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Week of 12/8/18 - Holiday Cooking

Draft Pick Spinach and Artichoke Dip

by Chef Nikki Shaw

Servings: 6 Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 25 min.

Ingredients

1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 cup marinated artichokes, drained and chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup half-and-half

Dash of cayenne pepper

Tortilla chips

Carrot sticks

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, add spinach, artichokes, garlic, onion, parmesan, mozzarella, sour cream, half-and-half and cayenne pepper. Mix ingredients until well blended.

Spray oven-safe dish with nonstick spray, add mixture and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and/or carrot sticks.

Roasted filet mignon of beef with a sauce of black olives, capers, pistachios, lemon, garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs

By Chef Hugh Groman, Hugh Groman Catering

4 lb filet mignon, tied and ready to roast. About 1 hour before serving: Roast about 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Let rest out of the oven for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with black olive sauce.

For Sauce:

3/4 cups olives, pitted

2 Tablespoons capers

1 cloves garlic, zested

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

zest of 1/2 lemon, juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1 strip anchovies, chopped fine

1/2 bunch italian parsley, washed, leaves picked, chopped fine

leaves from two stems fresh oregano

1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

1/2 bunches chives, sliced fine

Instructions:

Up to two days ahead: Chop olives and capers. Prep all ingredients and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Poached Salmon with Grapefruit Remoulade and Frizzled Leeks

2 pounds salmon fillet, skin off,

lemon juice and or wine for poaching

herbs, for poaching

carrots, for poaching

onion, for poaching

garlic, for poaching

1 cup mayonnaise

1 large grapefruit, zested, sectioned, juice saved for remoulade

tobasco sauce, to taste

catsup, to taste

brandy, to taste

1 medium leek, cleaned and julienned, soaked in water

1 bunch chives, batons for garnish

corn starch, for frying leeks

canola oil, for frying leeks

Instructions:

1. Up to one day ahead: Make poaching broth with carrots, onions, garlic and herbs. Add lemon or white wine. Season generously with salt and pepper. Strain and return to hotel pan.

2. Portion salmon into 2 ounce portions. Poach for 4 minutes ish in simmering poaching liquid. Cool in refrigerator. (this can be done one day ahead. (Salmon can be served cold, room temp, or hot fresh out of the poaching liquid)

3. Zest grapefruit. Section grapefruit, reserving sections for garnish and juice for remoulade.

4. Make remoulade using mayo, catsup, tobasco, brandy, salt, pepper and grapefruit juice

5. Clean and julienne leeks. Store in water.

6. Day of event: Drain leeks and dry. Coat in corn starch and deep fry. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Platter: Place salmon. Garnish with grapefruit, remoulade, leeks and chive batons.

Cheesy Crunch Cauliflower Gratin

by Chef Hollie Greene

Serving Size 4

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Cauliflower (white), 1 large (or 2 small)
Salt, 1 1/2 tsp. (divided)
Olive oil, 1/4 cup (divided)
All purpose gluten free flour, 1/4 cup
Butter, 4 TBS
Milk (2% or full), 1 cup
Vegetable broth, 1 cup
Nutmeg (ground), 1 tsp.
Black pepper, 1/4 tsp.
Gruyere cheese, 6 oz.
Seasoned bread crumbs, gluten free, 3/4 cup

Directions

Note on Substitutions: béchamel is traditionally made with milk only, but in my béchamel, I always sub half the dairy with vegetable broth. If you don’t want to buy both, then go with all milk and it will be perfect! If you cannot find Gruyere or it’s expensive in your market, use white cheddar cheese.

Prep:

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach. Wash all produce. Preheat oven to 400F. Prep the cauliflower: pull off the tough outer green leaves. Cut the cauliflower through its core, forming two halves. Cut those in half again to have 4 working parts. Cut the core or tough stem off each of the 4 parts with a knife and use your fingers to tear off the florets, the small clusters of flowers. Grate cheese if not already grated.
Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Wash all produce.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Prep the cauliflower: pull off the tough outer green leaves. Cut the cauliflower through its core, forming two halves. Cut those in half again to have 4 working parts. Cut the core or tough stem off each of the 4 parts with a knife and use your fingers to tear off the florets, the small clusters of flowers.
Grate cheese if not already grated.

Cook:

