heirloom

Thai Salad

2011-02-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

THAI SALAD

Serves 8

This salad is versatile, fresh and packed with flavor!! Other great ingredients to add are mangos, sprouts or avocados. Enjoy getting creative.

Choice of protein: (½ pound flank steak, or 1 lb ground pork, turkey or chicken or 1 ½ lb wild salmon fillet, or 2 large organic chicken breasts)

Marinade:

2 tablespoon olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup tamari (soy sauce)

Juice of 1 lime

Salad:

1 cup diced cucumber

½ cup shredded carrot (about 3-4 carrots)

¼ cup thinly sliced green onion (1 bunch)

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup coarsely chopped Thai basil leaves (regular basil can be used)

Shredded butter lettuce or romaine lettuce

¼ cup chopped mint

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1 lime

¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce

6 tablespoons fish sauce

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 Tablespoons olive oil

½ cup blister peanuts (trader joe’s)

To marinate steak, salmon, or chicken breast: Mix oil, garlic, tamari and juice of 1 lime. Pour over flank steak, chicken or salmon in marinade. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

To cook ground pork, ground turkey or ground chicken: No marinade needed. To cook, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan, to coat the bottom. Cook ground meat with minced garlic, then add lime juice and tamari and cook until all the juices are gone.

To cook steak or salmon: Discard marinade. Heat a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat and sear the beef or salmon about 5 minutes per side until medium rare. Peel skin of fish if present. Cut beef into thin slices across the grain or shred the salmon fillet.

To cook chicken breasts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake chicken for 40 minutes with marinade.

Salad: In large bowl, combine the cucumber, carrot, green onion, cilantro and basil in a bowl. Add shredded lettuce to bowl and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the lime juice, mint, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, vinegars, minced garlic and oils to make the dressing.

Toss the salad with dressing and then Top with your protein of choice and sprinkle salad with peanuts. Drizzle each salad with a little more dressing. Garnish with whole sprigs of cilantro and lime wedges.

The Last Vineyard Table Secret Supper

2011-02-11T14:22:00.000-08:00

House made chorizo

Melissa of Honeybeesting.com

A big Thanks to Elsom Cellars

Quiche

2010-12-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

Quiche with an Old Fashioned All Butter Crust

This quiche, with an impressive crust, is great for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner and is especially delicious served with a lightly dressed green salad. A nine inch spring form pan is best for this recipe, but a pie or tart pan can also be used.

8 Eggs

¼ Cup heavy cream

1 Tablespoon mascarpone

Pinch kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper

1 Bunch sliced scallions

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

½ Cup diced ham

½ Cup Beecher’s flagship cheese, shredded (or any other strong cheese like Spanish Manchego)

All butter crust (blind baked and cooled - recipe to follow)

(Try adding any combinations of these: caramelized leeks, boiled and diced potato, sautéed mushrooms, blanched asparagus, cooked bacon, chopped spinach ETC!!)

Whip eggs, cream, mascarpone, salt & pepper in a bowl. In small pan over high heat, sauté scallions in butter for 2 minutes, next add ham and cook another 2 minutes.

Pour onions and ham into the bottom of the crust. Pour egg mixture over contents (be sure eggs don’t go higher than the top edge of the crust) Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let sit 15 minutes before slicing.

All Butter Short Crust Dough
2 Cups Flour

9 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed
2 Large egg yolks

1/2 Teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons ice water

Using a food processor, add flour, butter, yolks and salt, and pulse a few times. Drizzle in ice water while pulsing. Mix until dough looks like coarse meal (about 20 seconds) Pour dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Knead only a few times to form a ball, pat into a flat disk, and chill at least 1 hour or overnight. You will pull it out of fridge and let it warm up. Roll dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap to about ¼ inch thick. Push into 9” spring form pan, making sure there are no holes, pushing the crust all the way up the sides. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool before adding the contents.

Chunky Chicken Chili

2010-10-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

Chunky Chicken Chili

The way this chili mixes sweet and spice is appealing to kids…and will keep you warm on these wet autumn days.

1 Medium white onion, chopped

1 Red pepper, chopped

1 Yellow pepper, chopped

1 Jalapeño, chopped, (seeds discarded, unless you want lots of hot spice!!)

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 Tablespoons chili powder

2 Tablespoons ground cumin

½ Tsp dried oregano

½ Tsp kosher salt & pepper each

1 Cup water (used reserved water from boiling chicken)

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes

1 Box chicken stock, low sodium

1 (12oz) jar chili sauce

3 (15oz) cans beans (mix any kind you like: kidney, great northern, black, white, etc.)

