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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Sunday, 21 March 2010 15:37 |
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 I caught up recently with Craig Strong, executive chef at Studio restaurant at the Montage Laguna Beach, and asked if he had any recipes to share using the spring produce we might be seeing in our own gardens or at the farmers market -- and here's what he had to say:
One thing that I am working with is spring garlic. I made a “salsa verde.” I’m serving this with olive-oil poached halibut and spring vegetables like fava beans, morel mushrooms and pati pan squash.
Salsa Verde
6 spring garlic
2 cups picked parsley leaves
½ cup basil leaves
2 tbsp. capers
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup olive oil
Blanch the garlic and herbs for 20 sec. in boiling salted water and cool in ice water. Squeeze out water and in blender puree all ingredients. |
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Written by Tasha Zemke
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Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:45 |
 Oranges are a real treat each winter for Sicilians. Although the fruit does grow here on the Italian island of Pantelleria, my mother-in-law always looks forward to the annual visit from a vendor who hails from the southern Sicilian town of Sciacca. He arrives here via ship and drives his enormous truck around our narrow streets, stopping for whomever flags him down, until his shipment is gone. It doesn't take long. My mother-in-law buys a good six kilos from him and then uses the oranges in a salad each Sunday when we gather for a family lunch. There is something truly amazing about these oranges -- they aren't the famous Sicilian sanguinelli (blood oranges) but are some of the sweetest, best oranges I've ever tasted.
The salad, which I've come to refer to as the Pantescan Winter Salad, makes great use of good oranges; without good oranges, it is simply passable. It's as bright on the table as it is low fat (the dressing consists only of salt, pepper and olive oil) and, as the cut-up tomatoes and oranges make it a bit runny, you should have some crunchy bread on hand to sop up the remaining juices at the bottom of the salad bowl. (For recipe, click "read more").
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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Sunday, 14 February 2010 03:39 |
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 In honor of Valentine’s Day I thought it appropriate to highlight Love Heals Jewelry, a mother, son and daughter team who not only make their handcrafted jewelry on a family farm in Ojai but plant 10 trees for every piece of jewelry sold (and they’ve planted more than 320,000).
I discovered the jewelry last spring on a trip through San Luis Obispo. I was staying at the Petit Soleil bed-and-breakfast inn (pictured, right), which – for you GTTers who like staying at businesses that support local agriculture -- not only has its own herb garden but features locally grown products, including those purchased at San Luis Obispo's famous Thursday Farmers' Market. Petit Soleil is a few blocks from downtown San Luis Obispo where, on the first Friday of every month, the Art After Dark gallery walks take place. It was on one of these walks that I discovered Romp Shoes. Owner Karen English has a great eye for truly fabulous shoes, accessories -- and jewelry, including Love Heals. When I found out a ring I was looking at was not only exactly my size but that by buying it 10 trees would be planted, well, what could be better?
So, I said this was in honor of Valentine’s Day and that’s because a lot of people associate the day with, say, a lovely locket – but, really, who needs an excuse to buy a little bauble that both makes you happy AND adds 10 more trees to the world?
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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Thursday, 28 January 2010 16:47 |
 The Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa on the Big Island of Hawaii recently added a farmers market to its offerings. Each Wednesday from 8 a.m. to noon, the front lawn of the hotel is filled with stands featuring local fruit, vegetables, coffee, flowers and crafts. The market is an addition to the one held each Saturday morning at the Keauhou Shopping Center.
The resort’s executive chef, Eric Lelinski, is often found at the market, showing people how they can prepare some of the produce they’re purchasing and looking for items that will inspire the dishes served that night at the resort’s Kai restaurant.
Chef Lelinski was kind enough to share one of those recipes with us, a Big Island Hamakua Mushroom Risotto, which serves six and can be used to accompany steaks or seafood. (For recipe, click "read more").
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Written by Ann Shepphird
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Friday, 15 January 2010 23:12 |
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Say you've happened upon (or, okay, purchased) a great piece of ahi tuna and are looking for ways to use it in a dish with some of the herbs and vegetables from your garden. Look no further. Here are three great recipes from restaurants at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua -- Grilled Ahi Tostada from The Beach House, Ahi Cobb Salad from the Alaloa Lounge and Tuna Tataki Salad from Kai Sushi -- courtesy of Executive Sous Chef Marc McDowell. And, yes, I have tried -- and can vouch for -- them all. Note: The salad portions are for one while the dressing sizes are as indicated so adjust as necessary. Tuna Tataki Salad from Kai Sushi
4 ounces tuna, seared
2 ounce daikon, julienne
.5 ounce maui onion, thin sliced
.5 ounce wakame sea weed
.5 ounce ogo Hawaiian sea weed
2 ounce ponzu sauce
.5 ounce tobiko (orange)
1 ounce garlic aioli (recipe below) Garlic Aioli
(yields 12)
10 oz mayonnaise
.2 oz garlic
.1 oz white pepper ground
2 oz sake
.5 o soy sauce yamasa Grate garlic fine. Mix all ingredients well. (Click "read more" for other two recipes.) |
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