Monday, December 26, 2016

25 December 2016 – Christmas









Since Christmas day fell on a Sunday this year, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to prepare a special Sunday Supper to celebrate with some dear friends. I finally got around to cooking a crown pork roast, something I have wanted to try for a while. I contacted Suzy Wright at Mountain Valley Farm in Ellijay, and she had her butcher prepare the special cut from one of her heritage pigs. We also bought a grass fed prime rib roast from her, and I cooked it for Jeff's family gathering on Christmas Eve. It was delicious, as usual. Mountain Valley's grass fed beef and heritage pork products are the highest quality in the area, and I am delighted that Suzy is now offering a monthly delivery service to Canton and Woodstock. Just call her up to place the order, and she will deliver to Etowah Park.

I made a pork and onion stuffing to cook inside the crown roast and as a side. It was really delicious, and I will be making it again. It almost rivaled my mother's cornbread dressing, but the stuffing is easier to prepare and can be made for a weeknight meal. In addition to the stuffing, I also cooked some carrots with thyme and oregano, roasted Brussels sprouts with garlic and Rubichon's butter mashed potatoes. Rubichon's recipe calls for six sticks of butter in four pounds of potatoes, but I only used two sticks. I may have to try the six sticks one day, but I didn't have the time or the courage today. You add the cold butter in small cubes, one at a time, so it takes a while, even for two sticks! Jeff baked some amazing Parker House rolls from scratch to go with dinner, and we have leftovers for pork sandwiches. For dessert, I baked my second red velvet cake in one weekend. I also made one to take to Jeff's family on Saturday. I follow Sylvia of Harlem's basic recipe, but I always make one and a half the amount of icing so there's enough to put a decent amount between the layers and properly ice the sides.

I did not get dinner on the table until eight o'clock, but we stuffed ourselves thoroughly. Dinner was filled with great conversation, Christmas memories and lots of laughter – the greatest gift of all. I had my family down last weekend, and it was wonderful having small children in the house. My nieces and nephews are adorable, and it is always a treat spending time with them. We all went to dinner at Chon Ngern Thai restaurant on Saturday night, and everyone really enjoyed it. The restaurant treated us very well and even carved some beautiful melon centerpieces for our table. I love this restaurant and the people who work there, and I am so happy we have them in Canton.

Speaking of Canton, I always feel blessed living here but never as much as during the holidays. This year was no exception. From a holiday concert by the Hasty Singers at the Canton Theatre to Caroling with a Cop at Starbucks, there were so many special moments this season. In addition to the Christmas carols, there were many other gatherings, treats and awesome examples of people helping the less fortunate in our community. I know Christmas and the holidays are challenging to many for a number of reasons, but the spirit of giving and goodwill has never been stronger in our community.

I hope your holidays were filled with good food, loving family, caring friends and special memories. I, for one, am looking forward to the new year. Until then, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight.


The Menu:


- Crown Heritage Pork Roast

- Sausage and Onion Bread Stuffing

- Buttery Mashed Potatoes

- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Garlic

- Roasted Carrots with Thyme and Oregano

- Spice Roasted Pecans

- Parker House Rolls

- Red Velvet Cake


The Recipe – Sausage and Onion Bread Stuffing


5 cups onions, finely chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb day old country bread cut into half inch cubes
1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups finely chopped celery

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook onions with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in 3/4 stick butter over moderate heat until onions are pale golden, about 10-15 minutes.

Add garlic, sage, thyme, and pepper and cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

Add vinegar and wine and bring to a slight boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated, then remove from heat and reserve in a large bowl.

Cook sausage in the same skillet just until no longer pink, breaking it up as you cook. Add the sausage to the bowl with onion mixture.

Cook bread cubes and a teaspoon of salt in remaining 3/4 stick butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add breads cubes, celery and chicken stock to the onion mixture and sausage. Toss to combine thoroughly, then pour stuffing mixture into a buttered casserole dish.

Cover the stuffing with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and increase the oven to 400 degrees to crisp and brown the top of the stuffing, around 10 minutes.

Monday, November 21, 2016

21 November 2016






A little Fall weather finally arrived this weekend, and it was a welcomed relief from the lingering warmth of Summer. Now, if the rain would follow suit to relieve our Level 2 drought conditions and help extinguish the devastating fires. Keep praying, doing those rain dances or whatever you think will help. The cooler temps; however, did help motivate some clean up at One Britt over the weekend. Thanks to Canton's Code Enforcement efforts, another Dumpster Day was held at City Hall on Saturday, and we took a few loads of clutter from home and the office. This is such a great service, and they even had a couple of guys on hand to help unload your items. Thanks to everyone involved in helping clean up Canton!

After dropping off the first load at Dumpster Days, I escaped over to Buckeye Creek Farm's Holiday Open House Market. It was great catching up with Liz Porter and my other friends, and I stocked up on some great items from Whim-Wham Art Farm and Buckeye's delicious stone ground grits and cornmeal. In addition, they have some great gift items and stocking stuffers from various local farmers and makers. They will hold another Open House on December 10 and 11, so don't miss it. You can follow Buckeye Creek Farm and Whim-Wham Art Farm on Facebook to get notices of their events.