In a large sauce pan, bring water to a boil, then add the chicken breasts and boil for 10 minutes. (Reserve water) Cut up chicken in to small bite size pieces. (Some of the chicken may still be slightly pink, but it will continue to cook when added to the chili pot)

In a separate stock pot, sauté onion, peppers, jalapeños and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add diced chicken, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, cook for another 5 minutes. Next add 1 cup reserved water, Worcestershire, Dijon, tomatoes, chicken stock, and chili sauce, simmer for 10 minutes. Next add beans, simmer 10 more minutes. Serve chili with your favorite toppings: plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, fresh cracked pepper, Tabasco sauce, diced onions, cilantro, chives, and/or cheddar cheese.

Jubilee Farms Dinner

2010-10-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

Jubilee Farm, where we harvested produce for the dinner

Melissa Peterman (of Honeybeesting.com) foraging edible nasturtiums blossoms

Table of onions

Cracking open fresh hazelnuts with the butts of our knives

The Amuse, prosciutto wrapped watermelon with Jubilee Farm basil simple syrup

Delicious sweet corn soup, crab and tarragon oil

Watermelon granita with mint and borage flowers

Slow roasted crispy pork belly over farro and Jubilee Farm summer squash risotto, Jubilee Farm roasted beets and sauteed swiss chard

Jubilee Farm strawberry and blackberry hazelnut crisp, cinnamon scented mascarpone

Bacon Bloody Mary's

2010-09-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Bacon Bloody Mary's

Serves 1

It’s football season and I love to offer a Bloody Mary bar while having friends over…it’s a meal in a glass.

2 Shots vodka

1 Cup low sodium V8 or bloody mary mix

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon cocktail onion or pickle juice (from jar)

1 Tablespoon green olive juice (from jar)

2 Shakes Worcestershire sauce

1 Shake Tabasco sauce

2 Strips bacon, very crispy

Ice cubes

Garnish (use a combination or all): celery sticks, dill pickles, pickled beans, pickled asparagus spears, cocktail onions, lemon wedges, and green olives

Preparation: Mix all ingredients in a pint glass and top with garnishes.

Oaty Bars

2010-07-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Your kids will love to help choose the extra ingredients, help measure, mix and most of all, use the masher to level the surface of these homemade granola bars. I really like to make a different batch each time. I recommend Trader Joe’s Unsalted Blister Peanuts because of their amazing crunchy texture and they are delicious, even though there is no added salt.

Healthy Sticky Chewy Pull-Apart Oat Bars

Makes 9 Bars

Ingredients:

¾ stick unsalted butter (or 1/3 Cup)

½ Cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp honey

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ Cups oats

2 Tbsp flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp cinnamon

1/2 Cup shredded, sweetened coconut

¼ Cup chopped peanuts

Then you can add a handful of some or all of the following: chopped dried apricots, golden raisins, chopped dried cherries, chopped dried cranberries, toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, toasted walnuts, toasted hazelnuts, and/or mini chocolate chips.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8” square baking dish. Melt butter, brown sugar, honey and vanilla over medium low heat. In a large bowl, add oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, coconut, peanuts and any extra dried fruits, nuts or seeds you want to add and mix together. Once melted, pour the warm butter mixture into the oat mixture and stir well to incorporate. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish and press it down using a masher to level the surface. Bake 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely, cut into squares and enjoy.

Herb Farm Kitchen Garden

2010-05-22T15:48:00.001-07:00

I have the privilege of volunteering some of my Saturday mornings this summer at the Herb Farm kitchen garden. I'm hoping to be inspired by all the new varieties, flavors and textures I find. Just today, I helped harvest two different types of spinach leaves. The Herbfarm restaurant asks the head gardener Bill and his gardeners for things to harvest for that night's meal. Its a way of eating I'd love to follow someday from my own garden. As I help harvest, I can only imagine the dishes that will be made. Its peaceful, beautiful, and wonderful to work with your hands and your thoughts. This gem of a garden in Redmond Washington is approximately 5 acres filled with so much loveliness such as quails, chickens, ducks and woolly pigs, greens, herbs, garlic, heirloom strawberries etc...I only saw a sample of what will grow there this summer. I can't wait to learn more about growing and harvesting edibles. A special treat from today was a bag full of spinach and bordeaux spinach to bring home to my family..Bill had to cut them back because the leaves grew too big for the likeness of the restaurant. Spinach right out of the ground actually does taste better.

its been a while.........

