Sunday, June 18, 2017

18 June 2017







After a hot and busy week in Chicago for NeoCon, it was nice to get home. My return flight was six hours late due to severe weather, so I didn't get home until around midnight on Wednesday. I hit the ground running for client meetings on Thursday, followed by a long Council meeting that evening. Needless to say, I was happy to slow down and relax a bit over the weekend. Unfortunately, I have a touch of the annual NeoCon crud, but I managed to get some rest and even cook tonight's Sunday Supper.

I could barely breathe on Saturday morning, but I dragged myself out of bed to go to the Canton Farmers Market. It was packed, and as usual, there were some great vendors with lots of produce, breads and other foods and handcrafted edibles. I left the market with a great haul, including rosemary garlic bread, onion blossoms, onions from Whim-Wham Art Farm; Hard Neck garlic from Rustic Roots; elm ear mushrooms from Loud Mouth Farm; smoked porcini mushroom bacon salt from the Bear Hive; Georgia peaches from Pearson Farm; and beautiful local beef and pork from Hillside Farm in Ellijay. After an early lunch at R&M Hoagie Shop, I came back and crashed for most of the afternoon.

With a good night's sleep and a couple of cups of coffee, I was determined not to let my farmers market bounty go to waste. The kitchen was filled with a garlic aroma from the hard neck garlic, so I knew I had to use it in a dish. Plus, the garlic, along with the Whim-Wham onions, are in the allium family and are natural antibiotics, so they found their way into a simple arrabbiata sauce for an "angry spaghetti" entree. I packed the sauce full of garlic and even added some of the onion blossoms, my new favorite ingredient. For the salad course, I picked the last of our arugula from the raised beds at One Britt along with some beet greens, and I tossed them with some thinly sliced fennel bulb, olive oil and lemon juice. I chopped more of the garlic and added to some butter to transform the Whim-Wham bread into garlic toast. It may not cure my sinus infection, but at least I won't have to worry about vampires tonight! For dessert, I used the peaches to make an easy peach crumble and, of course, topped it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I love making peach cobbler this time of year, but the crumble was a lot easier and healthier, and it tastes delicious.

So, with a full belly and grateful heart, I will turn in early tonight in preparation for another busy week. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy week ahead.


The Menu:

- Angry Spaghetti – Pasta with Arrabbiata Sauce

- Arugula and Beet Green Salad with Olive Oil and Lemon

- Rustic Rosemary Garlic Bread

- Georgia Peach Crumble


The Recipe – Georgia Peach Crumble

Ingredients:

Topping:


  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Filling:


  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 pounds ripe, but firm, peaches cut into 1/2-inch slices

Directions:

Topping:

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle.

  1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Blend the butter pieces into the dry ingredients until large clumps form and completely incorporated. Crumble the clumps into small pieces, then refrigerate the crumble while you make the filling.
Filling:

  1. Place the brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the peach slices, stirring until evenly coated.

  1. Transfer the mixture to a medium baking dish, and arrange it in an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture evenly over the peaches.

  1. Bake until the topping is brown and crisp, about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the dish on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

     

Sunday, June 4, 2017

04 June 2017






Summer has arrived and not a minute too soon. We kicked it off in style in Canton at First Friday with a theme of "Summer Nights." In addition to the typical music, great food and classic cars, I had the honor and privilege to publicly launch the city's new brand and website. We have been working on this program for over ten months, and it includes a new logo, messaging and website. The logo was created by id8 from Marietta after a lot of public input from our citizens. They did a wonderful job and captured the unique spirit and natural beauty of Canton. The new logo features bold typography with an interweaving river graphic to represent the Etowah and connectivity of our vibrant city. The identity is fresh, fun, friendly and slightly unexpected – just like Canton. The First Friday crowd was treated to some new brand swag, and everyone has been very positive and excited about the new brand, and I couldn't be happier about the energy and direction we are headed as a city.

We were in Puerto Rico last weekend, so we missed the opening of the 2017 Canton Farmers Market. However, we visited bright and early this week and came away with some amazing everything bagels, farm eggs, golden beats and beautiful onion blossoms from Whim-Wham Art Farm. I also picked up some Georgia peaches, barbecue sauce and other fresh goodies. The Market features over 50 farmers and purveyors this year, and I look forward to more fresh produce and delicious local products.

This morning began with Parmesan scrambled farm eggs on Whim Wham bagels, and off to the grocery I went to gather the other ingredients for tonight's Sunday Supper. In San Juan, we enjoyed an incredible four-course menu at Marmalade, the top rated restaurant in old town. We had dined here before and couldn't wait to return. For my first course there, I had a fabulous golden beet and radish carpaccio with hearts of palm, goat cheese, grapefruit, almonds and avocado. The salad had a refreshing citrus vinaigrette, and the flavors were explosive. I have been thinking about that dish since we got home, so I decided to attempt to recreate it with the Whim-Wham beets. I wrote down the main ingredients at Marmalade, and I followed them pretty closely. I whipped some chévre goat cheese with local honey and made an almond grapefruit dressing. I used all of the other ingredients on the list but topped the carpaccio with the onion blossoms, and the salad was delicious. It was a taste of early Summer and colorfully photogenic as well. For the main course, I prepared a mojo marinated pork tenderloin with peach and habanero salsa, and I served it with an apricot and toasted pecan basmati rice. I found some jumbo fresh asparagus and steamed it and topped in lemon and brown butter. For dessert, I made a simple Strawberry Dream parfait with organic strawberries and organic whipped cream. It was a fun day in the kitchen with lots of opportunity to practice my knife and presentation skills.

After a very busy week ahead, I travel to Chicago next Sunday for my 33rd NeoCon, the world's largest trade show for the built environment. I always enjoy seeing so many friends, colleagues and interesting new furniture, textiles and other materials. In addition, I am sure I will partake in some of the Windy City's fine restaurants, but I will be filled with anticipation for the upcoming home grown tomatoes, more Georgia peaches and, my favorite, fresh cut okra from the Canton Farmers Market.




The Menu:

- Golden Beet and Radish Carpaccio with Honey-Whipped
  Chevre, Grapefruit, Avocado, and Onion Blossoms with
  Almond Citrus Vinaigrette

- Adobo Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Georgia Peach
   and Habanero Salsa

- Organic Basmati Rice with Dried Apricots and Georgia Pecans

- Strawberry Dream Parfait


The Recipe – - Adobo Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Georgia Peach and Habanero Salsa

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sorghum syrup or honey
1/4 cup bourbon (optional)
6 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
2 habanero chiles, finely chopped
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 medium pork tenderloins
1 lb. ripe peaches, diced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Flaky sea salt

Preparation:

In a glass baking dish or jumbo zip lock bag, combine the olive oil, 1/4 cup of the lime juice, sorghum syrup, bourbon, chipotles, all but 1/2 tsp. of the habaneros, and garlic. Add the tenderloins and coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Bring the pork to room temperature before cooking. Heat 2 Tbs, oil in heavy or iron skillet on med-high until shimmering. Remove tenderloins from marinade and dry with paper towels, removing any solids. Sear the pork on all sides until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to the preheated oven, and cook until slightly pink (around 30 minutes).

Transfer tenderloins to a cutting board, and tent with foil for 15 minutes.

Combine the peaches, onion, cilantro, remaining 2 Tbs. lime juice, vinegar, and 1/2 tsp. habanero chile to a medium bowl. Toss with 1/4 tsp. salt, and a little black pepper.

Cut the pork into 3/8 inch slices and fan on a serving platter. Sprinkle with sea salt, then spoon the peach salsa over the pork.