Jeff's month-long birthday celebration continued on Sunday with lunch at his parent's farm in Jasper. Theresa Brown prepared a rocking classic lasagna and chocolate birthday cake, and we enjoyed time with Jeff's family. They were also kind enough to suffer through a slide show of our Australia trip. After lunch, we left the Brown farm and proceeded to do some grocery shopping. Since it was the Sunday before Thanksgiving, I decided to take a little trial run of some favorite recipes to get into the holiday spirit. Of course, that did not leave a lot of time to prepare a Thanksgiving feast, so I had to get creative. I had made some cornbread on Friday night in anticipation of the dressing to come, so that was a bonus. The turkey, however, presented a far bigger challenge. Luckily, I found a fresh, 10 lb free range turkey at Publix, and I decided to try an Australian roasting method that we saw on many menus there. The method is called Spatchcock, and it basically involves removing the backbone of the turkey then flattening the bird or butterflying it to roast flat in the pan. I had read other recipes before, but I had foregone them in exchange for that perfect photo-worthy big bird. After successful results at spatchcocking, however, I may never roast the whole turkey again. This method takes half the time; it's easier to roast in the oven, and it retains more moisture since the cooking time is less. Plus, carving at the end is a lot easier as well. If you want to save some time and headaches this Thanksgiving, you should give it a try. To accompany the turkey and dressing, I also made some buttery mashed potatoes and roasted some brussels sprouts with bacon. By the way, my secret ingredient for really creamy mashed potatoes is creamed cheese. Jeff baked one of his famous pecan pies for dessert, and we will enjoy leftovers this week.

So as the holidays approach, I am reflecting on a crazy year. It began with a terrible break to my right arm in January, followed by surgery in February. Therefore, the first two months of the year were a virtual blur, and I feel like I have been playing catch up since. One of the greatest things that resulted from my recovery time was the freedom it allowed me to search for award travel to Australia, and after weeks of work, I finally scored some amazing flights on Emirates. Even with a rough start to the year, I am thankful for so many things: the ability to travel and see the world; wonderful family, friends and kindred spirits; an exceptional city I have the honor and privilege to serve; talented coworkers and a business celebrating its twentieth anniversary; a nice home with an awesome kitchen; and so many other blessings. May your Thanksgiving and holidays also be blessed and delicious.


The Menu:


- Roasted Spatchcock Free Range Turkey

- Classic Turkey Gravy

- Franny Betty's Cornbread Dressing

- Creamy Mashed Potatoes

- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

- Jeff's Southern Pecan Pie


The Recipe – Quick Roasting Spatchcock Turkey


Ingredients:

8-12-pound turkey
10 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Put turkey on a cutting board, breast side down, and cut out backbone.

Turn turkey over, and press down firmly to flatten. Place turkey in a large roasting pan, breast side up. Wings should partly cover breasts, and legs should lay flat to the sides.

Place garlic and thyme under turkey and between the wings and legs. Rub turkey, all over, with butter, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Roast for 20 minutes, without opening oven, until turkey begins to brown. Reduce heat to 400, then remove turkey from oven, baste with pan juices or chicken stock, and return to oven. If the turkey browns too quickly, place some foil over the top until the end.

Check turkey's temperature about 15 minutes later and every 10 minutes thereafter. It is done when thigh meat registers 165 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer. (Insert thermometer in thickest part of thigh.) NOTE: Depending on the size, the turkey should only require 45 mins – 1 hour to roast with this method.

Remove turkey and rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Serve with garlic cloves and pan juices, or make gravy with pan juices and drippings.

Monday, October 31, 2016

30 October 2016







G'day, Mates! We just returned on Friday afternoon from a three week trip to Australia and Dubai. Needless to say, it's great to be back in Canton, Georgia, but we had a wonderful vacation. The jet lag is horrendous, so the details of the trip are still cloudy at this point. However, we ate some delicious food, met some amazing people, saw some incredible sights and packed the itinerary with lots of activity. I used all the airline miles and points that I had saved from years of business travel to fortunately book first class tickets on Emirates, and all of our flights were on the A380, the two story plane with a shower and walk up bar! The service, food and amenities were unreal, and it made the very long flights part of the experience. That is the reason we connected through Dubai, so we stayed over three days there on the way to Sydney. Dubai was fascinating and beyond fathomable. The money, architecture and hospitality were over the top. While we are not big fan of some of their cultural beliefs and had heard some alarming stories, we could have not been treated better. We spoke to some locals, and it is clear that things are changing rapidly, but overall, the people were friendly and open about how things work.

