The Tasty Bits

Winter Kale Salad w/ Citrus Vinaigrette

2012-02-12T17:12:00.001-07:00

Let's be completely honest.... It's incredibly difficult to eat salads composed of micro greens while we're still in the middle of winter.

I desperately want to eat lighter, but on a personal and professional level, I shy away from the same old tired salads: Caesar, the standard "house" salad, or those with a gummy balsamic dressing. These salads have been done over and over, and many have been done poorly.

What I love about this salad is, it's hardy and refreshing all at the same time.

Recently, I was served a similar salad at one of my local restaurants, and after the first bite, I was hooked. I have eaten a version of this raw salad, EVERYDAY! I Love, Love, LOVE this easy salad.
I hope you will try it too, and leave those other boring, frail salads to everyone else.

A Few Notes before you begin.

1. Try to use Tuscan Kale (Cavalo nero. Other names: black kale, Lacinato kale, dinosaur kale). If you aren't sure what it looks like, Click HERE . Tuscan Kale is more tender then the frilly kale you see as a garnish, although it works too.
2. When you slice the kale, perk it up by soaking the kale in ice water for 30 minutes, then spin it dry with a salad spinner.
3. Massage the dressing into the kale, with our hands. By using your hands and gently rubbing the kale between your palm and fingers, you actually soften the greens, therefore you tenderize the kale. Massage for 2-3 minutes, until the kale shines and is deep green. ( I know it's strange, but trust me).
4. This salad will hold for a least 6-8 hours (or more) once you dress it, so it's a perfect work day lunch, or pot luck dish you can make ahead.

Winter Kale Salad w/Citrus Vinaigrette
Serves 2-4

2 bunches Tuscan Kale/ Nero, thick stems removed, leaves thinly sliced
3 leaves Radicchio, thinly sliced
2 oz. Feta
2 whole artichoke hearts, thinly sliced (pick up a few from the olive bar at your local market)
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts ( or walnuts, pecans)

Citrus Dressing
Juice and zest of one orange ( I like cara cara, blood, or honey oranges)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper

Combine all the ingredients of the citrus dressing with a whisk, set aside. ( don't worry if the dressing separates).

In a large bowl, combine kale and radicchio and drizzle half of the dressing over the mixture, using your hands, massage the dressing into all the leaves for 2-3 minutes. Once all the leaves are coated, the salad it ready to plate.

To plate: arrange kale/radicchio salad on chilled plates, then top each salad with sliced artichokes, feta, pomegranate seeds, and pine nuts. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and drizzle a tiny bit of dressing on each.

enjoy!

Chef Deb

P.S. I recently "tried" to tidy up my blog, but it sent out several post from the past instead.... I apologize. Thank goodness I am a better chef then I am a blogger. I do have upcoming classes at Mountain High Appliance in Louisville, Colorado. I will post them as soon as we schedule them!

Stay warm...and eat your greens!

Mushroom Salsa

2012-01-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, MUSHROOM salsa....

I know, I know, I know, you've tried millions of salsas: tomato, fruit, bean, corn, squash, blah, blah and blah...

This one will surprise you, I promise.

When I was asked to demo something fresh at the very last Farmer's Market in December, the only things available were: Winter Squash, kale, onions, crafts, and Hazel Dell Mushrooms. So, I decided to whip up a simple mushroom salsa/relish that had been served to me at one of our local mexican food restaurants.

Initially, I thought this quick recipe would be an easy way to pass the saturday chatting with market friends and doing some winter shopping myself.... it was after all, a salsa.

Salsa...(eyes glaze over).

I worried slightly if it would be a bit of a push to get people to try a raw mushroom salsa. However, once I answered the "Mushroom Salsa??" question, I had a difficult time keeping up with the demand for samples! I am pretty sure I had a few market shoppers filling up their aluminum drink bottles with salsa when I was not looking. Hands down, this was the most popular recipe I've ever offered!

It's THAT good, I swear!

Besides, with all the Super Bowl recipes going around that will most likely to put an end to your New Year's resolution ( and you've really worked hard this year! ). Why not bring something unusual, tasty, and inexpensive? This unique salsa will actually have more people asking YOU for your recipe, then praising your friend for her Buffalo Chicken dip concoction. ( Sorry, I am a wee bit competitive...)

Please keep in mind this is a suggested recipe and I have a few notes I'd like you to consider.
1. Any mushroom will do, so it's find to use the inexpensive "white" ones. I also find great deals on mushrooms at the local asian markets.
2. This salsa benefits from a high lime/vinegar ratio. Mushrooms are "earthy" and somewhat of a blank canvas, therefore an acid such as lime and/or a mild vinegar, pulls this recipe together.
3. This salsa is best when fresh. I allow it to sit for about an hour or so and it's ready. The mushrooms begin to darken after a few hours, and will turn dark gray in a day, so plan accordingly.
4. I use a small amount of red onion in this dish because, without the acid of tomato, the onions will overpower the salsa. If onions are too strong, rinse them under cold water to lessen their bite.
5. For my friends on a special diet, I serve this salsa with peeled and sliced Jicama or sliced Chayote
6. I sometimes add a little olive oil, but it's because I think a tiny bit of fat balances out the flavor, but I've added water when I could not add olive oil... the water dilutes the acid, and helps the mushrooms marinate. Your choice, water or olive oil
7. there's no garlic... for some reason, it does not need it, but feel free to add a few pinches of cumin. It is a little "fresher" tasting, without it. The carrot is for a tiny bit of sweetness and it adds color.

Mushroom Salsa

1 8 oz. Button mushrooms, cleaned, chopped by hand
1-2 Jalapenos, diced (leave the seeds for hotter salsa)
1/4 small red onion, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 small carrot, peeled, grated
Juice of 1-2 limes (or 1 lime and 1-2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar)
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil or Water (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, sprinkle w/ Kosher salt and Pepper. Allow mixture to rest for 30 minutes. Taste and season more if needed, it should have a pronounced lime taste and salt should balance out the flavors.

Play with this recipe and let me know what you think.

Best,

Chef Deb

P.S. To all my local readers:

We are still doing cooking classes each month at Mountain High Appliance and they are still in $20-$25 range.

My next Demo is Feb. 7, 2012, :

Casseroles and Comfort Foods:
King Ranch Chicken Casserole, Ham and Leek Pie, Pinto Bean and Sweet Potato Chili, Stuffed Polenta w/Classic Bolognese, Perfect Potato Gratin, Sticky Toffee Pudding w/Bourbon Whipped Cream

Contact Barbara at Mountain High Appliance : 303.665.6850
Email: barbara@mountainhighappliance.com

In Denver I will be at The Seasoned Chef on Feb. 5, 2012

DOUGHNUTS WITH DEB
Deb Traylor

Sunday, February 5
1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Fee: $55

Who doesn’t love donuts? Join Chef Deb and prepare these mouth-watering confections: Basic Yeast Donuts: Baked and Fried; Cake Donuts: Baked and Fried; Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon Glaze; Pumpkin Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze; Blueberry Cake Donuts with Lemon Glaze; Bomboloni's: Italian Donuts with Rich Chocolate Sauce.

Contact: Mary at The Seasoned Chef

303-377-3222
info@theseasonedchef.com

Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bar (Vegan & Gluten Free)

2011-10-11T09:50:00.001-06:00

Here's to my Vegan and Gluten Free friends!

This is a fabulous breakfast/snack bar! It's full of the things we love: oatmeal, pumpkin puree, fall spices, chia seeds, walnuts and walnut oil. It's simple, not too sweet, with loads of fiber and a dose of omega-3's.

I was looking around the internet for a healthier alternative to the average breakfast/snack bar. While I found many, it seems that even the most popular 'vegan' cookies, did not look appealing nor were they utilizing the best healthy alternatives. So, I took the best of what I found and changed the components to actually offer,well..... MORE! More flavor, more fiber, more omega 3's, more nutrients.

The changes I made to the Vegan recipe were :

~ I made them gluten free, substituting oat flour (or sorghum flour) for white all purpose flour

~ instead of a non dairy spread (which contains water) or vegetable oil, I used walnut oil. Walnut oil is packed with flavor, so if its too much for your taste you can use 1/2 walnut oil & 1/2 other oil. ALSO, spectrum makes a filtered walnut oil, that has all the omega-3's of walnut oil, but none of the walnut flavor. Organic Coconut oil is also a good choice.

