|
sensational seasonal cuisine™ Reservations • Directions • Menus • Wine List |
||||||
|
Summer Appetizers
Here are some recipes and notes from a demonstration of summer appetizers that I did for ladies from Millwood Country Club. Here is our menu of summer appetizers, each of which could make a summer entrée. These recipes are all easy to do by home cooks.
Goat Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomato, Pesto, and Pine Nut Spread with Croustades Grilled Asparagus and Sautéed Goat Cheese Salad Pancetta, Red Onion, Artichoke Heart, and Tomato Frittata
Goat Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomato, Pesto, and Pine Nut Spread with Croustades
This is a quick and easy spread that tastes wonderful. Besides the presentation offered here, I often hollow out tomatoes and stuff them with this spread (in a pastry bag, in which case, I make certain that the sun-dried tomato pieces are fine enough to pass through the tip). I also use this to top croustades for instant bruschette. Quantities listed below are approximate and not really all that important.
1 log of goat cheese, softened 1 8-oz package of cream cheese, softened 1 cup of pesto, homemade or otherwise 1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, diced ½ cup of pine nuts, toasted or not
Mix the goat cheese and cream cheese with ¼ cup of pesto and ¼ cup of sun-dried tomatoes. Stir well. Spread on a plate with a knife. Spread the remaining pesto on top of the cheese. Top with the tomatoes and the pine nuts. Serve with croustades, crackers, or bread.
Croustades. Also known as crostini or bruschette, these are simple to make. At the restaurant, we use the bread left over from the previous day for croustades, croutons, and breadcrumbs. We use a demi-baguette for table service and so that is what I demonstrated. Use any bread you like as long as it is firm enough to slice. Slice the bread across in 3/8” thick rounds. I slice our baguettes on the bias to get a little larger croustade. Using a pastry brush, brush an olive-oil herb mix onto the slices of bread. Place on a sheet pan in a hot oven and cook until browned. For extra crisp croustades, flip and brown the other side.
Grilled Asparagus and Sautéed Goat Cheese Salad
This is a multipart recipe. You must blanch the asparagus, cut and bread the goat cheese, make the salad dressing, grill the asparagus, sauté the goat cheese, make the balsamic reduction, dress the salad greens, and then assemble the salad. Despite all these steps, this is a very simple salad to make and most of the work can be done the day before.
Asparagus. Snap any woody parts off the stems of the asparagus. Place in a pan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender. Drain and cool under running water or in an ice bath. Oil a hot grill and place the asparagus on the grill. Brush the top side with oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. When you have good grill marks on the bottom, roll the asparagus and mark up the other side.
Goat Cheese Rounds. Making sautéed goat cheese rounds is simple once you know a couple of fundamental tricks.
1 egg 1 cup bread crumbs 1 log goat cheese, very cold dental floss olive oil
Break an egg and beat it. Put the beaten egg into a shallow plate or container. Put the breadcrumbs into another plate or container. Using the dental floss, slice the goat cheese into rounds about 3/8” thick. Dip the rounds first into egg and then into breadcrumbs. Return the breaded rounds to the refrigerator to cool. The colder the rounds, the more you can brown them without them melting. Heat oil to very hot, just about the smoke point, in a sauté pan. Brown one side and then the other. Remove and serve immediately.
Balsamic Vinaigrette. This is a general purpose dressing that we use for our mixed baby green salad at the restaurant.
¼ c balsamic vinegar 2 t Dijon mustard (smooth, not whole grain) pinch of salt couple grinds of black pepper ½-3/4 c extra virgin olive oil sugar to taste
A classic vinaigrette is one part vinegar to three parts oil. I prefer one vinegar to two oil. Taste and see which you prefer. Place the balsamic in a small bowl with the mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk or beat with a fork until the mustard is well dissolved. Add the olive oil slowly while beating until the sauce is emulsified (thickened). Taste and correct seasonings. If too acidic, a little sugar can help. If too vinegary, add more oil or a little water.
Balsamic Reduction. Add 1/4c balsamic vinegar to a small pan and reduce until thickened.
Assembly. Toss the salad greens in balsamic vinaigrette and arrange on a plate. Arrange the grilled asparagus around the plate in any manner you choose. Place the goat cheese rounds on the salad. Drizzle over the balsamic reduction.
This makes a great summer dinner. In the time that you can prep and marinate the shrimp, your grill will be hot. Then the cooking takes no time at all.
Shrimp (1/4-1/2 lb per person) A Lemon Fresh herbs Extra virgin olive oil Garlic, finely minced Salt and pepper
Peel the shrimp, leaving the tails on, unless you are using peeled and deveined shrimp. Place the shrimp into a bowl. Slice the lemon, mince the herbs, mince the garlic, and add to the shrimp. Add olive oil to coat and a little pepper. Stir to coat well and let marinate under refrigeration until ready to cook. Place on a hot, well-oiled grill. You will see the shrimp turn from translucent to opaque as it cooks. As soon as it becomes opaque halfway through, flip it and cook the other side. Salt and pepper both sides to taste as you cook the shrimp.
For herbs, use whatever you have at hand. We use various combinations of parsley, basil, oregano, dill, savory, thyme, rosemary, chervil, and chives. Amounts and quantities always vary depending on what we have in the cooler and who is doing the marinade.
Pancetta, Red Onion, Artichoke Heart, and Tomato Frittata
A frittata is an Italian egg dish that is often described as an omelet. Frittate (one frittata, two frittate) are actually more like an egg torte or cake. In Italy, they would flip the frittata in the pan to cook both sides. It seems much simpler to finish the frittata in the oven, rather than trying to flip it. You can put anything you like in the frittata for fillings. Here is one version.
1 T olive oil 1-¼” slice of pancetta, diced 3-4 slices of red onion 3-4 large eggs, beaten 1 small tomato, chopped (fresh or canned) 1 artichoke heart, quartered fresh basil, shredded, to taste garlic, to taste salt and pepper to taste ¼ cup grated Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese
Preheat the oven to hot, 400-450. Heat a small ovenproof skillet (8”) over medium flame and add the olive oil, pancetta, and onion. Cook until the pancetta browns and the onion is translucent. Add the beaten eggs. Let the eggs set on the bottom of the pan for a moment, then add the tomato, artichoke hearts, basil, and garlic.
Allow the eggs to set around the edges, until the frittata is about half cooked. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper and the grated cheese and place it into the hot oven. Cook until the center is set. Remove to a plate, slice into wedges, and serve immediately.
An 8” frittata and a salad feeds two people, or one very hungry one. A 10” frittata (increase the eggs to 8) should feed four people, with a salad. Frittatas are wonderful ways to use leftovers from the refrigerator. Use your imagination. |
||||||
|
Copyright © 2003-2008 Shenandoah Food and Beverage Holdings LLC. All Rights Reserved sensational seasonal cuisine and the W logo are trademarks of Shenandoah Food and Beverage Holdings, LLC. |