From Dubai, we went on to Sydney for a week, and it was everything we had imagined and more. What an exceptional city! From the natural beauty of the harbor to the fresh, organic food and outstanding coffee to the civility and environmental awareness, Australia and, in particular, Sydney, are in a class of their own. I felt right at home, and I was in awe of the Sydney Opera House, a building I had longed to see in person since I was seven years old. I probably took over 800 photos of the building alone because it constantly changes in the light. Just when I thought I couldn't get another unique shot, there was a full moon over the Opera House at the end of our first week! Of course, we saw many other sights, such as the Harbour Bridge, Luna Park, Taronga Zoo, Manly Beach, Bondi Beach and many others. We hiked dozens of miles along the coastal walks, spotting whales and other natural wonders along the way. It was simply incredible.

From Sydney, we rented a car and drove on the "wrong side of the road" down to Mollymook, a small surf and whale beach community. We stayed a few days at Bannisters by the Sea, a lovely inn perched high on the ocean cliffs, and we watched dozens of whales jumping, blowing and playing just off shore. From Mollymook, we ventured into the extremely high Black Mountains and over to Australia's capital, Canberra. I do not know anyone who has ever been to Canberra, so I was very interested in visiting from the things I had read about its up-and-coming food scene, art galleries, and dynamic architecture. It lived up to this reputation, and more. We really loved it there, especially the hotel where we stayed, Hotel Hotel, which is the most sustainable building in Australia. The hotel restaurant, Monster Kitchen, is doing a lot of innovative things with Australian food, so that was very interesting as well. While in Canberra, we ventured just outside into the Yass Valley cool climate wine country to visit a few vineyards, and the landscape was simply stunning. As Jeff said, it was like driving through a painting. On the way out of one vineyard, we stopped to photograph several curious kangaroos that stood a couple of feet taller than us.

Of course, one of the biggest highlights for me was the food, and I had done a lot of research before the trip. We ate at some of Sydney's top-rated restaurants and the best ones in Mollymook and Canberra. The cuisine was fresh, innovative and delicious in every way. They do not believe in processed foods, sugar or lots of salt. Even with all of the dining, we both lost weight on the trip. That says a lot! One of our favorite restaurants was Neil Perry's Sydney Institution, Rockpool Bar and Grill. We ate there twice, once for lunch the first week and for dinner our last night in Sydney. For lunch, I ordered a Bloody Mary, and the bartender quickly through tomatoes, carrots and celery into a juicer to make the mixer. That's how they make all of their mixers, and the notion of "craft cocktails and farm-to-table" is simply a cliche in Australia. Every meal was defined by one great experience after the other, and it was very inspiring to me as a foodie and cook.

Even though I was exhausted and the jet lag was daunting, I needed to get back in my own kitchen to truly feel home again. So I mustered enough energy and inspiration to prepare a menu based on the last meal we had at Rockpool in addition to some local ingredients that remind me that we do, in fact, live in a very small world. In Australia, persimmons were in season, and they were on the menus at several restaurants. On Friday night when we returned to Canton, we joined Cory and John for dinner at our normal Friday night Thai restaurant, Chon Ngern, to try to get some familiar sense of a schedule. Of course, the food was delicious as always, but at the end of the meal, the owner, Lat, brought us out a bag of freshly picked persimmons from her own tree. We ate there again on Saturday night with Jeff's parents because they had not been, and Lat gave us more persimmons. So, I made some persimmon marmalade on Sunday morning and used the rest of them in an apple and persimmon tarte tatin for dessert. They were divine, in more ways than one. For the entree, I made a dish that Jeff had ordered a Rockpool, a minute steak with Cafe de Paris Butter and boiled green vegetables on the side. I roasted some organic white sweet potato wedges with herbs as well, and we drank Australian wine with some dear friends that had our back and house sat while we were gone. While there is truly no place like home, I love traveling and seeing the world, and it was more inspiring than ever given the current climate in our country. I think Mark Twain said it best, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”




The Menu:

- Rockpool Minute Steak with Cafe de Paris Butter

- Boiled Seasonal Greens and Vegetables

- Roasted White Sweet Potato Wedges with Herbs

- North Georgia Apple and Persimmon Tarte Tatin


The Recipe – Neil Perry's Minute Steak with
Cafe de Paris Butter


Ingredients:

Steaks:

2 filet mignon steaks
sea salt and pepper
olive oil

Cafe de Paris Butter:

3 tsp light tasting olive oil
1/4 small brown onion, finely diced
1/2 tbsp Indian style curry powder
1/2 unsalted butter, softened
1 small handful parsley leaves
1 clove garlic, crushed
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 anchovy fillets (optional)
1/2 tsp baby capers, rinsed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 small handful basil leaves
1 small handful thyme sprigs, leaves only
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 egg yolk

Instructions:

Cafe de Paris Butter:

Heat the oil in a frying pan, and cook the onion and curry powder over low heat until soft and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

Place cooled cooked onion and all remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined and herbs have been blended into the butter. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Roll butter into a 2 inch diameter log, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, slice Cafe de Paris Butter into rounds (and bring to room temperature) before serving on top of hot steaks. Allow the butter to melt into a sauce.