~ I added a Tablespoon of Chia seeds to my dry mixture, it adds omega-3's and fiber

~ for sweetener, I added 1 Tablespoon molasses, and used an organic raw sugar.. I like the large sugar crystals as they add crunch to the topping. Plus I wanted the filling to have more of a gingerbread note then just pumpkin.

This is a soft breakfast bar, more suited for coffee and tea, then backpacking. I tested these out on my family, who in all honesty, are accustomed to all the butter and cream that usually is involved in my cooking life. I knew they were a hit when I returned to the pan and half of them had been consumed!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (Vegan too!)

1/2 cup filtered walnut oil (spectrum) OR 1/2 cup (1/4 cup canola oil &; 1/4 cupunfiltered walnut oil)

OR 1/2 cup filtered coconut oil, OR 1/2 cup earth balance, melted

1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract

1 cup GF oat Flour or Sorghum Flour

1 cup GF Rolled Oats

1/3 cup ground walnuts

1/2 raw sugar, or maple sugar

1-2 Tablespoons Chia seeds (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoon Xantham Gum

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Pumpkin Filling

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

1/4 cup raw sugar or agave nectar

1 Tablespoon Molasses

1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Zest from one orange

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

Generously oil 8x8 inch pan.

In a medium bowl combine oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, oat flour, oats, walnuts, sugar, chia seeds (if using), xantham gum, baking powder and salt until thoroughly combined. Press HALF of mixture firmly to the bottom of the pan, and back for 10-12 minutes, until it begins to brown.

While the base is baking, combine the pumpkin filling ingredients in a bowl. Taste the filling, now is the time to adjust the flavors.. want more sugar? more ginger? add a bit more now, but keep in mind the flavors will deepen as it bakes.

Once the base has browned, let cool for 5 minutes, then spread filling all over the top. Next sprinkle crumb topping over the filling. At this point you can add an additional teaspoon of raw crunchy sugar, or a few more nuts. ( I always have to gild the lily so I added a little sugar on top). Bake for 20-25 minutes, you want it to have some color. Cool for 30 minutes, and cut into 16 pieces. Enjoy!

The breakfast bars will remain soft and will keep for about 4-5 days. Most of ours were eaten in one day, but I kept one, just to see how it would hold up.

Here's a great fall recipe from my archives: Anasazi Bean and Pumpkin Stew (Vegan and GF)

Best,

Chef Deb

Vegetable Soup w/Tarragon Pistou

2011-10-07T11:01:00.001-06:00

Cold weather is on it's way! It's time for soups, stews and all things that bring comfort ( and calories)! While I am looking forward to a lazy day (or just few hours) of cooking hearty stews along with big hefty loaves of warm bread, I don't welcome the extra calories that go along with those favorites.

Somehow, I never lost my winter pelt from last season. Sadly, I have to face the fact that I can no longer rely on my super-charged-hyper-activity to keep my weight in check as I maintain a butter and cream supply that would make Ms. Paula Dean envious. I have to make some changes, and I am not really doing so gracefully. Change is good, I know, but life with less butter just seams scary.

So, in the spirit of making a few healthy tweaks in my recipes, I thought I'd offer a very basic vegetable soup recipe with an-over-the-top punch of flavor from one of my favorite herbs. Tarragon. Luckily, it grows rather well in our climate, and when made into a Pistou ( a cold french sauce made of herbs, garlic and olive oil), it delivers a high concentration of extraordinary flavor.

We made this soup last week at one of my cooking demonstrations and it was a huge hit. The big flavor comes from a combination of fresh tarragon, parsley, garlic and olive oil. It's a refreshing departure from the usual basil pesto, and it does not contain any extra calories from nuts or parmesan cheese. As with many of the recipes you will find on this blog, the recipe is merely a suggestion. Personally, I feel the Pistou could, and should be used the way you would use salt, or any condiment. It's a flavor enhancer. Think of making a cilantro-parsley mix for been soups, a parsley-sage mix for turkey noodle soup, a cilantro-mint-basil for asian soups, ....I can keep going, but you get the idea.. The star really is the Pistou, as it can take a humble vegetable soup and elevate it to "I could lick the bowl" status. I hope you will give this one a try!

French Vegetable Soup w/Tarragon Pistou

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 stalks Celery, diced

2 carrots, peeled & diced

2 parsnips, peeled & diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large red skinned potatoes, scrubbed & diced

1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, 6 peppercorns, 6 stems of parsley, 4 stems thyme)

1 quart Vegetable stock

1 quart water

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup fresh green beans, chopped

1 can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups kale, stems & spine removed, chopped.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Heat a 5-quart pot over medium heat, then add olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and parsnips and sweat vegetables for 10 minutes. You want them to gently release their liquid, and not to have any discernible coloring ( no browning). Next, add potatoes, herbs, veg stock, water and tomatoes to pot and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Once potatoes are tender add beans, green beans and kale, then simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove bay leaves, parsley & thyme stems and season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Ladle soup into warm bowls and top with 1Tablespoon Pistou and serve with crusty french bread.

Tarragon Pistou

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 tarragon leaves, no stem

3/4 cup parsley leaves

1/2 extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients into a small food processor and process for 3 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides. Taste Pistou, and adjust the salt, and add more tarragon for a stronger flavor, or more parsley for a milder flavor. Store any unused Pistou in a covered container, topped with a thin layer of olive oil. It will last a week in the refrigerator, or 1 month in the freezer.

Take a look at these great soups from previous posts:

** Savory Butternut Squash Soup w/smoked paprika seeds

**Three Potato Chowder

** Colorado Onion Sage Soup - ( my last class voted this the BEST french onion soup they'd ever had..it's all about slowly, slowly, slowly caramelizing your onions.. perfect for a cold fall day)!

Enjoy!

Chef Deb Traylor

I also have info on upcoming cooking classes and demo's at Mountain High Appliance in Louisville,

We are doing "FOODIE HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS"

Includes: Salted Caramel Sauce, Homemade Cellos (lemon and others), fruit compotes, etc..

Cost: $20 per class
Advance registration required by contacting Barbara at

303-951-0524 or Barbara@mountainhighappliance.com

Fried Green Tomatoes w/goat cheese & tarragon vinaigrette

2011-10-04T09:16:00.000-06:00

It's been a long, long time since I've posted ANYTHING!

All I can say is, life (bad, good, and incredible) got first dibs on my attention. I have two fabulous ladies, who devoutly attend my cooking classes, ( and to whom, I will owe $20 each, if I don't blog soon) to thank for pushing me back into the water.

So......

I LOVE, love, love this salad.

Except for those brief moments in summer, where tomatoes are so perfectly ripe they need JUST the slightest suggestion of salt, the biggest motivation to plant tomatoes is....FGT's. Fried Green Tomatoes! I purposely plant too many tomato seeds each spring solely to support my green tomato obsession.

I am arriving late to the wonders of FGT's, as I never had them as a child, teenager or even as young adult. Unfortunately, in my "pre chef, food-nerd" days, if it did not come from a can or was not cooked to a point beyond recognition, my family did not serve such things. In truth, it was not until a few years ago when someone asked me for additional ideas to utilize a bumper crop of green tomatoes, that I even gave FGT's a thought. Once I made my first batch, I was in love. For some reason, this is it for me. I see no reason to even suggest other recipes. If I had to choose my last meal, it would most certainly include various forms of FGT's. This humble little offering captures my complete attention (if you know me, then you know that's saying a lot). What I love is biting into the crispy, crunchy cornmeal, and then the firm, thick, tangy flesh of the warm tomato. I honestly eat about three or four ( or six) before any can actually make it to a plate or platter.

I've paired the green tomatoes from my garden with spicy baby arugula, local goat cheese (Haystack), and tarragon (my garden, too), to make a wonderful end of summer salad.

Note: Feel free to slice the tomatoes as thin or thick as you prefer, I like thick slices. Also, I use a three part dipping process: flour ( or GF substitute), egg & water mixture, and cornmeal. I use this combination because I like the results, but feel free to substitute a little panko (japanese bread crumbs) in for some of the cornmeal. This salad taste best when served while still warm.

Fried Green Tomatoes w/Haystack Goat Cheese & Tarragon Vinaigrette

Serves 4

2 large green tomatoes, sliced 1/4"-1/2" thick

1 local eggs

1/4 cup water

1 cup flour ( or GF substitute, or rice flour)

1 cup corn meal ( or 1/2 c. corn meal & 1/2 cup panko)

2 tsp.kosher salt

pepper

1 cup canola, vegetable or olive oil

2 oz. local goat cheese (I like Haystack Applewood smoked, or feta)

2 cups baby arugula

Tarragon Vinaigrette (Recipe follows)

First, slice tomatoes and salt and pepper both sides.

