RECIPES

JULY 27, 2008

Strawberry Grand Marnier Crêpes
Recipe by Chef Mike, of Red Roze Catering

These paper-thin, sweetened French pancakes are savory dessert dishes that are perfect for special occasions. The crêpes are doused with Grand Marnier liqueur and ignited, then topped with ripe strawberries and whip cream just before serving.

Ingredients

Strawberries Grand Marnier Liqueur:

  • 15 fresh strawberries, quartered
  • 6 oz sugar
  • 1 shot of Grand Marnier
Crêpe Batter:
  • 2 cups of flour
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1/4 cup of lukewarm water
  • 2 eggs
Other
  • Butter or non-stick cooking spray
Preparation
  1. Pour sugar over strawberries, mix with Grand Marnier and let sit for 15 minutes.
  2. Mix crêpe batter ingredients in a mixing bowl. Batter should be smooth, be sure to remove any lumps.
  3. Heat non-stick pan over medium-high heat, use butter to coat pan surface.
  4. Pour enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan using a ladle or measuring cup, starting at the center. Cook until golden brown on the bottom and then flip with spatula.
  5. Fill crêpe center with some strawberries while the crêpe is cooking.
  6. Add Grand Marnier and flambé until liqueur cooks out and there is no longer a flame.
  7. Serve crêpes topped with ripe strawberries and whipped cream.
Serves 8

Here are some Chef Michael “Mike” Harris, Owner of Red Roze Catering, Cooking Tips for making this delicious recipe in your own kitchen.

Measuring is Key
Make sure that you measure your crêpe batter correctly. If it is too thick or too thin, the crêpes will not come out right.

Use a Non-Stick Pan
Cooking with a non-stick pan is an important tip to make perfect crêpes.

Be Careful When Igniting
When you flambé, be very careful. Remove pan from stove or open flame before igniting. If you don’t feel comfortable with fire, you may skip this step altogether. There’s no need to add alcohol to the recipe. The crêpes will still taste delicious.

 

JULY 13, 2008

Three Sisters Succotash
Recipe by CiCi Williamson


Background of the Three Sisters Crops:

Although Native American tribes had plenty of land, they used it wisely for efficient food production. One ancient tradition was planting three vegetables together. Corn, beans and squash were sown together on the same bit of land. This combination replenished soil nutrients and aided growth. Corn demands a lot of nitrogen and beans replace it. The beans used the corn stalks as poles to climb. The squash shaded the land below, retaining moisture and blocking weeds. Gardeners today can still use this inventive way to grow highly nutritious fresh vegetables.

RecipeCopyright from The Best of Virginia Farms Cookbook & Tour Book by CiCi Willliamson (Menasha Ridge Press).

 

INGREDIENTS

Corn, beans, and squash, known as the “three sisters,” were planted together by Native Americans.
  • 3 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
  • 1 (10-ounce) packages frozen baby lima beans OR 2 cups shelled fresh limas)
  • 2 small yellow squash, sliced (2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon low-sodium chicken bouillon granules
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 medium-size green bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomato halves

TO PREPARE

Cook bacon in large saucepan over medium heat until crisp and brown; drain and crumble. SautJ onion in bacon drippings until soft. Drain liquid from canned corn into saucepan. Add lima beans, squash, bouillon granules, cumin and pepper; cover. Stirring occasionally, cook over low heat until limas test done, about 10 minutes. Stir in corn and bell pepper. Cook uncovered until vegetables are tender and most of liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and reserved bacon; cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

RECIPE FOR JUNE 29, 2008

Alaskan Halibut

Alaskan Halibut in Foil from Steve Rudman of Willoughby's Market Alaskan halibut is prized for its delicate sweet flavor, snow-white color and firm flaky meat. It is an excellent source of high-quality protein and minerals, low in sodium, fat and calories and contains a minimum of bones. And it's a perfect fish for grilling! The use of a pouch to cook fish is not a new concept but provides an easy and nearly fool-proof way to cook the halibut perfectly.

Serves 4.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • Piece of Aluminum foil (enough to create a pouch around the fish)
  • 2 lbs Fresh Alaskan Halibut
  • 1 Sweet onion cut into ¼ inch slices
  • 1 Red Pepper cut into ¼ inch slices
  • 1 Yellow Pepper cut in ¼ inch slices
  • 1 lemon - cut into slices
  • ½ cup Wild Thyme Meyer Lemon Refresher
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley - rough chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp fresh ground pepper

TO PREPARE

Preheat grill, medium heat. Place the halibut in shallow dish and pour the Wild Thyme Lemon Refresher over the fish. Let marinate for 30 minutes. Place the sheet of aluminum foil on the counter. Remove halibut from dish and discard marinade. Put the halibut piece in the center of foil. On top of the fish, place the fresh basil, rosemary and parsley. On top of herbs, place the sliced onions, peppers and lemon slices. Pour olive oil over fish and vegetables. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Pull top and bottom foil sides towards center and roll to close. Fold right and left sides to completely close. Place pouch on grill. Cook for 20 minutes or until fish is white and flaky. Carefully remove from grill and open pouch. Steam will have built up inside the pouch. Serve.

RECIPE FOR JUNE 22, 2008

PASTA WITH SEASONAL GREENS

This is a versatile recipe that can be prepared with many different seasonal vegetables found in the Farmers Market, many different kinds of pasta, and many varieties of cheese. Quantities can also be varied to taste.

