VPWL

Blueberry-Pepper Jam

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Originally with the Broiled Sword Fish, this would be a different taste treat for pork or chicken, maybe even duck.

Ingredients:

  • 2 c fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tsp fresh sage, snipped
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a bowl mash 1 ½ c blueberries.
  2. Stir in sage, pepper, and remaining ½ c whole blueberries.
  3. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Serves: 10

Source: sparkpeople.com

 

Dark Cherry Sauce

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So simple, so good! Try it on chicken, duck, ice cream, and any chocolate pie or cake.

Ingredients:

  • ½ c sugar
  • 2 tsp almond extract
  • 2 pound frozen pitted sweet cherries, defrosted, 6 cups
  • ¼ c water
  • ½ tsp almond extract

Directions:

  1. Combine the cherries and their liquid with sugar, and ½ cup water in a large pan.
  2. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and cook about 3 minutes.
  3. Remove the cherries to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
  4. Raise the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced to approximately ½ cup, about 5 minutes more. Watch – it will boil over!
  5. Pour sauce over the cherries.
  6. Add almond extract.
  7. Let cool to room temperature or chill.

Serves: Makes approximately 5 cups

Source: Laura b. Russell, Recipe Developer and Cookbook Author

Comment: The sauce can be made ahead. Keep it in the refrigerator, covered.

Chocolate Chess Pie

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No one seems to know why it is called “Chess Pie”  but chocolate and cherries -mmmmm good!

Ingredients:

  • 2 unbaked 9-inch pie crusts in glass pie pans
  • 1 c butter
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate
  • 3 c sugar
  • 2 Tab flour
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 12 ounce can evaporated milk
  • whipped cream
  • Dark Cherry Sauce

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°
  2. Prick holes in pie crust to prevent bubbling.
  3. Bake pie crusts for 8 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven to rack.
  5. Decrease oven temperature to 375 °.
  6. In large saucepan on low melt butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally.
  7. In medium bowl, combine sugar and flour with wire whisk.
  8. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla and evaporated milk.
  9. Add a couple of tablespoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and stir.
  10. Add both sugar and egg mixtures to pan of melted chocolate.
  11. Stir to combine.
  12. Increase heat to medium and stir constantly for 10 minutes. (really, stir constantly or you will have chocolate scrambled eggs.)
  13. Evenly divide filling between the 2 pie pans.
  14. Bake for 30 minutes. It will be soft.
  15. Serve with Dark Cherry Sauce and whipped cream.

Serves: Makes 2 Pies

Source: Carroll Pellegrinelli – about.com

Dark Cherry Sauce

 

Ingredients:

  • ½ c sugar
  • 2 tsp almond extract
  • 2 pound frozen pitted sweet cherries, defrosted, 6 cups
  • ¼ c water
  • ½ tsp almond extract

Directions:

  1. Combine the cherries and their liquid with sugar, and ½ cup water in a large pan.
  2. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and cook about 3 minutes.
  3. Remove the cherries to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
  4. Raise the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced to approximately ½ cup, about 5 minutes more. Watch – it will boil over!
  5. Pour sauce over the cherries.
  6. Add almond extract.
  7. Let cool to room temperature or chill.

Serves: Makes approximately 5 cups

Source: Laura b. Russell, Recipe Developer and Cookbook Author

Comment: The sauce can be made ahead. Keep it in the refrigerator, covered.

Gourmet February 2014

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VPWL GOURMET 2013-2014

February, 2014

Hors d’oeuvre

National Fondue Month
Beer Fondue and Tomato Cheese Fondue

First Course

Jello-O Week
Molded Gazpacho Salad

Entreʹe

National Sword Swallower’s Day
Berry Fresh in the Sunshine State Month
Broiled Sword Fish with Blueberry Pepper Jam
Beans (dried and fresh) Month
Herbed Green Beans with Feta
Potato Lover’s Month
Gratin Dauphinois

Dessert

Great American Pies Month
Celebration of Chocolate Month
National Cherry Month
Chocolate Chess Pie with Dark Cherry Sauce

Wine and Beer Suggestions:
With Fondue -Goebelsberger Gruner Veltliner
                              Estrella Inedit Beer (Ferran Andrea)
With Entreʹ – Manciat Macon 2011

  • February

 

