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FRANKLIN FOOD LOVER’S TIP OF THE WEEK #11

June 22, 2010 by Lisa

Fresh from the garden.

RADISHES

I love growing radishes, they grow quickly from seed, they are beautiful and can be eaten raw or cooked. A really simple delicious appetizer: wash and trim radishes, serve with softened high quality real butter and a small dish of coarse sea salt. Dip a radish in the butter and then the salt, pop in your mouth and enjoy the taste explosion, spicy, crunchy, silky and salty.

1. Remove and discard leaves and tops. Refrigerate radishes in a plastic bag for up to 1 week.

2. Wash radishes and trim both ends just before using.

3. For added crispness, cover radishes with ice water and refrigerate for 2 hours.

4. Most of a radish’s heat is in the skin — peel for a milder flavor.

5. Try radishes thinly sliced, sauteed quickly (just until crisp tender) in butter or olive oil, and season simply with a dusting of sugar, pepper and salt. Or try this recipe from Lynne Rossetto Kasper from The Splendid Table radio program.

Sauteed Radishes in the French Style

Serves 6

Use organic ingredients if possible and serve the radishes with sauteed scallops, lobster or salmon.

  • 2 tablespoons good-tasting unsalted butter
  • 2 bunches small red radishes, trimmed of greens and tips
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup dry white vermouth
  • 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

Melt the first quantity of butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the radishes and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Sauté 3 minutes. Add the vermouth and stir until all of it has cooked away, about 3 minutes. Toss the radishes with the second quantity of butter and tarragon and serve hot.

Copyright 1999 Lynne Rossetto Kasper

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THE FATHER’S DAY DILEMMA

June 18, 2010 by Lisa

Everyone knows that the fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so skip the tie and bring Dad to his favorite restaurant!  If you can’t get your plans together don’t worry, get Dad a gift card that NEVER expires! It’s a can’t-miss present that he will definitely enjoy. And face it, it’s much more fun than shopping for a boring old tie!

Check out our great local restaurants:
Bella Cucina
The Commons
The Bricks
Uptown Bistro
McGuiness Pub
Lona’s Restaurant
Springfield Grille
Rachel’s Roadhouse
Foxtales
The Iron Bridge
Primo Barone’s
The Wayside Inn
Chovy’s Italian

Enjoy your day with your Dad. Pops is tops!!!

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WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT

June 17, 2010 by Lisa

Gnocchi with Oregano Pesto

While we are waiting for the beans, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, beets, squash, fennel, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower and red cabbage to grow, salad greens and herbs are in abundance. Thyme, lavender, chives, cilantro and tarragon are all doing well but my oregano is really going gangbusters — it’s more like a bush in need of a good haircut. My friend Dave gave me a great recipe for Oregano Pesto, so after a good trim, I was ready to make this unusual but tasty pesto. It’s great with any short cut pasta and we had some steamed baby broccoli along side. Grilled chicken or shrimp would also be delicious on top if you need more protein. If you’ve got a lot of oregano definitely give this a try!

OREGANO PESTO:

1 cup packed fresh oregano leaves
4 small cloves garlic
1 cup walnut halves, lightly toasted
1/2 c grated parmesan reggiano or pecorino romano
6 tablespoons warm water
6 tablespoons whipping cream
1/2 c olive oil
 1 package of short cut pasta

Put oregano, garlic, walnuts, 1/2 of the olive oil and warm water in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 of the oil and water,  the cream and the cheese, pulse until well combined.  Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, return to pot. Add oregano pesto and toss well. Serve with additional cheese or a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Serves 4-6 people.

Posted in Recipes, Vegetarian | Leave a Comment »

FRANKLIN FOOD LOVERS TIP OF THE WEEK #10

June 15, 2010 by Lisa

STEAK
At the last Franklin Foodie Happy Hour(s) the conversation turned to cooking steak. Someone said that they couldn’t find a good steak to cook on the grill from a local grocery store or market. After talking about how they cooked their steaks I figured out that if they followed a couple of tips they could have delicious juicy steaks, no matter where they bought them. Feel free to share your tips for great grilled steaks for summer time bbq’s.

