Marinated Manchego Cheese

I know the title seems odd, yet the concept is not. What to do with the last bits of cheese in the drawer that you're not using? Friends coming over this weekend and you need something to serve up that isn't SO time consuming in the kitchen? Or possibly, you just want to see the sunshine through a beautiful jar filled with spring-ish green, fresh herbs and bits of colorful peppercorns waiting for your family to come through the door and share fabulous food together? My favorite wine to pair this with is a Tempranillo from Spain! Enjoy!

MARINATED MANCHEGO CHEESE

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, best quality
1 Pound Manchego, Pecorino or hard cheese of choice; rind removed and cut into 1 inch chunks
½ Tablespoons whole Peppercorns
½ Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary, Thyme or Oregano; washed and torn to small clusters

In a small crock or jar with lid, combine all ingredients and let sit for at least an hour at room temperature.

The cheese can be stored in fridge for up to a week, but the olive oil will solidify, so bring it to room temperature before serving. You could also add olives, sundried tomatoes or roasted peppers of your choice to the mix as well.

Fresh Mozzarella and Arugula Crostini

Why is a simple always the tastiest?

When I remember some of our travels, I always seem to remember the simple pleasures of food versus the fancy restaurants. Case in point, Fresh Mozzarella and Arugula Crostini. The baguette was toasted to perfection, the olive oil was fruity and golden, the arugula was peppery and bitter and the Fresh Mozzarella was milky and warm.....it was my "ah-ha" Italian moment. This is a recipe that requires GREAT quality ingredients, use the best you can afford. Because the simplicity of the ingredients, each component is actually tasted and you want them to be amazing. I also use only coarse sea salt for these, I want the crunch and they need a good bit of salt to bring out the flavors.

Spring is here and the allure of fresh garden arugula was calling me. So simple to make, so lovely before dinner, so fresh.

FRESH MOZZARELLA AND ARUGULA CROSTINI

10 slices of fresh baguette
1 ball Fresh Mozzarella (of course I used Four Corners Creamery)
1 handful of fresh Arugula, cleaned and torn to 2 inch pieces
Best Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush baguette slices with a bit of olive oil and bake 7 minutes. In the meantime, slice 1/2 ball of fresh mozzarella into 10 slices.

Assemble by layering a small amount of arugula and slice of fresh mozzarella on top of each baguette slice. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle (give it a healthy bit as it really brings out the flavors!) with sea salt. Eat immediately!

Pesto making commences...

I think it was the 3 liters of Extra Virgin Olive Oil that tipped them off!

All of a sudden John brought home a baguette, Jamie was discussing homemade pasta.....

Pesto season has officially started for the week!

I had planted 5 basil plants in my garden this year.  The lack of rain did stunt their growth a bit, but I think it intensified the flavor!

I gathered all of the essentials; Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, pine nuts, EVOO, garlic and washed/dried basil leaves.

I never use a real recipe, I just chuck it all into the blender and let 'er rip.  Taste, adjust, taste, pour into some sterilized  jars or plastic containers and pop in the freezer!

Last year when pine nuts were in the ballpark of $40 per pound, I used walnuts instead and it was fantastic, so don't feel too obligated to use pine nuts if you don't have them.

One whole basil plant is simply for slicing the leaves thinly and covering with olive oil to protect it from the air and going into the freezer.  I love to use that all winter as well for garnishes and cooking.  As long as the leaves are fully covered with the oil, they will stay bright green and quite fresh, even right out of the freezer.  I also use the "basil" oil for salad dressings and drizzling!

"Harvest" is such a meaningful word today!   

My new friend Dukkah

One of the best things about owning a food store is talking to people about their food experiences and passions.  Several months ago, I had the pleasure of a young woman visiting from Australia, Annalise, (so sorry if I've misspelled!) and she talked to me about dukkah.  Annalise has done some traveling around the world and if she starts gushing about a particular food, I take note!  I put the dukkah on my list of things to try and promptly forgot about it, until another friend brought up the Annalise visit and dukkah.  Annalise's folks invited us for an authentic Australian supper last evening, so I thought it high time to try the dukkah recipe out and bring to share.

Dukkah is an Egyptian spice blend traditionally eaten with pita bread and olive oil.  Most references of dukkah are as a street food, warm pita or bread dipped in olive oil and a paper cone of spices for dredging or sprinkling.

I love that there are no hard and fast rules regarding your dukkah recipe, so you can feel free to use what you have on hand adding more of spices you particularly love!  I combined both seeds and a couple of the spices ground since I didn't want to make a trip to the grocery!  I think it turned out great!  So, feel free to experiment!

DUKKAH
1/2 cup nuts; pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts
1/4 cup coriander seeds (I used ground coriander)
3 Tablespoons sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons cumin seeds (I used ground)
1 1/2  Tablespoon black peppercorns 
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Other delightful spice additions might be dried mint (I am SO trying that next time!), fennel seeds, cinnamon....

Put all spices together into a large saute pan over low heat.  Stir or shake often until nuts and seeds are toasted.  Let cool a few minutes and put into a food processor or use a mortar and pestle.  Grind until mixture is evenly chopped.  Take care to not grind too much or mixture will turn to paste.

Serve with chunks of warm bread and a separate bowl of extra virgin olive oil.  
Dredge bread into oil and then into dukkah, pop into mouth and sigh with pleasure.

Since I have a bit of the dukkah left over, I am going to sprinkle on a pork tenderloin before grilling, I am thinking it will be great!    

 

Sicilian Potato Salad

John and I visited Sicily last April and fell in love with this salad! The key is to use best quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil that you can afford! Not being of Italian descent, EVOO has always been something for salads and cooking...NOT TRUE! The Italians taught me EVOO is a condiment! I now have several brands I love, each with a different taste profile. Sample some at The Boulevard Market to see what you love! This recipe is easy to adapt for the number of people to be served and is just as great the next day!

Boil red potato wedges about 12 minutes until just fork tender. Drain well

Minced garlic
Fresh tomatoes in wedges or halved cherry tomatoes
Roasted red, yellow or orange sweet peppers, sliced
Capers
Green Olives, halved
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Toss all ingredients in a serving bowl and drizzle with EVOO, let sit 15 minutes before serving. You may want to add more EVOO as vegetables will absorb some of the oil. Can be served warm or cold.