Peppermint Ice Cream

Mixing peppermint pieces into ice cream before freezer storage

Talk about tasty! There is something terribly addictive about mint (especially when it's paired with sugar and chocolate). I don't know why we only eat mint at the holidays. Mediterranean cultures are way ahead of us in this regard. The recipes in my Greek cook book call for mint on a level Italians associate with basil. (When I had wild mint growing (or invading) the creek by my studio in Colorado, I used it in abundance. (And not just for mojitos!)) Then there's Moroccan mint tea...

In the mean time here's a recipe for super tasty ice cream. I'd pour some chocolate sauce over the top, or use it to make ice cream sandwiches. This ice cream is cream colored. It will not be pink (unless you use peppermints with artificial coloring). It is best eaten within a couple of days of being made. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
14 tablespoons sugar
10 egg yolks
4 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract (or 2 cups packed peppermint leaves)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup crushed candy cane or peppermint pieces (I used organic, not-made-with-corn-syrup candy canes)
1 tablespoon Drambuie or B&B

Mix cream, milk, half of sugar, and salt (and peppermint leaves if using) in sauce pan and heat to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover and set aside for 30 minutes. (If using fresh peppermint let infuse one hour then remove peppermint and continue).

Mix yolks and remaining sugar in a bowl. Reheat cream sauce. Add 1 1/2 cups of cream sauce slowly to yolk and sugar mixture to temper it. Pour this egg mixture slowly back into cream mixture and heat on low-medium heat to 170 degrees or until a wooden spoon comes up with a thicker custard on its back and a finger drawn through the custard leaves a clean line.

Pour through a strainer into a metal bowl which has been sitting over ice bath and stir occasionally until cooled. Add peppermint extract and mix. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Add B&B or Drambuie. Pour into frozen ice cream machine and process according to machine instructions (about  45 minutes). Once finished, mix in crushed peppermint pieces. Eat or freeze to harden.

(If making ice cream sandwiches: after processing in ice cream machine, line a baking tray with plastic wrap and pour in ice cream. Freeze. Once frozen use a cookie cutter or knife to cut into desired shapes. Refreeze then make sandwiches.)

*Recipe for Peppermint Patty Ice Cream Sandwiches coming soon!

Pairing Suggestions: Hot chocolate anyone? Make classic hot chocolate by melting dark semi sweet chocolate and adding a bit of sweetened condensed milk... and maybe a bit of (homemade) peppermint liqueur.

Peppermint Patties

Here is a not-so easy (and maybe not worth it!) after dinner treat. Of course one problem I ran into was the dough. It was quite tasty. I kept licking my fingers and then running to the sink to wash my hands. So do yourself a favor: don't even try the dough until you have finished forming the patties!

It is crucial that the patties be dry and firm when you paint them with chocolate. (If it is warm and humid you may have trouble making these.) The hardest, and most time consuming, part about this recipe is coating the patties in chocolate.

You may not think these are worth the effort--but those that eat them will think them divine.

Ingredients (Makes approximately 65)
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 1/4 teaspoons peppermint extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar
9 oz. semisweet chocolate
 2-3 tablespoons butter

Directions
 In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer (fitted with paddle and then switched to hook), combine condensed milk and peppermint extract. Mix in confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, to form a stiff dough that is no longer sticky. At 5 cups sugar it will become difficult to mix so start using your hands. At 6 cups it will stop sticking and become easy to knead.

Form into 1/2 inch balls, place on waxed paper, and flatten with fingers to form patties. Let patties dry at room temperature three hours, turning once. 

In a double boiler melt the chocolate and butter. Place a patty on a fork. Holding the patty over the double boiler, use a silicone pastry brush and paint the top side of the patty. Flip over the patty and paint the other side (make sure to include the sides). Slide from fork onto waxed paper. (I flip the wax paper I used for drying the patties over to the clean side). Let dry until the chocolate firms up-- a couple of hours. 

Pairing Suggestions: Try with a cup of Vietnamese ice coffee (just make sure you saved a bit of that sweetened condensed milk!). You could also pair these peppermint patties with a Spanish muscatel. Or a rich Russian Imperial Stout.

What Is This?!

Walking down the street yesterday I came across a strange fruit! It's about the size of a kumquat, but it's round like a satsuma! It's the tartest fruit I've ever put in my mouth (in a good way)! It has seven very defined segments--and two seeds. The skin is thin and easy to peel, but it's not as edible as the kumquat skins I'm familiar with... any ideas? 

Maybe it's just a weird variety of kumquat.

A friend in Hawaii suggested it may be a calamansi. But this would be an over ripe one, as it's already orange. He also said that calamansis aren't tart...

Peppermint Patty Ice Cream Sandwich

I want to eat this. Will someone else make it for me?!

Peppermint ice cream sandwich. With homemade peppermint ice cream and homemade chocolate "bread."

What do you call the bread in ice cream sandwiches anyway? Cake? Cookies?

I'm guessing it will taste something like a peppermint patty, except creamy, and better!

La Fin du Monde!

As you may guess, this is a beer review! La Fin du Monde by Unibroue (Quebec) is the best beer I've tasted in a long time. If the end of the world comes, you very well may want to be drinking this beer. At 19 IBUs it is not overly bitter, and balances what bitterness it does offer with a nice malty character. It also has tasty citrus and cereal notes that make it very flavorful. At 9% ABV it packs a well-camouflaged punch (I guess that makes it a caress). This is a Triple-style Golden Ale that has a hint of sweetness and a very creamy texture. One thing to keep in mind: it is not an inexpensive beer. I paid $2.85 for a 12 ounce bottle. But I'll buy it again in a heart beat--in a 750 ml bottle next time! In one word: Yum!

Pairing Suggestions: It will go wonderfully with salmon, Asian-style dinners (I had it with a quinoa and broccoli stir fry), or with blue cheese.

Market Harvest

Purchased at the Crescent City Farmer's Market on Saturday, December 3: 10 lbs. Organic Navel Oranges, 2 bags Organic Satsumas, Goat Milk Yoghurt, Organic Tart Kumquats, Broccoli, Organic Ruby Red Grapefruit, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Whole Milk. ($36). Missing from photo: Pint of Strawberries!! ($4). No scurvy this week!

Winter Squash Risotto

With a huge Galeux d'Eysines squash to cook up, I decided to use part of it to make a risotto. This dish is fairly simple, despite the time consuming demand of constant stirring.

