Tag Archives: easy

a culinary road trip adventure… and crispy stuffed squash blossoms

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This past weekend Mark and I took a little road trip… we arranged for our lovely neighbors to water our growing veggies, dropped off Bella at Mom and Dad’s for  a doggie vacation, and mapped it out.

When we started dating, Mark and I realized we both share a dream of taking a year or two to travel around the USA in an airstream and see every nook and cranny. I am the kind of person who loves to stop at every tourist attraction… and stop for food and meeting a local or two as often as possible.

We turned an 8 hour drive into a two day journey, stopping at a goat dairy, a brand new whiskey distillery, a spiritual hot springs, met a yak farmer, went to a Colorado(!) alligator and tilapia farm, left items at an official UFO watchtower, and met up with our friends at Sutcliffe Vineyards tasting room, ending our journey in the Sutcliffe Vineyard in Cortez, CO.

We sucked the marrow out of every moment of this trip.

First up, Jumpin’ Good Goat Dairy.

This dairy has loads of lovely goats, which they use to make many kinds of cheeses, ranging from feta to cheddar to goat blue. Mark first got to know them when they shipped some pork backfat from a couple of berkshires that they had raised on their farm to make lardo, which he processed for them to sell on site.

I fell in love with a few of the cheeses. They make the most amazing squeaky goat cheese curd. I wanted to fry it up into the best cheese curds ever! (Too bad it didn’t last that long.) I also was enchanted by the soft chevre… fresh and unaged, it is available in tons of flavors, but the plain cheese on its own is fresh and tangy, and the garlic and herb made a perfect stuffing for squash blossoms from the garden. We finished up our selection with the blue, bought some crackers and got ready for a picnic in the car.

This goat kept smiling at us when we pet her! With a twinkle in her eye like this, how can her milk be anything but amazing?

Once we got to the winery, we had a feast. I whipped up some stuffed zucchini blossoms before we had our meal. We plucked the zucchini blossoms from the garden (you can find them from your favorite farmer at the weekly farmer’s market, ask ahead as they usually go to restaurants). I like them fried (who doesn’t?) and used what there was in the cupboard to make the tempura. There is, however, no shame is buying a tempura mix from your Asian market, this is always foolproof.

Chevre stuffed crispy squash blossoms:

  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup fine corn masa (gives a great flavor, but more flour or rice flour would be great too)
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup of ice cold water, soda water or beer
  • kosher salt to taste

Method:

  • mix all ingredients together well, do not over mix
  • keep as cold as possible
  • don’t freak out if there are a few lumps

For squash blossoms:

  • pull the stamen out of the center of the flower, being cautious to not rip the flower, give them a gentle wash to remove any dirt or bugs, then dry.

  • stuff something delicious inside, I love goat cheese (we used the garlic herb chevre we got at Jumpin’ good goat)…
  • give tot top of the flower a little twist to make sure the cheese doesn’t ooze out while it is cooking

  •  drag through tempura batter quickly to coat
  • drop into 350* oil for about a minute or so on each side

eat immediately and enjoy!

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beer can chicken???!!!???!!!

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I have been hearing about beer can chicken for years… I knew it was fun, I knew it was cheeky, I just never knew it was SO DELICIOUS!!! I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to make it!!! It is the perfect easy summer grilling dish. Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it!

This chicken is so juicy, so flavorful, and the skin is crispy (always a necessity for me!).

I figure this dish needs no further introduction, so if you haven’t yet… just make it already!!!

