Chef uses honey from deck beehive

This spring, he brought his beehive to the posh hotel’s fifth-floor terrace, and the staff has been, well, abuzz ever since.

Gerstenecker is Canadian, and grew up on a small cattle farm outside Toronto. The youngest of four, he spent a lot of time in the kitchen with his mother, who inspired him to cook. After he graduated from George Brown Chef School in Toronto, he got a job with the Four Seasons as a line cook.

That was 20 years ago, and the company has moved him from Canada to New York, Hong Kong and Palm Beach. He’s worked in Atlanta twice — moving back here from Palm Beach, Fla., five years ago. At 40, Gerstenecker has grown up in the corporate world of food, rising through the ranks of the hotel system until finally, here in Atlanta, he can call his own shots.

“Most of the shots,” he emphasizes. “I knew I wanted to bring the bees to the fifth-floor terrace, but I also knew I’d need approval” from the hotel’s general manager, Dan Normandin. Normandin loves honey, according to Gerstenecker, and uses it as a sweetener in his coffee every morning.

“When I asked him, it took him about three seconds to say yes,” the executive chef said.

The bees are part of an ad hoc, hotel-to-table program the chef has brought to the Four Seasons. In addition to his beehive, he uses two of the hotel’s enormous planters for tomatoes, peppers and lots of herbs — from verbena to chocolate mint, sage, basil and anise. Next year, he plans to plant potatoes and more pepper varieties in all six.

Getting out of the corporate mind frame and back to the farm was a “huge learning curve” for Gerstenecker.

“I feel like I lost touch with my roots. The bees have helped me get that back,” he says.

Inspired by Vance Dietz, his beekeeping neighbor, Gerstenecker and his wife, Brooke, started the hive this spring. The bees also inspire him. “I could watch them all day. I have so much respect for them — they have no wasted moments and work so seamlessly together. We have a lot to learn from them.”

Of course, the rewards reaped are more than just peace of mind. Gerstenecker expects to get about 10 pounds of honey this year, and he’s incorporated honey-laced dishes into the menu at the Four Seasons’ premier restaurant, Park 75.

I sampled a taste of delicate, tempura-fried squash blossoms (from his home garden) filled with goat cheese and crowned with cherry tomatoes from the hotel’s garden, as well as baby zucchini and nasturtium blossoms. This is drizzled with vinaigrette made with honey and vinegar.

And the sweetness spreads: the kitchen staff has spent the last few weeks canning pickled peaches and okra, all to be used as amenities for the hotel’s guests. “Our guests should enjoy something we’ve made, not something ordered from a catalog,” says Gerstenecker. “And my staff really understands the meaning of where something comes from these days.”

“The bees have brought a sense of community and family to our workplace,” says Gerstenecker. “They bring us so much — it’s an honor to care for them. It’s a perfect partnership.”

Tempura Squash Blossoms Filled With Split Creek Goat Cheese, With Local Honey Vinaigrette

Hands on: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour Serves: 12

Chef Robert Gerstenecker uses the garden and beehive on the fifth floor of the Four Seasons in Midtown to create fresh recipes for the guests. Squash blossoms have a short season. They can be found in farmers markets now.

For the fried squash blossoms:
6 cups vegetable oil for frying
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces Split Creek Farm fresh goat cheese (soft)
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped herbs
Pinch of salt
Pinch ground black pepper
12 blossoms, trimmed, with stamen removed
All-purpose flour for dredging
For the tempura batter:
9 ounces (11/2 cups) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
15 ounces club soda
Kosher salt

For the shaved squash and honey vinaigrette:
1 pound local summer squash
2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup mache lettuce
1/2 cup watercress

To prepare the squash blossoms: Heat 2 inches of oil in a 3-quart saucepan to 350 degrees on a thermometer. Combine olive oil, goat cheese, cream, herbs, salt and pepper and put into a piping bag. Fill each flower with seasoned cheese mixture and dredge in all-purpose flour.

To prepare the tempura batter: Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in small bowl. Whisk in club soda until completely combined.

Working in batches of 3, dip blossoms in tempura batter, lifting each out by its stem and letting excess drip off. Fry in hot oil, turning with tongs, until the batter is crisp (it will not brown), for 1 to 11/2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer blossoms to paper towels, drain, then season with kosher salt.

To prepare the shaved squash and honey vinaigrette: Shave the squash thinly using a vegetable peeler and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse off excess salt. In a bowl, combine shallot, olive oil, vinegar, pepper, remaining tablespoon salt and honey. Put shaved squash in this mixture and let it marinate for 5 minutes.

To assemble and serve: Arrange the shaved squash on plates and garnish with mache lettuce and watercress. Place deep-fried squash blossom on top and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 291 calories (percent of calories from fat, 76), 4 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 25 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 12 milligrams cholesterol, 359 milligrams sodium.