Well, this is the photo I have.
But the risotto tastes really good!

Ingredients
1/3 Galeux d'Eysines--seeded and stringy pulp set aside; divide into 2 pieces (or 1 whole Kabocha, Acorn, or Buttercup squash)
4 Shallots
Red pepper flakes (not a lot)
2 medium cloves garlic
fresh ground nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Olive oil
butter
2 cups Arborio rice
Pot full of squash stock (directions below)
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

Roasting Squash
1. Coat one piece of the squash (with skin on) with olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Roast one cut side down in a 375 degree oven until soft when stuck with a knife. Remove from oven. Spoon out flesh from skin. Toss the skin. Mash the squash into a puree. Add a bit of olive oil. Set aside. (Once the oven is off you can put your pumpkin seeds in and let them slow-roast.)


2. With the other piece of squash, peel the squash and cut into bite size pieces. In olive oil, butter, and a bit of white wine saute the pieces of squash. Set aside when cooked--some pieces will begin to turn to puree, but you want most of them to remain as pieces.


Make the Squash Stock
Separate squash seeds for roasting. Put remaining stringy pulp and any nonwarty squash skin (from the peeled piece--I used the skin because the Galeux has thin, orange skin. I might reconsider if using a tougher skinned squashed) into a large pot.  Fill with water and boil for 10 minutes. Strain and return liquid to the pot. Reserve.

Making Risotto
Reheat squash stock to a soft simmer. In a large pot (Le Creuset is perfect), saute shallots with salt and red pepper flakes in olive oil with a pat of butter. When just starting to change colors add garlic. Stir to coat. Add rice and stir to coat. Keep stirring until the rice becomes almost translucent. Add pumpkin puree. Stir to integrate. Add a ladle full of stock. Keep stirring until it is absorbed. Repeat process until the rice is just cooked. (This will take some time.) Add sauteed squash pieces and stir to incorporate. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano. Adjust seasoning (don't forget the nutmeg). Add parsley. Serve immediately. (Or put in a warm--200 degree--oven until ready to serve)

Pairing Suggestions: I still love Riesling with winter squash! A nice Mosel or Nahe would go wonderfully with this dish. I suggest a drier Riesling though, so go for a Kabinett level wine, or a trocken or halftrocken. Alternatively, you could opt for a red from Bordeaux if you don't want a white wine.

Winter Squash Soup

This is a recipe for a creamy squash soup. It is delicious, and will definitely fill you up on a cold day.

At the Saturday farmer's market here in New Orleans there is a vendor with an abundance of heirloom winter squash varieties.  For this soup I picked out the wartiest looking squash I've yet to see: Galeux d'Eysines, an heirloom French variety dating from the 1880s. I figure the uglier the beast, the tastier its flesh... The one I picked out was one of the smaller ones, weighing only 8 pounds--yes, I weighed it!  You could easily keep this as a decorative centerpiece on your dining table until you work up the courage to cook it (although it's not known for long keeping).

Ingredients
1/4 Galeux d'Eysines (You can substitute an entire Kabocha, sweet dumpling, or buttercup squash, cut in half and then follow directions)
2 large shallots
Whole Milk
Heavy cream
Buttermilk
4 cloves Garlic
Olive oil
Herbes de Provence
Salt, pepper & fresh ground nutmeg to taste

Roasting Squash
Preheat oven to 375. Scoop out all of the seeds and stringy insides. Rub the squash with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbes de Provence.  Place with one cut side down. If using a smaller squash such as butternut, cut in half and put cut side down. Roast until just tender when pricked with a knife. Let cool. Scoop out flesh and toss the skins. (Once finished cooking, and removed from oven, I turn the oven off and put in the pumpkin seeds tossed with a bit of salt. They will cook slowly and be perfect to eat once the oven cools.)

Making Soup
In a large pot (Le Creuset or cast iron dutch oven type), saute saute shallots in olive oil. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the garlic just turns translucent. Add the pumpkin meat. Cook to integrate and turn the pumpkin to mash. Add milk, cream, and a small amount of buttermilk. Add water if necessary.  Add a drizzle of sherry vinegar and/or Balsamic vinegar to taste.

You can garnish this with jumbo lump crab meat if you have some on hand. Tonight I used roasted pumpkin seeds because that's what I had available.

Pairing Suggestions: My standard pairing for winter squash soup is Riesling.  I just love the way the squash and sweeter Riesling work together. Of course a dry Riesling will work just as well as a sweeter one.

Cardamom Banana Bread

Just the smell of this bread is enough to give anyone a sweet tooth. I find that the cardamom adds a nice touch to traditional spiced banana bread-- but be careful not to over do it, as cardamom is a pungent spice. Using olive oil instead of vegetable oil adds a nice depth and richness--plus it's better  than GMO veggie oil! With the addition of cardamom glaze to the top you are set to impress. The only problem I've found with this bread is that it is truly too tasty: there is no such thing as just one piece! (In fact I have found myself cutting piece after piece for myself and then realizing that almost 1/2 the loaf has disappeared!) I hope you all have more self-restraint than I posses.

Dry Ingredients
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fresh crushed cardamom seeds (husk removed)

Remaining Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large over-ripe mashed bananas
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
1 cup walnut pieces

Making the Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thoroughly mix together dry ingredients. Set aside.
In a separate bowl beat together the remaining ingredients.  (Add the walnuts once the other ingredients are all mixed together.)
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined--do not over mix.
Pour into a 9x5 well greased bread pan and bake for 1 hour.  If the top looks like it is browning too quickly cover the top loosely with aluminum foil (at approximately 40 minutes).

Let cool and remove from the pan.

Glaze
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon cardamom, finely crushed

In a small pot bring all ingredients to a simmer. Reduce heat and stir until transparent.  Drizzle over the top of the bread and brush to disperse.

Pairing Suggestions: Serve with a nice pot of black tea; Assam would work well.

Enjoy!

Satsuma Sorbet!

s

 With satsuma season finally here it is time to take advantage of our tasty bounty! It is believed that this citrus variety started as a seedling from an already established cultivar in Japan over 350 years ago. Satsumas are easy to peel, juicy, and sweet. But they neither keep nor travel well, making local satsumas a rare, but delicious, treat!