1) Remove steaks from the refrigerator about 1/2 an hour to an hour before grilling. The meat will brown more evenly and cook faster at room temperature.

2) When trimming a steak, don’t take all the fat off, it contributes greatly to the steak’s flavor.

3) To get a nice carmelized crust on a steak, blot the surface with a paper towel before cooking.

4) When cooking a steak in a pan on the stove use a heavy skillet and brush the pan with oil. The pan should be very hot before adding the meat.

5) To test doneness by touch: Press the meat lightly with your finger, if it’s soft the meat is rare, if it resists slightly but springs back, its medium rare; if the meat is quite firm, it’s well done.

6) Pittsburgh Rare: Charred on the outside, rare to medium-rare on the inside = DELICIOUS!!!

Posted in Food Lover's Tips | 1 Comment »

FRANKLIN FOOD LOVERS TIP OF THE WEEK #9

June 10, 2010 by Lisa

Let me quickly apologize for not posting last week’s tip of the week. I should be sent to my room after dinner with no dessert! No excuses, just bad time management on my part. I’m getting back on track since I have most of my outdoor chores done (we’ve planted two vegetables gardens that are each 18′x18′, one is just potatoes and onions + a 1/2 dozen tomato plants, the other has everything from garlic and heirloom tomatoes to fennel and italian green beans). One of the things I planted was strawberries, which I haven’t planted before. I was SO excited to see a few berries start to ripen. I go out to my garden every day to see the progress, then the other day I noticed they were gone. Upon closer inspection I noticed someone had taken big bites out of the ripe ones! Birds, ground hogs, bunnies…. they’re ALL on my list!!! Looks like I’ll be investing in some netting.

Berry season is just beginning and there are so many delicious ways to eat them including warmed by the sun, ripe and juicy right off the plant. Did you know that the surface of a strawberry is coated with an average of 200 tiny seeds whereas a raspberry is composed of many connecting drupelets (individual fruit sections), each one containing a single seed? Here are some tips:

1) To freeze: wash first then hull, dry them upside down on paper towels for a few minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet, in a single layer, pop in the freezer until hard then transfer to freezer baggies. Freeze for up to 9 months.

2) Frozen strawberries have a lot more juice than fresh, always reduce liquid and increase thickener when using them in pies or cobblers.

3) When purchasing or picking strawberries, look for the ripest, fruitiest (is that a word?!) smelling berries. Once picked strawberries DO NOT ripen. If they aren’t sweet, add 1 tablespoon of sugar per 1 cup of strawberries, let stand at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring once or twice. Sugar will soften berries so don’t add it too far in advance before serving.

4) To remove berry stains from your hands, rub them well with lemon wedges.

EQUIVALENTS:
Fresh: 1 pint = 1-1/2 – 2 cups sliced
Frozen: 10 ounce package = 1-1/2 cups

Give this a try: tastes great on pancakes, waffles… even ice cream. Any type of berry could be used or even a combination of your favorites!
STRAWBERRY SYRUP
Combine 1-1/2 cups water, 3 cups sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Cook without stirring, over high heat, until it reaches 200 degrees on a candy thermometer. Stir in 2 cups of crushed strawberries (washed, hulled, dried and mashed with a potato masher). Cook for 2 minutes more. Cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

As always, feel free to share your tips. I look forward to hearing from you. CHEERS!

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FRANKLIN FOODIE HAPPY HOUR(S)

June 4, 2010 by Lisa

Don and Karen Seed, Franklin Foodie.

The 2nd Franklin Foodie Happy Hour(s) last week was a great success! A great big THANK YOU to Bella Cucina for being gracious & generous hosts. The food was outstanding! Favorites in no particular order: Calamari, Spicy Thai Shrimp, Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus and Bite Sized Beef Wellingtons (my Mom’s favorite). We collected over 2 dozen toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste to donate to St. John’s food pantry Shepard’s Green. Bella donated a gift certificate for the most toothbrushes and the winner of the gift certificate was Don & Karen Seed — Congrats!

