Hi all!
Sorry - Tuesday I got sick, Wednesday I worked late, Thursday was Rodeo Sponsors' Dinner (where I volunteer with the cooks and servers and dish washers) and yesterday I was just plain worn out!
All that aside, I have exciting news - the FIGS are in! Those beautiful, sweet, black mission figs that make you understand what inspired the Fig Newton. . .
They're delicious just as they are. You can trim off the bottom if you like; I don't find it problematic or chewy, but some people don't like it. I just hold them by the stem and bite in. But if you want a slightly more sophisticated appetizer, cut them in halves or quarters lengthwise and arrange them on a plate with some mascarpone cheese that you've drizzled with some honey. Dip forks into the cheese and honey and then spear a piece of fig...Mmmmmmmmmmmm. And yes, mascarpone (it's an Italian cream cheese) is a little pricey, but I paid $2.50 for the basket of figs and the $3.99 for the mascarpone to make a pretty appetizer to share isn't so bad. Remember, the good stuff is for treats!
Another nice drizzle instead of the honey is a balsamic vinegar reduction. Don't panic. That's fancy cooking talk for taking about 1/2 c. of really, really good balsamic vinegar, putting it into a little saucepan, and letting it simmer until it becomes syrupy. It really compliments the figs beautiful.
More tomorrow - and starting on July 19th, watch for my new column, "Simply Local", in the Salinas Californian - first dish up for Big Week (the week of Rodeo in Salinas) - Veggie Chili!
Shameless plugs: Butch at Cowboy Sausage gave me a sample of his (definitely not vegetarian) chili today - it's sooooooo good! Also, Frank at Frank's Fish on Market has the most beautiful fresh sardines - and so inexpensive. He thinks this may be the last week for them, so hurry in!
Until next time, I'll see you at the market!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Red White and Blue - end of the story
Hi all,
This beautiful white chocolate soup looks like something really fancy – but it only takes about 20 minutes to put it together, plus some time to cool off. I would serve it slightly warm, with berries right out of the refrigerator for contrast.
In a saucepan, whisk together: 1 ½ cups almond milk (it adds a great flavor to the finished soup), ½ c. heavy cream, 1 t. of vanilla and 2-3 T. of Grand Marnier (more or less to taste). If you want to skip the Grand Marnier, that's fine - it just cuts some of the richness of the soup. Gently heat the mixture, stirring frequently.
Make a slurry of 2 t. cold water and 2 t. cornstarch and have it standing by (‘slurry’ just means you mix them together, but the cornstarch won’t completely dissolve.).
Chop 4-6 ounces (by weight) of white chocolate. It’s sweet enough that you don’t need any additional sugar. When the almond milk mixture starts to simmer, stir in the chocolate until it melts. Keep stirring and add the slurry. Stir until thick. Keep the temperature regulated so the mixture doesn’t come to a full boil.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool. It may form a skin on top – that’s fine, either scrape it off with a spoon before serving or stir it right back in. You can prevent the skin from forming by putting plastic wrap right on top of the soup; it just won’t cool quite as quickly.
Hull and slice fresh, chilled strawberries and place a mound of them – with blueberries, raspberries and any other fresh, chilled berries – in the bottom of a small bowl. This recipe makes 4 servings – they’re small, but quite rich. Spoon the soup into the bowl around the berries and top with a sprig of mint and orange zest, if desired. It's almost like dipping the berries in white chocolate fondue! This dessert pairs well with a crisp champagne and makes a beautiful celebration on a plate. Enjoy – and until next time, I’ll see you at the market!
This beautiful white chocolate soup looks like something really fancy – but it only takes about 20 minutes to put it together, plus some time to cool off. I would serve it slightly warm, with berries right out of the refrigerator for contrast.
In a saucepan, whisk together: 1 ½ cups almond milk (it adds a great flavor to the finished soup), ½ c. heavy cream, 1 t. of vanilla and 2-3 T. of Grand Marnier (more or less to taste). If you want to skip the Grand Marnier, that's fine - it just cuts some of the richness of the soup. Gently heat the mixture, stirring frequently.
Make a slurry of 2 t. cold water and 2 t. cornstarch and have it standing by (‘slurry’ just means you mix them together, but the cornstarch won’t completely dissolve.).
Chop 4-6 ounces (by weight) of white chocolate. It’s sweet enough that you don’t need any additional sugar. When the almond milk mixture starts to simmer, stir in the chocolate until it melts. Keep stirring and add the slurry. Stir until thick. Keep the temperature regulated so the mixture doesn’t come to a full boil.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool. It may form a skin on top – that’s fine, either scrape it off with a spoon before serving or stir it right back in. You can prevent the skin from forming by putting plastic wrap right on top of the soup; it just won’t cool quite as quickly.
Hull and slice fresh, chilled strawberries and place a mound of them – with blueberries, raspberries and any other fresh, chilled berries – in the bottom of a small bowl. This recipe makes 4 servings – they’re small, but quite rich. Spoon the soup into the bowl around the berries and top with a sprig of mint and orange zest, if desired. It's almost like dipping the berries in white chocolate fondue! This dessert pairs well with a crisp champagne and makes a beautiful celebration on a plate. Enjoy – and until next time, I’ll see you at the market!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Fresh Sardines. . .yum!
Hi all,
I went to Frank's Fish Market yesterday and he had the most beautiful sardines - cleaned 'em for me and everything. He told me the secret to getting the bones out (sardines are really, really bony!) is to cook them first (grill or broiler - they take about 7 minutes altogether, with a little olive oil, salt and pepper), and the bones come right out -- and he was right. The nice thing about sardine bones is they're really small and not terribly dangerous, so heaven forbid you do get one - not a big deal. Did I mention they're really inexpensive (really, really inexpensive) and full of those good omega-3's we're supposed to have?
If you've never had fresh sardines, you seriously should give them a try. I can even clean them myself, but I didn't tell Frank that. You just cut off the head and all the guts come right out. Yes, I said "guts." Sometimes you have to call an innard and innard.
Developing a white chocolate soup dessert recipe for tonight or tomorrow - until I get it right (tasting is such hard work!!!) I'll see you at the market!
I went to Frank's Fish Market yesterday and he had the most beautiful sardines - cleaned 'em for me and everything. He told me the secret to getting the bones out (sardines are really, really bony!) is to cook them first (grill or broiler - they take about 7 minutes altogether, with a little olive oil, salt and pepper), and the bones come right out -- and he was right. The nice thing about sardine bones is they're really small and not terribly dangerous, so heaven forbid you do get one - not a big deal. Did I mention they're really inexpensive (really, really inexpensive) and full of those good omega-3's we're supposed to have?
If you've never had fresh sardines, you seriously should give them a try. I can even clean them myself, but I didn't tell Frank that. You just cut off the head and all the guts come right out. Yes, I said "guts." Sometimes you have to call an innard and innard.
Developing a white chocolate soup dessert recipe for tonight or tomorrow - until I get it right (tasting is such hard work!!!) I'll see you at the market!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)