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.