Forrest Floor in Spain

At Arzak in Spain, this whimsical dish was a portrait in nature well executed. It was indeed entitled 'Forrest Floor' and arrived on my wife's side of the tasting menu, so with a wandering fork, I tried to dissect what I could before she finished. The 'floor' is made out of a hazelnut and breadcrumb new technique often labeled 'dirt' in the culinary world. The mushrooms were roasted, and a few were pickled.  On top lay a few herbs to simulate carefully what plants may be there, the fennel sitting in for a fern....  And the most interesting part of this dish were the dried oak leaves on the side sitting upon a spicy mayonnaise. They were dehydrated and well salted... and though the menu listed them as oak leaves, I cant help but think they may have been another type of vegetation.