The next DCBitchinKitchen will be at Laura's house and will be in honor of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. I thought this a fitting theme given that every day I go to work, I'm pushing for policy to make our environment that much cleaner and safer and we have all been witness to what will likely be the biggest environmental disaster of our time. Also, I'm such a stranger to southern food, let alone food from Louisiana. I think this link gives good background about what shaped the style of cooking in Louisiana and will be helpful when picking out recipes. Maybe we should invite Paula Deen?
Alright, see ya'll on August 10th!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Alyssa's Inspiration Behind the Theme "Farmer's Market"
For our friend Pete’s going away dinner a group of us went to Sidra Forman’s house and had a delicious locally-sourced wine-paired multi-course meal. Sidra puts so much love and effort into her dishes and uses fresh ingredients found at our many local DC farmers markets to inspire her menu. Her food and passion were inspiring and I hoped that we would capture some of that. I think we did quite well.
Farmer's Market: Peach & Blackberry Crisp from Terri
Recipe
2 pounds firm, ripe peaches—halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 cups fresh blackberries
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup quick-cooking oats
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cubed
Preheat the oven to 375°.
In a large bowl, gently toss the peaches and blackberries with the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Transfer the fruit to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, toss the oats with the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamonm and nutmeg.
Using your fingertips, mix in the butter until the topping is crumbly.
Sprinkle the topping over the fruit and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
Let the crisp cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
The crisp can be refrigerated overnight.
Bring to room temperature or reheat in the oven before serving.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine
Farmer's Market: Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Signature 2006 from Alyssa
94 Points Wine Spectator
From its cocoa and coffee layers to its fresh herb notes and voluptuous fruit flavors, this wine displays a balanced and graceful expression of mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine’s dark plum and sweet fruit core is supported by vibrant, bright cherry aromatics, well‐structured tannins, spicy oak and an earthy minerality.
Buena Vista 2006 Carneros Pinot Noir (no picture)
88 points Wine Spectator
The 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros has aromas of bright bing cherry, fresh ground nutmeg and earthy wild mushroom. In the mouth the wine shows intense bright blackberry and plum fruit with undertones of sweet mocha and clove. This is a wine of great depth with the long, supple finish considered a hallmark of Carneros Pinot Noir.
Farmer's Market: Fileno al Mirtilio/Blueberry Steak Sauce from Alyssa
Recipe
3 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 small shallots (or 1 medium), finely chopped
2 tbsp. flour
¼ cup sherry vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
3 tbsp. dijon mustard
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup molasses
½ tsp. dried thyme
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
¼ tsp. dried sage, crumbled
salt & ground pepper to taste
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté 3-4 minutes, until shallots are translucent, but not browned.
Sprinkle in flour, stir to blend and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to bubble.
Add - vinegar, ketchup, mustard, orange juice, molasses, thyme and sage and stir to combine.
Add blueberries and stir to combine.
Increasing head to medium-high, bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring often for about 15 minutes until the mixture is thickened and glossy.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cool then transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and puree for 30-40 seconds until very smooth.
Based on original dish from Acqua al Due in Florence
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