Pesto and Goat Cheese Spread

I started salivating earlier this week, dreaming up all of the wonderful treats I could make with a nice crusty baguette and a fresh bunch of basil that I brought home from our local Farmer's Market. I came back to a go-to dip that hits the spot all summer long.  Rarely do I go without homemade pesto in my kitchen, especially when I can buy basil in bulk and make tons to freeze.  So, with the two huge bunches I picked up and a tasty roll of black peppered goat cheese, I put together a fresh, bright dish that would be a perfect summer evening snack or compliment to any Sunday brunch. 

Pesto
Makes about 2 cups

4 handfuls fresh basil leaves
1/2-2/3′s cup toasted, unsalted walnuts
1 wedge parmigiano reggiano
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
pinch salt
Pulse all ingredients in a processor except oil until chunky. Next, slowly drizzle in the olive oil – add as much oil as needed to get to the right consistency.  I tend to keep it a bit tight because you can always add a little more oil to each dish when using the pesto and for the purposes of a dip, the less oil the better.

Pesto and Goat Cheese Dip
Servings: 4-6

Remove all but 2 tbsps of pesto in processor and store separately.  To the processor, add zest and juice of 1/2 lemon and 4 oz of black peppered goat cheese.  Blend until creamy.  The black peppered goat cheese adds a sharp tang to the dip which is balanced out by the freshness of the lemon. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with toasted, oiled baguette rounds.

Anna B’s gluten-free baguette had the perfect texture for this dip.  Toasted on a low heat with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt, the crusty outside and slightly chewy inside made for a great base to the creamy, sharp flavors of the pesto and goat cheese.

Not only did the basil provide a summer fresh taste, but the pale, vertical blooms made a modern and fragrant bouquet for the kitchen.

Tender Mock Steak with Fried Green Tomatoes and Garlic Leek Cream Sauce

We picked up green tomatoes from Walnut Hill Farm at our local farmer's market just before they ran out and I am so glad we did because I was ready for a southern fried treat.  We also headed over to Victory Farms and grabbed a bunch of leeks and a garlic bulb from Fertile Crescent.  The last stop was back to Deer Run Farm of Amelia where we picked up an interesting cut of meat – Mock Tender Steak which, unlike it’s name suggests, is not inherently tender. We were given some great info on the cut and told to marinate, so marinate we did!  Here’s how we pulled it all together:

Gluten-Free Fried Green Tomatoes
2 sturdy green tomatoes, sliced thick
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs (suggested to me by a fantastic Forest Hill neighbor!)
3 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
3 stems of thyme
kosher salt
pepper
After slicing the tomatoes, set up the dredging stations by grabbing two shallow bowls.  In one bowl, combine buttermilk, egg and pinch of salt and pepper and whisk until combined.  In the second bowl, combine breadcrumbs, flour, thyme leaves that have been removed from stems and a pinch of salt and pepper.


Dredge each tomato slice first in the buttermilk mixture and then in the breadcrumb mixture until well coated (pressing with fingers will help the crumbs to stick).  Next, add a few tbsps canola oil to a fry pan and once ripples form on the oil, add the tomatoes two at a time. Cook on each side for about 1-2 minutes until a golden crust forms.  Transfer fried tomatoes to a casserole dish and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Garlic Leek Cream Sauce
2 leeks, diced and rinsed
1 clove fresh garlic, diced
1/2-2/3′s cup milk
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2-3 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
salt and pepper
Start by putting the milk in a sauce pan over low heat to warm slightly.  Next, lightly sauté the leeks and garlic in a sauté pan over medium-low heat for just 1-2 minutes.  Begin to add the flour 1 tbsp at a time and whisk vigorously until a paste forms.  Once a good consistency is reached, raise the heat slightly and slowly add the milk to the sauté pan, whisking as you go.  Continue to stir to keep the milk from burning and until the sauce thickens to desired consistency.

Testing, testing

When the sauce is ready, you should be able to coat a wooden spoon with the sauce and draw you finger down the back to form a line.  At this point remove from heat and strain leeks and garlic from the sauce.  Use the spoon to force all the liquid from the vegetables. Discard the leeks and garlic and set sauce aside until ready to serve.

Tender Mock Steak Marinade
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
3 stems rosemary,
1 clove garlic, rough chop
2 stems of thyme
salt & pepper
Combine all ingredients above and add to a plastic ziploc bag.  Add the steak and marinate on the counter in a sealed bag for about 20-30 minutes prior to grilling over medium heat for just a few minutes for medium-rare.  Be sure to let the steaks rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.  The longer you are able to marinate the steaks the more tender they will be but ours had a great texture and the rosemary really permeated the meat.

Drizzle the cream sauce over the warm, fried tomatoes and top with the steak…just try not to go back for seconds on this one!

Jalapeno Ranch Slaw Burgers

This is a delicious and non-traditional topper for a burger, great crunch and loads of flavor!

Jalapeno Ranch Slaw Burgers
Slaw

(makes 4-6 servings)
1/2 small red cabbage, shredded
1/2 pint sun gold tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
3 spring onions, greens and whites diced
Dressing:
(makes 1 cup – save remainder to top salads, sandwiches, eggs, chips, chicken, what have you…)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp fresh chopped chives
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 jalapeno, diced
1 Serrano chili, fresh grated
pinch of salt
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, tomatoes, chives and parsley. Set aside. Combine all ingredients for ranch dressing in a separate bowl, use a hand grater to grate the entire Serrano chili into the dressing. Mix well. For the slaw, add about 1/4 cup of dressing and combine. Add more dressing if desired and finish with a little extra salt and pepper to taste. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving to let the flavors come together.  Store remainder of ranch in a separate, air tight container in the fridge.

