectors. In 2024, our panel included leaders from Caramoor, The Apollo Theater, and other esteemed organizations. Winners are honored at a special ceremony, and their projects are featured in GP’s ongoing celebration of the arts.

Celebrating Our Artists’ Success

The Artist Fellowship Awards have funded projects spanning film, music production, publishing, visual arts, and more. Our 2024 recipients include a musician creating a tribute album to legendary bassists, a poet and performer exploring themes of resilience, a filmmaker developing an animated drama, and a composer recording an original musical. The awards have been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, underscoring the impact of our commitment to the arts.

We are proud to support our team’s artistic endeavors and look forward to seeing the incredible work that continues to emerge from this program.

Learn More & Get Involved

  • About Great Performances
  • Join Our Team

PREVIOUS FELLOWSHIP WINNERS AND JUDGES

2024 Artist Fellowship

Winners

  • Trifon Dimitriov – For creating an album which will be a tribute to well-known bassists.
  • Nastasia Filiaeva – For an exploration of resilience, protest, and reconnection through musical and poetic collaboration
  • Tira Adams – For creating an animated drama about a black family of conjurers in Brooklyn
  • David Quang Pham – For the production of an album of his original musical which has already had its stage debut.

Judges

  • Ed Lewis, President and CEO, Caramoor
  • Kamilah Forbes, Executive Producer, The Apollo Theater
  • Ryan Hill, Founder and CEO, Apotheosis
  • Dr. Meisha Porter, Visiting Senior at the Center for Educational Innovation
  • Adam Gwon, Composer and Lyricist

2023 Artist Fellowship

Winners

  • Jonathan Lauture – To expand his children’s media company, Johnny’s Way.
  • Aubrey Hunt – To collaborate with a professional writer and illustrator for the digital and print publication of his book.
  • Iyana Shelby – To cover marketing, art creation, and presentation of “Art You Can Feel” which explores the tapestry of human emotions.
  • Amir Windley – To support the creation of his film, “Ties That Choke”, an exploration of the unbreakable bond of childhood friendships.

Judges

  • Heather Lubov, Executive Director, City Parks Foundation
  • Viviana Bianchi, Executive Director, The Bronx Council of the Arts
  • Angela Vallot, Consultant, Entrepreneur
  • Klaudio Rodriquez, Executive Director, The Bronx Museum of the Arts

Read More about the 2023 Winners here

2019 Artist Fellowship

2019

Winners

  • Damir Catovic – To purchase equipment for a dark room to support his analog photography that chronicles various aspects of New York City.
  • Justin Rozanski – To realize a novel sonic design installation entitled “The Healing Powers of Cats, A Sonic Exploration” based on the purring of (his) cats that generate therapeutic sound waves.
  • Almira Session – To launch Motivating Eleemosynary Juvenescent (MEJ), which will create a safe environment for children living in New York City’s shelter system to learn how to express themselves through dance therapy, counseling and mentorships, while learning about healthy eating, food preparation and budgeting.
  • Brigitte Williamson – To write and direct “Sweetie Pie”, a comedic microfilm about one woman’s pursuit of the perfect pie.

Judges

  • Howard Axel, CEO of Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island
  • Christina Karahalios, Senior Director of Operations for international art gallery Hauser & Wirth
  • Cheryl Milstein, arts philanthropist whose foundation contributed to the likes of The Public Theater, New York Philharmonic and the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation
  • Cyndi Stivers, Director of the TED Residency

2016 Artist Fellowship

The 2016 Great Performances Fellowship Winners
Great Performances Fellowship 2016 Winners with Liz Neumark

2016

Winners

  • Evan Edwards – To produce a CD to promote his new musical to the backers, developers and festivals whose creative and financial support were necessary for him to realize its full-scale production.
  • Lucy Gram – To produce a three-day workshop of “In the Belly,” a new play about family, legacy and how we shape ourselves into independent adults despite our parents’ mistakes.
  • Adam Miller – To produce a documentary called “BUCKETS” about Larry Wright, the creator of bucket drumming.
  • Kristin Yancy – To orchestrate a workshop of “The Hunt,” an original approach to the quickly growing subset of the dramatic arts – immersive theater.

