Sunday, August 30, 2009

Summer Dinner

So,Dinner
Tonight it was a Garlic Chive Chicken, Semi boneless, Roasted and Basted with Seasoned Olive Oil. I served it with a natural Jus infused with some french red wine, I made a couple of roasted Chile sauces/pesto/chimmi churri.
Roasted Eggplant, Mixed Color Small Tomatoes, Fresh White Beans, Parsley and pea shoots


Roasted Egg Plant and White Beans, with Sweet Summer Tomatoes and Herbs
1 small Eggplant cut into wedges, dressed in olive oil and salted, roast at 400'f for 8 minutes, chill cooked eggplant, mix with cooked white beans ( I used farmers market fresh beans that I simmered in chicken stock until tender) Fresh Cherry Tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, a splash of good Sherry Vinegar, Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper.



Roasted Semi Boneless Garlic Chive Chicken


1 under 2# chicken

I like to remove the back bone with some kitchen shears, along with the end nubs of the drumsticks as well as the wing tips and first segments

I use a small pairing knife to remove the ribs, sternum, and thigh bones.


I place all of my bone scrap into a stock pot along with 1# of Chicken Feet and 2# of carrot, onion, and celery cover with water and simmer for 12 to 24 hours


I use twine to roast tie the semi boneless roast after stuffing with parsley stems, garlic chives, salt and pepper

I roast on a rack over a sheet pan, at 380'F Convection (or 400'f standard)


I use a nice olive oil that is seasoned with kosher salt and pepper to baste the chicken every 7 minutes, turning every fourth basting until a internal temperature of 155'F, allow to rest on carving board for at least ten minutes before carving for service.



The Finished Dinner, so good. so good.


I love this time of year.




Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Summer Tomatoes, Big and Bold, try them Candied.


So the end of summer means a lot of things to a lot of people. To me it's Tomatoes, Lumpy Bumpy Rough and oh so tasty. a dash of salt, a drop of olive oil and oh oh, Happy. but even the best tomato straight from the garden can be improved upon, or at least manipulated in a way to at least compare.


So, candied.


225'f oven
slice tomatoes 1/4 inch thick
sugar
salt
mix equal parts sugar and salt
then dust each side of all tomato slices, place coated tomatoes on a wire rack on a sheet pan lined in foil. place pan of tomatoes in oven cook for three hours.
cool and store in mason jars.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Fresh Garbanzo Beans




Pineapple Express, meet Tomatillo





Huckleberry Bliss


Oh how I love these wild little gems, rich blue - raspberry flavor, bold color when cooked. Amazing.
Huckleberry Coffee Cake:
10oz cake flour
6oz powdered sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 pinch salt
1 cup milk
mix well, bake in a tall sided cake pan in a 325' f oven for 40 minutes.

Friday, August 7, 2009

A Night Of Really Good Food and Drink


So, I just moved into my new house on Saturday and Sunday, then while still in the middle of cleaning the old house in the hopes of getting my deposit back, unpacking in order to help my family settle in to our new house, my poor wife is like 8months pregnant with our second child. Brent, Alex and I catered a Birthday party with 11 adult guests enjoying our five(turned six) coarse dinner while the 4 children enjoyed our take on a American classic.
This was a very fun night, just what I needed to take a break from moving. it was awesome.


The Adult Beverage: Pear Cherry Cosmo w/Cardamom Sugared Cherry Garnish

We played around with the concept the night before and came up with a winning combination.
1 Parts High Quality Vodka
2 Parts Pear Juice (We Fresh Juiced Anjou Pears)
1 Part Cherry Juice ( We Used a Nice Organic Bottled Product From Oregon)
Ice and a Shaker

Garnish
Bing Cherries
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Cardamom


1st. Anti-Anti Pasta

Marinated Mozzarella (Heirloom Tomato Basil, and Lemon, Thyme and Black Pepper)
Pickled Vegetables (Squash, Snow Pea, Carrot, Cucumber, Radish, and Watermelon)
Spherical Olives on Crustini
Roasted Red Pepper Paper w/ Prosciutto Mousse
2nd: Champagne Mellon Salad w/ Sunny Side up Quail Egg, Shi-sho Leaf, and Lemon Olive Oil

3rd: Olive Oil Poached Ono w/ Taro Yellow Pepper Slaw and a Citrus Chile Sauce

Inter-mezzo: Yellow Heirloom Tomato Sorbet w/ Candied Red Zebra Tomato

4th: Broiled Hanger Steak w/ Umami Jus, Roasted Asparagus, Tokyo Onion, Black Truffle, and Shaved Bonito

Kids: (That turned into the fifth coarse for the adults, pushing the dessert to the sixth) Macaroni And Cheese w/ Lacquered Bacon