Category Archives: Local Markets

Christmas Eve Brunch

24 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop Baguette, Baguette, Beef, Brunch, Brunch with Robin, Captain's Shack, Desert Mountai Grass Fed Beef, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Eggs, Eggs Sunnyside Up, Grilled Beef, Herbs and Spices, Housemade Rubs, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Beef, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Wine, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Mushrooms, Mushrooms - Porcini, Parma Ridge Winery, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Snake River AVA, What's For Dinner?, Wines - Idaho

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Desert Mopuntain Ribeye Toasted Bruchetta with Rubbed Garlic Sunnyside Up Eggs

Porcini Crusted Desert Mountain Ribeye
Toasted Acme Bakeshop Bruchetta with Rubbed Garlic
Sunnyside Up Meadowlark Farms Eggs
2016 Parma Ridge Tre Bianchi

 

Now how good is this? Looks difficult to do, but surprisingly easy. Guess you want the recfipe. Here it is; Long but easy.

Porcini Rubbed Ribeye and Eggs

Adapted from: Chef Mario Batali
Ingredients – Porcini Rubbed Ribeye:
2 T Sugar
1 T Celtic Sea Salt
1 t freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper
1 t Red Pepper Flakes
¼ c Porcini Mushroom Powder
5 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
¼ c Olive Oil
2 Ribeye Steaks, bone-in, 2-inches thick

Ingredients – Bruschetta and Eggs:
2-3 T Olive Oil
4 lg Eggs
1 loaf crusty Italian bread, sliced ½-inch thick
3 cloves Garlic, peeled
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, to drizzle
large crystal Celtic Sea Salt, to garnish

Directions – For the Porcini-Rubbed Ribeyes:
In a small bowl add the sugar, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, mushroom powder, garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil and stir well to form a thick paste that is the consistency of wet sand.
Rub the paste all over the steaks, coating them evenly. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or overnight.
About 1 hour before grilling, remove the steak from the refrigerator and brush off the excess marinade with a paper towel. Remove to a plate and allow to come to room temperature.
Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the steaks on the grill, cover and cook, turning every 6 to 8 minutes for 10-15 minutes for medium-rare, the internal temperature with a meat thermometer should be 125ºF. Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. After the meat has rested, thinly slice against the grain.

Directions – For the Eggs and Bruschetta:
In a large nonstick pan, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the steak.
Reduce the grill to medium heat and place the bread on top. Allow to cook until toasted and lightly grilled on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Remove and rub with a clove of garlic, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with the steak and eggs.

Tip: Use your favorite herb rub if you can’t find dried porcini or porcini powder or grind your own dried porcinis.

Tournedos with Creamed Spinach

11 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by in 5-Stars, Beef, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Classic Sauces, Cookbooks, Cooking Styles, Cuts of Beef, Desert Mountai Grass Fed Beef, Ethnic Foods, Food Photos, French Foods, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Beef, Local Farmers Markets, Local Markets, Photos, What's For Dinner?

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captains-shack_2I saw this recipe this morning and really thought it looked interesting. Tournedos with Creamed Spinach. The recipe comes from Rachael Ray, but we have adapted it somewhat. I have also placed some fairly deep information on the recipe. Here is some of that info.

