Category Archives: Idaho Vegetables

Two Interesting Meal Ideas

25 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by in 5-Stars, Asparagus, Basmati rice, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Dinner With Family, Food Prep, Herbs and Spices, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho Venison, Idaho Wild Game, Local Farmers Markets, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Prep Work, Recipe by Eric Rhodes, Recipe By: Captain's Shack, Vegetables, Venison, What's For Dinner?

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Here are two dishes we made this past week. Both are delicious and fairly easy to do, especially the salmon. Take a look.

The first is a baked salmon dish that does not have a specific recipe. This time we used a local Golden Plum Jam, but normally I use a MacKays Orange Marmalade. Just make sure the salmon is dry before you spread the jam, or marmalade, on the fish. Lightly salt and pepper the fish before adding the jam and then bake for about 7 minutes in a 375 degree F oven. Enjoy.

Golden Plum Jam or Orange Marmalade Coated Salmon served on a bed of Steamed Red Chard and Spinach.

Next we have a delicious venison backstrap pan roast with a special Blackberry Jam Sauce. A mixture of reduced blackberry jam, made from fresh blackberries from our daughter’s bushes last fall, and a good balsamic vinegar and apple cider. (See the recipe) OK. So your question is, “What is backstrap?”

Venison backstraps are a cut of meat that is found along the back of a deer; alongside the spine. They are often confused with a tenderloin cut of meat. While they aren’t the same as a tenderloin, they are considered one of the most tender cuts of meat of a deer. Also, known as striploin. There are 2 ways of dealing with a venison saddle, the most common is to prepare a venison backstrap or striploin. The difference between backstrap and tenderloin is, backstrap refers to a length of loin on the back of a deer, elk, moose, etc. It’s the ribeye in beef and loin in pork. Tenderloins are the two strips of very tender meat under the loin, behind the ribs.

Recipe: http://www.rockinrs.com/Erics-Venison-Backstrap.pdf
Venison Backstrap plated with Asparagus and Mashed Garlic Potatoes

This dish would be awesome with a pork tenderloin, if you don’t have venison. Use the same recipe that is linked under the photo of the venison. If you use pork tenderloin, serve it with beets, either whole small beets or sliced, or sauteed cabbage.

Two Meals to Try

11 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by in 5-Stars, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Captain's Shack, Cheese, Chicken, Classic Cuisines, Classic Herb Blends, Classis Sauces, Cooking Styles, Dinner With Family, Food - French, Food Photos, French Wines, Homemade Sauce, Idaho Vegetables, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Captain's Shack, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Recipes, What's For Dinner?

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Here are two meals we made. The first is probably one of the best alfredo sauces I have ever eaten. Not “gummy” with cheese, but rather clean and smooth. Shrimp went very well with the sauce. The second is an “Old Persons Meal”, of sorts. Fried chicken with garlic mashed potatoes with pan dripping gravy and garden green beans. Enjoy these.

Recipe – http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Alfredo-Sauce.pdf

The recipe calls for penne pasta, but we didn’t have any. So we used linguini which worked very well. The shrimp really added to the dish – you could probably use any seafood, scallops, lobster or Dungeness crab might be good, or other protein. Use your imagination. 

The Alfredo was smooth and creamy and not grainy. It added to the shrimp we used and did not conflict with it. Several flavor levels came through that were delicious.

 

Fried Chicken

I have had problems when frying chicken, but this one seems to have over come that flaw. I added some baking powder to the flour that I used to coat the chicken and beaten egg to dredge the chicken in before the flour. We also made sure the chicken was dry before dredging. Cook slowly over medium high heat for about 5 minutes per side, taking care not to burn the chicken. Start cooking skin side down. We always use thighs, or second joints if you are on the East coast, bone-in and skin on.

The gravy was made from the pan drippings to which we added some flour and some wine. Made sure that was all mixed then added some half and half and completely combined to make the smooth gravy. It was delicious.

So there are two more meals from this past week. Next thing I am trying is Coq au Vin, Rooster in Wine. Probably not as good as Julia Child would do, but good nonetheless. Stay tuned and Good Eating!

Beef Stroganoff

05 Thursday Aug 2021

Posted by in Avocado, Beef, Breakfast, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Captain's Shack, Classic Sauces, Comfort Food, Cream Sauces, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Family, Eggs, Food - Russian, Food Photos, Heirloom Tomatoes, Idaho Beef, Idaho Vegetables, Local Farmers Markets, Mushrooms, Pasta, Photos By: Bob Young, Pinot Noir, Recipe By: Captain's Shack, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, What's For Dinner?