2010-02-03T14:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I must say, I feel like I've missed you, food loving identity. Its all been about my babies recently. Luckily we all have to eat and I have to think about food all the time anyway. My newest creation that my whole family loves is my granola. I have given out for Christmas gifts, and then the following year, provided the recipe for others to give it out as well. Hope its good karma. Its delicious cold or warm, or mixed into pancake or muffin mix ...for once, something sinful tasting is good for you too.

Chef Schu's Granola

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups steel cut oats or old fashioned oatmeal (not instant)

1 cup spelt berries (found in bulk section)

¼ cup whole flax seeds

¼ cup wheat germ

¼ cup whole hazelnuts, rough chopped (or any other nut you want)

½ cup dried rainier cherries, chopped

½ cup unsweetened whole coconut flakes

¼ - 1/2 cup honey

¼ -1/2cup brown sugar

2 Pinches of kosher salt

Preheat oven for 300 degrees. In very large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter; add steel cut oats, spelt berries, & flax seeds. Toss with a wooden spoon often until the flavors smell nutty, about 5 minutes. Do not burn.

Next add wheat germ, chopped hazelnuts, dried cherries and coconut flake. Drizzle and mix in honey and brown sugar and salt. Mix until everything is evenly melted and dispersed and spread on a baking sheet. Put in oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Make sure to toss granola a few times during the baking process, the edges will brown quickly....take out of oven, let cool slightly and crack out of pan.

Turkish Babies

2009-09-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been stopped in your tracks by a painting or song or a landscape? Yes, yes and yes on my part. But the other night....it was simply a Turkish fig that made my mouth drop open and start salivating. I could barley get my tasks done because I kept stopping to admire what nature had brought to my cutting board that day. Yet another proud moment in Heirloom catering, that did not feel like work to me. It was my last gig until Poppie arrives...which, for that, I am thankful. It was a beautiful summer day, and once again I got to spend the day cooking with my always cheerful co-chef, Melissa. We both shared the 'experience' of those figs....as well as all of the other summery fresh ingredients that we kept sampling and communicating to each other through satisfied and in-the-moment facial expressions. The only mistake was the batch of risotto that could have fed and army instead of a group of women probably more interested in the opening of baby presents and hearing of nursery decor than carbo loading on the "light fare" served at an evening baby shower. That said once again proudly, the menu was a hit.

Menu

Summer Gouda Tart with Wild Mushrooms & Spring Greens

Local Cheeses, Artisan Breads & Butter, Marinated Olives, Spicy Peach Paste & Seasonal Berries

Roasted Asian Chicken & Soba Noodle Salad, Togarashi seared Bok Choy, Squash

Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette

Balsamic Pork Belly Skewers with Caramelized Turkish Figs

Sweet Pea Risotto, Shaved Reggiano, Watercress, Mint & Pea Vines

Cherry Clafouti Tart & Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites with Crème Fraiche and Raspberries

Elemental

2009-08-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Not often do I really feel like I can just be in my element, focusing on exactly what I love to do, just for my own self. The creation of a menu to the execution is still a thrill for me. Recently I have been all about caring for others and meeting my very basic and simple needs: Food, water, shelter, sleep and of course nesting for our upcoming new arrival, baby Poppie. Therefore my 'self' as well as my blog has suffered a bit. No regrets however. Last weekend, as I worked a catering gig with my friend, Chef Melissa Peterman of HoneyBeeSting.com & Foodista.com, I realized cooking and menu planning SHOULD be part of my basic and simple needs. I love it and it brings out the best in me. I'm revived, replenished and inspired (of course after I sleep and recover). Its a joy to work with a partner who practically shares the same brain in regards to food. A happy client is icing on the cake! here is our menu below:

Appetizers
Dragon Rolls
Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadew Peppers

Amuse Bouche
Balsamic Pork Belly Skewers with Caramelized Figs & Watercress

Salad
Arugula & Sorrel Salad with Soft Boiled Duck Egg Sprinkled with Black Hawaiian Sea Salt
Shaved Pecorino Cheese, Chive Blossoms, Honey Citrus Vinaigrette

Intermezzo
Mango sorbet, Kaffir Lime & Mint Simple Syrup topped with Borage Flowers

Main
Basil Chimchurri Marinated Grilled Flank Steak, Heirloom Tomatoes, Rustic Herb Mash

Fin

Grilled Pound Cake with Mike & Jean’s Berry Farm Raspberry Sauce
Grilled seasonal Stone Fruit, Local Cream freshly whipped, Chiffonade of Chocolate Mint