This satsuma sorbet tastes remarkably similar to those orange push-ups made by Nestle 20 years ago...  Enjoying this after a rich meal will leave you, and your guests, smiling. The sorbet has the perfect balance of sweet and acidic needed to cap off a satisfying dinner. The syrup benefits from steeping over night to let the flavors develop, but the actual time it takes to put this together is very minimal. Having a gadget to easily remove the juice from the satsumas certainly helps. You can serve the sorbet as dessert with almond biscotti.


*Note: If you don't have access to satsumas, you can replace them with other Mandarin-type oranges such as clementines or tangerines.


Ingredients
1 1/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Organic satsuma zest (from 2 satsumas)
2 1/3 cups Organic satsuma juice (approximately 11 juicy satsumas)
4 tablespoons Buttermilk (preferably whole fat! but light won't harm the recipe)
3 tablespoons Cointreau-- this keeps the sorbet from becoming too icy when frozen (you can substitute Grand Marnier if that's what you have on hand)
3 tablespoons lime juice


Making Sorbet Syrup
In a medium sauce pan mix water, sugar and orange zest.  Bring mixture to a boil to melt sugar. Stir and remove from heat. Juice the satsumas. Add satsuma juice, lime juice, and buttermilk to sugar syrup and refrigerate in a covered glass container overnight to let flavors infuse.


Freezing Sorbet

Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove zest and pulp. Add Cointreau. Adjust flavor as desired. (The sorbet will taste exactly how the syrup does at this point). Place syrup in freezer to speed processing time (but for no more than 15 minutes--I do some cleaning up and get my freezer containers ready at this point).

Process in your ice cream maker according to directions (approximately 45 minutes). Put into freeze proof containers and freeze until ready to eat!

Just poured into the ice cream maker

After 18 minutes

Just finished, after 45 minutes

Enjoy!

*Food for thought: "The essential oil expressed from the peel is employed commercially in flavoring hard candy, gelatins, ice cream, chewing gum, and bakery goods. Mandarin essential oil paste is a standard flavoring for carbonated beverages. The essential oil, with terpenes and sesquiterpenes removed, is utilized in liqueurs. Petitgrain mandarin oil, distilled from the leaves, twigs and unripe fruits, has the same food applications. Tangerine oil is not suitable for flavoring purposes."   Julia F. Morton; Fruits of warm climates; 1987. pp 142-145. So let the distillation begin! 

Market Harvest

Purchased at Crescent City Farmer's Market on Saturday, November 19th: Organic Satsumas, Russian Red Kale, Galeux d'Eysines Winter Squash, Green Daikon Radish, Green Onions, Purple Cauliflower, 2 Cayenne Peppers and 1 of another variety, Broccoli. ($23). Missing from photo: Navel Oranges. (9 lbs, $8).

Roasted Yam Is What I Yam!

Well, if it's true, why fight it?! The New York Times had a brief article about baby sweet potatoes five days ago. The paper told New Yorkers where they could procure New England-- as well as California-- baby sweet potatoes. But really!! Why would you prefer those options over Southern yams? Sweet potatoes, often called yams (even though they aren't the same species) thrive in hot, moist climates and have long been associated with Southern cuisine. Anyone who has ever tried a Louisiana yam knows they've tasted the tastiest. And if you haven't tried one, lucky for you it's harvest time down South!

The following recipes call for Southern yams. This time of year you can find sweet potatoes (a.k.a. yams) at farmers markets anywhere in the South.  If you aren't down in our neck of the woods, ask your grocer to order Louisiana sweet potato "yams."  Even groceries located in the Colorado mountains can get them in, so don't be afraid to ask!  Here are a couple of great savory yam dishes.

Roasted Yams
Yams
Olive oil
Salt & fresh cracked pepper
Herbes de Provence
Garlic (optional)
Fresh herbs (parsley or tarragon)

Turn oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cut yams in half lengthwise.  Cut in half again lengthwise.  Cut into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces.  Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs de Provence.  Place in a single layer in a roasting pan, cookie sheet, or cast iron skillet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Pull out of oven and mix to keep them from sticking to the baking surface.  Return to oven.  Continue to bake 20-30 minutes until cooked. When ready to serve you can toss them in a bowl with olive oil, diced garlic and chopped, fresh herbs.

Roasted Sweet Potato Spears
Cut sweet potatoes into spears.  Then follow the above instructions for cooking.

Menu Suggestions: Start your meal off with a kale salad. Follow that with a whole, baked flounder and roasted sweet potatoes.  If you don't have access to flounder, try another delicate white fish.

Pairing Suggestions:    If you are opting for the above suggested menu, consider an Alsatian Pinot Gris or Blanc.  I love Trimbach's 2007 Pinot Gris Reserve ($23), but it might be hard to find that vintage still on the market.  If you are serving these along side poultry, black beans or a bean stew, open an earthy Rhone red to drink. Go for a Rasteau if you can find one! Otherwise a Cotes-du-Rhone will work well. You could also go for a dry Douro from Portugal.

Enjoy!

Meleagris gallopavo Cocktail

Here's to Michael P. Branch and his wild bird concoction!  His is a special drink for the Presidential Pardoning Ceremony which will take place Wednesday, November 23rd, the morning before Thanksgiving.

Ingredients & Directions
"stout tumblers of what I call Meleagris gallopavo cocktail, which is Wild Turkey straight up, the "cock-tail" mixed in only as an avian pun.  After all, nothing is more threatening to one's mental health than to be caught uncomfortably sober when it comes time for the leader of the free world to issue a televised and legally binding pardon to a bird."

Thus he wrote in "Free Birds: A Thanksgiving Lesson in Forgiveness"; Orion, November/December 2011.

Addictive Kale Salad

I know, it's hard for some to imagine:

1. kale in a salad and
2. the addictive quality of kale.

But this salad will prove the above title good and true to all doubters.  Plus, kale is one of those cold-hardy greens that gets sweeter and tastier as the temperature outside turns colder.  You can serve this as a main-course salad, but be forewarned, it is truly addictive.  You, and your guests, will just keep eating it until it is gone.  It would also make a nice introduction to a whole roasted chicken.  (You'll have to find a recipe for that elsewhere: I don't dish yard birds!)

Ingredients
1/3 cup Pine nuts
1/4 cup Currants
1/2 cup loose, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 bunch Kale, washed, stems removed, cut down the middle, and finely sliced cross-wise into thin slivers. Dried.