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We recently made/created a version of the classic Beef Stroganoff as pictured above. (The recipe can be found here – http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Stroganoff.pdf). The original recipe did not call for vodka. But this is a Russian dish, so vodka is a must. We did not, however, use the traditional potato based vodka, but rather a corn based. An entirely different flavor level and profile. Seems to me to be more inline with White Lightning. The button mushrooms cut into about 1/4″ slices. Also, we added some chopped fresh rosemary, which was awesome.But look at the recipe and see what you think. We are always open to suggestions.

And then one morning, Robin asked for an Avocado and Tomato Omelet. Never thought of this combination, but it was really good. No, did not cook the avocado or the tomato, Serve with a good fresh fruit mix. In this case, blueberries and cantaloupe. CROW bread toasted from Acme Bakeshop in Boise. Great combination.

Two Great Meals

04 Friday Jun 2021

Posted by in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Chef Lou, Corn, Dill, Edible Flowers, Eggs, Fennel, Food - Frozen, Food - Make Your Own Meals, Food Photos, Food Prep, Green Peas, Heirloom Tomatoes, Herbs and Spices, Housemade Salad Dressing, Idaho Dairy, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Trout, Idaho Vegetables, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Made From Scratch, Main Dish, Marsing, Mustard, Onion, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Potato Salad, Potatoes, Prep Work, What's For Dinner?

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Two Great Meals

This potato salad,the recipe is located here Chef Lou’s Potato Salad, is full of vegetables. (Pictured above) You can use veggies, or not, or choose your own. The salad has an awesome dressing of mayo, apple cider vinegar and Dejon mustard. I also added some fresh lovage to add to the “celery” flavor. Try it. Easy to make. I chilled the cooked potatoes before adding them to the sauce/vegetable mix. I also cut the potatoes in “bite sized” pieces before cooking them. Try using new potatoes and quarter them.

The second wonderful dish we made was a Shrimp Salad. (Pictured above) This was a great, summer salad and it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Full of vegetables and shrimp and with a creamy sauce. I added frozen peas and corn to this salad which gave a a nice texture and flavor. I also used some fresh lovage in this, too. You could probably use lobster instead of shrimp, if you are so inclined. We served it with baked Orange Kokanee – salmon – (7 min at 375 degrees F) for 7 minutes. Toasted Sourdough Wedges with butter and garlic.

Well there are two meals you can play with. Have fun and enjoy! Just don’t forget: If it is on a plate, it is edible! Don’t ever put something on a plate that is not edible.

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How to Store Potatoes

13 Monday Apr 2020

Posted by in Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Captain's Shack, Food, Idaho Vegetables, Potatoes, What's For Dinner?

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Here is a great tip for storing potatoes from myrecipes.com. This is some really good information. Enjoy!
 
 
 

How Do You Know When a Potato Is Past Its Prime?
Good potatoes are firm, smooth, and sprout-free.
You can tell a potato is spoiled when it is:
Soft
Discolored
Decayed
Growing mold
Sprouts, or “eyes,” are an indication that your potato is reaching the end of its life. However, they’re not harmful and can be simply removed before cooking. As long as the potato looks, smells, and feels right, sprouts are no biggie.

How to Store Potatoes
1. Keep them in a cool place…
Raw potatoes will thrive in a cool, dark place. The ideal temperature range is 43-50°, which is slightly above refrigerator temp. During cooler months, storing potatoes in an unheated basement or an insulated shed is a great idea. It’s a bit tougher to store potatoes in the summertime, but use your common sense—instead of putting them next to a window, keep them in the area of your house that stays the coolest.
2. …but not the fridge.
Raw potatoes like to be cool, but not cold. Very low temperatures can actually change the flavor of your spuds and make them dangerous. This “cold-induced sweetening” happens when the starch is converted to reducing sugars, which can form cancer-causing substances when cooked.
3. Avoid areas with lots of light.
Exposure to light can cause your potatoes to produce chlorophyll and turn prematurely green.
While this color change is usually harmless, excessive sunlight can also cause potatoes to produce a toxic chemical called solanine. Ingesting solanine in high amounts can cause unpleasant side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
4. Don’t wash them before you put them away.
Step away from the sink! It’s best to keep potatoes as dry as possible if you’re trying to make them last. Moisture promotes the growth of fungus and bacteria—so wait to wash them until right before you use them.
5. Let them breathe.
Prevent moisture accumulation by allowing your potatoes plenty of airflow. If you store them in a tightly sealed container (like a ziploc bag), the moisture released by the potatoes will have nowhere to go. Your best bet is an open bowl or paper bag.

Bonus tip: Don’t store your potatoes with your onions! The chemical reaction will actually cause both to spoil faster. Crazy right?

The Boise Farmers for 1 Hour Tomorrow!

14 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in Beef, BFM, Boise Area Food Adventures, Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Chicken, Eggs, Green Salad, Greens, Herbs, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Beef, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Vegetables, Lamb, What's For Dinner?