  1. Note: Tournedos are: A beef tenderloin, known as an eye fillet in Australasia, fillet in France, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Germany, is cut from the loin of beef.
  2. tournedos-rossini-1 Tournedos Rossini (pictured here) is a French steak dish, perhaps created for the composer Gioachino Rossini by French master chefs Marie-Antoine Carême or Adolphe Dugléré, or by Savoy Hotel chef Auguste Escoffier. The dish comprises a beef tournedos (filet mignon), pan-fried in butter, served on a crouton, and topped with a hot slice of fresh whole foie gras briefly pan-fried at the last minute. The dish is garnished with slices of black truffle and finished with a Madeira demi-glace sauce.
  3. Demi-glace (English: “half glaze”) is a rich brown sauce in French cuisine used by itself or as a base for other sauces. The term comes from the French word glace, which, used in reference to a sauce, means icing or glaze. It is traditionally made by combining equal parts of veal stock and espagnole sauce, the latter being one of the five mother sauces of classical French cuisine, and the mixture is then simmered and reduced by half.
    Common variants of demi-glace use a 1:1 mixture of beef or chicken stock to sauce espagnole; these are referred to as “beef demi-glace” (demi-glace au boeuf) or “chicken demi-glace” (demi-glace au poulet). The term “demi-glace” by itself implies that it is made with the traditional veal stock.
  4. Espagnole sauce: The basic method of making espagnole is to prepare a very dark brown roux, to which veal stock or water is added, along with browned bones, pieces of beef, vegetables, and various seasonings. This blend is allowed to slowly reduce while being frequently skimmed. The classic recipe calls for additional veal stock to be added as the liquid gradually reduces, but today water is generally used instead. Tomato paste or pureed tomatoes are added towards the end of the process, and the sauce is further reduced.
  5. Auguste Escoffier King of Chefs 1846-1935.
    Auguste Escoffier, “The Chef of Kings and The King of Chefs,” was born in the Riviera town of Villeneuve-Loubet, France, on October 28, 1846. His career in cookery began at the age of 12 when he entered into apprenticeship in his uncle’s restaurant, in Nice…a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. Much of Escoffier’s technique was based on that of Marie-Antoine Carême, one of the codifiers of French haute cuisine, but Escoffier’s achievement was to simplify and modernize Carême’s elaborate and ornate style. In particular, he codified the recipes for the five mother sauces. Referred to by the French press as roi des cuisiniers et cuisinier des rois (“king of chefs and chef of kings”—though this had also been previously said of Carême), Escoffier was France’s preeminent chef in the early part of the 20th century.
    Alongside the recipes he recorded and invented, another of Escoffier’s contributions to cooking was to elevate it to the status of a respected profession by introducing organized discipline to his kitchens.
    Escoffier published Le Guide Culinaire, which is still used as a major reference work, both in the form of a cookbook and a textbook on cooking. Escoffier’s recipes, techniques and approaches to kitchen management remain highly influential today, and have been adopted by chefs and restaurants not only in France, but also throughout the world.
  6. And finally, a really great source book for every kitchen is the The Sauce Bible: Guide to the Saucier’s Craft by David Paul Larousse

Here are some other variations on Tournedos Rossini. Look at the variations and then add your own. Have fun. Enjoy!
tournedos-rossini-4

tournedos-rossini-3

tournedos-rossini-2

Notice the black truffles in this one - same as pictured above.

Notice the black truffels in this one – same as pictured above.

Anyone with any ideas of getting veal bones to make veal stock in the Boise area, please let me know. Just remember, I have meds to get next month. Cheers!

Make Your Own Sauerkraut!

09 Sunday Oct 2016

Posted by in Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Cabbage, Captain's Shack, Cooking Styles, Housemade Sauerkraut, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Pennsylvania Dutch, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Salt, Sauerkraut, What's For Dinner?, White Cabbage

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captains-shack_2Not at all difficult to make. It just takes some prep time, about an hour or so; a clean crock for fermenting the cabbage, there are really nice ones online; fresh cabbage, this is the perfect time of year to get some great cabbage from your local Farmers Market; a good recipe and many are available. Here is our recipe for Sauerkraut and you can modify this anyway you want to make it “yours”. Recipes, like dance routines, are only suggestions. The recipe listed here is also on permanent file in the Boise Foodie Guild Recipes listed above. Here is the process that I use. In the final photo, I seal the cabbage from air by (1) Covering the top of the cabbage with uncut cabbage leaves and not plastic, and (2) Make sure the water seal on the top of the crock is always full. At times, you will hear that kraut “perking”. It is fermenting when that happens – a good thing! Robin bought me this crock several years ago online. It is awesome! See the safety tips below.

Shredding the cabbage using a mandolin. See tghe belnd of red and white cabbage. 4 heads of white cabbage to 2 medium heads of red cabbage. Nice color blends.

Shredding the cabbage using a mandolin. See the blend of red and white cabbage. 4 heads of white cabbage to 2 medium heads of red cabbage. Nice color blends.

The shreeddedd cabbage in the crock. See the recipe for the spices I use. There are only 4.

The shredded cabbage in the crock. See the recipe for the spices I use. There are only 4.

Uncut cabbage leaves are placed on top of the shredded cabbage. Note the "water trough" on the edge of the crock. The top lid fits right in this "trench" and seals the mash from air.

