chop A Culinary Playground

Another Great Easy Fall Salad: Fennel and Orange

This seasonal salad is so easy and delicious. 

Fennel and Orange Salad

serves 4

2     Bulbs fennel, sliced

1/4  Cup fennel fronds, chopped

2 Oranges, sectioned,

1/2  Cup orange juice (I squeezed out the juice from the

    leftover orange plup)

1/4  Cup red onion

1/4  Cup extra virgin olive oil

    Salt and pepper

Mix together and let sit for 1/2 hour before serving.

Saffron Rice and Pomegranate Salad

Since we are experiencing some extreme humidity in Hawaii a cool salad is what is needed for dinner.  The quinoa and pomegranate gives a delightful crunch.

3       Cups Saffron Rice, cooked (see recipe

         below)

1 1/2 Quinoa, cooked

1       Cup pomegranate seeds

1/2    Cup beets, raw, diced

1/4    Cup red onion, diced

1/4    Cup yellow bell pepper diced

1/4    Cup celery, chopped

2       Tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

1/4    Cup lemon juice

3       Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

         Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill until serving.

Saffron Rice

1 1/2   Cup long grain rice

3         Cups water

1         Pinch of Saffron

Combine in sauce pan, bring to a boil.  When water comes to boil reduce heat to low and cover, cook for twenty minutes.

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 A Moroccan Feast

Our yearly Moroccan dinner was chosen by Foodbuzz for their 24, 24, 24 event – 24 bloggers, in 24 places making 24 posts.    The party was  a success and we had a lot of delicious food to share with dear friends.

Menu

Spiced Pistachios with Apricots and Argan Oil

Assorted Olives and Feta Cheese with Sage Honey

Moroccan Carrot Salad, Tomato Salad and Eggplant Salad

Shrimp Chermula

Opakapaka Chermula

Lemon Chicken

Lamb Tagine with Apricots and Almonds

Kefta – Ground Lamb Brochettes

Pastilla – Sweet and Savory Chicken Pastry

 

Carrot Salad

1    Pound carrots, peeled

1    Cup lemon juice

1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1    Tablespoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1    Tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 Cup cilantro chopped

3     Cloves garlic chopped

2     Tablespoons agave syrup

        Salt

Cook the whole carrot until fork tender.  Slice into coins.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together and a toss with carrots.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Moroccan Tomato Salad

1     Pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and

chopped

2     Roasted bell peppers, peeled, seeded

and chopped

1     Onion, chopped

2     Cloves of garlic chopped

1/2  Cup of cilantro chopped

2      Tablespoons ground cumin

1      Cup lemon juice

1/2   Cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together.

Moroccan Spiced Pistachios

1     Tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil

2     Cups Pistachios

1/2 Cup dried apricots quartered

2     Tablespoons ground cumin

1/2  Teaspoon argan oil

1/4  Cup cilantro

2      Tablespoons course sea salt.

Heat oil in sauté pan, add cumin and toast for 30 seconds, add the pistachios toast for two minutes or until they start browning.  Take off heat and add argan oil, cilantro, apricots and sea salt.  Serve warm.

@ShareYourTable at the buffet.

Assorted Olives, Feta Cheese with Sage Honey and Hummus

Lamb Tagine with Apricots, Almonds

Lemon Chicken with Olives

Pastilla, flaky pastry filled with chicken, eggs, almonds and cinnamon topped with powdered sugar - Always the hit of the party.

The evenings beverages included Cristal Rose, Tavel Rose, Chateau Neuf du Pape, Beaux Freres Pinot Noir.

Relaxing after dinner, do you recognize anyone??

Fennel and Apple Salad – A Great Fall Treat

Although it is still summer, fall is coming upon us soon.  In Hawaii we don’t have the dramatic change of seasons as other non tropical locales but we do have some subtle changes, it gets a little cooler   (in the low 80's not the high 80’s) and it rains a little more than usual.  It is also great gardening weather.  I have had good luck with fennel at that time of the year.

This salad I made last year for Thanksgiving and it was so popular that night I made it again for Christmas. It is great because it can hold for several hours and just needs to be tossed right before serving.

Fennel And Apple Salad

serves 10

Dressing

In a salad bowl combine the following

2      Tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard (I   

  like Maile brand)

2      Tablespoon sherry vinegar

2      Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2      Tablespoon hazelnut oil

        Kosher salt and lots of black pepper

Whisk mustard, vinegar salt and pepper together slowly whisk in the oils. 

