The Courtyard Chef’s Ooh là la Cuisine
A prestigious invitation to cook at the Gastronomades Festival in France took The Courtyard at McHenry’s popular Executive Chef David Harding across the ocean for a culinary adventure of a lifetime.
Although The Courtyard staff and residents missed Chef David in the kitchen and dining room for a week last November, they beamed with pride to have their chef so honored.
“Chef David has put his 40 plus years of experience in the food industry on show for all the residents to enjoy and has exceeded their expectations since coming to The Courtyard almost a year ago,” said The Courtyard at McHenry’s Director of Sales and Marketing Jodi Borck. “We are all proud of David and the amazing opportunity for him to showcase his talents in France.”
A United States veteran, David started cooking in the navy. He earned a culinary degree at the College of Du Page and has enjoyed a long foodie career in restaurants, banquet halls, cafeterias, healthcare facilities, and as a culinary instructor at Harper College, where he met his wife, who is also a chef.
A French Take on Mexican Street Corn!
David and his wife were both selected by the Village of Hoffman Estates Sister Cities Commission to cook at the 2024 Gastronomades in Angouleme, France.
The annual event is a celebration of quality food as well as those who make it, bringing together renowned chefs, apprentices, cooking enthusiasts, and lovers of good food.
Chef David prides himself on preparing classic comfort food with a twist, so it was no surprise that he chose to demonstrate how to make Mexican-style street corn in France.
“I wanted to introduce the French to flavors they aren’t used to eating,” said David, whose recipe calls for fresh corn on the cob, butter, sour cream, cotija cheese, fresh lime juice and cilantro. Despite having to make a couple of French substitutions—like feta cheese for the cotija—David said, “Everyone really enjoyed it!”
Remarkably, this was Chef’s second invitation to Gastronomades. Ten years ago, he introduced the French to the very American dish of sloppy joes!
Upon his return to The Courtyard, Chef David paid homage to his experience in France by preparing crepes and a Nutella-inspired dessert for the residents. He also treated the seniors to his tasty Mexican street corn at a recent taco Tuesday!
Mmm, Mmm Good
By his own admission, Chef David’s approach to cooking at The Courtyard is more down-home than fancy-shmancy.
“The residents have cooked hundreds of meals for themselves, and my approach is to emulate their way of cooking with classic dishes that they know and expect,” said Chef David, adding, “I try not to get too fancy.”
The food may not be super extravagant, but it is always very delicious. Every dish out of Chef David’s kitchen exudes flavor and freshness—from scratch-made lasagna to signature spice blends to slow-roasted pork butt and hand-made meatballs—his meals satisfy tastebuds and fill bellies with wholesome goodness.
“They really like my meatloaf,” says Chef David, dishing about one of his most popular meals among Courtyard residents. “I used to make 20 pounds of meat but had to bump it up to 25 pounds!”
When Chef David is not in the kitchen making jumbo-size meat loaves, he’s out and about in the dining room mingling with guests. “I enjoy getting out and talking to the residents,” he said. “They appreciate the personal interaction, and I get to hear immediate feedback.”
Chef David credits much of his first-year success at The Courtyard with the support of his team and lead server Shannon. “Shannon has been at The Courtyard a long time and knows exactly what residents like and don’t like, which is super helpful to me,” he said.
Based on resident reviews, Chef David is welcome to keep cooking at The Courtyard at McHenry and to enjoy a free pass to France any time the next invitation arises.