Next, take 3 bowls or shallow containers with rims. Place flour in bowl one, eggs mixed with water in bowl two, and corn meal in bowl three. Lightly salt and pepper the flour and the corn meal . Your bowls should be set up: Flour, egg, corn meal. Dip each tomato slice in the flour first, then egg mixture, then corn meal. Set aside until oil is ready.

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium high heat for two minutes, then add 1/2 cup oil and heat for 1 minute, carefully add tomatoes to skillet (make sure you do not crowd the pan), and cook until the coating is lightly browned. Turn the tomatoes and brown on the other side. Remove tomatoes and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all tomatoes are browned, adding oil when needed. NOTE: if the corn meal in the pan begins to burn after your second batch, remove the pan from the heat, and carefully wipe out the corn meal bits and begin again with fresh oil.

To plate: Toss arugula with a little vinaigrette and divide between the four plates, top arugula with 2-3 slices of FGT's, crumble goat cheese on top and drizzle a tablespoon of vinaigrette over the top. I usually bring extra vinaigrette to the table. Enjoy!

Tarragon Vinaigrette

1 tsp finely chopped shallot

1 Tbl Dijon mustard

1 Tbl local honey

2-3 Tbl Fresh Tarragon, chopped ( please do not use dried)

1/4 cup white wine (or champagne, or rice wine) vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Whisk together shallots, dijon, honey, 1/2 the tarragon and the white wine vinegar until thoroughly combined. While whisking slowly add in olive oil until emulsified, add other half of tarragon, season with salt and pepper to taste. You can also use a blender or a hand held blender to make the vinaigrette, however you may have to increase the recipe to make it work in a large blender. This Vinaigrette will last about a week in the refrigerator.

Roasted “Bohemienne” w/ Spaghetti Squash

2010-09-14T11:30:00.000-06:00

This is a repost! The recipe was such a hit at one years farmer's market, EVERY farm stand sold out of all the ingredients... so, I offer it again for those of you who are new or who may have forgotten to give it a try.

I am a reformed squashophobe. There, I said it. I've worked long and hard to overcome my aversion to all things 'squash'. Even the word sounds unappealing doesn't it? Say, "squash". Now, say "cake". Which word makes you happy?

As a child, I was not a big fan of any variety of squash, especially if my mom had anything to do with it. In our house, squash had to be cooked until it no longer held its form, there was no texture to speak of, and one never really knew what the original flavor had been. The only word that comes to mind is: slimy (and blechk!!). To this day, the very thought of my mom's calabacitas still brings on an involuntary shiver. The avoidance of squash is the number three reason I became the family cook.....

Today, I can say I have a better respect for this summer and fall vegetable and I have grown to, (ahem), love it. But I have to confess, each time I am faced with a squash recipe, I approach it the way someone would, when they are jumping off a 10 meter platform into a pool. I have to psych myself up for it and then I am completely surprised I lived through the experience.

Last year at this time, I offered a double squash recipe to LFM shoppers and the farmer's sold out of the ingredients. I was blown away by your reactions to this dish and I thought I would post it again this year. Clearly, my mom never cooked for you or this would have been a much harder sell.

A little history: Bohemienne is the poor southern cousin to Ratatouille. It's simple in composition and easier to make (and less slimy). It consists of: eggplant, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, thyme. That's it. Hands down, I prefer this recipe to ratatouille. It makes a really rich vegetarian sauce that can be used in a dozen applications: on pasta, as a topping for Bruschetta, or as a side dish with fish or poultry.

Today, I used it as a topping for roasted spaghetti squash and finished it with some nice thin slices of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Roasted Bohemienne w/ Spaghetti Squash

Serves 4

2 small- medium eggplants cut into 1/2-inch dice
6 small- medium ripe tomatoes
4 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, cut to 1/2-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
2 stems fresh basil leaves gently torn.
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 large spaghetti squash cut in half and seeds removed
Fresh butter or additional Olive oil
2 oz. shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat your oven to 375° AND Put a 4-quart pot of water on to boil.

Bohemienne: If using smaller eggplants or ones from you local Farmer's Market, there is no need to salt your vegetable. If the eggplant is large and the seeds are dark (it's older and not as fresh), lightly salt the pieces and allow to rest for 15- 20 minutes, rinse, dry and begin the recipe.

With a paring knife, remove the core of each tomato, and make a 1-inch “x” on the bottom of each. Gently place the tomatoes into the pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and place them in bowl with ice water. Beginning at the “x”, remove and discard the skins from the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, and squeeze out the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into 1/2 chunks, and set aside. ( you may substitute a large can of GOOD Italian tomatoes.)

Using an oven safe casserole pan, heat on stovetop to a medium temperature, add oil, then onions and cook for 5-6 minutes.

Next add eggplant, and cook for 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for 2 additional minutes and then add chopped tomatoes. Place casserole in the oven on the bottom rack and cook for 30- 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, smashing vegetables as they cook.

Remove from oven when vegetables are soft and tender, remove thyme and bay leaf. Add basil and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Spaghetti Squash: Place Squash on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment or foil, cut side down, pour 1/2 cup of water around the squash. The Squash goes into the oven after the Bohemienne has been cooking at least 20 minutes. Begin to test Squash for doneness after 20-25 minutes, by simply inserting a paring knife into the flesh. If the knife slides in and out without any resistance, your squash is done.

To Serve: Using a fork gently begin to pull the flesh of each squash way from the skin, (notice it looks like spaghetti) add a few pats of butter or olive oil, a pinch or two of salt and some fresh pepper. Divide the seasoned squash onto warm plates, top with hot Bohemienne, Parmesan and a few more leaves of basil. Enjoy the season where the end of summer meets the beginning of fall.

See you at the Market!

Chef Deb T

Agave Spiced Plum Butter

2010-09-03T10:38:00.004-06:00

I get many requests for recipes using Agave Nectar, so I thought I would offer this little, small batch of a barely spiced, Plum Butter. I have an event tomorrow in which I wanted to add a drizzle of something "plumy" over small wedges of lemon scented ricotta pound cake. I loved the idea of a spiced plum butter, however most "butters" tend to be very thick, dry and a little dull when it comes to presentation. I wanted something with a bit of shine, color and the consistency of a saucy, fruity, syrupy jam. I can think of many many applications for this Plum Butter in it's syrupy form: add it to yogurt, oatmeal, or sweetened ricotta. You can use this a base for sauces for pork, duck or chicken....it's even great to sweeten hot tea!

For this particular application I used Agave Nectar instead of sugar, and I did not reduce the mixture as long as a traditional butter requires. But feel free to cook the fruit longer for a thicker, spreadable condiment.

Agave Spiced Plum Butter

10-15 Plums, cleaned, pitted and roughly chopped

1 cup water

Agave Nectar ( see note**) or sugar

1/2 teaspoon good quality cinnamon

2 pinches cloves

1 pinch fresh ground nutmeg

Place plums and water in a medium saucepan and bring to boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until fruit is tender. You many need to stir it occasionally. Remove from heat.

Process plums in a food processor or blender ( I use a Vitamix) until mixture is almost smooth, (I made mine completely smooth). Be careful when processing, mixture is hot!

**Measure the mixture, and add 1/2-3/4 cup Agave Nectar for each cup of Fruit puree.

Or Add 1 cup - 1 1/4 cup of sugar for each cup of fruit puree. (the amount of agave nectar you use will be determined by how sweet/ripe your fruit is at the time).

Return mixture and sweetener to the saucepan, add cinnamon and cloves and return to a gentle boil, until mixture is the desired consistency. Stir often, as it will have a tendency to stick and could burn if unattended. Skim the foam/scum that floats to the top. ~ A mere, 1/4 teaspoon of butter, will keep foam at a minimum.

Thin sauce: 30-35 minutes

Thick spread: 50-55 minutes

Once the desired consistency is achieved add nutmeg.

You can ladle hot mixture into sterilized canning jars, and process according to manufacturers instructions. For Colorado's altitude, I would process for 20 minutes, for everyone else below 1000 ft., it's 10 minutes.

Or....

The butter can be store in your fridge for approximately 2 weeks or in your freezer for a year.

Enjoy!

See you at the Market !