Uncut cabbage leaves are placed on top of the shredded cabbage. Note the “water trough” on the edge of the crock. The top lid fits right in this “trench” and seals the mash from air.

Finally, weights - these came with the crock - are placed on the leaves to hold the cabbage under the liquid that forms. The idea is to keep the cabbage submerged and out of any air.

Finally, weights – these came with the crock – are placed on the leaves to hold the cabbage under the liquid that forms. The idea is to keep the cabbage submerged and out of any air.

Here are some great safety tips when making sauerkraut, or any fermented vegetables. Sauerkraut Fermentation Gone Bad. And from the site listed in the link,

Three Basic Fermentation Rules
1) Keep it Salty! Weigh your cabbage and vegetables to ensure you add the correct amount of salt to create a 2% brine. The correct numbers are 1 3/4 pound vegetables for 1 tablespoon salt OR 5 pounds vegetables for 3 tablespoons salt. Remember, these weights include not just the cabbage, but any vegetables and seasonings you’re mixing with the cabbage.
2) Keep it Under the Brine! Use some type of weight to keep fermenting cabbage and vegetables submerged, especially during the first 7-10 days when the microbial climate of your jar is established. Put on a lid to keep out the air! Fermenting is an anaerobic process.
3) Keep it Clean! No, you don’t need to sterilize equipment or use bleach, just make sure your tools, fermentation vessels and weights are thoroughly washed and well rinsed.

A Hollandaise Sauce Variation

13 Tuesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Captain's Shack, Classic Herb Blends, Classic Sauces, Eggs, Garlic, Heirloom Tomatoes, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Dairy, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Vegetables, Interesting Information, Local Harvests, Local Markets, What's For Dinner?

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28Feb2016_1b_Captains-Shack_Waffle-Biscuits_Benedict_Salmon_and_Ham_Fruit_SausageHere is an interesting Hollandaise sauce – one of the Mother Sauces – that goes very well with Eggs Benedict, but with a twist. On the recipe as a note, is a description of Aleppo Pepper that is used in the recipe. A portion of that description, is printed below. This pepper can be found at Whole Foods and William Sonoma. Mildly spicy. Very fragrant. The recipe can be found in the Recipe File above and will be a permanent addition. For now though, here is a link – Roasted Garlic and Tomato Hollandaise. Try the recipe and let us know what you think.

Aleppo pepper (Arabic: حلبي فلفل / ALA-LC: fulful alab Ḥ ī) is a variety of Capsicum annuum used as a spice, particularly in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Also known as the Halaby pepper, it starts as pods, which ripen to a burgundy color, and then are semi-dried, de-seeded, then crushed or coarsely ground. The pepper flakes are known in Turkey as pul biber. The pepper is named after Aleppo, a long-inhabited city along the Silk Road in northern Syria, and is grown in Syria and Turkey.

Meals for Robin

02 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Breads, Acme Bake Shop Red Wheat, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Alaskan Salmon, Appetizers, Asian Food, Asparagus, Avocado, Bacon, Basil, Beets, BFM, Boise Farmers Market, Braising, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Cheese, Chicken, Comfort Food, Cream Sauces, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Eggs, Eggs Omelets, Eggs Over Easy, Eggs Sunnyside Up, Greens, Housemade Sauces, Housemade Soup, Idaho Bacon, Idaho Chicken, Idaho Dairy, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Grains, Idaho Polenta Floriani, Idaho Vegetables, Local Markets, Lunch For Robin, Omelet, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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01Aug2016_1e_Captains-Shack-Robin_ Robin-SmilesLove the beaming smile she has in this photo! After she got home from the hospital, I had to change the meal plans, somewhat. Watch the sugars, not totally eliminate them. Keep the carbs to 60 or so a day, which is not hard to do. Keep the calorie count to a max of 2000 per day. That’s harder, but not impossible. Here are some of the dishes I came up with. Enjoy! All made from scratch with mostly local products from the Boise Farmers Market – eggs, sausage, Acme Bake Shop Breads, Fruit, Salsa, Pico de Gallo. We’ll start with breakfast.