Instructions:

Minute Steaks:

Cut beef crosswise into four steaks. Place each slice between 2 sheets of cling film and pound, one by one, until very thin, around 1/4 inch. Remove cling film, and season beef with sea salt and black pepper, then drizzle lightly with oil.

Preheat a frying pan on high heat. Cook each piece of beef for about 1 minute on one side, until browned, then turn and cook for another 10 seconds - they should still be juicy and pink in the middle. Remove from heat, cover with foil and rest for a minute.

Place a slice of the softened butter onto the cooked minute steak, and serve immediately with a fresh lemon wedge.



Sunday, September 25, 2016

24 September 2016 – Etowah Harvest Dinner











There was no Sunday Supper tonight, but did I ever do some cooking for last night's Harvest Dinner to benefit the Upper Etowah River Alliance! The organization's director, Diane Minick, asked me if I would be interested in being the guest chef for a fundraising dinner a few months ago, and I said yes. The UERA does amazing work in our community to protect, clean and promote the Etowah River, so it was a worthwhile contribution. Cooking a five course meal plus appetizers for 30 guests, however, was quite daunting. The event was hosted by Liz Porter in her beautiful kitchen at Buckeye Creek Farm. I really enjoyed working with Liz and Diane, and we had a lot of fun amidst the hard work. 

When I began to think about the menu, I really wanted to try and source as much of the ingredients as possible from local farmers and purveyors. After publishing my blog for nine years, I have made a lot of contacts, and I was thrilled to work with some of my favorite suppliers for the meal. In the end, I was able to get all of the main ingredients from local sources, and their in kind contributions ensured an even more successful evening. My client, Mercier Orchards, generously donated their delicious hard cider for the appetizers and some amazing apple cider doughnuts for the bread pudding. Jeff Dobson supplied his Two Willows Appalachian Artisanal Ham for my appetizer ham biscuits. Whim-Wham Art Farm supplied the greens, tomatoes and ground cherries for a wonderful salad course. Loud Mouth Farm delivered the most amazing elm and oyster mushrooms for an earthy cream of mushroom soup course. For the main course, I stuffed heritage pork tenderloins with sausage, collards, apples and goat cheese and then wrapped them in bacon for a triple pork jackpot. All of the heritage pork products were kindly contributed by Suzy Wright of Mountain Valley Farm in Ellijay. Her Farm Store is off the charts, and the pork and grass fed beef she sells can not be beat. It is worth the drive, but she told me that she will be starting to do weekly deliveries to Canton in October. I am so excited! I also made "gritlenta" to go with the pork from Liz Porter's fresh ground grits and cornmeal. I loved them both, so I combined them to create the gritlenta. For the cheese course, Diane sourced some amazing Mediterranean Feta, Fromage and Chevre from CalyRoad Creamery in Sandy Springs. I combined some of each, along with some chives, black pepper, walnuts and freeze dried strawberries, to form cheese lollipops. To end the evening, I made individual apple cider bread puddings and served them with a bourbon creme anglaise. Believe me, no one complained about dessert.

Liz and Diane worked all evening to make the dinner a success, but I would have been lost without Jeff. He served as my sous chef and expediter, and I only had to go Gordon Ramsey on him a time or two. I could not have survived the evening without his help, and I was honored and touched to have so many friends supporting in the crowd. I spent three nights preparing for the event, and it was nice to have it completed. I really enjoyed the evening, and the dinner went much better than I had ever imagined. Now, however, I am really counting the days until we leave for Dubai and Australia. I am more than ready for a nice long vacation, a grand adventure and some outstanding meals prepared by real chefs.

When you have a chance, please visit etowahriver.org and support their efforts.




The Menu:
 
Harvest Dinner to Benefit the Upper Etowah River Alliance

Apps in the Greenhouse:

Pimento Cheese Cups with Whim-Wham
Cayenne Jelly
Liz Porter's Smoked Trout Dip with
Assorted Vegetables
Cream Biscuits with Two Willows Artisanal Appalachian Ham, Batch 2015
Assorted Natural Hard Cider from
Mercier Orchards

Dinner in the Buckeye Creek Farm Kitchen:
(Each course served with a wine tasting from Feather’s Edge Vineyards, Ballground, GA)

1st Course:
Assorted Early Fall Lettuces and produce from Whim-Wham Art Farm (Canton)

2nd Course:
Cream of Loud Mouth Mushroom Soup (Talking Rock)

3rd Course:
Collard and Apple Stuffed Mountain Valley Heritage Pork Tenderloin with Fat Boy Red Sauce, Buckeye Creek Gritlenta, Cagle Green Beans, Bread: Buckeye Creek Cornbread Muffins and Bill Grant’s “Crack” Cream Biscuits (Ellijay, Woodstock, Dahlonega, Canton)

4th Course:
CalyRoad Creamery Mediterranean Feta and Fromage Cheese Lollipops (Sandy Springs)

