Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Thank YOU !

I've had the privilege of cooking with kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Redlands, Micah's House of Redlands and Building America's Next Generation also in Redlands for the last year. These classes take place as an "after-school" program. .. It's been one of the most personally rewarding experiences in my life.

Every week I teach a class at the beautiful and incredibly restored Burrage Mansion--- also in Redlands. Where there is not only a beautiful mansion, but even more importantly, beautiful people.

What an incredibly rewarding experience this has been..... and will continue to be......

Now, we've started a Summer program...

...... stay tuned for more details.....

It's the beginning of beautiful things ! ! !

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Refreshing and Cool.... Summer Guacamole !

Guacamole

To me, the best guacamole is made with avocado, onions, jalapeno, lime, salt, and cilantro. Nothing else, and definitely no sour cream! The amounts of the ingredients can vary. The important things are to taste for a balance of salt, heat, and acid to make the guacamole taste perfect.

2-3 large ripe avocados
2-3 small juicy limes
1 jalapeno popper
4 green onions
cilantro
salt
1 tomato, optional

Halve the avocados, remove the pits, scoop out the flesh into a mortar and season with salt. Trim and slice green onions and put them in a small bowl, add salt and squeeze in the juice of 2 limes--- totally mashing the onions into the lime juice. Cut off the stem of the jalapeno, cut the pepper in half lengthwise and remove the membranes and seeds. Flatten the pepper and cut into fine dice. Mash the avocado but leave it a bit chunky. Add the onions and lime juice, along with the jalapeno (add half or whole depending upon how hot you like it). Mix lightly. Taste and add more salt or lime juice, as desired. Chop a handful of fresh cilantro leaves and stir into guacamole. Serve with toasted tortilla chips.

Simple Cherry Tomato Recipe

Cherry tomatoes are in at local farmer's markets in Southern California. Use this recipe to prepare a great appetizer before a Summer meal, or prepare to serve alongside grilled steak, chicken or fish.

Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Herbed Goat Cheese

For a colorful appetizer, fill bite-size cherry tomatoes, round or pear shaped, with a savory mixture of goat cheese flavored with basil. Minced tarragon or chervil can be used in place of the basil.

24 cherry tomatoes, a mixture of red and yellow
1/4 lb. fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Cut the top off each cherry tomato. Using a small spoon, scoop out the pulp to make a hollow yet sturdy shell. Drain off any juice that accumulates in the shells.

In a bowl, combine the cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Mix with a fork until well blended.

Using the small spoon, fill each tomato with about 1 tsp. of the cheese mixture. Arrange the filled tomatoes on a platter to serve.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Three Simple Recipes

From this week's food column in Redlands Daily Facts

Simple Garlic Chicken

Ingredients
3 tbsp butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp onion powder

Directions
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoning salt and onion powder. Sautee about 10 to 15 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Serve with rice or grilled vegetables.



Almond Crusted TIlapia

INGREDIENTS
2 EGGS
1 TSP LEMON PEPPER
1 TSP GARLIC PEPPER
1 CUP ALMONDS
1 CUP FRESHLY GRATED PARMSEAN CHEESE
8 TILAPIA FILETS, APPROXIMENTLY 6 OZ EACH
¼ CUP ALL PURPOSE FLOUR, FOR DUSTING
6 TBSP BUTTER
SALT, TO TASTE
1 CUP FRESHLY GRATED PARMESEAN CHEESE
8 SPRIGS PARSLEY
8 LEMON WEDGES

DIRECTIONS
BEAT THE EGGS WITH THE LEMON PEPPER AND GARLIC PEPPER UNTIL BLENDED, SET ASIDE. STIR TOGETHER GROUND ALMONDS WITH 1 CUP OF PARMESEAN CHEESE IN A SHALLOW DISH UNTIL COMBINED, SET ASIDE. DUST TILAPIA FILETS WITH FLOUR, AND SHAKE OFF EXCESS. DIP TILPIA IN EGG, THEN PRESS INTO THE ALMOND MIXTURE. MELT BUTTER IN A LARGE SKILLET OVER MEDIUM HEAT. COOK TILAPIA IN MELTED BUTTER UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN ON BOTH SIDES, 2-3 MINUTES PER SIDE. REDUCE HEAT TO MEDIUM AND SEASON FILETS WITH SALT IF DESIRED. SPRINKLE THE TILAPIA WITH THE REMAINING PARMESEAN CHEESE, COVER AND CONTINUE COOKING UNTIL THE PARMESEAN CHEESE HAS MELTED, ABOUT 5 MINUTES. TRANSFER THE TILAPIA TO A SERVING DISH, AND GARNISH WITH PARSLEY SPRIGS AND LEMON WEDGES. SERVE WITH GREEN BEANS AND SHALLOTS.