Dressing
Juice from one lemon
Olive oil
1 tbs. Brewers yeast (flakes)
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 Avocado (optional), mashed
1/4 heaping tsp. Sea salt (or kosher)
Pepper to taste


To Make the Dressing
You can make this dressing ahead of time.  It will keep for several days in the refrigerator, but is best used quickly.  In a jar add salt and lemon juice.  Mix to dissolve salt.  Add all ingredients except avocado and oil.  Mix vigorously to combine.  Pour in olive oil.  You should use the same amount of oil as there are other ingredients in the jar.  (In other words: if there is half an inch in the jar before adding the oil, add a half inch of oil)  The oil will sit on top of the other ingredients, making this simple.  If using, add mashed avocado.  Incorporate with a fork.  Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously.

Composing the Salad
In a salad bowl, combine kale and desired quantity of salad dressing.  Toss.  Add cheese and toss again.  Add pine nuts and currants to the top.  Serve!

Pairing Suggestions:  Try this salad with a crisp, dry white wine such as an Italian Friulano.  Or, as always, my own weakness: a dry, light rose.

You Say Shrimp, I Say Ceviche!

So it's no longer the season of hot summer days.  But that doesn't mean the shrimp aren't still running!  My fresh-off-the-boat shrimp the other day were so delicious that all I could think was: I want to eat these raw!  But I'm a scaredy-cat (and I've never seen raw shrimp sashimi!--although I'm sure it's out there).  Needless to say, I decided I would make ceviche.  It has taken three days for me to catch another boat coming in with shrimp available, but ten pounds of shrimp later, my ceviche is a reality.  You may need to adjust the quantity of shrimp and lime juice, but this is roughly what I used.  Make sure you have extremely fresh shrimp as shrimp are quickly contaminated with bacteria that lime juice won't kill.  This is a very tasty, light meal.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime and lemon juice (I used 8 limes, 1 lemon)
4 lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 Jalepeno, finely minced
4 Shallots, minced
1 Tomato, chopped
1/2 cup Cilantro leaves, chopped
2 Cloves garlic
Worcesthershire Sauce
Olive oil
Crystal Hot Sauce (optional)
Salt & Pepper

Putting It Together
In a glass bowl mix shrimp and lime juice.  You should have enough lime juice to completely cover the shrimp,  if you don' t, squeeze more juice.  The shrimp and juice will turn pink almost immediately.  (When I first mixed the shrimp in I had a lot of extra juice, so I added more shrimp!) Let chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours.  Remove and add solid ingredients.  Mix.  Return to refrigerator.  One hour before ready to serve, add a  couple dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste.

Serving It Up
Pour into a chalice (or a bowl, if you don't happen to own a chalice!).  Garnish with radishes, lime wedges  and slices of avocado.  Serve with organic (or non-GMO) tortilla chips.

Pairing Suggestions:  How about a Negra Modelo?  Or else try a crisp Vinho Verde or Sauvignon Blanc.

The Very Last Shrimp

"These are the very last shrimp I'll sell."  I could have taken that as a backhanded comment on my tardy 10 a.m. arrival at the dock in Pass Christian, Mississippi, this morning.  Unfortunately, however, it was the shrimper's announcement of impending retirement.  His retirement may be partially brought on by old age: he is 68, and has been shrimping for forty years.  But what really brought on the "I mean last ever"?  My $4/lb jumbo shrimp.  $3.45/gallon gasoline.  Imports.  These three factors add up to an economically unsustainable local shrimping business.  So while I, and others like me, are thrilled at the bargain of quality local seafood, and cannot imagine seafood from elsewhere in the country, much less the world, our seafood industry is in dire straights.  So please, demand local seafood from your seafood purveyor.  If there is no local seafood available, Gulf of Mexico seafood is the next best (and it is the best) thing.  Don't be afraid of supporting domestic seafood by paying higher prices, especially if you are buying direct from the seafarer.  Local shrimpers and others that harvest the sea represent a way of life and help our country feed itself; let's keep the white boot brigade busy on their boats:  Eat more Gulf shrimp!

Healthy! Farro Stir Fry with Bok Choy and Jerusalem Artichokes

Jerusalem Artichokes. Topinambour. Sunchokes. Earth Apple. Sunroot.  Whatever you choose to call them, they are delicious, and in season, right now!  So for a half far away,  half home-grown recipe this one strikes a nice, healthy balance.  I cooked it up vegetarian style, with no protein.  You can easily add some chicken or other protein to this recipe and it would be quite good.  Bok choy is also fresh at the farmer's market now and it goes amazingly well with the sunchokes and farro (from Italy)--and helps this dish win points in the healthy aesthetic department.  This recipe could benefit from a touch of sweet chili sauce, but I didn't have the ingredients for that on hand.  If you were good at Asian mustard sauces that also might add a nice kick.

Ingredients (Serves two as a main dish)
1 Cup Farro, rinsed
1 1/3 Cup Water
8 Heads medium sized bok choy, cleaned, chopped into 1/2 inch slices, keeping the stems and leaves separate
10 Jerusalem artichokes, cleaned, thinly sliced
4 Medium cloves garlic, peeled, chopped
Red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil

Making Dinner 
Bring Farro and water to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and lightly simmer for 15-20 minutes until al dente. Drain if necessary.  Mix with a fork. 

If using a protein (chicken, beans, prosciutto) with this dish, cook them first in the saute pan and then set aside.  Add back into the dish just before you add the bok choy leaves.  In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil, bok choy stems and sunchokes.  Add red pepper flakes.  Saute approximately 5 minutes until stems are bright green and chokes are al dente.  Add bok choy leaves.  Stir until leaves are partially wilted.  Push to one side of the pan.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to empty side of pan. add garlic and saute until just begins to turn colors.  Mix vegetables into garlic.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add cooked farro and mix.  Serve hot!  If you have some hot sesame oil a drizzle of that would enhance this dish.  I also added a squeeze of lemon juice to my bowlful.

Pairing Suggestion:  A nice chilled sake will go wonderfully with this dish.  So would a village-level Beaujolais.

Satsuma Season Is Here!

Next week I'm going to make satsuma sorbet.  Now that I'm writing (and posting) this, I will be obligated to make it!  So please hold me to it!