2-Egg Cheese Omelet with Pico de Gallo Bacon Acme Whole Wheat Toast Fresh Canteloupe

2-Egg Cheese Omelet with Pico de Gallo
Bacon
Acme Whole Wheat Toast
Fresh Canteloupe

Sausage Gravy on Acme Sourdough Toast Over-Easy Egg

Sausage Gravy on Acme Sourdough Toast
Over-Easy Eggs

Strrawberry Waffles with Strawberry Sour Cream Topping Sunnyside Up Egg

Strawberry Waffles with Strawberry Sour Cream Topping
Sunnyside Up Egg

Idaho Polenta Acme Bake Shop Toasted Whole Wheat BFM Strawberries Pico de Gallo Soft Scrambled Eggs

Idaho Polenta
Acme Bake Shop Toasted Whole Wheat
BFM Fresh Strawberries
Pico de Gallo
Soft Scrambled Eggs

Lunch and “Tea Time”

Grilled Spam and Cheese on Acme Sourdough Toast Housemade Cream of Tomato Soup with Basil

Grilled Spam and Cheese on Acme Sourdough Toast
Housemade Cream of Tomato Soup with Basil

Bacon Wrapped Avocado Fried Chicken

Bacon Wrapped Avocado
Oven Fried Chicken

Salsa Sour Cream Canteloupe Cubes Blue Corn Chips Corn Chips

Salsa
Sour Cream
Canteloupe Cubes
Blue Corn Chips
Corn Chips

Dinner

Braised Scallops in Garlic Butter Zucchini and Baby Turnip with Rainbow Chard Medley Braised Salmon and Halibut in a Tarragon Cream Sauce

Braised Sea Scallops in Garlic Butter
Zucchini and Baby Turnip with Rainbow Chard Medley
Braised Salmon and Halibut in a Tarragon Cream Sauce

Fresh Tamale with Pico de Gallo and ShavedRed Onion Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce Baby Beets and Cauliflower in Brown BUtter

Fresh Tamale with Pico de Gallo and Shaved Red Onion
Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce
Baby Beets and Cauliflower in Brown Butter Sauce

Steamed Asparagus Halibut with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Steamed Asparagus
Braised Halibut with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Braised Sea Scallops on Jasamine Rice Steamed Baby Carrots and Turnips

Braised Sea Scallops on Jasamine Rice
Steamed Baby Carrots and Turnips

Salmon Scewers Asian Salad Polenta

Salmon Scewers
Asian Salad
Idaho Polenta

Slow Cooker Cooking

17 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by in Cooking Classes, Cooking Safety, Cooking Styles, Crockpot, Dinner in a Crockpot, Food Prep, Housemade Soup, Interesting Information, Kitchen Adventures, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Oven to Crockpot, What's For Dinner?

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Crock-Pot-Blog-Post_PhotoAh yes. The infamous Crock-Pot, or Slow Cooker. In an article in the Huffington Post, A Brief History Of The Crock Pot, The Original Slow Cooker, they state that “… People tend to use the terms “Crock Pot” and “slow cookers” interchangeably, but they are not, in fact, interchangeable. While all Crock Pots are slow cookers, not all slow cookers are Crock Pots…Don’t get too disappointed. Just because the Crock Pot is a brand doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an interesting back story. In fact, the Crock Pot’s story is rooted in Jewish mothers and beans. The device was inspired by a dish the inventor’s mother told him about. From a humble bowl of bean stew grew a kitchen ware empire. Here’s the story:…Irving Naxon applied for a patent for a food heating device in 1936. His device consisted of an insert, held up by a case that held a heating device, which facilitated even heating of food inside the insert. The device was also portable…By 1940, Naxon got his patent for the device he called the Naxon Beanery, and he says his Lithuanian mother, Tamara Kaslovski Nachumsohn, inspired him. Naxon’s mother had told him stories about a bean-based stew she used to make in her village bakery at home in Lithuania.
In the early 1970s, Naxon sold his design to Rival Manufacturing, who rebranded his Beanery and put it on the market as the Crock Pot. It was marketed toward working mothers who could put food in the pot before leaving for the office and come home to a cooked meal; the Crock Pot sold millions through the ‘70s. The Crock Pot “cooks all day while the cook’s away,” a 1976 advertisement said, the LA Times reports…
Today, slow cooking is as popular as ever, as 83 percent of families owned a slow cooker in 2011, according to Consumer Reports. The original Crock Pot design has changed little over the years, but now the insert is removable, a major improvement.”