FARMER’S MARKET GREEN BEANS WITH SHALLOTS

THIS TIME OF YEAR, YOU CAN FIND FANTASTIC GREEN BEANS AT FARMER’S MARKETS EVERYWHERE. THIS IS ONE OF THE EASIEST AND MOST FLAVORFUL WAYS TO PREPARE GREEN BEANS, SERVE BEANS WITH CHICKEN, FISH OR BEEF FOR A SIMPLE, SUMMER DINNER. BEST OF ALL, THIS RECIPE CAN BE PREPARED ALMOST ENTIRELY IN ADVANCE. AFTER THE STRING BEANS ARE BLANCHED, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SAUTEE THE SHALLOTS IN BUTTER AND TOSS THE BEANS IN THE SKILLET UNTIL THEY ARE WARM.

INGREDENTS
1 LB FRENCH STRING BEANS (ALSO KNOWN AS HARICOTS VERTS), ENDS REMOVED
SALT, TO TASTE
2 TBSP UNSALTED BUTTER
1 TSP OLIVE OIL
3 LARGE SHALLOTS, LARGE DICE
½ TSP FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

DIRECTIONS
BLANCH THE STRING BEANS IN A LARGE POT OF BOILING SALTED WATER FOR 1 ½ MINUTES ONLY. DRAIN THE BEANS IMMEDIATELY AND IMMERSE THEM IN A BOWL OF ICE WATER. HEAT THE BUTTER AND OIL IN A VERY LARGE SAUTEE PAN AND SAUTEE THE SHALLOTS ON A MEDIUM HEAT FOR 5 TO 10 MINUTES UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWNED. TOSS THEM OCCASIONALLY. DRAIN THE STRING BEANS AND ADD THE SHALLOTS WITH ½ TSP SALT AND PEPPER, TOSS WELL. HEAT ONLY UNTIL THE BEANS ARE HOT. IF YOU ARE USING REGULAR STRING BEANS, WHICH ARE SLIGHTLY THICKER THAN FRENCH GREEN BEANS, BLANCH FOR APPROXIMENTLY 3 MINUTES, OR UNTIL THEY ARE CRISP-TENDER. THROUGHLY DRY BEANS BEFORE ADDING THEM TO SHALLOTS.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

My Photographer

All of the wonderful photography on this blog, as well as the photography in my weekly food column is from Mod Photography. Take a moment and visit Modphotography.com to see more samples of their excellent and truly original work!

Hey Alice .....

Recently, I had the pleasure of assisting Inland Orange Conservancy with volunteer efforts at a Palm Springs Elementary School. What fantastic foods these young students are producing from their edible school garden. These students are even growing Squash Blossoms ! So exciting.... there's new plans in the works, stay tuned!!!

The Farmer's Chef

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Grilled Eggplant with Marjoram Sauce

Grilled Eggplant with Marjoram Sauce


Mela insana, "mad apple," was the name given to eggplant by early Italian botanists because it was believed the vegetable was poisonous and capable of causing insanity. Eggplant was cultivated for the beauty of its flowers and glossy fruits rather than for the kitchen. Today, there are many varieties of eggplant, both solid and striped, in a rainbow of skin colors, including purple, violet, white and green.

Salting eggplant is a precautionary step to eliminate bitter juices. If your eggplant is very fresh, you can skip this step. Fresh marjoram complements grilled eggplant. If it is not available, fresh basil, parsley, mint or oregano are delicious alternatives.

Ingredients:
2 eggplant, each about 12 oz., cut crosswise into
 slices 1/2 inch thick
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for
 brushing
2 Tbs. chopped fresh marjoram
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper, to taste


Layer the eggplant slices in a colander, sprinkling each layer with salt. Top with a plate and a heavy weight such as a pot. Let stand for 1 hour to drain off the bitter juices. Rinse off the salt and pat the slices dry with paper towels.

Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a broiler.

To prepare the marjoram sauce, in a small bowl, stir together the 1/4 cup olive oil, marjoram, garlic, lemon zest and pepper. Set aside.

Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil. Place on the grill rack or on a broiler pan and grill or broil, turning once, until browned and tender, about 5 minutes per side.

Arrange the eggplant slices, overlapping them, on a serving plate. Spoon on the marjoram sauce and let stand until serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.