menu ideas & recipes

Arroz con Leche y Azafrán - Saffron and Citrus Rice Pudding

off the vine — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:35:04 +0000

In a non-reactive, heavy bottomed sauce pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat and stir in the rice, completely coating the grains. Stir in the saffon. Add 1c of milk and stir. Continue cooking over medium high heat, stirring occasionally to insure that the rice does not stick to the pan. When the rice has absorbed most of the milk and the pudding begins to thicken, add an additional 1c of milk, again stirring occassionally. When that milk is absorbed, add the remaining milk, the heavy cream and the sugar. After the pudding returns to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly until the rice is tender. The rice should still be barely covered with milk. Remove from stove, stir in the citrus zest and portion in dessert dishes. Serve warm or chilled topped with berries or mixed citrus segments. - From the harvest vine, Seattle Wa

1/2 c valencian short grain rice

1 t butter

1 pinch saffron

2 1/2c milk

1/2 c heavy cream

1/2 c sugar

zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped

zest of 1/2 orange, finely chopped

A crispy Tomato Semolina Tart

off the vine — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:10:39 +0000

Try this wonderful summertime tart courtesy of Market Hall Foods in the Rockridge area of North Oakland.

1 1/2 cup “00” flour

1/3 cup semolina

1 tsp. salt

6 TB cold unsalted butter, cubed

ice water

3 TB black olive pate

6 heirloom tomatoes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

salt & pepper

In a food processor, pulse the two flours and salt together for a few seconds. Add the cubed butter and pulse 10-15 times until the mix resembles coarse meal. Drizzle in 1 - 2 tablespoons of ice water until a dough begins to form. Remove the dough and knead briefly, forming a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Oregano Once the dough has chilled, roll into a 8 - 10 inch round. We like the rustic look of a hand-crimped edge, but you could use a tart pan if you prefer. Spread the olive pate on the base of the tart and top with overlapping thick slices of tomato. Shake a little oregano on top and season with salt & pepper. Slide into a 375 degree oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the tomatoes are slightly shriveled and the crust is slightly browned.

Cool completely and serve in wedges with a simple arugula salad dressed with lemon and olive oil. A nice glass of wine and you’ve got an elegant outdoor dinner or perfect picnic!

Zuppa di Farro (Farro Soup with Borlotti & Kale)

off the vine — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:05:55 +0000

Another good recipe from the gang at Market Hall Foods.

+ makes 4 servings

1 1/2 cups dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight in water

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/4 pound of thick pancetta or bacon, chopped (optional)

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped finely

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 fresh tomatoes or 3 canned tomatoes, chopped

fresh herbs like sage or rosemary

1 cup Canestrini
6 - 8 leaves of kale, rolled and sliced into thin strips

salt & pepper, to taste

grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste

Drain the soaked beans and put in a pot and cover by a few inches with fresh water. At this point, you could add a ham hock or piece of prosciutto, if you have it. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the beans for about 30 - 40 minutes until just cooked. Drain and set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the pancetta and aromatics for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes and herbs and season with salt & pepper and cook for a few more minutes.

Add 4 cups of water and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the farro and stir to combine, cooking over a simmer.

After 20 minutes, add the sliced kale and more water, if necessary. Cook for 15 more minutes, or until the farro is cooked. Check for seasoning. Add the beans to the pot and stir to combine. Serve with a drizzle of fresh extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Reggiano.

BLACK PIG Bacon & Asparagus Carbonara

off the vine — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:01:46 +0000

Bacon from Black Pig Meat Company is dry cured with brown sugar for up to 21 days and then finished with applewood smoking for about 12 hours. We love this Bacon… off the vine good!

Quality bacon makes or breaks this dish! Carbonara gets its name from carbon, that is the fresh black pepper in the dish.

Serves 4 to 6

for the pasta:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
5 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a bowl, combine flour, eggs, and oil. Knead, wrap in plastic and let rest at least 1/2 hour. Roll out in pasta machine three times at each setting folding it each time (this gives it the tooth). Bring to desired thickness (depends on machine, usually 2 notches above the thinnest setting). At the desired thickness, roll it through twice without any folding (that sets the thickness) and cut with tagliatelle cutter.

6 slices quality bacon, cut in lardons
1 bunch (pencil thin) asparagus, cut into 3/4 inch lengths on the bias
4 eggs, whisked 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a saute pan on medium high heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 4 minutes. Cook the pasta until done, about 4 minutes. Half way through the cooking add the asparagus. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the eggs with the parmesan, salt and pepper.

Strain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water for the sauce. Add the hot pasta and asparagus, some of its water, and the hot bacon and its rendered fat to the egg and cheese. With tongs toss and add pasta water to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. It is important that the pasta and the bacon be hot because they are cooking the egg and thickening the sauce and its also important to work quickly so you don’t overcook the eggs or they will scramble. Plate up into pasta bowls and garnish with more parmesan cheese.

