A Winter Mediterranean Orange Salad

Moving from California there is a lot to miss, this being the peak of citrus season (reading a recent blog post by "White on Rice Couple" -  www.whiteonricecouple.com   and becoming envious of their backyard citrus fortune did not help me),  I am missing my weekend visits to the farmers market with tables piled high of just picked oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and clementines.  The sight, smell, and taste can not be matched.  Still, I do consider myself fortunate to have grocery stores nearby like:  Wholefoods, Trader Joes and Costco; they offer some amazing citrus choices - not the same as my California farmers market, but still sunshine on a southern February day.

A favorite winter citrus salad that I have made repeatedly is from a memorable cooking class called "A Mediterranean Winter Holiday Buffet" taught by Georgeanne Brennan.  The salad's centerpiece is ORANGES with fennel, herbs, sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil all providing a Mediterranean (Spanish) flare.  When Georgeanne made it she also added capers, I mix it up sometimes adding capers, Kalamata or Moroccan olives or recently none of those.

Recipe

Orange and Fennel Winter Mediterranean Salad

adapted from Georgeanne Brennan

3-4 oranges, rind removed and sliced crosswise

(I like to mix up the varieties, I used blood oranges, Cara Cara and navels .  The variety is visually breath taking and the flavors give the salad a more complex taste.)

1 medium fennel bulb, outer tough layer removed, cored and sliced thinly by hand or with a mandolin

1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed or 10 pitted Kalamata or Moroccan olives

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2-3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons parsley, finely

Procedure

1.  Arrange the sliced oranges on a platter.  Scatter the sliced fennel over the oranges.

2.  Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar over the oranges.

3.  Sprinkle the parsley over the salad. Refrigerate for at least an hour for the flavors to develop.



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Salmon en Papillote

Happy New Year 2013!

Another New Year and a sigh of relief that I made it through the holidays.  The beginning of every New Year I pause, catch my breath, take time to reflect on the previous year, and look forward to possibilities of a New Year. 

The week after Christmas and before New Years is that time I take to spend with my new cookbooks, this year's favorites - "The Canal House Cooks Everyday" and "Jerusalem."  It is also about cooking more "normal" (less big) and reverting back to some old favorite cookbooks, "Falling Cloudberries" and "The Herbfarm Cookbook."  My time with new and old inspired my 2013 Bucket List (resolutions are too negative sounding).

"Falling Cloudberries" is a collection of Tessa Kiros' family recipes, it prompted me to make my own list of family recipes that highlighted my time living in various cities and countries.  Merging my list of family favorites with inspiring ideas from "The Canal House Cooks Everyday" and "Jerusalem" I came up with the number one on my 2013 Bucket List.

Jane's 2013 Bucket List

 1.  Eat More FISH!!!

I realized since moving to the south I was eating less fish, how did this happen???  Time for a change back to my fish eating days.  Salmon, my hands down favorite fish, made en Papillote!  En Papillote is my rediscovered favorite method to prepare fish.  It is easy, the variations are limitless and flexible with the seasons, not to mention fish preferences.

Recipe

Salmon en Papillote

Inspired from

• "The Herbfarm Cookbook" by Jerry Traunfeld
• Childhood tradition of Friday Fish Fries in Wisconsin
• Simple lunches of "The Canal House Cooks Everyday" by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton
• SUMAC my latest favorite spice discovered from "Jerusalem" by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

 1-1/2 lb. salmon fillet, cut into 4- 6 oz pieces, skin removed

1/2 teaspoon sumac

salt and pepper

1 fennel bulb, cut into thin slices

1 shallot, cut into thin slices

2 oranges, cut into sections

extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons dry white wine

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Procedure

1.  Preheat oven to 425 F

2.  Fold 4 sheets of parchment paper (12" X 16") and cut out a large heart from each sheet.

3. Open heart shape and place one salmon fillet on the fold of the heart.  Using 1/4 of the ingredients, season the salmon with sumac, salt and pepper.  Top with fennel, shallots, and orange sections.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a splash of wine.

4.  Seal packet starting at the top left corner, folding and firmly creasing an inch section at a time, at the bottom tightly twist the bottom point. Repeat for remaining salmon fillet packets.

5.  Place sealed packets on a baking sheet and bake until packets are puffed about 12 minutes.

6.  Carefully cut open and sprinkle each with parsley to serve.

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Kale, Chard and Spinach "Signature Salad"

Every season brings new flavors to the table. Summer, sadly is in my rear view mirror. I confess, letting go of tomatoes is difficult for me. But how many tomato salads can one truly enjoy, before you crave a change.

Welcome FALL and a market full of new produce:  squashes, hearty greens, Brussels sprouts, apples, pears…. it is a good list to work with in the kitchen! With a new produce “palette” I wanted to create a fall inspired salad.

Out: tomatoes

In: grapes

Out: mixed baby greens

In: kale, spinach and chard
Out: cucumbers

In: walnuts

Out: Feta cheese

In: Gorgonzola

Out: fresh lemon juice

In: balsamic glaze

Composing a new seasonal salad is as easy as going to the market, engaging your senses, selecting a few ingredients that you like and tossing them together to create a “signature salad” – a salad of the season with your name on it.