Saturday: Longmont Farmer's Market

Sunday: Ft Collins Farmer's Market (Harmony & Lamay)

Chef Deb

Oven Dried Zucchini Chips

2010-08-21T07:12:00.021-06:00

Zucchini.

We grill it, saute it, chop it, pickle it, sweeten it for muffins and cakes, and give tons of it away.

Honestly, I'm just as tired of it as everyone else. You grow it because it's easy, you buy it because you feel you have to and you throw it away because you simply can't take it anymore.

I get more requests for zucchini recipes then any other vegetable, and it's always...."what ELSE can I do with Zucchini?" Then comes the sigh and the look of total boredom. I fee your pain, I feel your pain.

I recently decided to "oven dry" zucchini after reading a blurb by chef/instructor John Ash, where he discusses the idea of oven drying vegetables the way we do summer tomatoes. He suggests drying them (in addition to cauliflower, beets, carrots, even olives) to a nice concentrated chewy consistency of 70-80% dry. It sounded good to me, so I gave it a try.

My first batch worked well, and it had a nice chewy texture. My second batch, well, I forgot them and they came out as chips. I promptly tasted them and ate all three sheet pans (3 whole zucchini!). Love these!! Well, as much as one can love a zucchini.....

Oven Dried Zucchini Chips

2-3 Zucchini, green or golden, washed and sliced thinly (about the thickness of a quarter)

Olive oil

Salt or seasoned salt (Savory Spice shop has some great ones)

Pepper

Line a few sheet pans with Parchment paper (not waxed paper)

Preheat oven to 250 Degrees F.

Line parchment with Zucchini coins, and lightly (very very lightly) brush or mist One side of the vegetables with Olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Place sheet pan in the oven for approximately, 30-45 minutes, then rotate the pan, and continue to dry for an additional 30-45 minutes, until your zucchini is crisp. Taste, and adjust your seasonings.

Note: your oven my cook these faster or they may take longer.. It's okay to pull the ones that dry more quickly, out before the rest are done. The chips do not store very well. ( But then we keep eating them all straight out of the oven, so you may have to let me know if they CAN be stored.)

Enjoy and see you at the Market!

Chef Deb

Fresh Corn & Tomato Salad w/Summer Basil

2010-08-20T10:00:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! It's been a long, long time. While I have not been blogging, I have been working.

I have several bits of exciting news!

**First, we will be offering a Canning Class, September 28, 2010 at the beautiful showrooms of Mountain High Appliance, in old town Louisville. The class will cover canning basics and will be a hands-on experience. I will send out details over the weekend.

** Second, I have been working with Miller Farm's lately, and you can visit me at the Fort Collins Farmer's Market (Harmony & Lemay), most sundays.

** Finally, I have been hired by the St. Vrain School District to work with their food service program and help make OUR community school's lunch program reflect our growing desire to provide more nutritious local food to our kids. The truth is, the director and her staff feed 17,000 students a day and they already receive 30% of their produce from local farms. Think about it.. Your local school district is ALREADY thinking local, eating local and putting our tax dollars into our local economy.
While Boulder County receives the press for what they're doing (and I am happy for them), you need to know that our forward thinking Director of Nutrition, Shelly Allen, is doing it on a much larger scale, and with less conflict, and more buy in from her staff. You have no idea how exciting it is to be working with someone so supportive and innovative of our community. Keep your eyes posted for this woman's name, she's impressive and I am very lucky to be part of her program.

So, enough with the news...

No need to use the oven or stove... just cut, chop, and toss and your finished.

This is my "salad de jour" for the summer.....

Summer Corn andHeirloom Tomato Salad

4 ears fresh summer corn, husks removed, cut corn from the cob

2 large heirloom tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

(or use the small grape sized, cut in half)

1/4 of a red onion, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, rinsed in cold water

8-10 basil leaved, chopped

1/4 cup goat or sheep feta (or your favorite local cheese)

2 Strips Bacon, diced and cooked crisp (optional)

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Fresh Lettuce leaves to garnish

Chives, to garnish

Basil, to garnish

Vinaigrette:

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3-4 Tablespoons good quality Vinegar (Champagne, red wine, Cabernet, rice wine, etc)

1/3 –1/2 cup good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a jar and shake until combined, mixture will separate, but that is fine. Taste and adjust seasonings, it should have a nice vinegar taste (the tomatoes will mellow this out)

Combine Tomatoes, corn, and onions in a medium sized bowl, pour vinaigrette over mixture and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Chill if not serving directly.

Before serving, stir in Basil and adjust seasonings, place a few lettuce leaves on the salad plate, top plate with 1/2-cup corn tomato mixture, layer with feta, bacon (if using), additional basil, and chives, and fresh ground pepper. Enjoy.

**Please note: only the freshest summer vegetables work with this salad. Most corn bought at the store will be too starchy to showcase this lovely salad. Corn used within a day or two of being picked is optimal. Also, this recipe is only a suggestion; feel free to increase the amounts, of your favorite ingredients!!

See you at the Market!

Chef Deb

Poached Apricots w/Vanilla Bean & Honey

2010-08-19T10:49:00.005-06:00

This recipe was a happy accident. Honestly, I was trying out a recipe I had read about in a new cookbook, where the author stated, "this is one of my favorite cakes, I'd consider moving just to be in an area with a longer apricot season for this cake". With a statement such as this, how could I resist making the cornmeal crunch cake?

Turns out, it was not even worth writing about. As I stood there scraping the pot of the last little bits of apricot vanilla bean goodness (how else would I console myself over the waste of 2 pounds of fabulous apricots?) , I realized the filling and syrup was so perfectly amazing I could forgive the author her misguided and erroneous boast. For the record, I can salvage just about anything... but gravel would have been a better vehicle for my lovely apricots. (** In all fairness, I might have used a local cornmeal that was too coarsely ground to do this cake justice... I will try again, as I have received several emails indicating the cake is wonderful.. so until then, please forgive my ramblings..I meant them at the time, but I humbly admit I may be wrong**)

The photo shows the cake with large slices of poached fruit on top, and for photo purposes they are barely dipped in the syrup. When you make this at home, it will look more like a jam with large soft pieces of fruit. Notice the golden glaze with the specks of vanilla bean...yummm! As for the cake...blleeeckk! (see note above, ;-))

The recipe we used at the market used unpeeled, chopped fruit. I prefer a combination of ripe, barely ripe, and a few slightly underripe apricots when I cook fruit, because it adds a little tartness and depth of flavor to your fruit jams/syrups.

Side Note: Save the pits from your apricots, and pry (I used a hammer, softly) the pits open and retrieve the small almond shaped seed from inside. In many cultures the seeds are used as a flavor agent for cookies, jams and extracts. Think Amaretto! I boil the seeds for 20 minutes, toast in the oven and grate them with a microplane and add them to my recipes. I do need to include a warning: Apricot seeds in large quantities are reported to be toxic. Please do research if you have any concerns.

Poached Apricots w/Vanilla Bean & Honey
(This is more of a fruity syrup)

2 lbs. fresh apricots, washed, pitted and chopped

1 Tablespoon Lemon juice

3 cups water

2/3 cup sugar**

1/3 cup honey

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Toss chopped apricots with lemon juice and set aside. Combine water, sugar, honey and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and bring mixture to a boil, and the sugar is dissolved. Continue to boil for 3-4 minutes then add the apricots. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and cool. Store in a clean jar in the fridge and use as a topping for everything! Enjoy!

Note: I like to reserve some fruit to add at the last minute to ensure I have large pieces. Or, gently slide sliced apricots into the simmering mixture for a few minutes, remove and let them cool for later use.
Lastly, the simmering fruit will produce a little bit of scum on the top. You may either skim it off with a spoon or add a 1/4 teaspoon of butter the the mixture and it should keep the scum to a minimum.

Peaches and plums are also excellent substitutions!

We will be at the Longmont Farmer's Market this weekend, so...
See you at the Market!!

Chef Deb

Chocolate Cherry Molten Cakes w/ Glazed Fresh Cherries

2010-06-30T13:18:00.000-06:00

It's Cherry Season at the Market!

Swoon!! Gasp!! C*H*E*R*R*I*E*S!!

Instead of the traditional cherry tart, cherry pie or cherry clafouti (cherries in a custard type mixture), I thought I'd appeal to your chocolate loving side. You do have one of those don't you?

I got the idea for this recipe from the Australian cooking magazine called Donna Hay. At $10 an issue, it's a splurge, but honestly, it's worth it. The recipes and ideas are a little more inventive and there are fewer ads....