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Boise Farmers Market – Pick Up, PopUp, a 1 hour special, tomorrow 15 Feb 2020 at the Shoreline location. Limited products. See you there!

Thank You BFM Vendors!

21 Saturday Dec 2019

Posted by in Acme Bake Shop, Boise Area Food Adventures, Boise Farmers Market, Brown's Buffalo Ranch, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Desert Mountai Grass Fed Beef, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Beef, Idaho Buffalo, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Vegetables, Jelly Lady, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Malheur River Meats, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, True Roots Produce, What's For Dinner?

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It isn’t often that we stop and think where our dinner tables would be without our local farmers! No. Produce and meats do not magically appear on our grocery store shelves. It must be produced and cared for by farmers. And in Boise, we are very lucky and honored to have some fantastic local farmers that bring their wears each week to us for our enjoyment and health. To you – Thank-You! Now to go into withdrawal until April 4, 2020. Here are some of the vendors who provided Robin and I with some awesome products.

Overall Market.

Available vegetables

Available Vegetables

Thank-You to-

Malheur River Meats
Eggs and Pork

Meadowlark Farms
Eggs and Lamb

Acme Bakeshop
Bread – Sourdough, Old World Rye, Whole Grain – Danish, Pantone

Gaston’s Bakery
Ham and Cheese Croissant

Brown’s Buffalo Ranch
Buffalo

Desert Mountain Grass Fed Beef
Beef

Purple Sage Farms
Vegetables, Greens and Herbs

The Jelly Lady
Wide variety of jelly including Huckleberry and Orange Marmalade

Kelly Canyon Orchards
Fresh fruits and jelly Marmalade

True Roots Vegetables
Carrots, Turnips, Squash, Tomatoes, Corn

I know I have probably missed someone and I apologize for that.

Some Good End-Of-Summer Meals

29 Sunday Sep 2019

Posted by in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Red Wheat, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, AirFryer, Argentina Pink Shrimp, Avocado, Banana, BBQ Beef, Beans, Blueberries, Boise Artisan Bakery's, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Classic Herb Blends, Classic Sauces, Classic Spice Blends, Classis Sauces, Cooking Styles, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Eggs Basted, Eggs Omelets, Eggs Poached, Food Photos, German Food, Greens, Grilled Beef, Grilling, Herbs, Herbs and Spices, Hollandaise Sauce, Homemade Sauce, Housemade Hollandaise Sauce, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho Wine, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Omelet, Parma Ridge Winery, Peaceful Belly Farms, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Purple Sage Farms, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes - Breakfast, Recipes - Sauces, Rice Family Farms, Salads, Salmon, Seafood, Shrimp, Sourdough Bread, Spinach, Things To Do, Traditional Food, True Roots Produce, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?

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Fun time in the kitchen this past late summer. Mostly “playing” Chopped of the Kitchen: “These are the ingredients, make something edible!” In other words, mostly no recipe, just do it!
And let’s remember: The best ingredients are not processed ingredients, but rather go to your local Farmers Market. Visit your local fruit stand. You control what ingredients to use, not a major super market. Although, there are some really good super markets available, Just look at the ingredients and where the fruits and vegetables are grown, In My Not So Humble Opinion. Buy Local! Look at some of these meals. Enjoy, we did! Here is a link to Kelley’s Canyon Orchards for fantastic fruits. Look in the sidebar for more links to some fantastic produce and farm products.

Shrimp Omelet with Herbal Hollandaise Sauce. Here is the recipe that we use for making our own – from scratch – Hollandaise Sauce. CIA Basic Hollandaise Sauce. We modified this one to add fresh herbs, from the garden.

Robin said she wanted a toasted shredded wheat biscuit for breakfast with bananas. I added the blueberries. The biscuit has brown sugar on it that is caramelized with a torch.

Or how about this Toasted Whole Wheat Sandwich with Avocado and Tomato for breakfast. The tomato was from True Roots Gardens and the Whole Wheat was from Acme Bakeshop. Both vendors are at the Boise Farmers Market,

German Benedict for breakfast. The Hollandaise is linked above. Why a German Benedict? The spices on the Air Fried potatoes is a blend or German spices.

You like Eggs Benedict? Look at these.

Salmon Benedict on a Bed of Spinach and Fresh Idaho BFM Fruit – Israeli Melon (Awesome!) and Blueberries. The Hollandaise is linked above and we added tarragon and thyme from our garden.

Grilled Brisket Benedict on a Bed of Spinach on Toasted Acme Bakeshop Sourdough and Fresh BFM Fruit. The Hollandaise is linked above and we added tarragon and thyme from our garden.