Recipe

Jane’s Signature Fall Salad

1 bag Trader Joe’s “Power to the Greens”
(a mix of kale, chard and spinach)
1 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
¼ cup slightly candied walnuts, roughly chopped
4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (my new favorite, Trader Joe’s extra virgin California Estate olive oil)
Balsamic glaze
Procedure
1. Put greens into a large bowl and add all the ingredients except the olive oil and balsamic glaze. Toss gently to mix.
2. Drizzle the olive oil over greens just enough to coat the greens. Toss. Drizzle the balsamic glaze to taste and toss again. Pin It

Gazpacho

This is my seventh summer living in the south. Summer gets HOT here and the temperatures are soaring over 100, not to mention the humidity. I am stubborn, but growing wiser and have learned to turn off the oven in my summer kitchen (at least as much as possible). My new summer southern mind set is to channel my love of Mediterrrean cooking and with Mediterranean food on my mind and memories of a Spanish holiday, I am thinking all about Gazpacho.

GAZPACHO combines my love of TOMATOES, SUMMER and SPAIN into a cooling summer soup. No kitchen heat involved!  Making a big batch with garden tomatoes is one of my favorite summer rituals. The recipe I used for years was from the "Silver Palate Cookbook" - eliminating the raw eggs listed in the ingredients.  This summer, the ritual has been tweaked. The deer ate my tomato plants (thank goodness for farmers markets) and I discovered a new recipe (“Canal House Cooking” Volume N. 1) I can whip a batch of Gazpacho together in about 5 minutes.

I did try this recipe with a yellow bell pepper and sherry vinegar and the resulting color was “muddy” – stay with a red bell pepper for a beautiful red/pink Gazpacho.
Summer bucket list of outdoor activities are on "hold" - drinking Sangria indoors with AC.

Recipe
Gazpacho – Summer 2012
adapted from "Canal House Cooking" Volume N. 1

4-5 large red tomatoes, cut into chunks

2-3 Persian cucumbers, cut into chunks

1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks

2 garlic cloves

2-3 French bread slices soaked in 1 cup of water

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons salt or to taste

Procedure
1. I use a Vitamix and put everything into the blender container and process until well blended.
2. Chill for at least 4 hours and garnish with chopped cucumbers, red bell pepper, herbs and or avocado.

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Summer Fruit and Strawberry Mousse

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!  What's not to love about summer?!  The current bounty of seasonal fruit is at its peak, this year seems to be over flowing with fruit that not only looks beautiful, but tastes of summer sunshine.  Usually I am more focused on the vegetable harvest, however, in the last month the fruits of summer have caught my eye like never before.  A plate or bowl is like an artful still life ~ worthy of any meal centerpiece. (Don't forget to eat it at the end of your meal.)

Strawberries stand out in my mind as the first of summer fruits to arrive at the market.  When in season I can't get enough.  My motto;  "Get them NOW while they are in season and taste naturally sweet!"  If you are lucky enough to live near a strawberry field where you can pick them yourself - DO IT and bring some friends and kids....and then go to work in the kitchen to create your own strawberry masterpiece - to EAT! 

Cheers to summer fruit and summer holidays!

Recipe
Strawberry Mousse
adapted from Weber's Art of the Grill
serves 4
2 pints (4 cups) strawberries, hulled
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 teaspoon gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
1 oz. semisweet chocolate bar, (I used Scharffen Berger)
1/4 cup toasted almond slices

Procedure
1.  In a medium saucepan combine 1 1/2 pints strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extract.  Heat over high heat and bring to a boil, cooking until the strawberries are soft about 5 minutes.
2.  Transfer the strawberry mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth.  Pour mixture into a small sauce pan and keep warm over low heat.
3.  In a small bowl pour 1/4 cup cold water and stir in gelatin.  Let stand for about 5 minutes.
4.  Combine the gelatin mixture with the warm strawberry puree and stir until the gelatin is completely mixed and melted.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
5.  In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks.  Gently fold the strawberry puree into the whipped cream.  Spoon the mousse into small serving bowls.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
6.  To serve, make the chocolate curls using a vegetable peeler and sprinkle the chocolate curls on the mousse along with almond slices and remaining strawberries. Pin It

Chocolate Olive Oil Ice Cream

Olive oil in ice cream is not something I had considered or craved.  But on a recent visit to ECCO Restaurant - Atlanta, GA I did take pause when I came across Chocolate Olive Oil Ice Cream on their dessert menu. I am a HUGE chocolate fan and extra virgin olive oil;  let’s just say I go through liters when cooking…but in ice cream?  I did order the Chocolate Olive Oil Ice Cream at ECCO and YES, it did bring a smile to my face and give me that eureka moment of, why not olive oil in ice cream?!   