It was so great to see people making new friends and sharing good food. I love the culinary creativity that lives inside Franklin Foodies. I was very grateful to receive a priceless gift of homemade sauerkraut, hot dill pickles, pickled beets and bread & butter pickles from Donna & Ron Fletcher. My husband loves dill pickles and my dad and I like spicy. We opened up the spicy dill pickles as soon as we got home and ate half the jar – crisp, crunchy, hot  and delicious — a priceless treat! If you haven’t been to a Franklin Foodie Happy Hour(s) you need to come to the next one in June. It’s a gathering of people who love to eat good food, supporting local restaurants and donating to the local food pantries. We had a great turnout and a diverse group. One of my most favorite food moments was when Lynn Pacior tried calamari for the first time — and she LOVED it!!! Hats off to Chef Michael.

Ron Fletcher's spicy dill pickles...

Stayed tuned for details on the next Franklin Foodie Happy Hour(s). Click on the Email Subscription button on the right side of the main page and you will automatically get emails notifying you of new posts on this blog, as well as upcoming Happy Hour(s). As always feel free to click around. New interviews and recipes are posted regularly. Check out the new interview with Sonja Hunt about why she is a vegetarian. Foodies are all different kinds of people with varied palates and backgrounds (and great recipes!). I’m always open to your suggestions, please post a comment or send me an email at franklinfoodie@inbox.com.
Until next time – CHEERS!

Posted in Franklin Foodie Happy Hours, Franklin restaurants | Tagged , | 1 Comment »

FRANKLIN FOOD LOVER’S TIP OF THE WEEK #8

May 28, 2010 by Lisa

Farmer's Market Salad

For the month of May it is HOT! It really feels more like July or August and when you’re looking for something light and delicious to eat a cold crisp salad just hits the spot. There are so many types of lettuce and greens, toppings and dressings, literally limitless combinations. Many great dressings can be made from ingredients you have on hand or you can easily liven up a bottled salad dressing to make it your own. Here are a few tips:

1. The Classic Viniagrette: 3 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 part red wine vinegar or lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste. Can be refrigerated indefinitely.

2. For an extra smooth viniagrette, combine the ingredients and an ice cube in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously. Discard the ice cube once the dressing is mixed well.

3. Wine is acidic and can be substituted for all or part of the vinegar or lemon juice in a recipe.

4. Fruit juices (like pineapple, orange, lime or mango) make great salad dressings. Combine juice with a little bit of oil, a pinch of fresh nutmeg and a tsp. of honey. Great on fruit salads or a mixed greens salad.

5. Quick Avocado Dressing: Combine 1/2 an avocado with 3/4 c. classic viniagrette dressing in a blender; process until smooth. (1 clove of minced garlic couldn’t hurt…)

6. Freshen up a bottled store bought dressing by mixing in some minced fresh herbs, garlic or shallots.

Lime Cream Dressing:
A spicy hot dressing that’s great on everything from slaws to mixed greens or potato salads.
Drop 1 lg. clove of garlic in a running food processor, scrape down sides of the bowl. Add 2/3 c. olive oil, 1/3 c. sour cream, 1/4 c. fresh lime juice, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 3/4 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne and salt & pepper to taste. Process 20 seconds or until creamy. Cover & refrigerate until ready to use. Stir before serving.

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Being a fool isn’t so bad…

May 25, 2010 by Lisa

Black Raspberry Fool with a garnish of fresh mint

… especially when it’s a Blueberry Fool (or Black Raspberry Fool or Strawberry Fool…). I don’t bake sweets very often, I’m just not good at it. Something in my brain prevents me from understanding how it all works. Maybe my Mom dropped me on my head when I was a baby or washed my head in Phisohex(sp?) once too often. When I came across this recipe I thought, here’s one even I can make! It’s light and delicious and would be great with any kind of berry.