Open- faced Leftover Barbecue Shrimp Sandwich

After having more shrimp than I could eat last night, I came up with this dish for lunch.  It is every bit as tasty as the barbecued shrimp; maybe more so! This also would make a nice dinner appetizer.  I ate it with a knife and fork, but certainly you could just pick it up and put it in your mouth.  But make sure you've got a napkin handy! (The salad is optional, but makes for a more complete, healthy meal)

Ingredients
Leftover Easy Nola-style Barbecued Shrimp, peeled, with sauce
Semolina bread (or rustic wheat)--the important part is that it is an artisan loaf, with a nice crust.
Spinach or Mache, cleaned, and dressed lightly with olive oil, salt & pepper

Preparing the Sandwich
Preheat oven to 375.  Slice bread and put in a baking dish (with sides!).  Place shrimp flatly on top of the bread (I was able to do three shrimp per slice of bread).  Pour the remaining sauce over the shrimp and bread.  Bake until hot. 

Eating the Sandwich
Serve on a bed of lightly dressed spinach or mache.  Make sure to pour the oil left in the dish back onto the shrimp and toast. 

Pairing Suggestion:  Enjoy with the leftover wine (?!) that went with the barbecued shrimp...

Easy Nola-style Barbecued Shrimp

Not only is this recipe easy. It is as tasty as they come.  You'll definitely need to do some finger licking with this one.  Make sure you have plenty of napkins on hand.  And don't forget the bread!

Ingredients
2 lbs. fresh gulf shrimp (large, 10-15 count), deheaded
Olive oil (a lot! enough to coat all shrimp and leave an inch--or so-- of oil at the bottom of the marinating container)
Lemon juice (1/2 lemon), you can also add some zest if it's an organic lemon
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
dried herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, any combination of what's on hand)
dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of Crystal hot sauce
2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
2 tbs. butter (optional)
Baguette for sopping up the sauce!

Marinating the Shrimp
Set the shrimp aside. In a bowl (I used a giant, 8-cup glass measuring cup) mix all other the ingredients except the butter.  Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least two hours, tossing the shrimp after one hour.

Cooking
Heat the grill up to about 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Take a large piece of aluminum foil.  In it place another doubled over piece of foil to cover the entire middle of the foil.  This will keep the shrimp from puncturing the foil.  Make a wide boat shape out of the foil.  Place the shrimp in the foil and pour all of the marinade over the shrimp.  If using, add the butter in pats over the top of the shrimp.  Join the lengths of the foil and roll until firmly sealed. Fold up the ends and bring towards the middle to make a Viking-esque ship. 

Grill for 5 minutes until just done.  Eat quickly!! (The oil will be boiling so the shrimp will keep cooking as they sit in it.)  Yum. 

Pairing suggestion:  A fruity, robust Spanish rose.  You could also try crisp Spanish white.  Or an Abita Amber.

Leftovers: I stored them in a tupperware container with the extra sauce.  Out of the leftovers I made an Open-faced Leftover Barbecue Shrimp Sandwich.  In the future I will intentionally cook extra shrimp just so I can make this sandwich (which is really just a giant crostini).  It was one of the coolest dishes I've come up with in a while.  And once the cooked shrimp and leftover sauce are on hand it is very easy.

Eggplant Caviar

This is one of the easiest crowd pleasers you will come across.  The garlic and olive oil added to the eggplant make this one irresistible dip.  And fyi: it freezes well too.  So if you have access to great local eggplant and herbs in the summer months I highly recommend making batches of this and freezing it to help get you through the winter--just make sure to freeze it in the size batches you will you want thawed.  


Ingredients
2-3 Large globe eggplants (the big round purple kind--these work the best for this recipe; Asian eggplants don't have enough flesh and the paler Italian varieties don't puree the same once they are cooked)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (use a good quality first-cold pressing oil)
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice of 1/2-1 lemon (depending on its juiciness!)
1/2 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped after measuring (My preference is generally for a basil and parsley mixture, but I have also used oregano, chives, and tarragon in the mix before--depending on what I have had in the garden.)
Salt to taste (maybe just less than one tablespoon)


Putting It Together
Cut the stem end off of each eggplant .  Stab each eggplant a couple of times with a knife.  Bake in a 375 degree oven until they are tender (maybe 45ish minutes).  I generally leave them in the oven over night, but that is really just out of laziness--you can make this as soon as the eggplant are cool enough to handle.  Cut them in half, and scoop out the flesh. Toss the skins.  Mince the flesh as fine as you can get it and put it into a bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients, mix and adjust the seasoning.  This will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. 


Serve with bread or toast.  (It also goes really well with scallops--just cook your scallops and then place them on a bed of eggplant caviar. A mache salad with a lemon mustard dressing would make a nice side.)


Pairing Suggestions:  Any kind of dry rose will go well with this dish! As will a negroni or pastis... 

Wild Mushroom Tart

It is that time of year again!  Wild mushrooms abound, at least in some parts of the world!  Unfortunately I am here in New Orleans and have yet to venture north or east in search of the bounty.  But luckily I still have some dehydrated mushrooms from last year's abundant mountain-top harvest!  This was my first time making this tart and it turned out remarkably well.  I paired it with the tart green salad with anchovy dressing to help balance the rich creaminess of the tart.  There was also the added bonus of using the leftover tart crust for an impromptu apple tart!  The earthiness of wild mushrooms is truly divine.  We ate it as a main course but if you cut it into smaller pieces you could serve it with an aperitivo.  But no matter how you slice it, it is so good you'll wish you had more!

Tart Crust
See recipe from the (Easy) Onion Parsley Tart
Once the tart crust is rolled out as thin as you can get it place your tart pan on it and, adding an inch to circumference of the pan, cut out your shell.  Place the shell in the tart pan and press on all sides so that it fits snugly.  If excess dough hangs over the edges roll your rolling pin over the top to remove them.  Place in freezer for 30 minutes to rest and chill.
Preheat oven to 350.
Butter one side of aluminum foil and place inside the tart.  Fill with dried beans (I keep a bag reserved just for this use).  Bake the tart for 20 minutes.  Take the tart out, remove the foil and beans, prick the crust bottom all over with a fork. Put it back in the oven and cook for another ten minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling
1 & 1/2 cups of mixed dehydrated wild mushrooms, re-hydrated, squeezed of excess liquid and cut to bite sized pieces*
3 shallots, diced
1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, diced after measuring
3 medium cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Piment d'Espelette (or medium-heat paprika)
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 pint table cream (do not use whip cream)
4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 dashes of high quality vinagre de Jerez (sherry vinegar)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste


Heat a large saute pan on medium-high.  Add the oil and saute the shallot with some salt until it just starts to color.  Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.  Add the butter and stir to melt.  Add the garlic and saute for one minute more.  Add the flour and mix.  Add cream and buttermilk and cook to mix, it should thicken a bit.  Add the cheese, vinegar, and parsley, mix and remove from heat.