This cake is so easy and rich I am sure it will quickly become one of your "go to" desserts when you want to impress your friends.... or if you feel like indulging in chocolate therapy with a sad/happy movie.

I used local cherries in two applications for this dessert: Pitted, slightly cooked, the others are whole and glazed. It may sound like a little work, but really it's quite simple. The hardest part is pitting half of the cherries and making sure you have enough at the end of the process!

Your first step is to complete your cherry pitting when everyone in the house is asleep, my family kept sneaking the pitted ones. I don't have a cherry pitter, so I used a very sturdy straw to push the pits out.

Second, buy about 3 more pounds of fruit then you actually need (1/2 lb., or 2 cups), I kept having to sample them to ensure they were as good as I remembered ( really, is testing every 4th cherry considered excessive?).

Chocolate Cherry Molten Cakes w/ Glazed Fresh Cherries

Makes: 6, 1-cup cakes

12, 1/2-cup cakes

7 oz. unsalted butter

2 cups good quality dark chocolate, chopped

4 eggs

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 All purpose flour, sifted (I have used almond meal or Coconut flour for my GF Friends and they both work well)

pinch of salt

1/2 cup poached cherries (Recipe follows), or canned in natural juice.

1 cup glazed cherries, garnish (Recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.

Butter and sugar your ramekins, AND spray them lightly with nonstick cooking spray or a little vegetable oil after you have sugared them.

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat and stir until combined and completely melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs, yolks, sugar and pinch of salt together until sugar begins to dissolve, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in sifted flour, combine completely. Whisk in cooled chocolate and combine thoroughly.

Place ramekins on sheet pan ( for easy transport to and from oven), fill ramekins half way with cake mixture, top with a few poached cherries, 2-4, and cover with more cake mix. I filled mine to 3/4 full (some with a bit more). Bake for 15 minutes for 1-cup size, and for 10-11 minutes for 1/2 cup size. The tops of the cakes should be cooked and puffed, but the center should be gooey. Run a thin knife around the sides and invert onto a serving place. Top with glazed cherries and serve immediately.
** As the cakes sit, they continue to cook .. they are still great but the gooey center is not so prominent. You can also make the batter and fill the ramekins and hold them for a few hours in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them. Enjoy!

See you at the market!

Chef Deb T.

Poached Cherries

I make quadruple this amount and serve them on French Toast, or Ice cream.

1 cup, pitted local cherries

2 Tablespoons sugar, or agave nectar

3 Tablespoons water

2-4 Tablespoons Cherry Liqueur (optional.. I use Leopold BroS. Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur..

it's produced and bottled in Denver, CO.. so..it's Local!!)
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Add cherries and Liqueur (if using) and simmer until fruit begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove cherries from the heat and allow to cool. Try not to eat more then half as you will not have enough for your dessert.

Glazed Cherries

1/4 cup Cherry Liquer

1/4 cup water

1/2 sugar

1 cup cherries, whole, stems intact

Combing sugar, water, and liqueur in a small sauce pan over medium high heat and cook until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to thicken, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cherries, set aside to cool.

Smoked Tomato Salsa

2010-06-29T11:06:00.000-06:00

W/ Baked eggs and Potato hash!

If I had to live on just one food item my entire life, it would have to be salsa. Not just any salsa, but the kind with plenty of cilantro, a good dose of lime and just enough "kick" to make your nose run and your mouth burn. You know the kind, you're in a bit of pain but your can't stop shoveling it in because: a) it's so darn GOOD, and b) if you stop, your mouth will be on fire. Just THINKING about it makes my eyes tear up...... In my house we have a half gallon mason jar full of the stuff at any given time, and it's a good thing too, because my family seems to love it just as much as I do!

There are perhaps, a bajillion (it's in the urban dictionary!) salsas on the market at this very moment. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, has their own favorite recipe for salsa. Salsa, at least to me, has become rather pedestrian and I think its time you added a little personality to your tried and true recipe (and if you don't have one of your own, you may use mine and call it yours!).

The original idea for smoking tomatoes for salsa came from another chef, but we've taken it one step further by smoking the onions and the peppers too. Once again, this is a rough recipe. I am relying on you and your wonderfully refined palate to adjust this salsa to suit your family. Also, I use a smoker for this recipe. If you do not own one and never plan to own one, make friends with your neighbors who do. At the first whiff of smoke, casually stroll your ingredients over and find some way to weasel your pan of goodies onto their smoker. Bribe, charm, promise your first born if you must, but get those tomatoes on the smoker. Once your ingredients are smoked, you can store them in the freezer until you are ready to make salsa.

Smoke Tomato Salsa

We used hickory chips in our smoker, however apple-wood, pecan and other mild woods will also be suitable. Personally, I find mesquite wood to be a bit too strong, but you may use it in a pinch, just cut the smoking time in half.

*1 1/2 pounds fresh summer tomatoes (use canned whole in the winter), core and cut in half

*1 med. white or yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters

* 2-4 Fresh Jalapenos, stems removed, cut in half lengthwise

* 2 cloves fresh garlic

* 1/2 bunch cilantro

* Juice of one lime

* 1 teaspoon Cumin

* 1-2 teaspoons Kosher salt (taste first before adding it all)

* 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

* 1 Tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

***Soak your wood chips and follow your manufacturer's instruction for your smoker.. or take a six-pack to your new best friend and neighbor.. It might help to address him (or her, if you live next to me) as, "The Smoke Master".. let me tell you, it never hurts to offer inflated praise to the cook!!

Coat the tomatoes, onions and pepper with olive oil, and place them in a aluminum recyclable pan ( or use an old glass pie or cake pan.. it will get very dirty but a nice old fashion brillo pad will clean it right up).

Place tomatoes on smoker and let "cook" for approximately two hours. Cool.

Once cool, process all the ingredients in your blender or food processor, you may need to do this in batches. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more cilantro, lime or jalapenos.... and salt. The flavor improves after you let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. Now, find a deep dark scary place in your fridge to hide your Smoked Tomato Salsa....a place the rest of the family is afraid to look... Enjoy!

See you at the market!

Chef Deb T.

Honeyacre Marinated Tomatoes

2010-06-05T20:49:00.000-06:00

I am not at the market this week, but I did drag myself out of the house this morning for these lovely beauties... Honeyacre tomatoes! With fresh ripe tomatoes we just use a little unfiltered olive oil, good salt, and old school powdered pepper (yes, you can use finely, finely ground fresh pepper). We don't even waste our time surrounding these juicy morsels with lettuce. Honestly, it's superfluous, and who really cares about about the greens when you have natures most perfect offering glistening in front of you??
All I am offering today is praise and a very simple recipe.... Thank you, Honeyacre Farms for growing the season's first crop of fabulous tomatoes and for showing us how paltry, sad and pathetic those super market tomatoes are.

Easy Marinated Tomatoes

4-5 Honeyacre Tomatoes (I'd get at least 2 more..as most will not make it into your recipe)

1/2 cup sherry, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons minced Shallots

3 Tablespoon finely chopped chives

1-2 teaspoons kosher salt (Fleur De Sel works great)

1 teaspoon finely ground pepper

Core tomatoes and cut in to big chunky pieces. Place tomatoes in medium bowl, drizzle with vinegar, olive oil, and sprinkle in the shallots and half of the chives. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently. Let tomatoes marinate for an hour, either on the counter or in the fridge. When ready to serve, taste and adjust seasonings, and garnish with the last half of the chives. Enjoy!

*Note: We use the left over juice/marinade to make vinaigrette or to drizzle over sandwiches

See you at the market!

Chef Deb

Handmade Graham Crackers

2010-06-03T10:59:00.000-06:00

First of all, these (the dough and the cookie) are so addictive, I am having trouble getting them baked AND off the cookie sheet. The fact that they are made with whole wheat flour, local honey and wheat germ only adds to my delusional beliefs that it's okay, dare I say healthy, to eat this in heaping spoonfuls.... Hhhmm, whole grains, fiber, wheat germ, eggs...now, if I can dip them in peanut butter and chocolate, this could be a new breakfast item in our house!!

This is a classic Martha Stewart recipe, and I honestly believe it is one of the best. I have experimented using more whole wheat flour (less white) as well as increasing the amount of cinnamon in the recipe, both with great success. I also just cut mine into squares or some sort of fun shape, having a "classic" representation of store bought crackers has no appeal to me what so ever...

I hope you give these little cookies a try, and if you need assistance or help resisting eating the whole batch... just call me, I will personally relieve you of any unnecessary cookie dough.