But what about all the recipes I have collected over the years. How can I adapt them to the Slow Cooker? Good question. From About (dot) com we get some interesting information on this subject. Homecooking.

Reduce the amount of liquid used in most oven recipes when using the LOW setting, since the crockpot retains all moisture that usually evaporates when cooking in the oven. Add liquids for sauces about an hour before done. You will normally end up with more liquid at the end of cooking times, not less. A general rule is to reduce liquids by half, unless rice or pasta is in the dish.

• Spices may need to be adjusted. Whole herbs and spices are more flavorful in crockpot cooking while ground spices may have lose some flavor. Add ground spices during the last hour of cooking. Whole herbs and spices will probably need to be reduced by half.
• Crockpots may vary but generally, the LOW setting is about 200 degrees Fahrenheit and the HIGH setting is about 300 degrees. One hour on HIGH is approximately equal to 2 to 2 1/2 hours on LOW. Most crockpot recipes recommend cooking 8-10 hours on LOW. Some recipes recommend the HIGH setting based on the nature and texture of the food.
You will have to judge your recipe accordingly. For example, beef cuts will be better cooked on LOW for 8-10 hours to get a more tender texture, while chicken may be cooked on HIGH 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Ingredients to Avoid
• Rice, noodles, macaroni, seafood, milk and Chinese vegetables do not hold up well when cooked 8-10 hours. Add these to sauces or liquid about 2 hours before serving when using LOW setting (or 1 hour before if set to HIGH). If you want to use milk in an 8-10 hour recipe, use evaporated milk.
• Frozen foods cooking at low temperatures can provide the ideal medium for harmful bacteria. If you use frozen “make-ahead” ingredients in your crockpot, defrost them first.

Prepping for the Crockpot
• Choose well-marbled meats and dark-meat poultry for best results. Chicken breasts and lean meats will dry out.
• Browning meats before cooking is a personal choice. It is not necessary, but it will reduce the fat content of some meats. Browned meats also benefit textually and visually.
• Sautéing vegetables (like onions, etc) is not necessary, (except for eggplant which should be parboiled or sautéed prior due to its strong flavor). Just add them to the pot with everything else. You may wish to reduce quantities of stronger vegetables since they will permeate the other foods in the crockpot with their full flavor.

How to Convert Recipes
You generally need twice as much liquid as product to cook these ingredients. Here are basic conversion times:
If conventional time is: 15 to 30 minutes, then cooking time on low should be 4 to 6 hours.
If conventional time is 35 to 45 minutes, cooking time on low should be 6 to 8 hours.
If conventional time is 50 minutes to 3 hours, cooking time on low should be 8 to 16 hours.
Cooking most raw meat and vegetable combinations at least 8 hours on LOW. This gives the vegetables time to soften, the meat time to tenderize and all the flavors to blend.

Of course, the new hotter cooking crockpots change the rules. If you have a crockpot that is less than five years old, you’ll probably need to reduce the cooking time.
In fact, some of the newer recipes I’ve seen in magazines cook the food for only 3-4 hours on low. That’s not really ‘slow cooking’, but it’s the reality of the crockpot manufacturing today. Check the food at four hours on low, using an instant read meat thermometer to see if the food is done.

For more information on using your favorite recipes in a crockpot, look at Cooking Times for Specific Foods. This article has more in-depth information on cooking times for more specific items, i.e., steak, beans, chicken, Swiss steak, brisket, meatloaf, ham and soup to name a few. Give them a try. Great for Gameday treats! Here is a Gameday recipe we use, Creole Slow Cooker Pork Chops, but there are many more ideas at Boise Foodie Guild Recipes. It should be fun. Here is a link for some oven to crockpot recipes. There are more. Lots more! Five Ingredient Crockpot Recipes crockpot recipes. All that being said, here is a good resource for finding the right crockpot for you: Picking the Slow Cooker That’s Right For You.