Judges

  • Diana Roesch DiMenna, philanthropist
  • Jean Hanff Korelitz, author
  • Jeffrey Haydon, CEO, Caramoor Center for Performing Arts
  • Heather Hitchens, Executive Director, American Wing Theatre

2015 Artist Fellowship

2015

Winners

  • John Jacob Lee – To publish a mission-driven zine exploring themes of gender, race, and class through a variety of artistic mediums
  • Hayet Moufti – To produce “My Empire of Solitude,” a 25-minute dance piece that will be a community-oriented work of art.
  • Chris Corporandy – To complete certification by the Knight-Thompson Speech Work organization as an accent, dialect, and speech teacher for actors

Judges

  • Scott Berrie, Emmy Award-winning Producer and CEO/Founder of Impulse Creative Productions
  • Tangie Murray, Executive Director at Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation
  • Richard Zinman, Managing Director at Credit Suisse
  • Kerry Steib, Director of Social Impact at Spotify
  • Susan Henshaw Jones, Director of the Museum of the City of New York

2013 Artist Fellowship

2013

Winners

  • Daniel Perez Gomez – To work with animal shelters to take high-quality photographs of dogs in order to increase their chances of adoption.
  • Kathryn Anible – To publish “The Leafy Greens Cookbook” containing 100 recipes that featured a variety of greens.
  • Anthony Wills – To write a screenplay “Pride from the Door,” which deals with race, addiction and loss.

Judges

  • Lisa Dennison, Sotheby’s, Chairman, North and South America
  • Hughlyn Fierce, Retired Jazz at Lincoln Center CEO and active not-for-profits board member
  • Susan Freedman, President, Public Art Fund
  • Brian Munn, Actor, starred in Wicked, and a former GP staff member
  • Bronson van Wyck, Founder & Event Producer, Van Wyck & Van Wyck

2011 Artist Fellowship

2011

Winners

  • Tim Marback – To produce his play “Mend” under the direction of Olympia Dukakis.
  • Michael Menger – To produce his own work, “The Really Big Pirate Show”.
  • Charles Wulster – To complete production on his film, “The Defenders of Belfast”.

Judges

  • Gail Beltrone, Vice President, Frederick P Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center
  • Marsha Firestone, President and Founder, Women Presidents’ Organization
  • Timur Galen, Global Head of Corporate Services and Real Estate, Goldman Sachs
  • Brian Halweil, Editor/Publisher, Edible Magazines
  • Jonelle Procope, President and CEO, Apollo Theater Foundation

2006 Artist Fellowship

2006

Winner

  • Garry Novikoff – To complete the final mixing, mastering, and production of his self-produced CD “Dog on the Moon.”

2000 Artist Fellowship

2000

Winners

  • Trayce Gardner – To found the Brooklyn Young Filmmakers Center, which promotes “literacy, leadership, social skills, intergenerational exchange, and job training” to under-privileged NYC youth through film studies and film-making.
  • Joe Clancy – To start The Drilling CompaNY, which develops and produces new dramatic works by emerging American playwrights.

PASTA WITH FRESH POMODORO SAUCE

Each month, our Great Performances menus feature seasonal ingredients.

It’s our way of celebrating the earth and bringing our special touch to every menu.

This month we celebrate what may be one of Summer’s freshest ingredients, the tomato.

Celebrate with us and make this pasta with fresh Pomodoro sauce. It’s simple, easy, and delicious. 

Pasta with Fresh Pomodoro Sauce Recipe

INGREDIENTS

PROCEDURE

  • 1 pound pasta, shape of choice

  • 4 large very ripe tomatoes (about 1.5 lbs), 1/4 inch dice

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • Pinch chili flake

  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade

  • Olive oil

  • Parmesan cheese

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt generously and cook pasta till al dente (follow directions on package).

  2. Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid then drain pasta.

  3. Immediately combine pasta, diced tomatoes, basil, salt, chili flake, 2 tablespoons olive oil and reserved pasta water.