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of beer (use the good kind, drink half)
  • 1 shallot, cut in chunks
  • 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 lemon, cut in half
  • 1 whole chicken
  • blackening spice
  • kosher salt and black pepper

Method:

  • Heat your grill. Keep the coals on one side, you will cook the bird over indirect heat to keep it from burning, and let it go slow and low.
  • Rinse the bird with cold water and don’t forget to remove the package with the liver and heart. Feed it to the dog.
  • Tuck the wings behind its head so it looks classy.
  • Take the top off the beer can with a can opener. Make sure you have drank half of the beer.
  • Drop the shallot, garlic, and a spoonful of blackening seasoning into the beer. Squeeze half the lemon into the beer. Drop it in as well if there is room. If not, toss it.
  • Stick the other lemon half into the neck of the bird to help keep the steam from the beer in the cavity while cooking.
  • Season the chicken with a light sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper and the blackening seasoning. Take it easy, because a lot of pre-made seasonings already have salt in them.
  • Stick the can up inside the chicken and position it so it stands up.
  • Place the bird over the cooler part of the grill, over indirect heat. Don’t make the tragic mistake of letting it get too hot so you burn the skin.
  • Place the lid on top of the grill. If the lid won’t go on, try taking the grate off and putting the bird in a pie tin or cast iron skillet and just placing it near the coals.
  • Let it alone for about 1 hour or so, checking every once in a while to be sure it doesn’t burn or get too cool.
  • Test the meat with a thermometor (every kitchen should have one) and pull it out at 165*.

It should go without saying that you shouldn’t use a glass or plastic container for the beer, but I sometimes get crazy questions and don’t want to hear that one:)

Enjoy!!!

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buttery tomato sauce “a-ha”…

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Dear Marcella Hazan,

Thank you so very much for sharing this incredible recipe with the world, and, more personally, my mouth. The only sad thing about this sauce is that I’ve never made it earlier!

Every once in a while I read about a dish that I have been making for years, like tomato sauce, and I find that altering the way it is made changes it entirely! Such is the case with the buttery onion tomato sauce that I read about in gilt taste. This recipe has been passed around by countless food bloggers, all with kind words of delicious devotion.

This sauce is made silky and smooth with just a few ingredients… butter, onion, and the highest quality canned tomatoes you can find (I can’t help myself and toss in a clove or two of garlic!). I love San Marzano tomatoes, and here in Colorado I am addicted to mm local, high quality and so fresh it can be traced back to the farm. In the summer, when the farmer’s markets are brimming with ripe tomatoes, that’s what I’ll use.

Delicious Buttery onion tomato sauce, adapted from Marcella Hazan

serves 4 (don’t count on leftovers)

  • 5 Tbsp whole butter (I always use unsalted)
  • 1/2 yellow onion, simply remove the skin
  • 2 each whole garlic cloves, skin removed
  • 1 28 oz jar whole peeled tomatoes, the highest quality you can find
  • pinch kosher or sea salt and a turn or two of fresh black pepper
  • 1 # pasta

Method:

  • melt the butter in a non-reactive saucepan, add the onion and garlic. sizzle, but don’t brown the butter.
  • add the can of tomatoes. stir and simmer for 45 minutes.
  • remove the onion and garlic, if you’d like. (I think the garlic tastes amazing spread on a little bread)
  • season to taste
  • meanwhile, boil the pasta in water as salty as the sea until al dente.
  • toss together and get ready for a pasta “experience” like no other.

When I first made this recipe last week, I woke up the next morning and made it again. For breakfast. I couldn’t wait to share it with anyone who hasn’t heard of it before!

 

 

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Tonight’s wine = tomorrow’s sangria

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We’ve all had delicious bottle that we couldn’t finish… with us it’s usually the second bottle…It is fine to cork up the wine, slap it in the fridge and use it for cooking in a day or two, but it seems like such a shame to cook with it when you can enjoy it as a cocktail.

Day 2 sangria:

  • Place leftover wine in a mason jar or airtight Tupperware container.
  • Add a splash of oj or your favorite fruit juice
  • A slice or two of different citrus fruits, maybe a slice of apple or a few grapes
  • A splash of brandy and a hearty splash of vodka.
  • A quick squeeze of agave nectar if you like it sweeter. Refrigerate.
  • In the next day or two, add seltzer to your liking, and you’ve got a cocktail!

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