Martha Stewart's Graham Cracker Recipe

Makes 20

. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working

. 1 cup whole-wheat flour, local Colorado Whole wheat works well.

. 1/2 cup untoasted wheat germ

. 1/2 teaspoon salt

. 1 teaspoon baking soda

. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

. 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)

. 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

. 2 tablespoons high-quality, local honey

Directions

. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flours, wheat germ, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.

. Put butter, brown sugar, and honey into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture, and mix until combined.

. Turn out dough onto a floured surface, and divide into quarters. Roll out each piece between 2 sheets of floured parchment paper into rectangles a bit larger than 9 by 6 inches, about 1/8 inch thick.

. Using a fluted pastry wheel, trip the outermost edges or each rectangle, and divide into three 6 by 3-inch rectangles. Pressing lightly, so as not to cut all the way through, score each piece in half lengthwise and crosswise, to form four 3 by 1 1/2-inch crackers. Stack parchment and dough on a baking sheet and chill in freezer until firm, about 20 minutes.

. Remove two sheets of dough from freezer. Pierce crackers using the tines of a fork. Transfer to large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, rotating halfway through, until dark golden brown, 8 to 9 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Let cool on sheet 5 minutes; transfer crackers to wire racks to cool completely.

* These are my Grahams in The Round. I slightly under bake them and use them for desserts and ice cream sandwiches or open faced custom s'mores.
* This dough is VERY forgiving! It can be re-rolled countless times and still come out perfect.

I hope you give these a try.

See you at the Market!
Chef Deb

Please, support your local farmers and food producers by visiting YOUR local Farmer's Market. It's a great experience, you strengthen your community, and YOU keep valuable dollars where they matter most...in the place you call home! See ya there!

Pickled Radishes

2010-05-30T06:53:00.012-06:00

(iphone photo)

If you've been to any farmer's market lately, (and I do hope you will try to visit them), you will notice tons of spring radishes. Either in a salad, on a crudite platter or just by themselves, the radish is a much overlooked, and dare I say, neglected, vegetable. Many people either love them or hate them, and most usually have them the same way. I'd like you to look at this sad, D-list vegetable, with a new perspective and move it to the front of your spring recipe repertoire. Here are two ideas to get you started.

This week, we reintroduced last year's popular, sauteed radish recipe to the same comments we heard before...

"Sauteed Radishes?" Yes!

"Who ever heard of sauteing a radish?" Well, besides me, about 49,000 others (according to a google search!)

"Wow, this is really good/great/delicious!!" I know, that's why we did it....

A few uses for sauteed Radishes:

**Add sliced Sauteed radishes to fresh grilled Asparagus, for a colorful spring side dish.

**Try mixing chilled sauteed radishes with unsalted butter, sea salt on toasted baguette slices, for an updated twist, on a French classic.

**We also saute radishes, drizzle them with olive oil, and reduced balsamic vinegar and heap them on toasted Crostini for a lovely and different starter. ( I also throw in a few sauteed radish greens for color and added flavor. Please, make sure you clean the greens completely as they are usually very, very sandy).

The second way we showcased these zippy little red globes of goodness, is...by quick pickling them.

If you're a fan of asian food and specifically, Korean food, you may have had the opportunity to try a pickled radish. They are wonderful and go very well with rich grilled meats and summer picnic foods. It's a lovely and unexpected departure from the classic cucumber pickle, and to use what's fresh and in season.

I found this recipe in one of my cookbooks, ad hoc at home by Thomas Keller In his original recipe (it's perfect, by the way). Chef Keller uses a 2:1 ratio for vinegar to water/sugar mixture for his pickling solution. I have changed it a bit to reflect my tastes and added salt and a bay leaf.

Pickling Solution**

1 cup vinegar (champagne, red wine, rice wine, etc.,)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4-1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt (optional)

1 fresh bay leaf (optional)

6 black peppercorns (optional)

The mixture is heated to a boil, until the sugar dissolves, then it is removed from the heat and allowed to cool.

**Please note: this recipe is for a quick, refrigerator pickle and may not be suitable for canning and storing.

Pickled Radishes

2-3 bunches of radishes, cleaned, trimmed sliced

1 recipe of pickling solution, cooled

2 pint sized canning jars or storage container with lid

Divide radishes into jars and cover with cooled pickling solution. Seal jars tightly and store in refrigerator until ready to use. They are best if you let them rest for at least 8 hours before eating. Pickles will keep for a month. Enjoy!

See you at the market!

Chef Deb

Sauteed Hon Tsai Tai w/Creamy Polenta

2010-05-16T14:37:00.009-06:00

Hon Tsai Tai (pronounced HON-sie-tie) is a mild Asian green from the Mustard family. Yet, I would describe it more along the lines of a sweet, less bitter, broccoli raab. The absolute fabulous thing about this gorgeous green is, you use the whole plant: Flowers, buds, leaves, stems.

In all honesty, I had never even heard of it before. But when I opened my email one morning, I was greeted by Mark, from Ollin Farms, asking if I would be willing to do a little research and share a recipe or two with all our good friends at the farmer's market.

This is precisely the kind of challenge I love.

In fact, I think if you dangle a few "Hon Tsai Tia's" in front of most chefs/cooks/food nerds you can gently led us to do just about anything! If you only knew how excited I get when my phone rings at 7:15a, and it's a local farmer saying, "Chef, you need to come out and see......." My heart starts racing like a big haired Texas girl near a jewelry store!

Most of the recipes I found were for Asian dishes. Asian greens equals asian recipes, right? Not in my book. As many of you know, I rarely do what's expected. Besides, this past saturday was COLD and I needed something that would make people stop and savor this unique little vegetable. Besides, when everyone's mouths are full, it's the perfect opportunity for me to talk about our amazing farmer's market.

As with many of my recipes this is a suggestion. I want all of you who have to measure everything perfectly, to put down your measuring spoons and slide rules and just have fun with this.

Note: We currently do not sell Polenta (that's big yellow grits to all my southern readers/family), but we do have a farmer who is experimenting with it this season, and we may see some of it this fall.

Sauteed Hon Tsai Tai w/ Creamy Polenta

First, cook Polenta according to the package directions. I use Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits and it takes about 30-40 minutes to cook. Of course, before we serve it, I add butter and Parmesan to the pot, then I taste it, and add more butter and Parmesan.

**If you are local, feel free to substitute Haystack Goat Cheese (any of their selections would be amazing) in place of the Parmesan.

**To all my Texas family and friends... you can add jalapenos, and cheddar cheese to your grits and you will most likely have to add a pound or two of cooked chopped bacon to the greens to get your guy to eat it. Just tell him it's parsley....

Sauteed Hon Tsai Tai

1/2 yellow onion, diced or 1/2 cup ramps, Chopped

2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Bunch Hon Tsai Tai, roughly chopped. Use the whole plant.

2 pinches hot pepper flakes

Salt

Pepper

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat, add oil, wait 30 seconds and add onions, or ramps and cook/saute until they begin to color. Next, add the greens and red pepper flakes, lower the heat to medium and cover pan with lid and allow greens to cook for about 5-7 minutes ( or longer depending on the tenderness of the stalk). Taste, season with salt and pepper and serve over creamy polenta. I usually drizzle a little good quality, unfiltered olive oil over the dish and serve.

The great news this week is that Ollin Farms sold out of the Hon Tsai Tai before we finished our demo. If you missed out, please look for it next week at the Longmont Farmer's Market or stop by their farm stand during the week.

Have a fabulous day and as always,

I will see you at the Market!

Chef Deb

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

2009-10-25T12:13:00.011-06:00

I love butternut squash soup.

But honestly, I am not a fan of sweet squash soups.

I know, I know, you have a recipe that will change my mind, right? Oh, I will say this as sweetly as I possibly can...uhm, (big smile)..no, you won't (STILL smiling, if that helps soften the blow).

I'll admit, apple and butternut squash IS a classic fall pairing, and everyone loves and makes this soup every season. It's just, well, this is my food blog, and I love, love, love savory squash soups!

Today's recipe is more of a suggestion. It is not important to follow a strict set of measurements in this dish, so feel free to tweak, adjust, delete, or modify this soup in anyway that suits your palate.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup w/Smoked Paprika Seeds

and Creme Fraiche

2-3 lbs Butternut Squash

1 med. yellow or white onion, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil, or unsalted butter

2-3 Cloves Garlic chopped

1 bay leaf

4 stems Fresh Thyme (Leaves and stems) or 1 teaspoon dried

4-5 leaves fresh Sage or 1 teaspoon dried

Water or veggie stock to cover (I use water)

1-2 tablespoon fresh lemon

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut butternut (or any winter squash) in half, remove seed and save for later use. Place squash, cut side down on sheet pan and cook for 30-40 minutes or until a sharp knife pierces the flesh easily. Once cooked, remove squash from oven and cool, then scoop out flesh.