5th Course:
Mercier Orchards Apple Cider Doughnut Bread Pudding with Bourbon Créme Anglaise (Blue Ridge)

The Recipe – Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Collards, Apples, and Sausage

Ingredients:

      1 tablespoon olive oil   
     1/4 cup minced onion   
     1/4 pound breakfast sausage 
     1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced  
     2 garlic cloves, minced   
     1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme   
     1/2 teaspoon chopped sage   
     3/4 cup finely chopped collard greens  
     4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature   
     Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper   
     Two 1-pound pork tenderloins 
     6 slices of bacon  

Directions:

  1. For stuffing: heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up, until cooked through an no longer pink. Add the apple, garlic, thyme and sage and cook until the apple just begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in the collard greens and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, and let cool. Mix in the goat cheese and season with salt and pepper.

  2. Preheat oven to 300. Beginning at a thick end, cut a 1-inch-wide pocket through the center of each pork tenderloin, but do not cut all the way through; use the handle of a wooden spoon to widen the pocket if necessary. Fill the pork tenderloins with the stuffing, and season the tenderloins with salt and pepper. Wrap the bacon strips securely around the tenderloins, trying to cover any exposed stuffing with the bacon.

  3. Heat another tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large skillet,  and carefully turn the tenderloins until browned on every side, about 4-5 minutes. Place the skillet in preheated oven, and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140°. Transfer the pork tenderloins to a cutting board, cover tightly with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice the pork tenderloins crosswise about 1 inch thick to serve.
 
 
 

Monday, September 19, 2016

19 September 2016





Summer is wrapping up even crazier than it started, but a cool, rainy Sunday reminds us that Fall is on its way. The drenching rain was such a welcome sight, and it inspired a lot of catching up on inside chores, scheduling and organizing for the weeks ahead. The three week countdown to our Australian adventure has begun, but we have a lot to accomplish before the epic journey. Next Saturday, September 24, I am honored to be the guest chef for a fundraising dinner to benefit the Upper Etowah River Alliance. This group does really great work in calling attention to the importance of the Etowah River to our community, and I am happy to support them in any way possible. Next week, thirty guests will gather at Buckeye Creek Farm to taste appetizers and a five course meal prepared from locally sourced ingredients. It's been a lot of fun putting the menu together, and the connections I have made with local farmers and purveyors over the past few years has really paid off. In addition to Liz Porter's outstanding contributions from Buckeye Creek Farm, I am thrilled to work with Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge, Whim-Wham Art Farm in Canton, Jeff Dobson's Artisinal Appalachian Ham in Knoxville, Loud Mouth Mushroom Farm in Talking Rock, Mountain Valley Grass Fed in Ellijay, CalyRoad Creamery in Sandy Springs, Feather's Edge Vineyards in Ball Ground and other local suppliers. In addition to food items and produce, my awesome client, Mercier Orchards, is also donating a selection of their natural hard ciders to enjoy with the appetizers! Grant Design Collaborative did all of the package design for Mercier's ciders, and it's been a blast working with them. We were amazed to see our packaging for this client featured last week by Russia's largest online design association, so Georgia's products are getting some international recognition.

In preparation for the Etowah Harvest Dinner, I have been experimenting with some of the dishes at One Britt, so tonight's Sunday Supper featured a few of them. I am happy with one of the appetizer creations, pimento cheese cups with cayenne pepper jelly. It is a simple combination but a perfectly balanced bite. Someone may take away my Southern card for admitting this, but I have an aversion to mayonnaise, and my pimento cheese is made without this condiment. However, I think it tastes just as good! For the second course of the Harvest Dinner, I am using some of Loud Mouth Farm's beautiful mushrooms to make a creamy, earthy soup. You can find them at the Canton Farmers Market or featured on the menu at the best local restaurants. They are amazing, and I have now made this soup three times to ensure the right flavors. It was especially satisfying on a rainy Sunday night! For the main course, I am preparing a collard and apple stuffed heritage pork tenderloin from Mountain Valley Farm in Ellijay. Susie Wright has been very generous, and her grass fed beef and heritage pork are the best around. It is worth the drive to Ellijay to shop at her farm store which is open seven days a week, 10 am - 6 pm. For tonights Sunday Supper, however, I substituted turkey tenderloin for the pork, and it was almost as delicious. As a side dish, I made some "gritslenta" from Buckeye Creek Farm's medium grind grits. They are simply the best, and I can't wait to feature them at the dinner. I was going for polenta, but the grind is somewhere closer to grits, so I am calling them gritslenta. I aslo used Buckeye's fresh ground corn meal to prepare some jalapeno cheddar mini cornbread muffins, and they were heavenly. I will serve these in a bread basket along with my salt and pepper "crack" cream biscuits.

I will save the remaining dishes and event details for another blog, but I am hoping for a successful outing. Until then, wish me luck, and if things don't go well, at least I will be hiding out Down Under for a few weeks until my reputation recovers.