  4. Mix gently but thoroughly. Check for seasonings; if the tomatoes are very sweet you may need more salt.

  5. Divide between 6 warmed plates, garnish with additional basil, a drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

  6. Serve warm.

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Each month, our Great Performances menus feature seasonal ingredients. It’s our way of celebrating the earth and bringing our special touch to every menu.

Grilled Fairytale Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients

  • 8 Fairytale eggplants, halved lengthwise
  • 4 cups ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup torn fresh basil
  • Sesame oil
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • 2 slices good quality bread
  • salt and pepper

Procedure

  • Tear bread into small pieces and toast in 350 F oven until golden brown.
  • Brush eggplant with sesame oil and grill, cut side down, over high heat grill until just tender.
  • Cut grilled eggplant on bias into 2-inch pieces.
  • Combine all ingredients and toss gently. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.
  • Divide between 6 plates and season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.

Each month, our Great Performances menus feature seasonal ingredients. It’s our way of celebrating the earth and bringing our special touch to every menu.

CELEBRATE FIRST OF THE SEASON PEAS

Ingredients

  • 1 pound shelled fresh English peas

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

  • 4 tbsp sweet (unsalted) butter, divided

  • 1/4 cup finely diced white onion

  • Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Procedure

  1. Heat a saute pan over medium high heat. Add onion and 1 tbsp butter and cook for 2 minutes.

  2. Add English peas, 1 cup water and a pinch of salt.

  3. Cook until water dissolves. Remove from heat and add remaining butter, mint and parsley.

  4. Season to taste with sea salt and fresh pepper. Serve warm.

MOTHER’S DAY TIPS & RECIPES FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

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Easy amatriciana recipe

Ali’s Favorite Pasta – Amatriciana

Emily’s Perfect Pie Crust

Mix & Match Breakfast Bars

Breakfast in Bed Stinks: Try Cooking Together on Mother’s Day!

Hot Browns Like My Mom’s

Eggs Benedict with Salmon and Crab

Savory Sourdough Pancakes

Smoked Trout, Goat Cheese and Artichoke Quiche

Vegetable Top Salad

Vegan Cream of Asparagus

Raft of fresh asparagus

Each month, our Great Performances menus feature seasonal ingredients. It’s our way of celebrating the earth and bringing our special touch to every menu.

WARM ASPARAGUS, ARUGULA AND TOASTED ALMOND SALAD

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches large green asparagus, bottoms trimmed and sliced on bias

  • 1 cup water

  • 2 tbsp honey

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 coups whole blanched almonds, lightly toasted

  • 2 cups baby arugula

  • 3 tbsp cold butter, cubed

  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced

  • 4 tbsp tarragon leaves

  • sea salt and pepper

Procedure

  1. Combine water, honey, olive oil, sea salt and pepper

  2. Preheat a large saute pan over high flame. Once the pan is very hot, add the asparagus followed by the prepared water and honey mixture. Quickly cover and let steam for 2 minutes.

  3. Remove the pan from heat, take off the cover and add the whole almonds, butter and baby arugula. Toss well, letting the carry-over heat melt the butter. Add the lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Finish with the tarragon and serve warm.

 

At Great Performances, we embrace creativity and continue to look outside our walls to find inspiration from our friends and partners. We regularly invite innovators, creatives, business leaders, chefs and others to contribute their expertise to us and to our blog.

We’ve invited Katie Workman, cook, writer, mom of two and food activist to contribute some of her favorite spring recipes to our blog. Ms. Workman has written two cookbooks, The Mom 100 Cookbook (2012) and Dinner Solved! (2015), recognized in notable publications, and also writes a blog, The Mom 100. We’re delighted to feature some of her favorite spring recipes below.

 

11 Ways to Make the Most of Spring Vegetables!

 

Image credit Katie Workman

by Katie Workman

Spring is the beginning of the best produce months of the year.  Even with the world feeling so precarious, hopefully we can take some time to support the farmers’ markets in our areas.  Of course maintain social distancing — the markets, where open, will look different than they have in the past, perhaps with advance orders being taken, perhaps with some grab and go options of produce already bagged.  But if there is a market safely open in your neighborhood and you can safely get there, we should all try and get some business to the farmers who work all year long for the warm weather crops.