Put a 5 quart soup pot on medium heat, add oil and wait for one minute then add onion, garlic, bay leaf, sage and thyme. Gently cook or sweat (sweat: means to cook without caramelization.. no color) onions until translucent. Now add butternut squash and enough water or veggie stock* to cover contents and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove bay leaf and thyme stems and puree soup in small batches. Be very careful with this hot soup in a blender! Season with butter, salt, pepper and lemon juice (lemon juice brightens the soup and creates more dimension, trust me) . Taste and adjust seasonings.

Toasted Seeds: Remove seeds from squash (leaving some of the string on the seeds is fine), toss seeds with a teaspoon or two of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and 1/2 teaspoon smoked spanish paprika. Spread seeds onto a sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until the seeds begin to smell fragrant and are toasty. Remove from oven, and pour onto a plate to cool. Reserve for garnish.

*Note: I don't care to use chicken stock as it "muddles" the flavor of the soup. I prefer pure clean flavors, so I use water or veg. stocks.

To plate: Ladle soup into hot bowls, garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. I used house made creme fraiche, but sour cream or yogurt also works nicely.

Enjoy!

One more week at the LFM..

Chef Deb

Butternut Squash Biscuits and Honey Cinnamon Butter

2009-10-25T08:18:00.013-06:00

It was windy, and while I spent almost as much time holding the tent down, it was great to be back at the Farmer's Market! At this time of year, the winter squash are plentiful, and the farmers have a bumper crop.

This recipe uses the basic Southern Biscuit recipe, replacing 1/2 cup of the buttermilk with the same quantity of pureed butternut squash.

Halve the squash and remove the seeds and strings. Place on a roasting pan, flesh side down. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the squash from the oven, scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor. Puree until smooth.

Prepare the biscuits as directed in the basic recipe. The biscuits will need to cool about 10 minutes before serving, as they are a little more moist then traditional Biscuits.

The perfect topping for these biscuits is Honey Cinnamon Butter.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup of softened, unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of honey, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Beat until light and fluffy.

Enjoy!

Chef Deb

(post by Chris Ward)

P.S. Only one more Saturday to visit The Longmont Farmer's Market this season!!

Chocolate Raspberry Jam

2009-09-20T20:14:00.026-06:00

It's a cold rainy day, my iPhone died and I have a good burn on my right hand. All the more reason to stay home and eat chocolate!

The original title for today's offering was, "Chocolate Raspberry Sunday Topper", which of course, you may certainly use this recipe for that purpose. However, we tweaked the original recipe, doubled the Cocoa, increased the lemon juice and added a nice chili powder (purely optional). This, my friends, leaves the original recipe in the dust. Now we have an honest to goodness, pass the spoons around, lick the jar clean, Chocolate Jam!

CHOCOLATE JAM!

Yes, I'll wait until your pulse slows down.

I know what you're thinking. You must be doing something right in order to have lived long enough to have chocolate for breakfast.

I know, it makes me happy too!

My little group of "Canning B's" (my Sept. 20 canning class) decided this would be delicious over a nice round of warm French Triple Cream Brie, with toasted brioche. I will let you decide.

Note: This recipe can be halved, and it can be put in glass jars and kept in the fridge for at least a 2-3 months if you choose NOT to can it. I promise you this, it will not last very long.

Chocolate Raspberry Jam

Makes: ( 6) 8oz. jars or (12) 4 oz. jars

1 cup sifted unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Package (1.75 oz) regular powdered fruit pectin
4 1/2 cups Crushed red Raspberries (use frozen, or freeze fresh berries for higher Juice yield)
8 Tbl Lemon Juice (you must use bottled lemon juice, they do make an organic one)
6 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2-3 Tbl ground Pasilla chili powder (optional)

1. Prepare canner, jars, lids (if you've taken my class, you KNOW how to do this!)

2. In a medium bowl combine cocoa powder and pectin, stirring until evenly blended, set aside.

3. In a large stainless saucepan ( 2- 3 quarts), over low heat , combine crushed raspberries and lemon juice, whisk in pectin/cocoa mixture until pectin is dissolved. The mixture will look “muddy”. Raise heat to medium high and bring mixture to a boil, stir frequently. Next, add sugar all at once, stir and return to a full rolling boil (you may need to raise heat to high) for one full minute, stir constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Add Pasilla powder at this time if using.

4. Ladle hot Jam in to hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles from the jar with a knife, and adjust head space, by adding more jam if needed. Wipe rim, center lid on jar and screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.

5. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water, and place lid on pot. Bring water to a boil and process for 15 minutes (for Colorado) ; 10 minutes at Sea Level. Remove lid from canner, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool 12-24 hours before moving. Label and store.

Enjoy,

Chef Deb T

Our Next Canning Classes:

Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 10:00a -1:00p Fee: $55 p/p

Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 10:00a -1:00p Fee: $55 p/p

Space is still available:

303.817.4313

Killer Carrot Relish

2009-08-21T06:28:00.006-06:00

Photo and comments soon...

Killer Carrot Relish

18 carrots
4 green peppers( Jalapeno, serrano, etc.)
4 red peppers (bells, fresno, Johnny Nardello)
1-2 onions
1/2 cup salt
3 cups sugar
6 cups vinegar
2 T mustard seed
2 T celery seed (I used pink peppercorns at the market

Chop all vegetables using food processor (I use the grater attachment). Pour salt over vegetables and let stand for 2 hours in a glass, ceramic, or plastic bowl. Drain vegetables. Put remaining ingredients into a large pot, and add vegetables. Bring to a boil. Pack into hot, sterilized pint sized jars. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Check to make sure jars have completely sealed. Yield: 8 pints (give or take)

Note: If you do not can, smaller batches of relish may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Enjoy!

See you at the Market!

Chef Deb

Big Crumb Apple Coffee Cake w/ with extra Crumbs

2009-08-18T11:28:00.002-06:00

Big Crumb Apple Coffee Cake

For the apple filling:
1/2 pound tart apples, peeled, seeded, chopped
1/4-cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2-teaspoon ground allspice

For the crumbs topping:
1/3-cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1-teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2-teaspoon ground ginger
1/8-teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

For the cake:
1/3-cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2-teaspoon baking powder
1/4-teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces.

For filling:
toss apples with sugar, cornstarch and allspice. Set aside.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan.

2. To make crumbs in a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter until smooth. Then, add flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. It will look and feel like solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of the bowl and set aside.

3. To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 cup batter and set aside.

4. Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon apples over batter and dot reserved batter over apples; it does not have to be even.

5. Using your fingers, break the topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. (They do not have to be uniform). Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from apples), 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

I like to serve this cake with Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe coming soon).

See you at the Market!
Chef Deb

For Classes, and Farm to Table Schedules visit:
www.CooksStudio.com

Grilled Japanese Eggplant.....

2009-08-12T12:49:00.009-06:00

and Isabelle Farm.

Several weeks ago, I was invited to visit a great little farm located on Isabelle Road, between Hwy 287 & 95th Street. Many of you will recognize the Isabelle Farm stand at LFM as being on the east strip, right next to Hazel Dell Mushrooms. When you go to the Market on Saturday, introduce yourself to Ben Bowditch, the farm's field manager, and ask him to show you the produce he is most excited about. Like all growers, he's got a thing or two to say about what they grow, and it's inspiring to hear that kind of enthusiasm in someone else besides the Market Chef.

Isabelle Farm is an organic farm, owned and operated by Jason and Natalie Condon. They just completed and opened a beautiful farm stand to provide access to everything they grow on a daily basis. Click on this link to find out more about Isabelle Farm and sign up for their newsletter!

Grilled Japanese Eggplant

1-2 lbs. Japanese Eggplant, sliced horizontally

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Haystack Goat Feta (optional)

Heat your charcoal or gas grill to high, lightly oil grill rack.

Using a pastry brush lightly oil eggplant on both sides. Place eggplant on grill and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, turn eggplant a quarter turn, and continue to grill for an additional 3 minutes. Turn the vegetables over and grill for 3 minutes more. Remove eggplant from grill onto a serving plate, drizzle with a few more drops of good quality olive oil, season with salt, pepper and a few teaspoons of Haystack Goat Feta. Enjoy.