BLUEBERRY FOOL
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, September 1994

Serves 4

  • 1/2 pint fresh blueberries (I used black raspberries)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or to taste
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

  1. In a small, nonreactive saucepan, combine blueberries, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons water (if using frozen berries don’t add water). Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until blueberries begin to break down and juices boil and thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and transfer to a small bowl. Place bowl in a larger bowl of ice water, and stir mixture occasionally until cold.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form; fold in 1/3 cup of the blueberry sauce. Divide among four dessert dishes, and spoon remaining sauce over tops.

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FRANKLIN FOOD LOVERS TIP OF THE WEEK #7

May 21, 2010 by Lisa

WINE

Recently I’ve had the pleasure of attending two different wine pairing dinners, one at The Commons and one at Bella Cucina. Both were excellent and I highly recommend you try them. We are SO fortunate to have so many great restaurants and talented chefs in our area. If we want to keep them you need to let them know you want them to stay. With that said, here are a few tips on wine, inspired by the Wine Pairing Dinners I’ve attended recently.

1) The higher the temperature, the faster a wine will age; white wines are more susceptible to heat than reds.

2) Store wine bottles on their sides (if they have a natural cork) so the cork stays moist. Dry corks shrink, allowing in air, which negatively affects a wine’s flavor.

3) When serving several wines (like at a Wine Pairing Dinner) follow these general rules: Serve a young wine before an older one; a white wine before a red one, a light-bodied wine before a robust wine; and  dry wine before a sweet one.

4) White wine should be served at a temperature somewhere between 50 and 55 degrees. Red wine should be served at around 65 degrees. The term “room temperature” is outdated (it’s based on the chillier room temperatures of yesteryear, not the 72 degree average of today’s home).

As always please feel free to share your tips or comments. CHEERS!

Posted in Food Lover's Tips, Wine Tasting Dinners | Leave a Comment »

AND THE WINNER IS……

May 11, 2010 by Lisa

 
Susan Aaron – recipe contest winner

Susan Aaron of Franklin, CONGRATULATIONS!! Susan submitted a recipe for an Onion Casserole winning the Dill Recipe Contest held at May Mart, sponsored by Restoration Herbs and Franklin Foodie, celebrating Herb of the Year, Dill. The Onion Casserole is a unique recipe and the ingredients play really well off of each other. The sweetness of the cooked onion brought out the sweetness in the cornbread and the dill went great with both the onion and the “corn” of the cornbread. Also, this was an easy recipe to put together, just a few minutes to saute the onions and mix the cornbread ingredients together, after that all that was left was the layering. It smelled heavenly as it baked in the oven. Don’t you just love the smell of sauteed onions? Reminds me of grilled steak… but I digress (sorry!).

Much thanks to everyone who participated. I am also posting Honorable Mentions and their recipes: Esther Russell for her Creamed Cucumbers and Dilled Baby Carrots, and Karen Newman for her Sweet Sourdough Bread with Dill & Onion. See the link below the winning recipe for Esther and Karen’s recipes.

Onion Casserole

ONION CASSEROLE
by Susan Aaron

1 large sweet onion, sliced (I used a huge Vidalia)
1/4 c. butter
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. milk
1 c. creamed corn
hot sauce to taste (I used Frank’s Red Hot)
1 package of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 c. sour cream
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 teaspoons of dillweed or more to taste (Susan dries dill flower heads and crumbles them)
salt to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 425. Cook onion in butter til tender but not browned (approx. 5 minutes or so). Meanwhile combine the corn muffin mix, milk, egg, hot sauce and creamed corn. Spread the corn muffin mix in a large greased casserole dish (I used a 13×9 pan). Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese over the top. Spread the onions evenly over the top of the cheese. Dollop the sour cream over the top of the onions and spread with a spatula. Sprinkle the sour cream with the dill and salt to taste. Top it all off with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake until brown and bubbly, approx. 30 – 35 minutes. (everybody’s oven is different, in mine it only took 25 min., so adust accordingly) Cut into squares.

My husband loved this. I think it could be used as an appetizer, or something to take to a potluck dinner or as a main dish for lunch served with a salad. Give it a try — it’s a winner!

Honorable Mention Recipes

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