Serves 4

 

  • 12 ounces dried pasta – long (spaghetti, linguine) or short (penne, rigatoni)
  • 4 bulbs green garlic or 1 head regular garlic (or to taste), chopped or about 6 garlic tops, cut into ½ inch lengths
  • ¼ lb. pancetta or Canadian bacon, chopped, or sausage, sliced
  • 1 lb. summer squash (sliced), fresh green peas, a bunch of arugula (roughly chopped), or whatever looks good at market
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Juice of one lemon or lime
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Grated Parmesan or other cheese (ricotta, goat), to taste

Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Save ½ cup of the cooking water.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet and sauté garlic and meat until meat is crispy. Add greens/vegetables and cook a few minutes; just until greens are wilted or vegetables are barely cooked.

Drain pasta and add to sauté skillet along with lemon or lime juice. Toss until everything is mixed together; pour into serving bowl. Add reserved pasta water to skillet. If using fresh cheese, add it now. Scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan; pour sauce over pasta. Season to taste. Serve with grated cheese.

 

Recipes

THIS WEEK'S RECIPES WERE FURNISHED BY:

Kitchen Memories

 A Legacy of Family Recipes from Around the World

Anne Snape Parsons and Alexandra Greeley

Corn Fritters (recipe below)

 

Alexandra Greeley was the food editor of Vegetarian Times magazine for three years. She also has worked as food writer and editor and restaurant reviewer in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area for the past 18 years. Her other food publication credits include writing about food for the DC Examiner, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and Newsday newspapers, and Washingtonian, Chili Pepper, On the Grill, Fine Cooking, Long Island Life, and Museum & Arts Washington magazines. Her cookbook credits include Mexico! (Macmillan), Asian Grills (Doubleday) and Asian Soups, Stews & Curries (Macmillan), among others. Ms. Greeley is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, and she is coleader of the Slow Food Convivium in Washington, D.C.

Insatiably curious about traditions and cultures, Scottish native Anne Parsons has traveled extensively around the globe. During her trips, she spends most of her time with local people, eats regional foods, and visits their places of worship. Ms. Parsons has an M.A. in English Literature, is currently writing a medieval mystery novel with the spice trade as its focus, is a leader of the Slow Food Convivium of East North Carolina, is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Culinary Historians of Washington, and writes travel articles and a monthly food column for Tidewater Women called “Around the Table” and food and people articles for the North Beach Sun.

 

Corn Fritter
Makes 25 fritters  

 

The Menzels have lived in Pemberton, British Columbia since the early 1900s. Their nephew’s daughter, Alice Olteanu, inherited this recipe from her great Aunt Phemie; she claims it is a family favorite because it is so versatile. Sometimes she serves the fritters, drizzled with maple syrup, to her children for breakfast.  She does advise keeping fritters covered and away from husbands and kids because they’ll want to snack on them, especially when the fritters are topped with applesauce.

 
2 cups all-purpose flour
teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
½ cup whole milk
2 (15-ounce) cans sweet corn, or about 4 cups fresh kernels
Vegetable oil for deep-fat frying
 
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the eggs, butter, milk, and corn.

Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Carefully put tablespoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil, and deep-fry for 3 minutes; alternatively, sauté the batter in hot butter in a skillet over medium heat. Drain well.

 

 

Previous Recipes

ORGANIX BY RSVP
A DIVISION OF RSVP CATERING
2930 Prosperity Blvd.
Fairfax, VA 22030 (703) 573-8700

www.rsvpcatering.com

 

HEIRLOOM TOMATO FRICASSEE ON BRUSCHETTA

 
3 large heirloom tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1T fresh garlic, finely chopped
2T fresh basil, cleaned and minced
2T fresh parsley, cleaned and finely chopped
1T shallots, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 loaf ciabatta or olive boule
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
4 oz. Manchego cheese
Kosher salt and coarse black pepper, to taste
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pine nuts approximately 3-5 minutes, chop coarsely and set aside. Combine the first five ingredients in a stainless steel bowl; add 1/3-cup olive oil to the bowl and mix together. Season mixture to taste. Turn on grill. Slice bread into 1/8 inch thick slices and brush with remaining olive oil. Toast a few seconds on grill, until marked. Be careful not to burn. Top bruschetta with some of the tomato mixture. Shave Manchego with vegetable peeler over top of bruschetta. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and serve.
 
 
 

WATERMELON SALSA

 
1 sugar baby watermelon, peeled, seeded and diced
1 lb. assorted heirloom bell peppers, washed, seeded and diced
¼ cup Vidalia onions, peeled and diced
1 bunch green onions, washed and diced
1 hot pepper, minced
½ cup summer squashes, washed, seeded and diced
2 T garlic, peeled and minced
Juice of two limes
½ bunch cilantro, washed and finely chopped
1 T fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tsp kosher salt
 
Combine all ingredients except for the salt in a stainless steel bowl. Add salt to taste. Add 1 tsp Tabasco to make it spicier.
 

PEACH VINAIGRETTE

 
3 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and pureed
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 shallot, peeled and minced
2 T fresh basil, washed and minced
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 ½ cups canola or vegetable oil
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 peach, peeled and diced small
 
Combine first seven ingredients and whisk in a stainless steel bowl. Add the diced peaches to the vinaigrette. Allow to macerate 20-30 minutes. Pour over salad.

 

 

© Copyright 2007. Olney Farmers Market