Mama Bird

2009-06-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

I believe cooking is art. I think that is why I get so much pleasure out of other mediums of art as well. Its just the way my mind works. I consider other forms of art that I partake in, a hobby. I do it for my own satisfaction. I absolutely love creating something tangible from just an idea in my mind. I go through a similar process when cooking. I get inspiration from a number of places and I can practically taste the dish in my mouth, just like I have an idea of what a painting will look like when I'm finished with it. Often times the best dishes are the quick last minute ones that were initailly made to just full your belly or the unplanned pieces of art. That said, the food or the artwork always has a small change or surprise that I hadn't thought of. I used to say I like creating something from 'nothing'. But 'nothing' doesn't do justice to the number of tool boxes I have filled with acrylic paints and brushes, yards of fabric, spools of thread and knitting yarn, the extra clay I bring home from my wheel throwing classes or my jam packed pantry filled with ingredients I cannot wait to experiment with and taste. I try to create beautiful things because I love to be surrounded by beautiful and meaningful things that were made with love. "What's for dinner?" inspires and challenges me to make something beautiful to eat. That is why I love it so much. Here is my most recent painting. My daughter Ryanne was the initial inspiration for me because of her love of birds...but the fun surprise was, I think it turned out to be an unplanned self portrait.

Poppies on my table

2009-06-09T11:04:00.001-07:00

Summer inspires me to put flowers on my table and cook from my garden. I planted some beautiful lettuces this spring and now we are reaping the harvest before we get hit with more heat. This salad is a play on the classic Caesar salad. Its about respecting the original flavors while adding some new textures. I make my own tart dressing (not creamy) and fennel salted croutons. I add in crunchy prosciutto, shaved parma and highlight a warm lemon-rosemary whole roasted chicken. That way I can pull the meat off the bone and toss it when its still warm and juicy. Let's just say, there was not a lot of conversation during dinner that night, just a lot of crunching.

Lemon-Rosemary Whole Roasted Chicken

1/2 stick butter

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

One 4¾ - 5 pound whole free-range, organic chicken

2 Lemons, halved

4 sprigs of Rosemary

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 475°F. Remove neck, giblets, and cut out the excess fat from main cavity of chicken. Rinse chicken inside and out; pat dry with paper towels. Place lemons and rosemary in main cavity of chicken. Tie legs together and tucks wings behind the neck. Melt butter in a cast iron skillet and then add trussed chicken on its back. Using a large spoon, pour the melted butter over the body of the chicken until completely covered in melted butter. Place chicken in oven and roast 1 hour. Tent the chicken with foil to prevent over browning half way through cooking process. The chicken should register 170°F on an instant-read thermometer when inserted into thickest part of thigh. Transfer chicken to platter; let stand 10 minutes (internal temperature will increase by 5 to 10 degrees). Carve and serve.

***Discard rosemary and lemons. Freeze the chicken carcass to make stock for future use.

Quick Stock Recipe: Place carcass in a stock pot and cover with water. Add carrots, onions, thyme, peppercorn and/or bay leaf if desired. Boil then turn heat down to simmer for 4 hours. Discard bones, and strain. Freeze stock or use within 3 days.

Fennel-Salted Croutons
1 Loaf ciabatta bread, cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp flavored salt, such as fennel salt
1/4 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Drizzle the cut bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then sprinkle and toss in the salts, and pepper. Evenly disperse the croutons on a baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden. Be sure to mix the croutons a few times during the baking process because the bread closest to the sides will burn easily.

Caesar Salad Dressing
4 T red wine vinegar

6 drops Tabasco sauce

1 Tablespoon anchovy paste

8 shakes Worcestershire sauce

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

4 tsp dijon mustard

3 cloves minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt & fresh cracker pepper

8 Tablespoons olive oil

Shaved parmigiano-reggiano (a vegetable peeler works great)

A mixture of green or purple romaine, butter lettuces, savoy spinach, mache etc.

Whisk together vinegar, Tabasco, anchovies, Worcestershire, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Toss the greens with enough vinaigrette to coat the leaves.

To complete the meal, toss the fennel-salted croutons and crunchy prosciutto bits into your salad. Add the warm roasted chicken meat and top with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Oven Roasted Potpourri

2009-06-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

Per the request of my curious Wine It. pals, here is an easy appetizer idea highlighting garlic. Its more of a technique than recipe, and once you see how easy it is, you'll want it all the time. It's a good accompaniment to a cheese plate as well. Perhaps these "wine people" can work to pair it with a delicious pre-dinner wine to share. Your house will smell better than any potpourri could make it. Above is a photo of my small garlic crop for this year...Can't wait to get my hands in this dirt come harvest time!