For the burgers, we keep it simple – scant 1/4 tsp garlic salt and 1/4 tsp pepper per 1 lb of meat.  Form into patties and add a sprinkle of kosher salt to the outside of the burgers just before grilling. Grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side over 400° grill for medium to medium rare burgers. The Faith Farm ground beef we picked up at the farmer's market came out perfectly - so much flavor for so little work and the burgers were perfectly juicy.


Plate it up on a whole wheat bun with a heaping mound of the Jalapeno Ranch Slaw, nothing else needed!

Farmer's Market Omelette

It’s so satisfying to bike over to the neighborhood Farmer’s Market to pick up a few fresh ingredients for breakfast.  At South of the James you can find every ingredient needed for a hearty, healthy start-to-the-day.  My quest started with fresh eggs so I ended up at Deer Run Farm of Amelia where my husband got a lesson in ground meat for burgers from a friend of the farm (she raved so much about the farm we thought she was an employee) and I learned about their grass-fed, grass-finished beef and the health benefits of eating eggs from their free-range hens.   It was a perfect stop, start to finish, so we walked away with a dozen eggs for omelettes and a brochure for ordering ahead for next week.

Deciding on an omelette was the easy part of the morning, choosing what to fill it with took a little more time.  Spinach & mushrooms?  Tomatoes and peppers?  Luckily, across the way from Deer Run Farm was a group I hadn’t seen before, Manakintowne Specialty Growers.  They had a great set up, tables and baskets full of fresh herbs.  They also had little bits of information typed out on paper for some of the less recognizable greens, one of which was a few bunches of garlic scapes.  The woman manning the table told me they added delicious but mild garlic flavor and were a great accompaniment to spinach or squash.  So I grabbed a bunch and went off in search of the final additions – a shiitake mushroom from Casselmonte Farm (purchased by the ounce), a container of baby squash and zucchini and a bunch of basil from Victory FarmsVictory Farms and finally, some goat cheese from Bonnyclabber Cheese Company.

Here’s how it all came together:

Farmer’s Market Omelette

Prep Time: 5 minutes       Cook Time:  10 minutes
Serves: 2

4 farm fresh eggs
1 tbsp water
1 baby squash, diced
1 baby zucchini, diced
1 shiitake mushroom, diced
2 garlic scapes, bulb discarded and green stem diced
6 basil leaves, sliced in ribbons
salt and pepper
2 ounces goat cheese (or however much or little you like)
Start by heating a non-stick omelette pan that has been sprayed with canola cooking oil over medium-high heat.  Add the zucchini, squash and mushrooms to sauté, season with salt and pepper.  While the veggies cook, whisk the eggs with water until fully incorporated. Once a good color has developed on the squash, add the chopped garlic and basil and stir to distribute evenly.  Cook for an additional minute and then transfer the cooked veggies to a dish and set to the side.
In the same pan, add half the eggs for one omelette and turn the pan to evenly distribute.  Using a spatula, skim the outer edge of the pan and force the uncooked egg to the side until all liquid is cooked through.  Next, scatter half the sauteed vegetables and herbs in the center of the omelette and top with goat cheese.  Using the spatula, gently fold both sides over the center to close and then transfer the omelette to the serving plate.  Enjoy while hot!

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Prep time:  10 minutes  Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp canola oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp lite rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 jalapeno or bird chili sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
6 white button mushroom caps, sliced
4 spring onions (whites and greens) diced on the diagonal
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 tin water chestnuts, diced
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 tbsp cilantro, rough chop (and more for garnish)
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 head butter leaf or bibb lettuce, core removed and leaves separated and washed
toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Start by warming canola oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Season sliced chicken with salt & pepper and brown in skillet.  Once browned, transfer to plate and discard any remaining oil in pan.  Combine hoisin sauce, tamari, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil and transfer to skillet, reduce heat to medium low.  Add jalapeno, red bell pepper, mushrooms, half of the green onions and carrots to soften for about 4-5 minutes.  Once softened but still colorful, add cabbage, water chestnuts, cabbage, cilantro, garlic and chicken.  Turn to coat in sauce and continue to cook over medium low heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

Line a serving dish with the lettuce leaves and transfer the spicy chicken mix to the middle of the plate.  Top with remaining spring onions, toasted sesame seeds and a garnish of cilantro…serve with Sriracha for an added kick!

Project Garden Grow - Year 2

We've really begun to see some of the benefits of moving our herb garden last summer.  Even though it was a lot of work, I think it's totally paid off.  What do you think?!

Year II-Phase II involves 4 raised garden beds for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, greens, etc. So far we have 1 box in, 3 to go.  Pics to follow...

Garlic Cannellini Beans with Fresh Spinach

Our local Saturday Farmer's Market is back!  My first purchase of the season was a big bag of spinach from Broadfork Farm (based in Chesterfield, VA).  The leaves were large and tender with a mild but distinctly earthy flavor.  The taste made me feel like I was standing in the rows of greens, plucking the foliage straight from the ground to devour on the spot.  Loving spinach like I do, it didn’t take me long to decide how to enjoy it and enjoy it quickly!

 
Garlic Cannellini Beans and Fresh Spinach
Prep time: 5 minutes  Cook Time: 5 minutes
Serves 4


Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 can Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
2 handfuls fresh spinach, washed and dried
salt & pepper
1 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade

Preparation:
In a sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add the beans to warm, stirring occasionally.  Once warmed through, add minced garlic, tomatoes and spinach.  Use kitchen tongs to ‘toss’ the mixture together and flavor with salt and pepper.  Lower heat and cover with lid for 3-5 minutes (just long enough to let the spinach reduce).   Pile on the basil, give a final toss and serve warm…drizzle with another swirl of olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan for a little extra kick.