Clearwater Canyon Cellars Wine Dinner at Richard’s Vicino’s

10 Friday Jun 2016

Posted by in Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Boise Restaurants, Brocolli, Caviar, Chef Richard Langston, Clearwater Canyon Cellars, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Idaho Chefs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Polenta Floriani, Idaho Pork, Idaho Sturgeon, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho Wine, Local Farmers Markets, Local Markets, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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Vicinos_LogoA really great wine dinner at Richard’s Vicino’s with Winemaker Coco Umiker from Clearwater Canyon Cellars. Superb wines and an awesome dinner that was perfectly paired with the wines. These dinners always create a fantastic dinner atmosphere and we got to meet new friends, too! Below are some photos of the evening and also the menu that Chef Richard Langston created for our enjoyment. And as a note: Chef Richard uses local produce and products whenever possible. Tonight’s dinner is an example of that philosophy.

The Menu for the evening and the wines that were paired with dinner.

The Menu for the evening and the wines that were paired with dinner.

Chef Richard Langston

Chef Richard Langston

Coco Umiker, Winemaker at Clearwater Canyon Cellars

Coco Umiker, Winemaker at Clearwater Canyon Cellars

Smoked Idaho Sturgeon lemon gastrique, Idaho cariar cream 2015 "Lochsa" Umiker Vineyard, Lewis-Clark Valley

Smoked Idaho Sturgeon
lemon gastrique, Idaho caviar cream

2015 “Lochsa”, Umiker Vineyard, Lewis-Clark Valley

Local Greens La Quercia coppa Local Cherries with Goat Cheese Dressing 2014 Merlot, Lewis-Clark Valley

Local Greens
La Quercia coppa
Local Cherries
with
Goat Cheese Dressing

2014 Merlot, Lewis-Clark Valley

Coriander Spiced Lamb Meatballs Local Heirloom Polenta Salsa Verde 2014 Carmenere, Phinny Hill Vineyaqrd, Horse Heaven Hills

Coriander Spiced Lamb Meatballs
Local Heirloom Polenta
Salsa Verde

2014 Carmenere, Phinny Hill Vineyaqrd, Horse Heaven Hills

Soy and Brown Sugar-Glazed Pork Belly Roasted Sesame Brocolli 2014 Petit Sirahm Columbia Valley

Soy and Brown Sugar-Glazed Pork Belly
Roasted Sesame Broccoli
Broccoli-Carrot Slaw

2014 Columbia Valley Petit Syrah

Prosecco Zabaglione Fresh Berries 2014 Verhey Vineyard, Rattlessnake Hills Merlot

Prosecco Zabaglione
Fresh Berries

2014 Verhey Vineyard, Rattlessnake Hills Merlot

The wines tonight were all made in Idaho by Clearwater Canyon Cellars, even though some of the grapes are from the state of Washington. For that reason, I am including an AVA map of Washington. You will be able to locate these different grape producing areas. Because the wine was produced in Idaho and in the Lewis-Clark AVA (Idaho’s newest AVA), the wines are considered Idaho wine.

Washington state AVA's

Washington state AVA’s

Boise Mobile (Farmers) Market

05 Sunday Jun 2016

Posted by in BFM, Boise Area Food Adventures, Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Boise Mobile Market, Healthy Eating, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho's Bounty, Local Farmers Markets, Local Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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05June2016_1b_BFM_Mobile-Market_Flyer-GraphicIt was great to see the new Mobile Market at the Boise Farmers Market this past Satrurday. And to meet and talk to Tamara Cameron, who operates the Mobile Market for the BFM, Boise Farmers Market. (See their permanent link as listed in the sidebar.)
The vehicle really seems to be well designed and can carry a good supply of farm fresh produce to the community and to those who can not make it to the market for some reason or another. IMNSHO, this is a huge community service!
I would be remiss if I did not mention some of the organizations who sponsor and assist in the program and have supplied the vehicle, produce and services – Boise Farmers Market, Idaho Womens Charitable Foundation, City of Boise, St Luke’s Hospital, Eat Smart Idaho, Boise State University and University of Idaho Extension to name a few. There are more.

Tamara Cameron shows me the inside of the Moble Market.

Tamara Cameron shows me the inside of the Moble Market.

Some produce that you might find in the Mobile Market.

Some produce that you might find in the Mobile Market.

Entrance to the Mobile Market.

Entrance to the Mobile Market.

Look for thed Mobile Market in your neighborhood!

Look for the Mobile Market in your neighborhood!