Oven Roasted Garlic

Garlic head(s)
Olive oil
Aluminum foil
Artisan bread, such as ciabatta bread

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel away any excess papery skin. Slice the very top of the garlic head so the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic head in the center of a square of foil. Add in any clove pieces that were cut off. Pull the sides up to create a bundle. Drizzle the exposed garlic cloves with olive oil and the pinch the foil together to enclose completely. Place in oven and roast for 35 -40 minutes. Once the garlic is cool enough to touch but still warm, dig the soft cloves out with a knife and spread over fresh warmed artisan bread.

2009-06-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

"Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian;
Wine and tarragon make it French.
Sour cream makes it Russian;
Lemon and cinnamon make it Greek.
Soy makes it Chinese...
and Garlic makes it GOOD!"

- ALICE MAY BROCK

This is my "Jam"

2009-05-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

I love the tartness of rhubarb. I will eat it raw. The fibrous texture allows me to chew on it, kinda like a cow's cud. I make this rhubarb-vanilla bean jam at the beginning of every summer and at the end because it is pretty available from June - August in the Northwest. If I am feeling generous, I will can it and keep it for gifts during the holidays, but most often it ends up on my toast. Its super easy and quick to create and makes a PB&J very special for a toddler. It is also good as a dessert sauce or drizzled on vanilla bean ice cream.

Rhubarb-Vanilla Bean Jam
Makes approx 1 1/2 quarts
3 lbs rhubarb stalks (approx 6 large stalks), rinsed
1 lb Sugar (approx 2 1/2 cups)
1 Vanilla bean

Slice rhubarb stalks down the center, and then slice into cubes. In a thick bottomed pan, cover the rhubarb with sugar and let sit for 30 minutes at room temp. This is when I do all my snacking...

Slice the vanilla bean down the center, scrape the seeds, and stir all into the rhubarb. Turn heat to medium-low and stir occasionally for 45 minutes to one hour. Jam will be slightly chunky and runny.

Pour jam (with vanilla bean) into a clean glass jar. Let the jam cool at room temp and keep in the fridge for up to one month or until you are scraping the sides of the jar for the last taste.

You say Tatziki, I say Tzatziki

2009-05-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

I can eat this stuff by the spoonful and I do, even if someone is watching. My husband claims he will even put it on his cereal..Tzatziki fulfills my everlasting need to ingest mint all summer long. You see, I have a crush on different herbs at different times of the year. Mint is my summer crush. So instead of using the usual suspect of dill for this sauce, I use ample amounts of mint. I love to eat tzatziki on so many things like grilled burgers or chicken skewers, on homemade pizza, grilled wild salmon, lamb gyros, on salads, on top of gazpacho until I mix it all in, taco's, soup, anything potato, or just dip some delicious grilled naan into the thick Greek sauce, and you have a perfect breakfast, er, I mean snack. The uses are deliciously endless. The basic recipe I have in my head is as follows, but please feel free to use your favorite summer herb crush to experiment. Your kids may even give it a try like my 17 month old daughter!

Minted Tzatziki
1 Pint thick whole milk Greek yogurt
1 English cucumber, well rinsed, with skin on
2 Heaping tablespoons of mint, chiffonade or minced
2 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 Garlic cloves, finely minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
juice of one lemon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

Preparation:
Coarsely grate the cucumber over a strainer. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp kosher salt and let it drain at room temp for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Squeeze excess moisture from cucumber and discard liquid. Mix cucumber, mint, feta and garlic into yogurt. Mix in olive oil and lemon juice and season with freshly cracked pepper and serve with whatever else you are eating currently.

well, hello there...

2009-05-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Quite a bit of thought has gone into this blog. Will it flow? Will it be easy for me to recreate my rolling stream of consciousness about food and life into words? Will I actually be creative enough to write something that someone out there wants to read? Thing is, I love cooking, I love eating (for two currently), I love creating recipes, and teaching cooking. I love sharing food, talking about food, experimenting and thinking about food. I am also a professionally trained chef who is constantly seeking out new things to taste and experience. So my answer to the question above is YES!! I can write something that someone, somewhere would like to read. I know there are a lot of others just like me.
And, we're off! I dedicate this blog to Ryanne and 'Poppie' and any other soul who chooses me as their mom. I think I should also give a shout out to wanderlust..and the fears and joys that come to me as I step into a new territory called a food blog.