by Kathy Douglas | Jun 10, 2019 | Desserts
Our favorite summer dessert with a spicy ginger twist. This biscuit version is surprisingly simple to make – sweet and crunchy then topped with sweetened macerated berries and freshly whipped cream.
Strawberries With Ginger Shortcakes
INSTRUCTIONS
1 quart farm fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons mint simple syrup or sugar
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for dusting
⅓ cup sugar
2 teaspoons freshly ground dried ginger
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup cold buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
INGREDIENTS
Slice the larger berries into quarters or halves, keeping the smaller ones whole, and place in a large bowl. Gently toss with the mint syrup or sugar; set aside.
Preheat oven to 425˚F. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, ginger, baking powder, and salt; process until mixture is combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the processor running add the buttermilk; then pulse just until moistened, 4 or 5 times. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; with floured hands, gently pat dough into a circle. Cut as many as possible with a round large biscuit cutter, then pat the remaining dough together and continue cutting until you have used all the dough. Transfer the rounds to a parchment lined baking sheet; brush the tops with the 2 tablespoons of cream and sprinkle the tops with the turbinado sugar. Place in the oven and bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes; cool on baking sheet.
Whisk the whipped cream with the sour cream. Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Whip until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To serve, split biscuits with a serrated knife. Top with the berries and fresh whipped cream. Makes 8-10 servings.
by Kathy Douglas | Jun 3, 2019 | Appetizers, Salad, Vegetables
Summer’s early bounty in a delicious and beautiful salad. Farm stand scallions, radishes, tomatoes, and fennel are combined with Grilled Bread Cheese, ciabatta bread and corn then topped with sunflower sprouts, mint leaves, fennel fronds, and chive flowers. It’s lightly dressed with simply fresh lemon and olive oil right before serving.
Bread Cheese has a high melting point so it can be grilled. It is traditionally a Finnish cheese made with reindeer milk. The American version uses pasteurized cow’s milk that looks like it’s been toasted because it actually has – baking it is part of it’s cheesemaking process.
INGREDIENTS
2 red scallions, sliced very thinly slice
2 white radishes, very thinly sliced
2 red radishes, slice very thinly
2 tomatoes, sliced thin
2 baby fennel, sliced very thinly sliced
2 slices ciabatta bread
¼ cup olive oil plus 3 tablespoons
Kosher salt
1 ear of corn, husked
8 ounces Bread cheese
¼ cup sunflower sprouts
Mint leaves for garnish
Fennel fronds for garnish
Chive flowers for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Using a mandoline slicer or a very sharp knife, thinly slice the vegetables. Set aside.
Heat a barbeque grill to high. Brush the ciabatta bread pieces on both sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil and top with a big pinch of salt. Brush the corn with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill the corn until cooked through and charred in spots, and the bread until just charred in spots; remove and set aside.
Brush one side of the Bread Cheese with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and place oil side down on the grill. Cook for about 2-2 ½ minutes. Brush the top with oil, turn, and cook until lightly charred in spots, about 2-2 ½ more minutes.
Transfer to the plate with the croutons and corn; let cool.
Arrange the thinly sliced vegetables on salad plates.
Cut kernels from cob, cube the Bread Cheese and cut the bread slice into cubes. Arrange on the plate with the vegetable. Add the sprouts, mint leaves, fennel fronds, and chive flowers.
Whisk together lemon juice and ¼ cup olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over the vegetable plate and serve. Makes 4-5 salads.
by Kathy Douglas | May 27, 2019 | Entrees
This delicious tart is filled with eggy ricotta, parmesan, oven roasted eggplant and peppers, then topped with cherry tomatoes, cream, and fresh thyme before baking. Serve with a sprinkle of chives or chive flowers.
INGREDIENTS
1 pie crust, homemade or store purchased
3 eggs
½ cup mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, leaves only
1 cup heavy cream
olive oil for oven roasting
½ red pepper, thinly sliced
½ yellow pepper, thinly sliced
2 small baby eggplant, sliced into ¼” rounds
Kosher salt
8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup parmesan cheese plus one tablespoon
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup spinach leaves
8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
Fresh chives, snipped into small pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place the crust in a 9” deep dish pie pan. Rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. To blind bake the crust – prick all over the crust with a fork. Line the pie crust with parchment or non-stick foil and add pie weights or beans. Add to the oven and blind bake for 12 minutes.
Remove the foil/parchment and the pie weights. Place back in the oven and bake 2-3 minutes more until lightly browned. Combine one egg with 1 tablespoon of water and whisk together. Remove and brush the inside of the crust with the egg wash. Bake 5 minutes to set the egg. Remove and add the mozzarella to the bottom of the crust. Place back in the oven to melt the cheese for 5 minutes. Take the crust out and set aside.
Place the cream in a small saucepan and add half the thyme. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and set aside while you finish the pie.
Place the peppers and eggplant on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for 10 minutes, turn over and bake 10 minutes longer. Remove and set aside. Reduce the oven to 375˚F.
Combine the ricotta, remaining 2 eggs, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and whisk together. Add on top of the cheese in the pie pan, then sprinkle the green onions over the ricotta mixture. Lay the spinach leaves over the green onions, then top with the oven-roasted eggplant and peppers. Pour the cream mixture over the top. Place the cherry tomatoes, cut-side down, into the cream and sprinkle the remaining thyme and parmesan cheese over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
Remove and cool 45 minutes to one hour. Top with fresh snipped chives and serve warm. Makes 6-8 servings
by Kathy Douglas | May 25, 2019 | News & Events
So thoughtful of Louisville Dare to Care Food Bank to recognize their Cooking Matters volunteers on Tuesday, May 21st. Chef Kathy was honored as a top-six volunteer for her commitment to helping at-risk youth and adults in the community learn how to make easy healthy food at home through the Cooking Matters National program. Fresh Chef Experience is proud to be a part of this great community outreach
by Kathy Douglas | May 20, 2019 | Breakfast
We’re celebrating National Strawberry and Cream day with a delicious option – classic scones with a perfectly crunchy exterior, soft, sweet fruit-filled interior, topping with a fresh cream icing.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
½ cup heavy whipping cream, plus more for the top of the scones
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
For the glaze:
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon vanilla bean extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Add to a food processor the flour, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar. Pulse several times to break up any clumps and combine the ingredients. Add in the cubed cold butter and pulse until you have small pea sized crumbs. Pour to a large bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, egg, and vanilla extract until combined. Pour the egg mixture over the flour/butter crumbs and gently mix with a wooden spoon until the dough just starts to come together. Add in the chopped strawberries and gently fold them into the mixture. With your hands, work the dough into a ball shape in the bowl.
Cut the dough ball into eight pieces, then form each piece into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Gently Flatten the ball of dough slightly and leave 2” between each one. Brush the tops of each dough ball with a little bit of heavy whipping cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
To make the glaze:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract together until well combined and no lumps remain. If the glaze is too thick, add the extra milk or if the glaze is too thin, add a little extra powdered sugar and whisk until it has reached a thick, smooth consistency.
Drizzle the glaze over the 8 scones and allow to sit until set. Makes 8 scones.
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