The Menu:


- Pimento Cheese Cups with Whim Wham Cayenne Jam

- Cream of Loud Mouth Mushroom Soup

- Collard and Apple Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Turkey Tenderloin

- Buckeye Creek Farm Gritslenta

- Buckeye Creek Farm Mini Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Muffins


The Recipe – Cream of Mushroom Soup


Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 pounds sliced fresh mushrooms with 1 pinch salt

1 yellow onion, diced

1 1/2 TBSP all-purpose flour

6 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, peeled

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 TBSP Sherry or to taste (optional)

1 TBSP red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves for garnish, or to taste


Directions:

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms with 1 pinch salt and cook until they give off their juices. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Mix onion into mushrooms and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir flour into mushroom mixture and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes to remove flour taste.

Tie thyme sprigs into a small bundle with kitchen string and add to mushroom mixture along with garlic cloves. Pour chicken stock and water into mushroom mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for around 1 hour.

Remove thyme bundle then transfer soup to a blender in small batches and puree on high speed until smooth and thick. I use an immersion blender to make this job easier! Return soup to pot then stir in cream, sherry (if using) and vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper. Serve in bowls garnished with reserved mushroom slices, a few thyme leaves and a squeeze of lemon if desired.









Monday, August 15, 2016

15 August 2016





After another hectic week and busy weekend, I decided to float in the pool instead of heating the kitchen up to cook Sunday Supper. However, I bought some wonderful fresh ingredients at the Canton Farmers Market on Saturday, so I decided to cook a "Meatless Monday" supper tonight. My haul on Saturday included some beautiful Elm Oyster mushrooms from one of our newest vendors, Loud Mouth Gourmet Mushrooms, from Talking Rock; more amazing everything bagels and farm eggs from Whim-Wham Art Farm; fresh pico, pork and chicken tamales from Mila and Rosi's Taste; the last peaches from Pearson Farm; other assorted vegetables from various farmers; and even a jar of hot Dixie chow chow!I am excited to use these ingredients in various meals all week long.

For tonight's Meatless Monday supper, I put the beautiful Elm Oysters fungi to use in a big pot of mushroom soup. I studied various recipes from Julia Child to the New York Times to come up with my own, healthier version. It was very tasty and light, and a touch of Sherry added just the right kick to make it interesting.

Keeping with the healthy fresh theme, I used the Pearson peaches along with some fresh figs from my backyard tree to make a sugarless fruit crumble. It was really delicious and unbelievably sweet to only feature a little honey. Since the soup was on the light side, the peach and fig crumble added a filling end to the meal.

Now, on to a week filled with meetings, Council, vet appointments and other busy activities. Maybe I will get back on schedule for this week's Sunday Supper.


The Menu:


- Homemade Elm Oyster Mushroom Soup

- Healthy Peach and Fig Crumble


The Recipe – Sugarless Peach and Fig Crumble


Ingredients:

Fruit Filling

4 fresh peaches, cut into wedges
8 fresh figs, sliced in half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

Crumble Topping

1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup organic, low sugar granola
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup local honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Prepare Filling

Preheat oven to 350. Cut peaches and figs and place in a medium bowl. Pour vanilla over fruit, then stir in spices. Divide fruit mixture into four, 6 inch ramekins.

Prepare Topping

In separate bowl, mix together walnuts and granola, then stir in oil, honey and spices. Divide crumble topping over fruit in ramekins. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil, and bake for 10 minutes until crumble is toasty. Serve warm.


Monday, August 8, 2016

07 August 2016









Summer has proven to be busier than ever, so it is nice to find a weekend to relax at catch up on a few things around the house. I had the pleasure of visiting Buckeye Creek Farm on Thursday evening in preparation for a fundraising dinner I am preparing for the Upper Etowah River Alliance on September 24. Liz Porter, the farm's owner, took me on a great tour of the gardens, kitchen and greenhouse. It should be a fun evening, and I am happy to do my part to support and promote the Etowah River as a wonderful asset to our community. On Friday night, we ventured down to Chon Ngren to have our customary Friday night Thai food. It was so great seeing many of our friends enjoying their delicious food. After a quick run through Jeep Night at Canton's First Friday, we settled in at One Britt to watch the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics, a personal tradition for many years. We only paused while Jeff and Cory ran downtown to help clean up and collect the signs for First Friday, but we all enjoyed the ceremonies.

Saturday morning began as usual with a trip to the Canton Farmers Market. I had been out of town the past two weekends, so it was great to see everyone and catch up with friends. We had decided to not open the "cement pond" at One Britt this year because we are saving money for our trip to Australia in October, but we had no idea the Summer would be so hot. So, Jeff decided to tackle the pool opening a couple of weeks ago, and he has been working on it nonstop after work and on weekends. We finally got to enjoy the fruit of his labors this weekend by christening the 1950's workhorse with some Summer lovin', and we swam, floated and soaked up the sun for several hours on Saturday and Sunday. It was nice to float around and watch the clouds drift through the sky. While the historic gunite pool has been a maintenance nightmare, at times, it is weekends like these that I thank Dr. Charles Johnson for building the pool back in the fifties. I only wish his mid-century modern pool house had been maintained and saved by the previous owners, but maybe we can rebuild it one day.