Putting It All Together
Brush Dijon mustard and a drizzle of olive oil over the bottom of the tart crust.  Pour the filling into the tart. Grate a bit more Parmigiano over the top.  Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until the crust and filling are golden brown.

Pairing Suggestions:  Serve with a Chianti Classico or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano


*Note: To re-hydrate mushrooms soak them in hot water for 20 minutes. Once the mushrooms are done soaking I freeze the liquid to use at a later date for mushroom risotto. If you have fresh wild mushrooms use them instead! I would use about two cups of fresh mushrooms, maybe even more!  Any mix will work with this. In fact if you are looking to save money or don't want to use wild mushrooms any variety of (edible!) mushroom will work...  For this tart I used 3/4 cup morels and 3/4 cup chanterelles.  I couldn't find my porcini (maybe I already ate them all!) or I would have added those as well. 

Deregulate GMOs? So says Federoff

Nina Federoff's op-ed in the August 18 New York Times infuriates.  Her blatantly one-sided interpretation of the benefits of GMOs and the chemical fertilizers and pesticides that accompany them neglects to address the true issues surrounding not only GMOs but intensive, non-ecological farming as a whole.  While the growing population and their burgeoning desire for meat-based protein are relevant, pertinent issues which must be confronted, to neglect the benefits of sustainable, ecological, low-cost farming methods is atrocious.  Agroindustries and deregulated genetic modification are not the only solutions to the mounting problems of global warming and an ever increasing population.  Federoff grossly overlooks the proven problems that accompany GMOs.  Has she not read of the new superweeds that have become resistant to Round-Up (Monsanto's powerful herbicide which many GMO crops have been modified to withstand)?  An article in the Daily Mail refers to statistics from the journal Weed Science stating that 21 species of weeds have become resistant to glyphosate (the principal ingredient in Round-Up) and there are now 11 million acres in the U.S. (up from 2.4 million in 2007) infested with glyphosate resistant weeds. A quick search of Weed Science's current issue has countless articles relating to glyphosate resistance.  So that parked tractor that Federoff cites as a boon to the environment is actually busy 1. applying various herbicide cocktails to try to kill these weeds 2. plowing up the field to try and rid it of its invasive weeds 3. parked in the shade watching as the field of soybeans becomes worthlessly covered by superweeds.

Federoff's big push is the total deregulation of genetically modified organisms. She claims that there is "no scientifically credible evidence of harm."  While we can easily argue over the definition of "harm," one thing is clear: as long as industry is self-regulating and conducting it's own studies on the negative effects of gene modification, there will be no evidence of harm until it is too late. 

NY Times op-ed from August 18th, 2011


Letters in response to the op-ed


Anna Lappe's excellent rebuttal of Nina Federoff's op-ed

The Red McClure Potato

The following has been adapted from the application to board the Red McClure on to Slow Food's Ark of Taste.  After the tasting panel met in the fall of 2010 the Red McClure was unanimously voted onto the Ark.  Slow Food Roaring Fork is currently working to gain the potato's acceptance onto the International Ark of Taste as well as creating a Slow Food Presidium recognizing the Carbondale, Colorado area as the historic growing region of the Red McClure.  

The Red McClure is an heirloom red skinned, white flesh potato developed by Thomas McClure as a sport of the Peachblow potato.  Recognized for both its superior taste and cooking qualities, the Red McClure boasts a unique flavor and adaptability to various cooking methods.  It has medium to deep eyes and varies in size from very small to large sized spuds.  It has been replaced in the market by “typier” potatoes: ones with darker skin, fewer blemishes and much shallower eyes.

A full load

The Red McClure was developed in Carbondale, Colorado in the early 1900’s and released to the public in 1910.  This area was known for the quality of the potatoes produced and in its early history produced more potatoes than all of Idaho combined.  Today the historic area of production, the Roaring Fork and Crystal River Valleys of Colorado,  has only home gardeners and a handful of small commercial producers.  The potato seed for the current project is sourced in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, which is now the major growing area for Colorado potatoes (although they no longer grow any significant quantity of Red McClures).  It is Slow Food Roaring Fork’s intent to create a Presidium for this potato encompassing the historic growing regions of the Roaring Fork Valley from Aspen to Glenwood Springs, Colorado and the Crystal River Valley from Carbondale to Marble, Colorado. 

     E.H. Grubb in his 1912 book The Potato best sums it up:  “The Roaring Fork and Crystal River Valley section of Colorado is as nearly perfect in soil conditions as can be found, and the potatoes grown there are not excelled anywhere in the world, and are equaled in but few places.”   While E.H. Grubb was a Carbondale resident, he was also one of the premier potato specialists of the day and served as Vice President of the Potato Association of America and was the Special Commissioner to Europe in Potato Investigations for the U.S. Government.

Talk about potatoes!

     The Red McClure potato is on the verge of disappearance.  It exists currently only in seed banks and has no commercial production aside from what Slow Food has initiated each growing season since 2009.  The potato was grown on a commercial level in Carbondale and its surrounding area up until the 1940’s.  It was also the principal red potato of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado until more recently.  While this cultivar has been recognized for its superior flavor and versatility in the kitchen it has been replaced by more commercially viable potatoes.

     In the early 1900’s the Russet Burbank potato, one of the most widely known and grown potatoes in America, was selected by Lou Sweet on his ranch outside of Carbondale, Colorado as a natural mutation of the Burbank variety.  While the historic import of potato growing in this region is undeniable, the current lack of agriculture (and potato growing specifically) is a threat to this heritage.

     Without the continued support of Slow Food Roaring Fork, access to grow and consume Red McClures in the decades to come is unlikely.  Our goal is to see to it that the Red McClure’s existence is self-sustaining.  We aim to promote the potato so that local growers have the opportunity to market the historic aspects of the potato along side its superior culinary characteristics.  Through local awareness we have already created a short-term demand for the potato.  We aim to make this demand more long-term and to create the methods needed to ensure the availability of the potato to all who wish to participate in its revival.  As the potato has not been grown under significant acreage in quite some time, the technical side of production still demands attention.  We hope to work with Colorado State University’s San Luis Valley Research Center on the growing conditions and (organic) practices suited to the Red McClure in the Roaring Fork Valley. 

The Selling Squad

      All of the commercial growers who grow for Slow Food practice organic farming and all of them make the potato available at local farmer’s markets here in the Roaring Fork Valley.  We also offer seed to school gardens as well as to home growers to encourage support and knowledge of this potato’s role in the history of the Roaring Fork Valley.

     There has been enormous support from growers and consumers alike for the Red McClure potato.  At the centenary anniversary of Carbondale’s annual Potato Days festival in the fall of 2009, Slow Food Roaring Fork sold over 300 pounds of organic Red McClures in a single day.  We firmly believe that the Red McClure deserves a permanent presence in our area’s current culinary vernacular.  Inclusion on the International Ark of Taste and the creation of a Presidium would help create the demand needed to ensure a steady supply of seed in the market so that Slow Food Roaring Fork can step away from the incubation of this initiative and focus on widening the growing potential here in our own valley.

If you could choose only one staple what would it be?

Potatoes.  Without a doubt I cannot be without potatoes

Potatoes with tomatoes potato bread  potato pancakes potato salad garlic mashed potatoes gratin dauphinois gratin provencal fried potatoes baked potatoes steamed potatoes roasted potatoes leeks with potatoes roasted cod potatoes potatoes and cabbage potato chips crawfish etouffee stuffed potato potato doughnuts shoestring potatoes souffle potatoes potato vegetable soup brandade with potatoes potatoes with mayonnaise potatoes with mustard potatoes with ketchup potato tortilla growing potatoes Red McClure Charlotte Ozette French Fingerling Coquette Colorado Rose  La Ratte Peruvian Purple Kennebec Russet Burbank hash brown potatoes patatas bravas curried potatoes potatoes with peas Carbondale potatoes grilled potatoes gnocchi with mountain top porcini wild mushroom stuffed potato


My only problem with potatoes:
I can not say no to a potato!

Scuppernong Mocktail

With fresh scuppernongs now hitting markets here in the South, it is a perfect time to explore the possibilities of this flavorful grape.  For this mocktail simply muddle five scuppernongs in a glass and add a few ice cubes.  Pour chilled sparkling water over the concoction, mix, and enjoy!

For a real cocktail add an ounce and a half of Oronoco or Ten Cane rum and you are good to go!  The smoky flavor of these two rums will perfectly complement the scuppernong.  You can garnish with an orange or lime slice for a classy touch.

Grilled Shrimp

Vacationing on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi where you can walk down to the dock and pick up fresh jumbo shrimp right off the boat is a treat in and of itself.  I am discovering a multitude of recipes for shrimp and the following is my favorite so far. And it doesn't hurt that this recipe is so simple and quick.  Make sure you think ahead to marinate the shrimp a few hours before you are ready to eat!

Ingredients
1 lb. fresh jumbo Gulf shrimp
1/4 cup pastis (I have been using Henri Bardouin which has a lot more botanicals in it than the more ubiquitous Ricard, but Ricard should work almost as well)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons of salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
wooden skewers soaked for at least 30 minutes before grilling

Mix all of the ingredients but shrimp in a bowl.  Dehead the shrimp.  Rinse the shrimp then devein (using kitchen scissors cut the backs of the shrimp open and remove the digestive tract with a knife).  In either a tupperware container or a flat baking dish put the shrimp and pour the marinade over them tossing to cover.  Refrigerate at least two hours, mixing the shrimp in the marinade at one hour.

Prep the grill to medium-high.

Make yourself a pastis! 
In a tall glass pour one and a half ounces of pastis, add one to two ice cubes, add enough water to dilute into a cloudy haze, roughly 4 ounces.  Cheers!

Grilling the Shrimp
Remove shrimp from the fridge.  Skewer the shrimp, but don't crowd them together.

Grill approximately two minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Alternatively you can broil them instead of grilling.  Just preheat your broiler and follow the same instructions.

I have served these on my classic salad as well as on a sandwich with sriracha mayo, tomato, basil and bibb lettuce. You can also peel them leaving the tails on and serve as an hors d'oevre with the sriracha mayo.

Pairing suggestions: Enjoy with sparkling water mixed with a splash of Italian limonata or that pastis if you haven't finished it!  This could also easily pair with a crisp Italian white such as a Gavi di Gavi .

A Raw Deal!

Following is a link to "The Latest Raw Milk Raid: An Attack On Food Freedom?" an article written by Ari LeVaux for The Atlantic.  This article and the event in question demonstrate the degree to which  big corporations have their way with our food system.  With an inability or unwillingness to focus on Big Agriculture, the source of most food-borne pathogens,  federal and local governments waste precious resources policing small agriculture enterprises which pose minimal threat to the public.

Click here for The Atlantic's August 15, 2011 article!

Anchovy Dressing and Tart Green Salad

This is my classic dressing with a tart and savory twist.  It is simple to make and quite tasty.

Ingredients
Four anchovy fillets
1/3 cup olive oil
Three cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Juice from one lemon
One tablespoon Dijon mustard (preferably Maille)
One tablespoon brewer's yeast flakes
One teaspoon sea salt
One head of escarole (or a mix of escarole, radicchio, and romaine; just make sure the majority of your greens are from the chicory family), cut or torn into bite size pieces, washed and dried.
Optional: one cup of fresh basil leaves

Making the Dressing
In a small sauce pan put the oil, anchovies and garlic.  Heat on low until the anchovies are fully melted and the garlic has just started changing colors.  Let cool.

In a glass jar put lemon juice, salt, mustard, and brewer's yeast.  Mix thoroughly.

Pour the cooled oil mixture into the jar.  The level of the lemon juice mixture and olive oil mixture should be identical; if they are not adjust as needed (by adding either olive oil or lemon juice).
Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously to emulsify.

Dress your salad in a large salad bowl and
Enjoy!

Marinated Blue Crab Claws

This is an easy dish that will have everyone licking their fingers!  Blue crab claws can be purchased already cooked with the shells removed, in a one pound container.  They may be a bit harder to find outside of the Gulf South!


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Juice from 1/2 large lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I prefer Maille)
• 2 chopped green onions
• 2 minced shallots
• 1 minced celery stalk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon organic lemon zest
• 1 pound cooked blue crab claws, outer shells removed from claw meat

Putting It All Together

In a medium glass bowl mix all liquids.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the crab claws and mix.  Using your hands gently fold in the crab claws and mix to cover.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Serve on a plate with claws assembled in concentric circles radiating outward.  Don't forget the napkins!

Pairing Suggestions:  Rose, of course!  Or you could make yourself and your guests Negronis. 

Mark Bittman's Bad Food (Tax)

Everyone has their own opinion of what constitutes good food.  In Sunday, July 24th's New York Times Mark Bittman officially confirmed his place along side Michael Pollan as an advocate for healthy, unprocessed foods.  Many may take issue in his jump from recipe purveyor to opinion writer but we can only hope that his ideas have a positive influence on future food policy. His article, "Bad Food? Tax It",  offers a glimpse into the possibilities of a federally supported soft drink excise tax.  Bittman argues in support of such a tax.  (Why he omits diet sodas from the equation is baffling; are they not just as noxious as sugar laden drinks?)  He acknowledges the artificially low prices of soft drinks due to current subsidies for corn (and high-fructose corn syrup) yet he fails to make a critical connection: the passage of a beverage tax without the full eradication of this subsidy is simply a means of recuperating the funds the government has already given farmers and corporations to grow and manufacture the very product we would be taxing.

Bittman  suggests a transfer of commodity based subsidies to other "staples" such as seasonal greens, vegetables and other healthy foods.  While noble in its ideals this transfer of subsidies would benefit neither farmers nor the public.  Artificially low food prices (of any food) do not adequately convey the true cost of growing food.  Food is not free, even if you grow it yourself, as farmers well know.  The average American spends less than 9.5% of their income on food; this is the lowest percentage of income spent on food of any other country on the planet (Italy spends 25%, Japan 19%, France 16%, and the UK 11%; middle-income countries spend 35% and low-income countries 55%).  We need to focus on changing the American diet through sustainable, cost-effective means.  A beverage tax may help get us there; redirected subsidies will not.

Regardless of one's stance on subsidies, taxing unhealthy foods is certainly one means of persuading Americans to change their high calorie, saccharine-rich diet.  Mark Bittman's front page opinion in the Times' Sunday Review helps focus our attention on one aspect of this diet; it's time to impose an excise tax on soft drinks and help America work off its ever increasing waist line.

Click here for Mark Bittman's "Bad Food? Tax It"

Tart Green Salad

This is a very tasty, eye-pleasing, belly-filling salad! Lynne Rossetto Kasper's salad of the same name provides the inspiration for this dish.  The tart greens pair beautifully with the warm garlic balsamic dressing.  It is quite an easy salad to make once you are habituated.  Make sure to serve the salad on a platter and not in a bowl: the diversity of colors and textures makes this a stunning salad.  The warm dressing will be drizzled over the top (and not tossed in).

Ingredients
One medium red onion, sliced into thin rings

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Mix of greens: radicchio, escarole, romaine, curly endive cut or torn into bite size pieces
1 cup fresh basil

1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

4 scallions (white and green parts) thinly sliced on the diagonal

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
One loosely packed cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved with a vegetable peeler
6 large cloves of garlic, thickly diced
3/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used vinegar from my own barrel, but a good red wine vinegar will work)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Optional: Prosciutto di Parma, cut into bite-sized squares; cooked and then lightly sauteed white beans

Preparation

Soak the onion in the 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar for 30 minutes (this will tame its bite).  Wash and spin the greens, basil and parsley.  Mix the greens with half the pine nuts, most of the scallions, half a cup of shaved Parmigiano, half the prosciutto and/or white beans (if using).  Arrange on a platter.  

Making the Dressing

In a medium sauce pan cook the olive oil and garlic on low heat until the garlic just begins to color (take care not to overcook the garlic).  Remove the garlic from the oil and reserve.  Turn up the heat to medium and add the vinegars and lightly whisk together.  Add the brown sugar.  Let the dressing slowly bubble for a minute.  Taste for sweet/tart balance.  Stir in reserved garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Whisk everything together vigorously.  Set aside until ready to serve, reheating to warm if it has cooled off.  This dressing can be made several hours ahead of time.  (I had left over dressing and used some the next day and it was quite good then as well.  However, it is best made fresh.) 

Salad Assembly

Spread the drained red onions across the salad greens.  Sprinkle the remaining scallions, pine nuts, Parmigiano, prosciutto and white beans across the top.  Spoon the warm, thoroughly whisked dressing over the salad.  Enjoy immediately!

Pairing Suggestions: I would serve this with a crisp white from Friuli, or a young Chianti.  A good, fruity Beaujolais could also work.  If you do go for a red I would serve it slightly chilled!

Fig Tart

With an abundance of figs at the farmer's market right now I thought I would experiment with a simple tart. The frangipane added a nice creamy touch, but it it is just as good without the almond paste. I used two varieties of small figs: Celeste and LSU Purple.

This made one tasty, good looking treat!

Ingredients
One Crust (recipe follows)
Frangipane (recipe follows)
10-20 figs, depending on size
One egg yolk

One tablespoon of melted butter

Crust
8 tbs. unsalted butter (chilled)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4-9 tbs. ice water

Cut the butter into small squares. In a medium size bowl, using your hands, mix the butter in with the flour until the butter is flattened into small pieces about the size of dimes. Make a well in the middle and add the ice water. Mix until the dough forms a ball. You should use just enough water for the mixture to hold together (at high altitude I am using almost 9 tbs. of water, in New Orleans I use less than 5tbs). Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Frangipane

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg

5 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon organic orange zest

dash of cream or whole milk

Preheat oven to 350. On a baking sheet toast almonds for about 8 minutes until they just start giving off an aroma. Transfer to a dish and let them cool.

In a food processor blend almonds and sugar until finely ground. Add butter, cream, egg and orange zest and pulse until well blended.

This will make a lot more frangipane than this recipe requires. I have frozen my leftovers in two separate containers until I decide what to make next with this tasty paste!

Putting it all together

Preheat oven to 375F.

On a floured work surface roll out the dough as thin as you can in all directions. Fold it in half over itself legthwise and then horizontally. Roll out again. Continue to fold and roll at least four or five times. The dough should be very thin and stretchy. At this point transfer to a baking sheet and spread a layer of frangipane on the surface of the shell leaving about an inch of border all the way around. Slice figs into quarters (large figs) or halves (small figs). Set half a fig down in the center, skin side down. Add concentric circles of figs around until you reach the perimeter border. Fold the edges up and over the outside row of figs, pinching the dough together as necessary. Brush the outside crust with egg yolk for a nice golden crust. Brush the figs with melted butter. Sprinkle sugar over the figs and crust.

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Pairing suggestions: A tasty muscat from Australia would be perfect!