  • February 15 – National Gumdrop Day
    February 2 – Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
    February 15 – National I Want Butterscotch Day
    February 7 – Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor Day
    February 17 – Random Acts of Kindness Day
    February 23 – Open That Bottle Da
    February 24 – National Tortilla Chip Day
    February 27 – Kahlua Day
    African American History Month
    American Heart Month
    Bake for Family Fun Month
    Bean (fresh and dried) Month
    Berry Fresh in the Sunshine State Month
    National Bird Feeding Month
    National Grapefruit Month
    National Hot Breakfast Month
    National Snack Food Month
    National Fondue Month
    Potato Lover’s Month
    Berry Fresh Month
    National Cherry Month
    Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month
    Canned Food Month
    Celebration of Chocolate Month
    Great American Pies Month
    North Carolina Sweet Potato Month
    Jell-O Week (2nd full week in Feb) – in 2001 Jell-O was declared Official State Snack of Utah
    National Pancake Week (Feb 10-16)
    World Sword Swallower’s Day (last Saturday in February) (Not for us!)

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Gratin Dauphinoise

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Incredibly good potatoes! Personally, I go for the cheese too. Kind of like “Gilding the lily”.

Ingredients:

  • 3 ½ lbs potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold
  • 5c milk
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed, and finely chopped (2 teaspoons)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 c heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 3750°.
  2. Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch thick, by hand, with a vegetable slicer, or with the slicing blade of a food processor. Do not wash the slices.
  3. Combine the potato slices, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring gently to separate the slices and prevent the mixture from scorching. It will thicken as it reaches a boil.
  4. Pour the potato mixture into a 12-cup gratin dish or 9×13 pan, and pour the cream on top.
  5. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
  6. Let the potatoes rest for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Serves: 10 – 12

Source: Jacques Pepin, September 11, 2011 – Essential Pepin

“This dish is my version of a classic from my youth. My mother always makes her gratin exclusively with milk and tops the potatoes with grated Gruyère cheese before baking. Sometimes I use grated cheese in this dish, but other times I don’t, depending on my mood.”

Comment: It is important not to rinse or soak the potatoes after slicing them. Rinsing would remove most of the starch, which is needed to thicken the mixture as it comes to a boil on top of the stove.

Herbed Green Beans with Feta

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OK, so it is another green bean recipe, but this is not that much work and quite good – and different.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs green beans, trimmed
  • kosher salt
  • ¼ c olive oil
  • 4 Tab fresh mint leaves, torn (divided)
  • 2 Tab fresh dill, chopped (divided)
  • 2 Tab matchstick size strips of lemon zest (divided)
  • 2 Tab fresh lemon juice
  • 2 oz feta, crumbled (about ½ cup) (divided)
  • fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Working in two batches, cook beans in a large pot of boiling, generously salted water just until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. Using tongs, transfer to a colander set in a bowl of ice water; let cool.
  3. Drain well, then pat dry with paper towels.
  4. Toss beans, oil, 2 tablespoons mint, 1 tablespoon dill, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and half of feta in a large bowl.
  5. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
  6. Serve beans topped with remaining feta, 2 tablespoons mint, 1 tablespoon dill, and1 tablespoon lemon zest.

    Serves: 10

    Source: Bon Appétite, August 2013 Rebecca Jurkevich

    Comments: Beans can be cooked 1 day ahead. Wrap in a paper towel, place in a resealable plastic bag, and chill.

Molded Gazpacho Salad with Guacamole Dressing

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This is an update on the old tomato aspic salad your grandmother served for lady luncheons.  I had not made this in years and used it for a VPWL Gourmet dinner – could not believe the rave comments!

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz lemon Jello
  • 2 c V-8 juice
  • 4 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, diced
  • ½ c red onion,diced (about ½ medium onion)
  • ¾ c red wine vinegar
  • ¼ c lemon or lime juice
  • ¾ c olive oil
  • a few drops of hot pepper sauce
  • 2 c tomatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 large Roma tomatoes)
  • 2 c avocado, peeled and diced (2 medium avocados)
  • 1 c English cucumber, peeled and diced (about ½ a cucumber)
  • 10-12 lettuce leaves

Directions:

  1. Bring V-8 juice to a boil in a small saucepan.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in Jello until completely dissolved.
  3. Refrigerate 1 hr or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites)
  4. Coarsely chop celery, onion, garlic in food processor.
  5. Finely dice, by hand, the tomato, cucumber, and avocado.
  6. Stir all the vegetables together.
  7. Add vinegar, lemon juice, oil, and hot sauce.
  8. Combine vegetables and Jello.
  9. Taste for salt and hot sauce.
  10. Pour into individual ½ cup molds or 9×13 pan that has been lightly oiled.
  11. Refrigerate until firm, about 6 hours or overnight.
  12. Unmold onto lettuce leaf.