Ultimate Burgers!

27 Friday May 2016

Posted by in Acme Bake Shop, BBQ Beef, BBQ Sauce, Beef, Boise Artisan Bakery's, Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Burger and Brew, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Comfort Food, Cuts of Beef, Grillin' and Chillin', Grilling, Housemade Burgers, Housemade Ketchup, Housemade Relish, Housemade Sauces, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Locavore, What's For Dinner?

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‘Tis the season for that infamous burger. Here are some suggestions that you may like. Have fun with these. Most of the ingredients for the recipes listed below, can be found locally in Boise – Desert Mountain Farms for beef products, Acme Bakeshop for superb burger buns, Purple Sage and True Roots for vegetable products. If in Boise, check out the Boise Farmers Market.
3 Burgers Graphic

From Burgers Outdoor Grilling, here is the carmelized onion recipe.

Red Wine Caramelized Onions

Recipe adapted from Angie Mar, The Beatrice Inn, New York, NY
Makes 1½ cups

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb (2 medium) yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 c Cabernet Sauvignon, divided
2 tbsp sugar, divided
sea salt and freshly ground black Tellicherry pepper

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and lightly caramelized, 20 minutes. Add half of the wine and half of the sugar, and cook until the wine has reduced and the onions have caramelized even further, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining wine and sugar, and repeat the process until the wine has evaporated and the onions have caramelized even further, 6 to 8 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

And here is one for Housemade Beet Chup, a sweeter condiment. Roasted beets are blended with apple cider vinegar for a sauce that gives the same sweetness as your typical bottle of ketchup but with a bit more tang. The beetchup – like the name variation? – sings when paired with a burger, cheddar cheese and good crunchy iceburg lettuce on a soft roll from Acme Bake Shop here in Boise. (They can be found on Facebook at Acme Bakeshop or at the Boise Farmers Market, every Saturday 9am – 1pm at 10th and Grove in Boise.)

Beetchup

Recipe adapted from Sandy Dee Hall, Black Tree, New York, NY
Makes 1½ cups

Ingredients:
1 lb (2 medium) beets
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black Tellicherry pepper
5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1½ tbsp sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 500º. Layer 2 large pieces of aluminum foil on a clean work surface and place the beets in the center. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Crimp the foil to seal and roast in the oven until tender, 1 hour. Let cool, then once cool enough to handle, peel and quarter. Transfer the roasted beets to a blender with the remaining ingredients and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

How about a tangy sunchoke sauce? Turmeric-stained sunchokes add a bright tartness to this creamy sauce, already with a zing from hot sauce. Slather the pickled sunchoke sauce on a white bun that envelopes a patty topped with American cheese, lettuce and tomato.

Pickled Sunchoke Relish

Recipe adapted from John Amato, Little Jack’s Tavern, New York, NY
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:
½ c apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp sea salt
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp celery seeds
¼ tsp yellow mustard seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
8 oz (4 large) sunchokes, peeled and roughly grated

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients, except the sunchokes. Bring to a boil, then pour over the grated sunchokes. Let cool completely.

Pickled Sunchoke Burger Sauce

Recipe adapted from John Amato, Little Jack’s Tavern, New York, NY
Makes 1¾ cup

Ingredients:
1 c mayonnaise
⅓ c ketchup
⅓ c drained pickled sunchoke relish
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely grated

Directiions:
In a medium bowl, stir all the ingredients together.

And if you are really into the Burger World and need to only make your own, here is a recipe from The Tasting Table, Homemade Burger Blend. Have fun!

Beef Burger Patties

Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Yield: Six 6-ounce burgers Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1½ pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces and chilled
½ pound beef brisket, cut into 1-inch pieces and chilled
6 ounces boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces and chilled
sea salt and freshly ground black Tellicherry pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, for greasing
Buns (Acme Bakeshop in Boise) and toppings, for serving

Directions:
1. Using a meat grinder set up according to the manufacturer’s directions and with a medium die, grind the meats into a medium bowl. Using your hands, mix the meat until incorporated, then form into six 6-ounce patties. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper.
2. Light a grill. Using tongs and paper towels, lightly grease the grill. Cook the burgers, flipping once, until charred and medium rare, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter, assemble as desired with buns and toppings, and serve.