Part of our chores this weekend also involved some yard work and tending to our small raised garden. We picked a few fresh tomatoes, peppers and herbs, but the highlight of our backyard bounty was the fresh fruit from our beautiful fig tree. I love figs, and this year's harvest is outrageous. I think the peak was last weekend while we were in Florida, but I still have a lot left on the tree. With a large harvest, I decided to focus tonight's Sunday Supper around figs. I began with a salad of backyard delights of tomatoes, figs, basil, fresh mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. For the entree, I stuffed some organic chicken breasts with prosciutto, figs, shallots and cheese and served it with a rustic white wine pan sauce. For the side dish, I roasted some of the okra I got at the Farmers Market in the oven until slightly charred and crunchy. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare okra, and it's a lot easier than frying. For dessert, I made a tart with shortbread crust and a filling of mascarpone cheese, goat cheese, Greek yogurt and local honey. I topped it with broiled and caramelized figs with some fresh rosemary. The entire tart only had less than two tablespoons of sugar, and it was delectable.

Here's hoping your hot summer nights and days are filled with great memories, good food and random acts of kindness.



The Menu:

- Fig and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

- Fig, Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad

- Oven Roasted Okra

- Fig Tart with Honey, Goat Cheese and Mascarpone


The Recipe – Fig and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts


Ingredients:

4-5 brown Turkey figs, stemmed and finely chopped

3 ounces Emmental or Fontina cheese, grated

4 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme leaves

2 tablespoons very finely chopped shallots

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded 1/4 inch thick

4 to 8 thin slices prosciutto or smoked ham

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons cold butter


Directions:

Mix together the figs, cheese, thyme and shallots in a small bowl and season to taste with salt. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness and lay on flat surface. Cover chicken with prosciutto or ham slices. Divide and thinly spread the fig mixture among the chicken breasts. Beginning at the narrow end, roll up each chicken breast tightly, keeping the filling inside. Secure each with toothpicks to keep closed.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and brown all over. Turn breasts about two minutes each side, around eight minutes total. Pour off most of the fat from the skillet, then add the wine. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through, around five minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate to rest, then turn heat to high. Stir in butter to thicken sauce, cooking to reduce slightly. Slice chicken breasts crosswise to reveal the inner layers, and place on a platter. Pour the sauce over the chicken through a mesh sieve to strain. Serve immediately.


Monday, July 4, 2016

03 July 2016









Summer has arrived with a vengeance, and it has almost been too hot to cook. However, I couldn't let all of the great produce I found at this week's farmers market go to waste. The past week has been challenging after returning from the GMA conference in Savannah with the crud. The heat was so extreme, it triggered an acute asthma flair up and a sinus infection as an added bonus. After finally visiting urgent care on Saturday followed by a Six Feet Under marathon, I decided some time in the kitchen would be good medicine.

Most of tonight's Sunday Supper consisted of locally sourced ingredients. I used the rustic garlic and rosemary bread and tomatoes from Whim-Wham Art Farm to make some delicious bruschetta, complete with fresh basil, oregano and parsley from our herb garden. Since it was Fourth of July weekend, I felt obligated to grill something, so I found some boneless heritage pork chops and brined them in sweet tea to keep them moist while cooking. I topped the pork with a scratch ancho chili BBQ sauce, and Jeff served as the grill master. He did a nice job, and they were amazing. The most exciting part of the meal, however, was the season's first fried okra! I breaded it and placed it in the refrigerator for a while. This allowed the breading to chill, and I double breaded it before frying. It was like popcorn, and everyone enjoyed it. I also sauteed some squash and zucchini and cooked some local Cranberry beans with ham hock. For dessert, I made homemade peach ice cream from the Pearson Farms peaches I purchased on Saturday. I served the ice cream over some cast iron grilled corn muffins topped with macerated peaches. Needless to say, it was a divine way to end the meal.

Since I felt slightly guilty for possibly sharing my crud with my Savannah travel companion, Sandy McGrew, I invited her and Gary Mullet to Sunday Supper. Along with Cory Wilson and John Clark, we had a wonderful time in between some mild coughing spasms amongst the council members. I hope to feel well enough to enjoy the 4th of July parade in downtown Canton today at 6 PM, followed by the awesome fireworks display sponsored by Canton Tourism. Hopefully, we will have some pop up showers along the way. I know our local farmers, especially, would welcome the much-needed rain. So wherever you are and however you celebrate independence day, let freedom ring, and be kind to others.