Guacamole Dressing Ingredients:

  • ½ c mayonnaise
  • ½ c sour cream
  • 2c frozen avocado dip/guacamole thawed
  • 1 Tab lemon juice

Dressing Instructions:

Mix and chill.

Serves: 10 – 12

Source: A total mish-mash of about 6 recipes.

Comments: You can buy frozen avocado halves at Smart and Final.

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Tomato Cheese Fondue

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Fondue is one of my favorite dinners – never the same twice if you vary the cheese and wine and bread.  Great for leftover bits of cheese.

Ingredients:

  • 1 garlic clove, cut in half
  • 2 c white wine
  • 1 Tab lemon juice
  • 1 lb swiss cheese, grated (4 cups)
  • 3 Tab flour
  • 1 Tab kirsch or brandy
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1c tomato sauce
  • baton of French bread cut into l inch cubes. (You want lots of crust)

Directions:

  1. Rub the garlic on the inside a heavy sauce pan then discard.
  2. Warm up the wine and lemon juice on low heat. Do not let it boil.
  3. In a separate bowl or plastic bag, mix the cheese and flour.
  4. Gradually add the cheese mixture to the pot, one handful at a time.
  5. When all the cheese has melted, add the Kirsch, pepper, salt and nutmeg.
  6. Add the tomato sauce.
  7. Pour into fondue pot.
  8. Place fondue pot over low flame.
  9. Serve with bread cubes.

Serves: 6 (or 8 – 10 for Gourmet with second fondue)

Source: bestfondu.com

Comments: If fondue is too thick add warm wine.  If the fondue is too thin, add flour dredged cheese.

Reminder – use the fondue fork to dip, not eat.

Beer Fondue

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Fondue is not only about wine.  Quick and easy and filling.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz.)
  • 2 cups shredded Colby-jack cheese (8 oz.)
  • 1-1/4 cups shredded swiss cheese (5 oz.)
  • 1 Tab cornstarch
  • 2 c beer – lager
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 6 slices bacon, finely chopped
  • 1 loaf Ralph’s round marbled rye bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (or any firm rye bread)
  • large pretzels

Directions:

  1. Toss cheeses with cornstarch in medium bowl or plastic bag; set aside.
  2. Pour beer into heavy sauce pan; bring to a boil over high heat.
  3. Reduce heat to low; add cheese mixture.
  4. Stir constantly 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  5. Stir in hot sauce.
  6. Pour into fondue pot.
  7. Place fondue pot over low flame.
  8. Top with crumbled bacon.

Serve with bread cubes and pretzels

Serves: Serves: 6 (10 – 12 for Gourmet with second fondue)

Source: Sargento.com

Comment: If fondue is too thick add warm beer.  If fondue is too thin, add flour dredged cheese.

Reminder – use the fondue fork to dip, not to eat with.

Simply Broiled Swordfish with Blueberry-Pepper Jam

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Hard to believe blueberries with swordfish – but it works!

Swordfish Ingredients:

  • 3 ½ – 4 lb swordfish (10 pieces)
  • ¼ c butter, melted
  • 1 – 2 lemons or limes

Swordfish Directions:

  1. Place swordfish on oiled, shallow pan.
  2. Brush with melted butter.
  3. Heat broiler.
  4. Squeeze the lemon juice onto the fish.
  5. Broil a few minutes on eachside until opaque and fish is firm.
  6. Serve with spoonful of jam on the side.

Blueberry-Pepper Jam Ingredients:

  • 2 c fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tsp fresh sage, snipped
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Blueberry-Pepper Jam Directions:

  1. In a bowl mash 1 ½ c blueberries.
  2. Stir in sage, pepper, and remaining ½ c whole blueberries.
  3. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Serves: 10

Source: sparkpeople.com

Comment: Be careful not to overcook the fish.