Toss cauliflower florets in 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt, and spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 20 minutes. While the cauliflower is roasting, you’ll make the béchamel sauce, a traditional creamy sauce from flour, butter and milk. In a medium pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter on med/high heat and add ¼ cup flour, whisking until the mixture is like sand and a golden color. Add milk and vegetable broth. Stay on medium-high heat, continuously stirring with a whisk until thickened—approximately 5-7 minutes. Note: it will bubble. That’s ok! You need the heat to help thicken the sauce. You know it’s thick enough when you pick up your whisk and the sauce drips in a slow stream, not fast. Add nutmeg, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat; add your grated cheeses and stir until melted. In a separate bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil. This will help them brown in the oven but not burn. Remove roasted cauliflower from the oven and toss in the béchamel sauce in the pot. In a greased ovenproof baking dish, pour the cauliflower and béchamel in. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the gratin is bubbly and the cheese and breadcrumbs are melted and brown.
Toss cauliflower florets in 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt, and spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Roast for 20 minutes.
While the cauliflower is roasting, you’ll make the béchamel sauce, a traditional creamy sauce from flour, butter and milk.
In a medium pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter on med/high heat and add ¼ cup flour, whisking until the mixture is like sand and a golden color.
Add milk and vegetable broth.
Stay on medium-high heat, continuously stirring with a whisk until thickened—approximately 5-7 minutes. Note: it will bubble. That’s ok! You need the heat to help thicken the sauce.
You know it’s thick enough when you pick up your whisk and the sauce drips in a slow stream, not fast.
Add nutmeg, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine.
Turn off the heat; add your grated cheeses and stir until melted.
In a separate bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil. This will help them brown in the oven but not burn.
Remove roasted cauliflower from the oven and toss in the béchamel sauce in the pot.
In a greased ovenproof baking dish, pour the cauliflower and béchamel in. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the gratin is bubbly and the cheese and breadcrumbs are melted and brown.

Savory Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apple and Pomegranate

Serving size: 4-6

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Brussels sprouts, 2 cups (approx. 14)
Apple, 1 (pink lady, Fuji, or a sweeter variety)
Onion (yellow), 1
Olive oil, 2 TBS
Butter, 1 TBS
Balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp.
Pomegranate, 1 (use 1/4 cup seeds)
Salt, 1 tsp. (divided)

Directions

Note on substitutions: Any sweet variety of apples will work great. We wouldn’t use a green apple, as it’s too tart. Buy a whole pomegranate and use the leftover seeds to top yogurt, breakfast oatmeal, and your dinner salads.

Prep:

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Cut Brussels sprouts into thin round discs.
Dice onion.
Dice apple (with skin on).
Remove pomegranate seeds from pomegranate.

Cook:

Toss sliced Brussels sprouts in 1-tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and roast on a lined cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes or until browned. Some of the smaller pieces will get very brown and crispy. This is great and will add texture to the dish. You are not burning them!
Sauté the diced onion and apple in 1-tablespoon olive oil and 1/2-teaspoon salt for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat, until the onion is soft and the apple is still a little crunchy.
Add in the roasted Brussels sprouts, 1-tablespoon butter, and 1-teaspoon balsamic vinegar.
To serve, top with about ¼ cup of pomegranate seeds.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Crème Cheese Frosting

Emily Luchetti

Makes 1 cake, serving about 10

4 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup pecan pieces

1, 9-10 inch bundt pan

Cream Cheese Glaze

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan with nonstick

cooking spray or butter.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs by hand with the sugar until the

mixture is well combined. Whisk in the oil and then the pumpkin puree.

3. Stir in the flour, spices and salt into the pumpkin mixture until everything is well combined and the batter is smooth.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until a bamboo skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

5. Let cool for 30-45 minutes in the pan. Remove the cake from the pan by inverting it and gently tapping one side against the counter, letting the cake gently fall out of the pan onto a platter.

6. Using a narrow metal spatula, or a table knife, spread the glaze (see recipe below) over the top of the cake and down the sides a little,

leaving a portion of the cake exposed at the bottom. Sprinkle the

top of the cake with the pecan pieces. Cut into wedges for serving.

Cream Cheese Glaze

Using the stand mixer or a handheld mixer and medium bowl,

on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the

sugar and vanilla extract and mix in thoroughly.

Week of 11/24/18 - Holiday Shopping

Oxbow Public Market - 610 1st St, Napa, CA 94559

http://oxbowpublicmarket.com/

Mill Valley Lumber Yard - 129 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941

http://www.millvalleylumberyard.com/

Downtown Half Moon Bay

https://www.visithalfmoonbay.org/articles/half-moon-bays-main-street-gateway-seaside-town

Kimochi Silver Bells Arts and Crafts and Food Faire

Saturday, December 15, 2018
10:00AM-4:00PM
The Event Center at St Mary’s Cathedral
1111 Gough Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

https://www.kimochi-inc.org/news_events/ki_calendar.htm

Week of 4/14/18:

Week of 8/17/17:

Best and Worst cities for first time homebuyers

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-first-time-home-buyers/5564/

Week of 8/10/17:

Point Bonita Light House

https://www.nps.gov/goga/pobo.htm

The Inkwells

www.marincountyparks.org

The Inkwells are small pools beside Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Lagunitas, West Marin. They aren't marked, but they're easy to find. Use 8889 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Lagunitas if you're using GPS. When driving along Sir Francis Drake Blvd., the Inkwells are just beyond where the houses stop and Samuel P. Taylor State Park begins. As you cross Shafter Bridge, the Inkwells are directly on your right, underneath a reddish-colored bridge. Parking is available across the street at the Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area (https://www.marinwater.org/315/Fish-Viewing)

Samuel P. Taylor State Park

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=469

East Brother Light Station - Dinner, Bed & Breakfast

http://www.ebls.org/

Rock City - Mount Diablo State Park

Mount Diablo State Park - South Gate Road Entrance

2675 Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard

Blackhawk, 94506

3.5 miles further up the road is a parking lot and entrance to Rock City

Cost: $10 per vehicle

Week of 4/8/17:

Week of 3/25/2017: