I am addicted to this appetizer!  It is so easy to make and tastes amazing.  You know this blog is all about fresh ingredients, and yes, I know it is not tomato season yet.  The only tomato I buy out of season are campari tomatoes.  Campari is a type of cocktail tomato, noted for its juiciness, high sugar level, low acidity, and lack of mealiness. Camparis are deep red and larger than a cherry tomato, but smaller and rounder than a plum tomato.

Do you see those tiny green leaves?  They are basil!  Recently while walking around my local plant nursery, I discovered this variety of basil.  It is called Boxwood Basil.

It tastes just like the regular basil, but no chopping required!

This appetizer can feed one to one hundred.  I am not going to give exact measurements,  the amount of each depends on how many you are making.

Caprese Bruschetta

Ingredients

Baguette

Olive Oil

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Campari Tomatoes

Basil

Fresh Cracked Pepper

Coarse Sea Salt

Preparation

Pre-heat broiler on high.  Slice the baguette on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices.  Brush the baguette slices on both sides with olive oil.  Place on cookie sheet and broil until golden, watching carefully not to burn it.  Turn slices over and broil until golden.  Remove from oven.  Slice mozzarella cheese into 1/4 inch slices and cut to fit on top of each baguette.  Place back under the broiler until cheese has melted.  Remove from oven.  Place two slices of campari tomatoes on each slice.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place back under broiler for 1-2 minutes, just to heat the tomato through.  Remove from oven, drizzle with additional olive oil and basil.  Enjoy!

I probably should be trying to eat less fat too, but one vice at a time, right?

This was so easy to make and I didn’t miss the crust at all.  Asparagus is in season, so I used it, along with onion.  You could substitute any vegetable and cheese in this quiche and it would still turn out wonderful.   You could add ham, mushrooms or bacon too.   I did lighten it up a little by replacing all cream for half cream and half 2% milk.

Crust-less Quiche ~ Serves 4

Active Time 15 minutes

Total Time 55-60 minutes

Ingredients

16 Thin Asparagus Spears, tough ends removed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buttering pie plate

1-1/2 tablespoons dried plain bread crumbs

2 cups Gruyere Cheese

4 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup 2% milk

Equipment – one 10 inch quiche dish or glass pie plate

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Butter quiche dish, then sprinkle all over with bread crumbs.

Cook onions and asparagus in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Spread in dish, then evenly sprinkle cheese on top.

Whisk together eggs, cream, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pour over cheese. Bake until top is golden and custard is set in center, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into wedges.

The farmer’s markets are starting to run again here in NC.  I am really looking forward to getting out and seeing what is coming in from the fields.  We are settling into our new home and I hope to have more time to create some seasonal dishes to share with you.

“FIG bistro is an intimate neighborhood restaurant featuring casual interpretations of New American and French cuisine. Our menu features an array of seasonal dishes, along with daily chef’s specials inspired by the fresh local ingredients available here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The FIG staff is friendly, engaging, and knowledgeable and it is our sincere desire to offer you a genuine and memorable dining experience.”

Fig Bistro’s brochure goes on to say, “Fig’s commitment to quality and excellence is readily apparent in the seasonal masterpieces created by the fig culinary ream.  As staunch supporters of local, organic and sustainable agriculture, we are continually developing relationships with Western North Carolina farmers.  This insures that we have access to the freshest and finest and finest ingredients available.”

You know that is what my blog is all about.  Fresh, local, seasonal cooking.  I am fortunate to live in an area that many of the restaurants feel the same way.

After we received our lunches, as food bloggers, Penny and I both started taking pictures of our beautifully plated dishes.  One of Fig’s employees, Heather Masterson, affectionately know as the Den Mother, came over to make sure things were fine.  When we explained we were food bloggers and were going to feature Fig Bistro on our blogs, Heather spent some time with us, talking about the seasonal dishes.  It is obvious that Heather and all of the staff at Fig Bistro take pride in the restaurant.

So, what did we have for lunch?

My friend, Penny had a quiche and side salad.

I chose one of the day’s specials.  Seared scallops with baby ramps, radishes and baby pea shoots, served with a beurre blanc sauce and chopped chives.  Ramps, pea shoots and radishes…you can’t get more seasonal that that!

Both meals were delicious.  If you are ever in the Asheville area, I highly recommend you try Fig Bistro.  The food and the service is stellar.  You won’t be disappointed.

Cream of Asparagus Soup ~ Serves 4 ~Active Time 20 Minutes, Total Time 50 Minutes

2 pounds asparagus

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stick celery, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 russet potato, peeled and chopped

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

2-3 cups baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup half-n-half

Cut tips from 8 stalks of asparagus, 1-1/2 inches from the top and set aside.  Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces.

Melt butter in heavy 4 quart sauce pan over medium low heat.  Add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes.  Add the asparagus pieces (not the saved tips), salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes and chicken stock.  Bring to to a boil, reduce and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the asparagus is very tender.  Add spinach, stir until wilted, 2-3 minutes.

While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes then drain.

Bring soup to room temperature.  Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan.  Add half-n-half.  Adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer and heat for 5 minutes.  Ladle into 4 bowls and top with saved asparagus tips.  Drizzle with half-n-half if desired.

This also makes a great first course and will serve 8, if using small cups.  I used my espresso cups in the picture above.

Today, I spent the morning in the kitchen testing a recipe for the first course.  It is a roasted cauliflower soup with pan seared scallops.  What is so amazing about this soup?  All of the ingredients come together so beautifully.  When you combine roasted cauliflower, leeks, onions, garlic, Pecorino cheese and truffle oil the results are amazing.  The texture is velvety.  The scallops are sweet.  It is rich and creamy.  Do you all mind waiting a minute?  I need to go get another bowl.

OK…I am back.  Seriously, if you are looking for a “make them sit up and take notice” kind of soup for a first course.  This. Is. The. One.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Seared Scallops ~ Serves 8 (as a first course)

Adapted from Traditional Home Magazine

Cooking Time ~ 35 Minutes

Ingredients

8 fresh sea scallops

1 large head cauliflower, cut in florets

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

salt and ground pepper

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 medium leek, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can low sodium chicken stock

2 cups whipping cream

shaved Pecorino cheese

truffle oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place cauliflower florets on baking sheet.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Toss to coat.  Roast, uncovered, 30 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown.

While cauliflower is roasting, chop onions, leeks and garlic.  In a large sauce pan heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, leeks and garlic.  Cook and stir 10 minutes or until soft.  Add roasted cauliflower, chicken stock, whipping cream.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook covered, 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes.

Add soup in batches to a blender (caution, if soup is too hot it will explode out of the blender, so make sure the soup is just warm and place a towel over blender cover before blending).  Blend until smooth.  Return soup to pan.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Heat through.

In large skillet heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat.  Pat scallops dry on both sides.  Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper, cook in hot oil 2 to 4 minutes per side, until browned and just opaque in center.

Place one scallop in each shallow serving bowl.  Spoon soup around scallop.  Garnish soup with shaved Pecorino cheese.  Drizzle with truffle oil.  Serve immediately.

Recipe ~ Serves 6

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup to thicken the gravy

salt

pepper

3 pounds beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 bottle good quality dry red wine

8 fresh thyme sprigs

6 cloves garlic, smashed and skin removed

2 bay leaves

3 cups beef stock, plus 1/2 cup beef stock for thickening gravy

12 small new potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half

1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cups frozen pearl onions

1 pound button mushrooms, cut in half

pinch of sugar

1/2 pound frozen peas

Chopped Chives

Horseradish Sour Cream (recipe follows)

Toasted Baguette Slices (recipe follows)

Preparation

Preheat a large dutch oven over medium high heat with the oil and butter.

While the pan is heating, arrange 1/2 cup flour on a large dish.  Season the cubed beef with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and then toss in the flour to coat.  Shake off the excess flour and add the beef cubes in a single layer to the hot pan, being careful not to over crowd the pan.  You might have to work in batches.  Once all of the meat has been browned, remove it to a plate and reserve.

Add the wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer while you scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release the tasty bits.  Once the wine has gotten hot, add the browned meat, thyme, smashed garlic, salt and pepper to taste, bay leaves and 3 cups beef stock.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook uncovered for 2 hours.

After two hours, add the potatoes, carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine.  Turn the heat up slightly and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender.  Add the frozen peas and simmer for 5 minutes.  Whisk together remaining beef stock and remaining flour until smooth.  Slowly stir the flour mixture into the broth.  Simmer and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes until gravy has thickened.

To serve, place in bowls, add a dollop of the Horseradish Sour Cream, garnish with chives.  Right before serving, add  slice of Toasted Baguette, halfway submerged into the stew.

Horseradish Sour Cream

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

Stir together and let set in the refrigerator a couple of hours

Toasted Baguette

Slice the baguette, brush with olive oil on both sides.  Place under the broiler.  After first side is browned, turn over and toast the other side.  Remove from broiler and serve.

This will be my last post until after we  move, November 26th.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

Baked Shrimp With Tomatoes and Feta ~ Serves 4

The picture above is from Eat Smart Magazine and the recipe is by Ellie Krieger.  I changed up some of the herbs to suit our taste and added a splash of good red wine.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic minced

Two 14.5 ounce cans no-salt added diced tomatoes, with their juice

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

splash of good red wine (about a 1/4 cup)

1- 1/4 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 425F. Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, wine, oregano, basil, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomato juices thicken.

Remove from heat, stir in the shrimp. Sprinkle the feta over the top. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

I served mine with oven roasted zucchini sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

To see the original recipe, click here.

Our move to our new house is Nov 26.  As soon as I get settled in I will start posting more regularly here.  In the meantime, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

In my last post, I cooked a black bean with ground beef chili.  Today’s post is Chili, Take Two, a white bean chicken chili.

I had two cans of cannellini beans in the pantry and a rotisserie chicken in the freezer, so I decided to make white bean chicken chili.  A great way to make this chili a little creamier without adding cream is by placing some of the beans in a food processor, before cooking, with a little chicken stock, and then adding it to the soup.

White Bean Chicken Chili ~ Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small red pepper, diced

2  – 19 ounce cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 tablespoon cumin

3 tablespoons chili powder

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

2 cups diced cooked chicken breast

Toppings

Cheddar cheese

Monterey Jack cheese

cilantro

Preparation

Heat olive oil over medium low heat in a large sauce pan or dutch oven.  Add onions, garlic and red pepper.  Saute until onions and peppers are tender.  In a food processor or blender, place 1/2 cup cannellini beans and 1/2 cup chicken stock.  Process until smooth.   Add processed beans and remaining chicken stock to pan, along with the rest of the beans.  Stir in the next 8 ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.  Place into individual serving bowls and top with garnishes.

Some of my cookbooks, ready to be packed.  Notice I said “some”.  Hi, my name is Penny and I am a cookbook addict.:-)

Anyone want to come help me pack?

Can I tell you a secret?  It is REALLY hard to get a good photo of chili….shredded cheese on the other hand seems to be quite easy.

Black Bean Chili

Recipe ~ Serves 8

Ingredients

2 pounds of ground beef – 90% lean

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chili powder, divided

2 tablespoons cumin, divided

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups beef broth

1 – 14 1/2 ounce diced tomatoes

1 – 8 ounce can tomato sauce

2 – 15 ounce cans black beans

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Garnishes

chopped green onion

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add ground beef, diced onions and minced garlic.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally until beef is no longer pink.  Add 2 tablespoons chili powder and 1 tablespoon cumin.  Cook stirring constantly for about 5 minutes.  Stir in broth, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomato, tomato sauce, black beans and the rest of the chili powder and cumin.  Add the cayenne pepper and chopped cilantro.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Serve in individual bowls topped with sour cream, chopped green onion and shredded cheddar cheese.

One of my favorite Mexican dishes is enchiladas.  I had mentioned this to my friend Barbara, and she gave me a recipe for Enchiladas Suizas.  Enchiladas suizas (Swiss-style) are topped with a white, milk or cream-based sauce, such as bechamel. This appellation is derived from Swiss immigrants to Mexico who established dairies to produce cream and cheese.

I had never had this type of enchilada before, but they sounded great.

I have seen this recipe made with sour cream, creme fraiche or heavy cream.  I imagine there would be a little tartness with the sour cream or creme fraiche.  The recipe I used called for milk or heavy cream.  I used the heavy cream .

Recipe – Serves 5 (two enchiladas per person)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock

1 small can diced green chilies

1 clove garlic, minced

dash of salt

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced into small pieces

10 flour tortillas

1 cup heavy cream

2 scallions, sliced thin

Cilantro for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium low heat.  Add chopped onions and saute until tender.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk in chicken stock until blended.  Add green chilies, minced garlic, salt and cumin.  Simmer 15 minutes.

Grease a rectangular baking dish.  Mix chopped chicken with 1/4 cup Monterey Jack and 1/4 cup cheddar cheeses.  Dip tortillas in sauce to soften.  Add equal amounts of chicken and cheese mixture to all tortillas.  Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in baking dish.  Pour remaining sauce on top of tortillas.  Pour heavy cream on top of the sauce.  Sprinkle remaining cheeses and scallions on top of dish.  Place in oven and bake 20-30 minutes or until cheese is golden and the tortillas are hot and bubbly.

Remove from oven, sprinkle cilantro on top and serve.

Linking to:

Stone Gable – On The Menu Monday