5     Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly

       sliced in wedges

2     Large fennel bulbs, halved, cored and

       sliced thinly

1     Handful fennel fronds chopped

1/2  Large red onion, thinly sliced

2     Heads of Belgium endive, julienne

11/2Cups hazelnuts, skinned and roughly

       chopped (in the picture I used walnuts

        but I prefer hazelnuts)

Coat the apples in the dressing so they don’t discolor. layer the rest of the ingredients on top of the apples.  This can be held in a refrigerator for several hours.  Toss right before serving.

Dr. Seuss Vegetable Salad with Argan Oil

Dr Seuss?  I found some purple cauliflower at Whole Foods and that is what it reminded me of. 

This salad uses a variety of vegetables to create great texture and taste.  I dressed it simply with argan oil and lemon juice.  Argan oil is an oil from Morocco that is made from the kernels of the Argan tree.  In the past Berber tribesmen would collect the undigested kernels from goats to press the oil out.  Today the production of this oil benefits women in Morocco through a program with UNESCO. It has an unusual nutty flavor and also is said to hold some medicinal qualities.

For the salad you could really use any vegetable you like.  I wanted to find a balance in texture hence the crispy jicama, soft cauliflower.

2 Cups cauliflower, blanched until fork

   tender

1/2 Cup jicama, diced

1/2 Cup long beans cut in to 1/2 inch pieces

  and blanched

1/4 Cup red onion diced

2    Tablespoon chervil, minced

1/2 Cup radicchio roughly chopped

2    Tablespoons lemon juice

1    Tablespoon aragan oil

1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Toss all the ingredients together and serve in cups of radicchio leaves.

Day 1 Eat Local Challenge

Yesterday was the first day of our Eat Local Challenge and yes it was a challenge.  The day had complaints and road blocks but it also had some  great food and surprises.

I started the day at the farmers market.  The plan was to eat breakfast at the market and pick up some vegetables and beef for the week. I grabbed some corn for my breakfast which was great but my 8 year old wanted a burger from North Shore Cattle but the line was so long and  I was not going to stand in it.  So then came my first cheat.  I decided to buy some bread that  I would toast and he could have it with Naked Cow Dairy cream cheese.

I still had not planned what  I was going to make for lunch and when I was at the Bale bread stall I came up with an idea.  Bale also has many  Vietnamese Sandwich shops and they were selling the bread for Banh Mi so I decided to pick some up to make Banh Mi sandwiches with the chickens I bought from a farm on the north shore.

Lunch was the banh mi sandwiches.  I pickled the carrots and daikon that I bought at the market.  All the rest of the vegetables came from the market or my garden. This is a great site for Banh Mi.

The eight year old did not  eat the sandwiches and just had bread,  By the time dinner came around he was complaing and said he was starving.  So we had another cheat and made him chow mien noodles (locally made) with carrots and spinach. 

The rest of the family had grilled local chicken.  Which everyone said was the best chicken that they have had in a long time.  Beet and Naked Cow feta cheese salad and sliced tomatoes rounded off the meal.

 

Raw Shaved Beet and Feta  Salad

1 Pound beets, peeled and sliced paper

   thin with a mandolin  (Mao Farms)

2 Tablespoons sliced chives (garden)

1 Tablespoon chopped mint (garden)

1/4  Cup diced feta cheese (Naked Cow

   Dairy)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

    (luxury item)

1   Sprinkle Sea Salt (Hanepepe salt bed)

Arrange sliced beets on a platter, sprinkle with mint, chives and feta.  Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with  salt.

Shopping List

North Shore Chicken – cousin picked up on farm for me

Farmers Market

Cucumbers

Diakon

Carrots

Green Beans

Beets

Lime

Tomatoes

Cream Cheese

Peppers

Ground Beef

Brisket

Tomato Vodka Salad

Several years ago I tore a recipe out of a magazine for cherry tomatoes macerated in vodka.  I always wanted to make it for a catering job but never did because of the tedious task of  peeling the tomatoes.  I have long lost the recipe.  This year I seem to have a lot of cherry tomatoes in the garden from some rogue plants and I decide to try to make this tomato and vodka salad.

This salad would be great for brunch or a hot summer afternoon.

Cherry Tomato and Vodka Salad

serves 8

2 pints cherry tomatoes

2 cups vodka

  Coarse grain sea salt (I used Hanepepe Alae

  from our friend's salt bed) 

  Fresh basil, jullienned

Put a pot of water to boil.  Cut a X on the bottom of the tomato.  Do not cut too deep, just cut the skin.  Place in boiling water for 15 seconds, drain and place in an ice bath. Peel skin off. Place in container with vodka and basil. Macerate for 3 - 10 hours.  Drain (vodka can be used for Bloody Marys) Place tomatoes in individual glasses and top with sea salt.

This would also be excellent with some Buratta Cheese