So once you find yourself back home with bunches of radishes, bundles of asparagus, piles of lettuces, baskets of sugar snap peas, you may well need some recipe inspiration.  Here are 11 ways to put that spring produce to work.

  1. Simple Sauteed Spring Greens:  This is stupidly easy, but really one of the nicest ways to enjoy a selection of green vegetables.   Sugar snap peas, arugula, spinach and peas….you can use any combo you like, but it’s nice to have an assortment of types and textures.

  2. Ramp and Pea Risotto: The perfect risotto to celebrate the arrival of spring.  These wild scallions, which grow in some parts of the country for a short period in the early spring, are always a hot commodity.  Grab them while you can.

  3. Farro and Vegetable Salad : I love the way the additional of a couple of handfuls of cooked whole grains adds so much heft and interest to a salad.  If you can find watermelon radishes, then you will have even more color and excitement in this bowl.

  4. Spinach and Radish Salad with Feta: What’s green and white and red all over? This perfect little side salad.

  5. French Potato Salad: This mayo-free potato salad is very clean tasting, with fresh herbs and a touch of mustard and a lovely vinaigrette dressing.

  6. Stir Fried Chicken with Pea Shoots: Pea shoots are in season in the spring, as they are the first part of the pea plant to sprout. The tendril-ey leaves are beautiful and delicious, tasting much like, you know, peas, but milder.  This stir fry takes less than 30 minutes.

  7. Simple Roasted Asparagus with Shallots and Parmesan: Roasting asparagus deepens it flavor and it couldn’t be easier. Some melted Parm and crispy shallots make this dish perfect for entertaining.

  8. Sesame Asparagus and Shiitake Mushrooms: Crisp tender asparagus and savory and chewy mushrooms come together in this super quick Asian stir fry.

  9. Grilled Lemony Chicken and Baby Artichokes: A reason to uncover that grill early.  This grilled chicken shares a super simple citrusy, tangy marinade with tender baby artichokes. 10 minutes on the grill!.

  10. Simple Vegetarian Spring Pasta Salad: Sometimes people have an impression of pasta salad as a bit boring or dowdy or dated.  Nope.  This pasta salad is portable and flexible and fresh, and it’s also a nice way to play around with the vegetables of the season.  Have at it.

  11. Mosaic Crudite Confetti: It looks fancy, but it is in fact a little salad of thinly sliced vegetables.  Spring onions, baby leeks, radishes, and whatever looks fresh and sliceable at the market is fair game for this pretty little salad presentation.

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EASTER TIPS & RECIPES FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

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APRIL IS TOTALLY RAD...ISH

Radishes belong to the cabbage (brassicaceae) family and like many of its cousins, can be crunchy, peppery and spicy. They’re high in vitamin C, low in fat and calories, and add a refreshing crunch to a variety of dishes. They can be eaten raw or cooked. Popular varieties include watermelon, French Breakfast, Cherry Belle, Daikon, Horseradish and, of course, Wasabi.

Radishes are also incredibly versatile. Grated, it’s a spicy condiment that lends itself well to rich dishes needing a peppery, spicy kick, or added to dressings and sauces. Sliced thinly it adds color and texture to a dish, or even be used as a mini-taco shell. And left whole, it can be eaten raw or cooked. Even the radish tops can be used, making this the perfect root-to-tip vegetable. Just be sure you know your radish before taking a big bite!

Let us know how you like to eat your radishes and try our featured recipe below. We love to get pictures — tag or direct message us on Instagram @gpfood or email them to us directly.

RADISH TARTINE

Serves 6

We love this recipe because although we included measurements, it really doesn’t really need them, and it’s easily adapted to serving 1-2 people.

Ingredients:

  • ½ lb mixed radishes, thinly sliced

  • Reserved radish tops, cleaned and chiffonade

  • 2 cups ricotta cheese

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • Olive oil

  • Salt and pepper

  • 6 hearty slices of country bread or a bread of your choice, toasted

Procedure:

  1. Combine the ricotta with lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil to taste.

  2. Lightly dress the radish top chiffonade with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

  3. Spread evenly over the toasted bread, and layer with the dressed radish top chiffonade and then the sliced radishes.

  4. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.