The Menu:

- Grilled Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chops with Ancho BBQ Sauce

- Rustic Rosemary Garlic Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Herbs

- Fried Okra

- Cranberry Beans with Ham Hock

- Sauteed Yellow Squash and Round Zucchini

- Quick Pickles from Local Cucumbers

- Pearson Farm Peach Ice Cream with Grilled Corn Muffins


The Recipe – Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients:

4 cups peeled fresh peaches, diced
1 cup sugar
1 -12 ounce can evaporated milk
1 - 4-ounce package Junkets ice cream mix or pudding mix
1 - 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups half-and-half



Directions:


Combine peaches and sugar, and let stand one hour.

Process peach mixture in a blender until smooth.

Stir together evaporated milk and ice cream or pudding mix in a large bowl.  Stir in peach puree, condensed milk, and half-and-half.

Pour mixture into a 4-quart hand-turned or electric ice cream freezer, and freeze according to instructions. Spoon into an airtight container, and place in freezer until firm.




Monday, June 20, 2016

20 June 2016




The past two weeks have been very hectic. I was in Chicago June 10-15 for my 32nd NeoCon, the world's largest trade show for commercial furnishings and materials. It's always great to see so many colleagues, and Grant Design Collaborative's work for Decca Contract and Elan furniture was well received. As always, our team did great work, especially our Creative Director, Matt DeFrain.

I flew back late on Wednesday night, and we had a Council meeting on Thursday. Although exhausted, it was great to be there for the official adoption of the new Master Plan and LCI update for downtown and the River Mill district. It was such an honor and privilege to chair this initiative with my fellow Council member and friend, Sandy McGrew. The new plan features a lot of great initiatives to change the trajectory of downtown, and we hope to expand our long term plans for other areas of the city. The Mayor, Council, City Manager and city staff collaborated in an effective and productive manner, and the only thing more exciting than the plan itself will be the implementation efforts. To see the final plan, visit cantonforward.com.

After work on Friday, we celebrated Jeff's dad's birthday at their family farm in Jasper. It was a perfect Summer evening, complete with grilled steaks, twice baked potatoes and homemade ice cream. On Saturday morning, we ventured over to the Canton Farmers Market to stock up on some great items. As usual, we returned home with a great haul of farm fresh eggs, everything bagels, onions, garlic, homemade soap, crushed red pepper, corn, purple potatoes, pork rinds, pecans and even a fresh garlic skate compliments of Rustic Roots! After a late breakfast at Keithsburg Cafe, we were off to Atlanta to attend an opening reception of the Mad Men exhibit at MODA. The exhibit featured fine art from many advertising and design professionals working in Atlanta in the 70's and 80's, and our dear friend, Steve Martin, had three amazing paintings in the show. It was great seeing so many friends and colleagues, especially those that I had not seen in many years. We had a wonderful time and visited Krog Street Market on Sunday for a late lunch. This redevelopment project is so inspiring, and it includes a lot of great restaurants and food stalls. We even ran into some Canton friends, the Walker-Bundas: Rob, Kandace, Atlas and Indy.

Needless to say, we did not make it back to Canton in time to cook Sunday Supper, so I used a lot of our Farmers Market items to prepare a "Meatless Monday" Supper. I made buffalo cauliflower sandwiches and served them on the delicious Whim Wham Art Farm bagels. I roasted the purple potatoes from Rustic Roots with local onions, garlic, rosemary and chopped garlic skate. I also roasted the first corn of the season as another side. It was a filling and satisfying vegetarian dinner after a busy Monday.

The rest of the week will also be busy, and I leave for the GMA Annual Conference in Savannah on Friday. Along with other city leaders, I look forward to this gathering of Georgia's elected officials. It is always educational, inspiring and a good opportunity to hear what other cities are doing to advance their communities. Of course, I hope to enjoy a couple of good meals with friends while in Savannah. Until next time, eat local and be kind to one another.

The Menu:

- Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwiches

- Roasted Valdosta Yellow Corn

- Roasted Purple Potatoes with Onions, Garlic, and Rosemary


The Recipe – Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwiches


Ingredients:

1 whole cauliflower

1/2 C low fat milk

1/2 C water

3/4 C all-purpose flour

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 tbsp butter

1/2 C Frank's red hot sauce

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and preheat oven to 400.

Cut cauliflower in half and then cut 2, 3/4 inch steaks from each of the sides. Trim off leaves at the base, but leave most of the stem in tact.

Mix the flour, milk, water, spices, and seasoning into a bowl and whisk until combined. Transfer mixture to a wide shallow baking dish that will hold the cauliflower steaks. Dredge the steaks in the batter, coating well in all the crevices. Place the battered cauliflower steaks onto the lined baking sheet, and bake for 25 mins.

Just before the cauliflower is finished baking, melt the butter and whisk into the hot sauce. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and allow to cool a bit.

Dredge the cauliflower steaks in the buffalo sauce to coat evenly. Return to the lined baking sheet for 20 mins at 450.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread some ranch or blue cheese dressing on both sides of a toasted bun, and lay the cauliflower steak on the bottom. Add red onion slices, lettuce, and tomato slices, if desired.