- this recipe is brought to by the great folk’s at Black Pig Meat Co.

Getting started with Molecular gastronomy...

off the vine — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:49:35 +0000

By: Valerie Brockbank I’ve been a recent convert to molecular gastronomy, where science meets cooking. I have eaten dishes combined with algin, calcic, eines, xantana – yum! I sat in on a cooking demonstration by Chef Woojay Poynter, who has worked at Alinea in Chicago, and now teaches in Portland and Coos Bay, Ore. He produced a sou vide salmon, spherification for “dill caviar”, herb foams and CO 2 grapes. “Molecular gastronomy shouldn’t represent a type of cuisine that only certain chefs can do,” Poynter said. “Understanding what the cooking process does to your food, hopefully, can make everyone a better cook.” Well, I’m planning on experimenting with Merlot Caviar, CO 2 muscat grapes, and powderized brie. I bought a texturizing kit at the show that has twelve little containers of gastronomy magic.

Woojay Poynter’s Dill Caviar

5 grams sodium alginate

4 grams calcium lactate

4 oz fresh dill

1 tbs sugar

1/4 tsp salt

In a blender, blend sodium alginate and 500 grams of water until solution has thickened. Allow to sit for a few hours.

Blanch dill in boiling water for 5 seconds and place in ice water. Drain well and chop coarsely.

In a blender, blend chopped dill, 100 grams water and remaining ingredients until dill is liquified. Check seasonings and strain.

Using a dropper or pipette, drop the dill liquid into the sodium alginate bath to form dill caviar of desired size. Leave in bath from 30 seconds to 1 min (skin will get thicker the longer you leave the caviar spheres in the bath). Rinse carefully under cold water and serve. For larger spheres, freeze dill liquid in ball-shaped ice cube tray, then put frozen balls into sodium alginate bath until liquid defrosts. Rinse and serve.

The Ultimate Crab Cake

off the vine — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:57:22 +0000

We found one of the best Crab Cake dishes of all time! As a part of it’s 20th annual Dungeness Crab Festival, (held in February) Chef Michael Dunn, of the Yankee Pier in Lafayette California, kindly shared the recipe with off the vine magazine. Served with a citrus aioli *

ULTIMATE CRAB CAKE - Makes one cake

2 1/2 ounces - Hand Picked fresh Crabmeat
(Dungeness preferred - leg meat only)

1/4 cup - Raw Bread Crumbs
1 tablespoon - Minced White Onion
pinch - Dry Mustard
1 teaspoon - Chopped Parsley
1 tablespoon - Mayonnaise - (homemade if you like)
1/2 teaspoon - Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon - Lemon Juice

Procedure:

Squeeze all of themoistureout of the crabmeat then gently fold all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Once well incorporated, place the mixture in a 2 /2” diameter ring mold and lightly pat the cake down (the cake should be about 2” tall). Toss the cake in breadcrumbs and fry in a small sauté pan until it is golden brown. Flip the cake and place the pan into a preheated 350° oven forapproximately5 to seven minutes.

*The Citrus Aioli:

2 cloves garlic
Coarse salt
1 cup prepared or fresh mayonnaise
2 lemons — zested
1 lemon — juiced
Freshly ground black pepper

Using a mortar & pestle; smash and puree the garlic into a paste with a pinch of the course sea salt. Then take a bowl and combine the rest of the ingredients. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Should be enough for 6 crab cakes with a bit left over. Enjoy…

Our favorite Caesar Salad...

off the vine — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 02:28:46 +0000

Serves 4 to 6
Bread for Croutons
day old crusty french or sourdough
some olive oil - salt

2 large heads of romaine lettuce (1 to 1.5 pounds leaves)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
option - 1 tablespoon salt packed anchovy fillets

Sea Salt
3 ounces of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 & 1/2 lemons (aprox 3 tablespoons)
fresh cracked black pepper

STEP ONE: cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes - toss with olive oil in a bowl and sprinkle with a bit of salt
spread out on a cookie sheet - bake at 350 degrees until golden - set aside

STEP 2: wash and clean the romaine - discard outer leaves - keep the leaves whole at this point and dry them thoroughly (very important)

STEP 3: in a mixing bowl whisk the oil, salt, garlic, anchovies... add the eggs and a bit of the cheese... use a generous amount of pepper... keep whisking... add the lemon juice (no seeds) whisk again... taste and adjust as needed - may need a bit more lemon juice, or a bit more garlic or pepper.

STEP 4: just before serving... cut the chilled romaine leaves into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces... add most of the dressing and the croutons toss well... add a bit more of the dressing to ensure the leaves a re well coated (not soaked). serve on chilled plates with a little extra cheese and pepper on top.