by Kathy Douglas | Aug 22, 2016 | Entrees
Made with the same process as monkey bread, this pizza is baked to pull apart so you have nice size pieces for dipping in pizza sauce. The pizza sauce is “no-cook” and made with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and garlic in a blender or food processor. You can substitute dry herbs (1 teaspoon for each tablespoon) for fresh, however fresh herbs will provide the most flavorful result. Short on time or you don’t want to make pizza dough? Just use fresh or frozen ready-made pizza dough.
INGREDIENTS
1 package dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus extra to oil the pan
1 1/2 cups of bread flour, plus extra if needed
Kosher salt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack or provolone
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs, any combination of: basil, rosemary, oregano, and basil
1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 lb. fresh roma tomatoes, heirloom preferred, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 medium garlic cloves
Pinch red pepper
DIRECTIONS
If making your own pizza dough – In a stand mixer, combine the 2/3 cup of water (at 100-110 degrees), yeast, honey, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl. Allow the yeast to dissolved and bloom, then add 1 1/2 cups of bread flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and mix with a paddle on low speed. After the mixture is combined, switch to a dough hook. Knead the dough in the mixer bowl with the dough hook for about 10 minutes, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl, so it forms into a soft smooth dough. After 10 minutes, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow it to rise at room temperature for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9″ springform pan with olive oil. Combine the cheeses in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat the cheese. If using fresh herbs, finely chop them and add the herbs to the cheese mixture along with the garlic and red pepper flakes. Mix until well combined.
Turn the dough out on a floured board. Cut the dough into 1″ pieces. Roll each piece lightly in the cheese mixture, and place in the springform pan leaving space between the dough balls. Layer, continuing to leave space between the dough balls, until all the dough is used. Sprinkle any remaining cheese on top of the dough balls. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is browned and the dough is cooked through.
While the pizza cooks, add to a blender or food processor the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, oregano, garlic and red pepper. Process until smooth and then add kosher salt to taste.
Remove the pizza from the oven, cool for 5 minutes and then remove the springform ring. Serve hot with the fresh tomato sauce.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 16, 2016 | Condiment
Roasting the corn and red pepper really delivers the flavor in this salsa. It’s perfect served with chips, as a condiment, or even over chili.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears), or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup red pepper, small dice
1 small jalapeno or serrano chile pepper, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the corn and peppers in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt; spread on a sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Add in the cilantro and green onion. Stir in the remaining olive oil, the lime juice, and salt to taste.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 9, 2016 | Appetizers
These three garden beauties are made with fresh kale, oregano & basil, and walnut & parsley. Pesto sauces are perfect for a simple dinner on a hot summer day or a quick snack. You can make the sauce quickly right before your meal or prepare ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Before dinner, set your pesto out to come to room temperature while cooking 16 oz. of pasta. Toss the pasta and pesto with 1/4-1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to create a pasta sauce. Or as a snack, just toast some bread and serve your pesto as a dipping sauce.
Below are three lists of ingredients. The instructions appear after the ingredients and are the same for all three. Start by toasting the nuts in the oven – at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Watch the last couple minutes very carefully so they don’t burn. Follow the same directions for all three pesto sauces listed below the ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
Spicy Kale Pesto
4 cups chopped kale
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 Tablespoons toasted pepitas
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
Oregano & Basil Pesto
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 cup oregano leaves
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Walnut Pesto
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingredients into a blender container or food processor in the order listed and secure top. Process, stopping if necessary to scrape down the sides or press the ingredients into the blades. Pulse until you have the consistency you want. If your pesto is too thick, drizzle in a little olive oil, one tablespoon at a time until you reaches the desired consistency.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 2, 2016 | Appetizers
This combination of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil is the taste of summer. While our tart is perfectly suited for any tomatoes; it’s even better if you can get farm fresh. For our crust, we prefer frozen Dufour Puff Pastry for its flavor and the size. Thaw your crust in the refrigerator overnight, then unwrap, and slide it right into an 8 x12 tart pan. Simply fold the over-lapping dough to form a crust. If you don’t have a pan this size you can use any similar size. Simply sprinkle the puff pastry with flour and rolling it out to fit.
