Artisinal Spanish Chocolate Dipped Farmer's Market Strawberries

Summer Dinner July 2011

Barbecue Pork Spare Ribs with Baked Potato and a Saute of Summer Vegetables

For the veggies I cut the corn off three cobs of corn and sauteed it in some butter with salt and pepper for a few minutes. Boil some fresh green beans in salted water for a few minutes until just starting to get tender and shock in cold water. Add the beans and some grape tomatoes sliced in half to the corn in your pan and saute on high heat for just a couple more minutes so that everything has been heated. This would also be tasty with the addition of some chopped fresh basil, marjoram or oregano.

Rhubarb Cobbler

Slice rhubarb stalks into 1/2 inch pieces. You will need enough for around 4-5 cups. Place in a pan with 3/4 of a cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of corn starch, and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir and heat over medium heat until the rhubarb let off some of it's water and the sugar dissolves. It will become somewhat gooey. Pour mixture into a small to medium baking dish. There should be at least an inch and a half to two inches between the top of the mixture and the top of the dish.

To make the topping combine 1 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt together in a large bowl. Add in 4 tablespoons of cold butter, cut into small pieces. Combine the butter and flour together using your fingers, a fork or a pastry cutter until you get a small pea sized consistency. In a measuring cup measure out 1/2 of a cup of heavy cream and add in 1/2 of a teaspoon of vanilla. Pour this over the flour mixture and combine everything with your hands just until it can come together in a ball. Be so careful not to over mix at this point as it will make the dough tough. You can simply place clumps of the dough over the top of the cobbler, or, if you want a little fancier you could roll out the dough to make biscuits and place those on top. Sprinkle the top with a little sugar and put into a 425 degree over for 18-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream or just a little pour of heavy cream.

The dough recipe here also makes excellent strawberry shortcakes. Just form the dough into mounds on a cookie sheet or make biscuits and bake. Let cool, slice in half and fill with fresh strawberries that you've cut up and added a little sugar to. The sugar isn't to sweeten the berries, which hopefully are very sweet already, but to leech out some juice from the strawberries which will moisten the shortcakes. Top the strawberries with whipped cream and replace the top of the shortcake.

Corn Chowder with Bacon, Chive and Pea Tendrils

Slice 4 slices of thick bacon into lardons (cut across the bacon to make 1/2 inch pieces). Saute the bacon in a large pot until crispy and remove and drain. Do not clean pan. Add 5 tablespoons of butter and saute over low heat finely diced 1/2 of a cup of onion and red pepper (or poblano would be tasty too). When the vegetables are soft add 1/2 cup of flour and cook for five more minutes stirring constantly and scrapping up the bottom of the pan. Quickly whisk in 2 cups of water until the liquid is smooth. Add in two yukon gold potatoes diced into 1/2 inch cubes and 4 (or so) cups of corn kernels. Bring to a boil and add in 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream. Add salt and pepper. Slowly simmer chowder over low heat for an hour or more. Readjust seasoning (salt and pepper) and if needed add more milk or cream to taste.

Serve in a bowl topped with the crispy bacon, chive and pea tendrils. The chowder can also be served just plain or with any other topping you see fit.

Seared Duck Breast with Rhubarb Compote. Sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns and Sweet Potato Puree

Cocktail Party

Swedish Shrimp "Skagen" Salad in Mini Potato Baskets

Proscuitto Wrapped Aparagus Spears

Seared Grass Fed Beef Tenderloin on Rosemary Springs

Zucchini and Herbed Goat Cheese Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper

Lemon and Oregano Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fig and Onion Jam

Finished the evening with mini cupcakes. Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting and Raspberry and Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting and a Chocolate dipped Banana Chip

Swedish Organic Spinach Soup with Seared Arctic Char, Hard Boiled Pastured Egg, Cucumber

Spring in Full Swing

I put this salad together for a client this week.

Organic Local Spring Greens, Wild Fiddle Head Ferns, Organic Strawberry and Hot Smoked Salmon with a Lemon and Mint Vinaigrette