Grilled brisket? Or AirFryer goodies? Here was an awesome meals.

German Potato Salad

Grilled Brisket, German Potato Salad, Fresh BFM Fruit and Cowboy Beans
2017 Parma Ridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

Chicken? How about AirFryer Asian Chicken and Grilled Baby Bok Choy and Green Salad Here is the recipe: AF Asian Chicken.

AirFryer Steak with Sauteed Summer Squash and Fresh Beet and Beet Green Salad Here is the recipe – AF Ribeye Steak

AirFryer Pork Chop, Green Peas, Potato Cubes and Cantaloupe Malheur River Meats is where we got these pork chops. Awesome products! See their link in the sidebar.

Crab Cakes with Caprese Salad

Cognac Shrimp Reduction

Cognac Shrimp with Vegetables

So there are some of our meals. We eat well and very good. Thank goodness for the Boise Farmers Market every weekend during the season. Be sure to check our recipe file above. It gets updated regularly. Cheers and Cook Your Own Meals – They’re better!

Boise Farmers Market Opens!

06 Saturday Apr 2019

Posted by in Acme Bake Shop, Arugula, Big Lost River Meats, Boise Adventures, Boise Artisan Bakery's, Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Chef Jake Sandberg, Comfort Food, Crispeats, Desert Mountai Grass Fed Beef, Eggs, Ethnic Foods, Fruits, Greens, Hard To Find Foods, Homemade Stock, Idaho Beef, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Pork, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho's Bounty, Lamb, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Purple Sage Farms, Rice Family Farms, Seafood, Snake River AVA, Sourdough Bread, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Plants, Spring Vegies, What's For Dinner?

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Yea! The BFM (Boise Farmers Market) opened today for it’s 2019 season at their new location at Shoreline Drive and Americana in Boise. It was cold. No rain, though. And it was crowded. They did have treats for everyone as pictured here – Ham and Cheese Croissant – and other “goodies”. Dignitaries were there – Head of the Boise Chamber of Commerce, the BFM President and Mayor Dave Bieter. Great to have them all at the Grand Opening. Thank-You!

Head of the Boise Chamber

BFM President

Mayor Dave Bieter opens the market!

The ribbon is cut!

Carrots look awesome

Ham and Cheese Croissant Samples for everyone!

An overcast morning but great to be at The Market – rain or shine!

Good pies!

New eats in Boise! Also at The Market.

3 Horse Ranch Winery and Bacquet’s Restaurant Dinner

10 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in 5-Stars, Bacquet's Restaurant, Boise Area Food Adventures, Cooking Styles, Dinner at Bacquet's Restaurant, Dinner With Family, Eagle Hills AVA, Ethnic Foods, Food Photos, French - Bacquet's Restaurant, Green Salad, Honey, Idaho Chefs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho Wine, Lamb, Merlot, Mushroom - Truffle, Mushrooms, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wines - Idaho

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This photo is at The Pond in Marsing, ID

Wow! What a delightful and exciting wine dinner in Eagle, ID at Bacquet’s Restaurant. Yummy French cuisine! And the wines that paired so well with dinner from 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards. Just look at this menu, the wines and the photos of the food. Great to have a truly French restaurant in the area! (Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged. Enjoy!

Entrance to Bacquet’s Restaurant in Eagle, ID

Main dining room

Wine dinner area

Daughter Marnie and Robin

2017 Select Eagle Foothills AVA Viognier/Roussanne

2014 Eagle Foothills AVA Merlot

Truffle Asparagus Cream Soup
2017 Select Eagle Hills AVA Viognier/Roussanne

Fresh Mussels
fresh mussels cooked in a Chardonnay cream sauce with a touch of lavender and honey
2017 Select Eagle Foothills Chardonnay

Lamb Rack with Sauce Diable
roasted young vegetables and Chef’s famous potatoes au gratin
2013 Heritage Syrah/Mourvedre

[Sauce Diable is one of many sauces that can be made from a basic and versatile recipe for Quick Brown Sauce. James Beard famously served it with his Deviled Beef Bones, but it is equally delicious with broiled flank steak or broiled chicken. For an even tangier preparation, add small capers and finely chopped sour pickles…A basic brown sauce with the addition of wine, vinegar, shallots and red or black pepper. It’s usually served with broiled meat or poultry.]

Quail Parisienne aux Poivre Rose (Pink Peppercorns)
pink peppercorns give pepper flavor without the bite. Served with mushroom risotto and a vegetable galette
2014 Eagle Foothills AVA Merlot

[A savory galette is the easier and more streamlined cousin of a classic Quiche.]

Tarte Fromage
from the north of France, Chef Franck’s home, this tarte is filled with Gruyere and five cheeses
2014 Eagle Foothills AVA Cabernet Sauvignon