The search was on to find a recipe.  I did find one for olive oil ice cream in the  "The Perfect Scoop" David Lebovitz.  I used his recipe as my starting point, tweaking a few ingredients and adding CHOCOLATE!  Since the recipe only has seven ingredients, I use the best chocolate and olive oil I can afford.  My favorite chocolate without a doubt is Scharffen Berger.  I have tried many different chocolate brands, but always come back to Scharffen Berger.  My olive oil of choice is a Greek extra virgin olive oil I have been buying for years at Trader Joes, a fruity style with a hint of pepper at the finish.  What made the ice cream so memorable when I first had it at ECCO, was the flavor combination of sweet, savory and salty. To capture that salty flavor, I sprinkled Maldon sea salt flakes over the ice cream just before serving.  Oh, I added a few chocolate curls, not just for garnish,  but for MORE chocolate!

Recipe
Chocolate Olive Oil Ice Cream

Inspired by ECCO Restaurant and adapted from "The Perfect Scoop" by David Lebowitz

1-1/3 cup 2% milk

½ cup sugar

pinch of sea salt + Maldon sea salt flakes for garnish

1 cup heavy cream

6 large egg yolks

½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil ( fruity style)

3-4 oz. Scharffen Berger Semisweet chocolate (62% cacao), roughly chopped (+ extra chocolate for  chocolate curl garnish)

Procedure
1.  In a medium sauce pan, combine the milk, sugar and salt until warm over medium low heat.

2.  In a large bowl add the heavy cream and set a fine mesh strainer over the bowl, set aside.

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks together.  With a soup ladle, slowly add the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly as you add the warm milk mixture.

4.  Return this mixture to the sauce pan.  Stir over medium heat until the mixture coats the spoon.  This is your custard.

5.  Pour the custard through the mesh strainer into the cream.  Stir to combine and then whisk in the olive oil until it is completely blended.  Place this bowl in a larger ice bath bowl to cool the mixture down.  Refrigerate until completely cool 4-6 hours. 

6.  Freeze in an ice cream making following manufacture directions. The last few minutes of the ice cream cycle add the chopped chocolate.  Make chocolate curls with a vegetable peel for garnish.
7.  Sprinkle with chocolate curls and Maldon sea salt flakes to serve. 

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Cheers It's Friday - Copper River Salmon Bruschetta & 2009 Bastianich Rosato

Cheers It’s Friday! Post Memorial weekend, the kids are out of school, temperatures are sizzling in the mid 90’s AND it’s Copper River salmon and Rose wine season – all signs of SUMMER!

When I spy the first Copper River salmon of the season in the store, my dinner plans immediately change and Copper River salmon is on my dinner menu that night. The season for this salmon is limited usually ranging only from mid May to mid June – SO HURRY, enjoy it while you can get it FRESH and IN SEASON. (For more information click on the link here Copper River Salmon)

I have two favorite ways to prepare salmon. The first is on the grill using apple wood smoking chips that impart an amazing flavor to the salmon. The second is slow oven roasted at a low temperature that results in a moist and flavorful salmon. Either method requires limited seasoning, only a little extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper – the salmon is the star. I usually buy more salmon than I think I will need for dinner and enjoy the leftovers the next day cold. Yesterday I slow roasted a beautiful piece of Copper River salmon and today for Cheers It’s Friday, it is all about Copper River Salmon Bruschetta and a 2009 Bastianich Rosato. This is a combination that I am savoring every bite and sip!

If you recognize the Bastianich name on the wine label – it is Lidia Bastianich (chef, author & restaurateur) and her son Joe's wine venture from the family’s native Friuli region of Italy. The wine is made with 100% Refosco grapes. Refosco is known for spicy reds with dark fruit flavors. A chilled glass of Bastianich Rosato paired with Copper River Salmon Bruschetta makes the sizzling start to summer something to cheer about.
Cheers It’s Friday and SUMMER! Enjoy~

 Recipes:

Grilled Copper River Salmon with Apple Wood Chips
Ingredients
1-1 ½ lbs. Copper River salmon, in one piece with skin on
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Apple wood smoke chips
Procedure
1. Prepare your charcoal grill
2. Soak two handfuls of apple wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes.
3. Lightly brush salmon with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Grill the salmon skin side down over indirect heat with grill cover on for 20-30 minutes or until done to your preference. Add drained apple wood chips over hot coals half way through grilling time.

Slow Oven Roasted Copper River Salmon
Ingredients
1- 1 ½ lbs. Copper River salmon, in one piece with skin on
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Procedure 
1. Preheat over to 275 F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place salmon skin side down on baking sheet.
3. Lightly brush salmon with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Slow roast in oven for 30-40 minutes or until salmon is cooked to your preference.

Copper River Salmon Bruschetta
 Ingredients
1 French baguette
Copper River salmon – grilled or slowed roasted
Extra virgin olive oil
Persian cucumbers, thinly slices
Greek yogurt
Maldon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh dill
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice baguette into ½ inch slices. Brush the slices lightly with olive oil and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Assemble the bruschetta; on a bread slice spread a layer of Greek yogurt, top with a layer of sliced cucumbers, followed by slices of salmon and finish with a piece of fresh dill and a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt and pepper. Pin It