Stone Fruit finale
This is the fifth and final post of “Stone Fruit” Week.
How cute are those cookie letters!?! I found them at Trader Joe’s and could not resist.
This is the perfect recipe to finish the week on. It is colorful, fruity, a little decadent, and so wonderfully summery!
I strolled through Trader Joe’s for inspiration. I had the fruit and prosciutto at home and knew those would be part of whatever dish I came up with. Then I spotted the burrata and the rest of it quickly fell into place.
Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and fresh cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it a luscious glorious creamy texture. The name “burrata” means “buttered” in Italian.
One component that is not essential, but really puts this salad over the top is Vanilla Bean Olive Oil from the Queen Creek Olive Mill. The Mill is having a summer special right now, buy 2 – get 1 free. I don’t know how long it lasts, so if you’re interested – act quickly. If not, high-quality fruity olive oil will work just fine for this recipe.
August 2, 2013 6 Comments
preservation
Preserved lemons are a common ingredient in Moroccan and other North African cuisines. The pulp is sometimes used in stews and sauces and can be used sparingly in Bloody Marys or added to homemade seafood cocktail sauce. But the true treasure of preserved lemons is the peel. The flavor is slightly tart, intensely and wonderfully lemony. Preserved lemon peel is the key ingredient in many Moroccan dishes such as tagines.
Not all preserved lemon recipes call for olive oil, but I like to add it after the fermenting process to help “seal” or cover the lemons and prevent spoilage. Since I have Meyer lemons from my yard and also have the Queen Creek Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, I’ll be using both of those, but regular lemons are more than fine, and in fact, are the traditional lemons used. Limes and grapefruit can be preserved, using the same method and are delicious with curries, seafood, and lamb.
Make your own preserved lemons along with me today, because next week I’ll be posting delicious recipes to get you started using your new bounty!
February 21, 2010 3 Comments
fig balsamic
Yes, it’s true, I’m still talking about our gorgeous Sunday Valentine’s Day at the Queen Creek Olive Mill, hope you don’t mind ~ because I really love that place! I picked up a bottle of one of their new flavored balsamic kinds of vinegar. Fig Balsamic – delicious!
You too can have a bottle of balsamic or any one of their amazing olive oils… just click here and mail order.
[Read more →]
February 19, 2010 No Comments
pistachios and olives
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Dave and I went out to the Queen Creek Olive Mill for their special “Olive Affair” lunch in the olive grove. The Mill offered three different packages, we chose their “Ciao Bella” (Antipasto), which included roasted vegetables, sausage, roasted garlic, artichoke, sun-dried tomato tapenades, a French baguette, tuxedo strawberries, candied pistachios, pistachio bark, a bottle of Chianti and more. It all came beautifully packed in a lovely “Olive You” bag with a corkscrew, high-quality clear plastic stemless wine glasses and plates plus a cute red-heart tablecloth. They had live music, it was a gorgeous day outside, and the place was packed! I highly recommend you treat yourself and your loved one next year. Until then, I’ll treat you to recipes for candied pistachios and pistachio bark. I decided to use the candied pistachios in the bark, but plain pistachios may be used instead.
The candied pistachios call for an ingredient you may not be familiar with, Turbinado sugar. The first pressing of the sugar cane yields Turbinado sugar, which is considered to be healthier since it receives less processing than granulated sugar. One teaspoon of Turbinado sugar contains 11 calories, while granulated sugar contains 16 calories. Because of its higher levels of moister, it should be stored like brown sugar, in an airtight container. One of the most popular and easy-to-find brands of Turbinado sugar is “Sugar In The Raw.” A fabulous use for Turbinado sugar is on crème brûlée because it melts and caramelizes easier than granulated sugar.
February 15, 2010 No Comments
fried-green tomato blt’s
Two fortuitous events happened a few minutes apart today to bring about the creation of this recipe. First, I discovered a pound of hickory smoked bacon in my freezer from The Pork Shop. Next, my dad dropped by with a bag of green and ripe tomatoes given to him by my cousin Diane, who has a big garden. I’ll have no problem using up all the lovely ripe red tomatoes, but what to make with those green tomatoes? Well, fried green tomatoes, of course!
Barbara Fenzl, Kim Howard, and I took a “field trip” in late spring to the Queen Creek Olive Mill and The Pork Shop, two fabulous places that are more than worth the 100-mile round- trip from my house! And that is saying something! They are both located in Queen Creek, Arizona, and only about 2 miles from each other, so local foodies, arrange your own “field trip” at lunchtime and thank me later. Go to the Queen Creek Olive Mill website for directions, hours, and tour times. The Pork shop is located at 3359 E Combs Road, Queen Creek Arizona. Call them at 480-987-0101 for information or hours. (since writing this post, The Pork Shop has created a website, check it out HERE.)
[Read more →]
September 29, 2009 No Comments