* Note: an indoor grill pan works nicely. The eggplant is also good cold and served as a sandwich component.

See you at the Market!

Chef Deb

Final Note: The lovely fingerling potatoes in our creamy french potato salad came from Isabelle Farms!

Kettle Corn Ice Cream

2009-08-08T21:26:00.010-06:00

Times-Call Article and photo

I know it sounds strange. But, if chocolatiers can put bacon in chocolate, then why can't we use salty/sweet kettle corn in ice cream?

I have been playing with the idea of Kettle Corn Ice Cream for quite some time and I approached Huck (LFM, Huck's Kettle Corn) about the idea and he was all for it! I just needed the right time to unveil this marvelous concoction and when the Boulder County Fair opened this month, I knew the time had arrived.

Ice Cream and Kettle Corn, two fair favorites all in one... My only problem was trying not to eat it all before we actually had to sample it out.

I knew I wanted to infuse the custard base with the popped kernels, but I was not sure how well the actual popcorn flavor would hold up to the dairy and the eggs.
It turns out, it works beautifully! The taste is subtle with a hint of salt and sweet, then it finishes with a nice popped corn taste.

This was a huge hit at the market this weekend and it was a home run for me, on so many levels.

Look for the recipe and the photos in The Longmont Times-Call in the next few weeks, ( as soon as it appears in the paper I will provide the link) Update: Kettle Corn Ice Cream

Note: If possible, make the custard the day before you plan to churn and freeze it. The corn flavor improves with time (8-24 hours).

Kettle Corn Ice Cream

3-4 cups of Huck’s Kettle Corn (Longmont Farmer's Market)
3 cups whole milk
1 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2-cup sugar
4 egg yolks

Place the Kettle Corn, milk and the heavy cream into a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat. Strain and reserve liquid.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk to combine.

Temper* the cream mixture into the eggs and sugar by gradually adding small amounts, until about a third of the cream mixture has been added. Pour in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Pour the mixture into a container and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Place the mixture into the refrigerator and once it is cool enough not to form condensation on the lid, cover and store for 4 to 8 hours (this is called proofing, and ice cream custard improves with time) or until the temperature reaches 40 degrees F or below.
Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. This should take approximately 25 to 35 minutes. Serve as is for soft serve or freeze for another 3 to 4 hours to allow the ice cream to harden.

*Temper-Slowly add small amounts of hot liquid to eggs while whisking. Tempering slowly, allows the eggs to increase in temperature without scrambling them.

See you at the Market!

Chef Deb T

*Canning classes w/ Ann Zander - CU extension of Boulder County,

August 20, 2009 ( more dates TBA)

5:30-9:00

Class schedule: www.CooksStudio.com

Grilled Colorado Artichokes and Behrmann Farm

2009-08-04T06:33:00.022-06:00

Last week, Susie (volunteer extraordinaire) and I, had the opportunity to visit Behrmann Farm and check out their crop of Colorado Grown Artichokes.

I will repeat that, C-O-L-O-R-A-D-O artichokes.

Yes, Artichokes, IN Colorado.

When Kim Dirkes offered to let us visit the family's 101 year old farm, and have a peek at her artichoke plants, I had no idea what to expect. Nestled right behind Haystack Mountain, Behramm Farm is large, gorgeous, and picturesque, even by Colorado standards. In addition to their traditional crops, they also have old growth fruit trees (peaches, apples, cherries, black walnuts) vines and bushes!

Of course, I fawned over all the beautiful artichokes plants growing in her greenhouse. In retrospect, to say I was fawning might be a bit of an understatement. I would have wrapped my arms around each one had they not been full of thistles!

At one point, as it always does, came the question that gave me pause, "how much do you want for the market?"

I have to be very careful with this open ended question. You see, artichokes are a favorite in my house, and I had to try extremely hard not be greedy, and say, "how about ALL of them?" Kim generously donated a large supply "to play with", and I floated back to the car with visions of perfectly prepared artichokes, an endless supply of hollandaise, and miraculous last minutes phone calls for sleep-overs for the girls.

Traditionally, artichokes need a longer growing season then our climate can provide. Therefore all the artichokes on the farm are grown in a large hooped greenhouse. Fortunately for us, there are plans to build an another structure to increase the size of their crop. Selfishly, I hope we can create enough of a demand at our market, over the next few years, to see the additional greenhouse built.

Lat week I decided to make grilled artichokes for the Farmer's Market. The recipe is a simple one. Although artichokes are labor intensive, I enjoy the process of peeling away the leaves and slowly arriving at the those last tender morsels; the bottom, the heart and the stem.

Grilled Colorado Artichokes

Artichokes:

*Trim the bottom two layers of leaves off with a paring knife (I also peel the step because the center is edible as well).

*Using scissors, cut the pointed tips off each leaf.

*I cut my artichokes in half ( I leave the fuzzy "choke" in, and boil it first, then remove the softened choke. I do this to save time, and to get the vegetable in the boiling water before it oxidizes)

* To reduce oxidation or browning: Rub with a cut lemon or put prepped artichoke in a bowl of lemon (acidulated) water; or in water containing a large amount of salt (for every 2 quarts of water, use 1/4 cup kosher salt)

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Butter, melts

Lemon Juice.

In a 5 quart pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil add 4 tablespoons of salt. Add the artichokes and simmer (the term is "blanching") until a sharp paring knife will pass easily through the base of the vegetable. It could be 15 minutes or it could be 45.

Remove the artichokes from the boiling water and place them in a bowl of ice water (the term is "shocking") and cool, until the vegetable is no longer hot Drain.

Blot the artichokes dry, remove the fuzzy choke with a spoon.

Heat your grill or a grill pan for 5 minutes on medium high.

Drizzle vegetable with olive oil, salt and pepper and place them on the grill cut side down. Cook until the surface begins to turn a nice golden brown. Turn them over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove artichokes from the grill, drizzle with a little melted butter, and a few squeezes of lemon, additional salt and pepper.

Enjoy.

See you at the Market!

Chef Deb

Note: Behrmann Farm has a bumper crop of Apples and Peaches this year, and would like to invite a few small groups to come out and pick your own fruit. This is a wonderful idea for families or groups with small children as these trees are the family fruit trees and are close their home.

I will keep you posted with times, dates and fees, or you can talk to Kim this week at LFM.

Diamond Tail Dreaming....Bison Steaks

2009-07-19T18:29:00.001-06:00

I have been noticeably absent for almost a month. I've missed the Farmer's Market and I've really missed my blog, but....

Once you've seen where I've been, I hope I can be forgiven. I do include a recipe (barely) at the bottom of the post.

Somewhere along the way, I got lucky and I was hired to work for a family who owns a Bison ranch (among many other things).

Nightsong sculpture by Joe Beeler, and a herd of American Bison

The back porch, which overlooks some of the grasslands the Bison graze on each morning.

I spend a few moments every morning on this porch, just being Thankful!

The Big Laramie River..a great place for trout fishing!

Hand Cut Bison Steaks

I am a purest when it comes to really good beef and bison.

*I prefer to dry age my bison/beef myself (should I blog about this?)

*I do not marinate

*Bison is always, always cooked Rare to Med-Rare.

*Coat with a very good quality olive oil, fresh ground black pepper (I also use red peppercorns), and kosher or sea salt.

* Bison should always sit out at room temp for at least 30-45 minutes before grilling.

* My grill is heated on high for at least 30 minutes ( I am looking for 700 plus degrees here), then it is cleaned a second time before I place the steaks on on the rack. When ready to grill, I turn a section of the grill down to medium.

*When ready, sear steaks for for 3-4 minutes, rotate steaks a quarter turn and grill for 3 more minutes (this will give you cross hatching marks). Now, flip steak and place on an unused section of the grill ( I have big grills, so it's easy) and sear for 3-4 minutes, repeat the quarter turn and grill 3 minutes.

* I cook using an internal temp for meat: 120-125 degrees for rare, and 126-130 for Medium rare. Once the meat reaches these temps we remove it from the grill, and place it on a sheet pan and let it REST for 5-10 minutes.

* I usually place a small pat of unsalted butter on each steak while it is resting. Trust me, this little step adds the perfect over-the-top touch and it is worth the extra calories. Bison is naturally low in fat..so, use the butter!

All you will need with this is a great salad, and a really good bottle of wine.

See you at the Market,

Chef Deb