From Our Kitchen To Yours!

18 Wednesday May 2016

Posted by in Acme Bake Shop Breads, Alley Gardens, Appetizers, Apricots, Arugula, Avocado, Backyard Garden, Bacon, Baking, Basque Bread, BFM, Boise Area Food Adventures, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Brussels Sprouts, Buy Idaho, Cabbage, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Crab Cakes, Dessert, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Eggs, Greek Food, Green Salad, Healthy Eating, Herbs, Herbs and Spices, Ice Cream, Idaho Chicken, Idaho Dairy, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Vegetables, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Ohana Micro Greens, Omelet, Photos By: Bob Young, Rice Family Farms, Salads, Sausage, Scallops, Seafood, Spice Blends, Spices, Spring Greens, True Roots Produce, What's For Dinner?

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05Nov2015_1b_Rembrandts_Lil-Jake-Omelet - CopyIt could be anything! But hopefully, it’s always pretty good. Mostly healthy and always has a local product element. Local. That’s what we try to feature always! Beef, pork, lamb, seafood, greens, fruit, vegetables, eggs, mushrooms, sprouts. You get the idea. And what’s even more fun – sometimes … most times – is preparing the meals. Here are a few photos of some of the dishes we have made recently. If there is a recipe for the item, it may be in the recipe file as listed above or you can look for it by Clicking Here.
We were going to make Greek kabobs and I wanted to find a good Greek herb blend. There is a really good Greek restaurant near us, Mazzah Mediterrean and every time I walk by it, I get this wonderfully awesome aroma of Greek spices. So I found this chart of cultural Spice Blends. We used the Greek Spice and added Sumac and Marjoram. If you are looking for a particular blend, this may help. Save the image and print it out if you need to.

I recently saw an article where folks were planting vegetables and herbs in their front yards, instead of grass! Talk about local and fresh! But we have been doing this for years. Our front lawns, as small as it might be, is our herb garden. Pretty blooms. Great smells and absolutely fresh herbs. Something to think about.

I recently saw an article where folks were planting vegetables and herbs in their front yard, instead of grass! Talk about local and fresh! But we have been doing this for years. Our front lawns, as small as it might be, is our herb garden. Pretty blooms. Great smells and absolutely fresh herbs. Something to think about.

Lamb Kabobs with Greek Spices

Lamb Kabobs with Greek Spices
From the spice chart above. Local lamb and vegetables.

Greek 5-Cheese Filo on Spinach Bed

Greek 5-Cheese Filo on Spinach Bed
Local spinach! No we didn’t make the filo.

Vanila Ice Cream It was super. Local dairy products.

Vanila Ice Cream
It was super. Local dairy products.

Bacon and Cheese Omelet Apricots

Bacon and Cheese Omelet
Apricots
Toasted Basque Bread
Local eggs, bacon and Basque bread.

Creamed Spinach Popovers

Creamed Spinach Popovers
Local spinach and dairy

Braised Scallops on Shredded Napa Cabbage Strawberries

Braised Scallops
on
Shredded Napa Cabbage
Sliced Strawberries and Kiwi
Strawberries are local.

Braised Scallops on Crab Rice Green Salad

Braised Scallops on Crab Rice
Green Salad with Carrot Strings and Micro Greens
Greens and carrots for the salad are all local.

Crab Rice and Shredded Napa Cabbage

Crab Rice and Shredded Napa Cabbage

Sunnyside Up Eggs on Spinach and 5 Greek Cheese Filo Sausage Links Apricot Chunks

Sunnyside Up Eggs
on
Spinach and 5 Greek Cheese Filo

Sausage Links
Apricot Chunks
Local eggs, sausage and spinach.

Mushroom Omelet Sausage Pineapple Toasted Basque Bread

Mushroom Omelet
Sausage
Pineapple
Toasted Basque Bread
Everything but the pineapple is local!

Parsley Salad with Shaved Radish and Fresh Miners Lettuce.

Parsley Salad
with
Shaved Radish and Fresh Miners Lettuce
All local from the Boise Farmers Market (I’m there every week!)

So there you have it. Not 100% local, but darn close. And this time of year with the Boise Farmers Market being open, it gets easier to buy those local products. Plus, our herb gardens are in full swing – bloom! Enjoy.