We may be light years away from the day the military gets rid of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” But times are definitely changing when it comes to the kind of food being served to our esteemed Navy personnel.

During a recent lunchtime visit to the mess hall at the 32nd Street Naval Station, I couldn’t believe my eyes. How on earth did those daisies land in everyone’s Lemon Tarragon Sorbet? And who had the chutzpah to create a five-course lunch menu that included Pumpkin Ravioli, Lobster Risotto and Smoked Tenderloin with Chanterelle Mushrooms? Surely this wasn’t the kind of grub I expected to see shoveled onto the plates of 500 fast-eating sailors.

The two guys behind this unique “do-eat, do-tell” effort are Lt. Anthony J. Seifert, the naval station’s food officer, and Chef Jeff Rossman of Terra Restaurant in Hillcrest. Their goal is to give the enlisted a taste of the good life with new ingredients and spices that can turn an anemic plate of white rice and chicken into a meal fit for an admiral.

Rossman was recently invited by Seifert to share his culinary talents with the mess-hall staff, which cranks out three meals a day for more than 500,000 thousand sailors and officers each year. And since taking over the galley’s kitchen operations a year and a half ago, Seifert has applied his own longstanding interest in cooking to the operation by adding meat smokers, glazes and marinades to the daily scheme of things.

“I’ve eliminated foods that had a high leftover rate,” he says. “And we’ve been discussing the ins and outs of food service from a civilian standpoint so that the sailors who work in the kitchen can take this knowledge with them out of the fleets.”

Rossman’s presence in the colossal industrial kitchen is an added boon. According to Mess Hall Specialist Robert Hicks, “We’re learning a lot of good tips from Jeff. I didn’t realize that you could sauté all these mushrooms in butter instead of oil,” he said while gently stirring 25 pounds of Chanterelles. “Having a guest chef in here also gets us away from using powdered foods.”

Hicks adds that he is excited the Navy will soon change the rates of kitchen cooks from “mess hall specialists” to “culinary specialists” – a cue that his days of schlepping savorless foods to the frontlines are fading.

Rossman, who will assist in the galley every few months, says the experience has been rewarding. “They [the Navy] don’t normally season their food a lot, which is what we’ll be working on. And I found the sheer monstrosity of the kitchen to be incredible,” referring to the 50-plus staff, apartment-size walk-in freezer and 60-gallon steam kettles strewn about the kitchen.

At the end of the gourmet lunch, Rossman was presented with an appreciation award for his pro bono work and well-received dishes, which also included Wild Mushroom Bisque with Basil Oil, Mustard-Sage Cornish Game Hen with Cranberry Jus and a trio of desserts sprinkled with nasturtium pedals. The only things missing were halogen track lighting and some decent art on the walls for added atmosphere. But those will have to wait until the Pentagon sends in a flotilla of gay-appointed designers.