INGREDIENTS
14 oz box Dufours frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 pounds multicolored Heirloom tomatoes, 4-5 medium, cored, thinly sliced and cut in half
Kosher Salt
1- 8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese ball, sliced thin and cut in half
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Fresh ground pepper
fresh
Small basil leaves, or large leaves torn for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat it. Roll out the puff pastry and ease it into an 8″ x 12″ rectangular tart pan using the leftover to make a crust. Using a fork, uniformly poke holes all over the center of the pastry excluding the crust. Using a pastry brush, apply the beaten egg inside the pan. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the egg. Place in the oven on the preheated baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; continue to bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven. If your dough rises in the center, while it is still hot poke it several times with a sharp knife to release the steam and it will flatten out. Leave the oven on and cool the dough slightly.
While shell bakes, place a double layer of paper towels and sprinkle evenly with salt; lay the tomato slices on the salt and lightly sprinkle the top of the tomatoes with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes. Using more paper towels press on top of tomatoes to dry them. Move them to clean paper towels and set aside.
Neatly shingle the tomato slices and mozzarella cheese, in rows, using only what you need to make even rows. Mix the olive oil with the powdered garlic. Brush with the olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh grated black pepper. Place back on the baking sheet and bake until shell is browned and cheese is melted, 12 minutes. Cool slightly on wire rack for about 5 minutes to set the cheese, top with fresh basil leaves. Slide onto cutting board and cut into pieces.
by Kathy Douglas | Jul 25, 2016 | Frozen Desserts
It sounds wrong, but Corn Ice Cream is popping up everywhere from celebrity chefs to foodie magazines. Sweet corn ice cream is really delicious. Our version is made from fresh corn and includes almond butter toffee to give it a “caramel corn” flavor and crunch. Corn is at peak – so now is the time to try it! Pick up some farm fresh corn and cream to make a batch today.
Almond Butter Toffee
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 1/4 sheet pan baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread almonds in an even layer on the parchment paper on the baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until they smell toasted and are lightly browned, about 7-8 minutes; set aside.
In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. When melted, add the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Cook, whisking until the mixture turns brown and reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10-15 minutes.
Immediately spread the hot candy mixture evenly over the toasted almonds in a very thin layer. Be quick, it sets up fast.
Let cool completely for about 2 hours. Break the almond toffee into very small pieces and keep in an airtight container. Toffee can be made the night before but be careful. It’s so good it could disappear by morning!
Fresh Corn Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS
4 ears fresh corn, shucked
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
9 large egg yolks
INSTRUCTIONS
Using a large knife, slice the kernels off the cobs and place in a large saucepan. Break the cobs in half and add them to the pan along with the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir to mix well. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, and then remove from the heat. Cover and set aside for one hour to infuse the corn flavor into the liquid. Remove and discard the cobs, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing on the solids to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
Turn the heat back on, pour the cream mixture into a clean sauce pan. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, remove from the heat. In a small bowl, whisk the salt, egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Slowly add a cup of the hot cream mixture to the yolks, stirring constantly so they don’t curdle. Add another cup or two, stirring constantly to temper the eggs. Add the yolk mixture to the rest of the cream mixture in the saucepan, stirring. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick custard forms. It should be thick enough to coat the spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Set aside a larger ice filled metal bowl with a medium metal bowl fitted inside it over the ice. Set another fine sieve strainer over the medium bowl.
Pass the custard through the strainer into the cold bowl. Discard any remaining solids. When the custard is cool, cover tightly and refrigerate over night or at least 6 hours. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. At the end of the freezing cycle add the finely chopped butter toffee. Place the ice cream in a tightly covered container in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours before serving.
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