Spring is here! Time to plant an herb garden to use for all your cooking creations!
Chef Debbi will share tips and tricks to growing and using a successful herb garden. Choose from several varieties of herbs, add a colorful jute ribbon and create a decorative sign for you creation. Chef Debbi will share her herbal scone recipe and a tasting as well.
Reservations
Call Rancho Los Alamitos at (562) 431-3541 or for more information and pay on line links click on the lavender sprig.
May 2-4, 2014
One of the joys of being a chef in California is the incredible produce available throughout the year. But my inspiration comes alive in the spring with a feast of the senses. The first crops of specialty produce are coming to market, trees are moving from fragrant blossoms to setting fruit, and one of my favorite spring destinations is the Central Coast where we have planned our first weekend culinary tour of the year.
I invite you to get away from the city, leave work and chores behind, and find a bit of your own inspiration. The drive alone is worth the trip and you can read more about it below. Add in some great cooking, behind the scenes tours and tastings, and the fabulous Cambria Pines Lodge as your home base for two delicious, days.
Join me, Chef Debbi and my Debettes
as we explore sensory delights amidst the Central Coast
Be a spring early bird and book now and pay in full by
April 1 for only $650 double occupancy. Price peeps up to $675 on April 2.
Quick, Make Your Reservation!
Friday Events
May 2
Afternoon arrival and check in at Cambria Pines Lodge, all cozy fireplace rooms
Self Guided Tour of Cambria’s fabulous Farmers Market
Cooking Class Meet and Greet Party
Saturday Events
May 3
Meet in the Cambria Pines Lodge lobby after breakfast and travel to Paso Robles with The Wine Wrangler
Central Coast Lavender Farm Tour, Discussion and Tasting
Rangeland Ranch Winery Tour and Tasting
Vineyard Lunch Prepared by Chef Debbi and the Debettes
Pasolivo Olive Oil Tasting
Various Winery Stops as time allows
Return to Cambria approximately 4 p.m. for a personal afternoon and evening
Sunday Events
May 4
Check out and meet in the Cambria Pines Lodge lobby after breakfast at 10
for a caravan to Paso Robles Farmland
Tour Biodynamic Farm, Windrose Farm with Bill and Barbara Spencer
(always something exciting happening here!)
Farm Luncheon
This Central Coast culinary tour was requested by several past attendees so register now to reserve your space and take advantage of the discount pricing.
Questions – let me know. Hope you’ll celebrate spring with us.
info@debskitchen.com
562-243-3926
6:30-8:30
Menu
Spinach Salad with Sweet and Sour Bacon and Shallot Dressing
Beef Wellington Tarts
Seared Snow Peas with Sweet Peppers
Tues., March 4th 6:30
Join us March 4th for a look at how to improve your knife skills. Don’t know the difference between chopping and slicing? What is a chiffonade, a julienne and a dice? Don’t worry you can learn all these and how to properly use, store and use a knife safely. Learn how to cut vegetables, onions, shallots and how to cut up a chicken.
Appetizers will be served
Chef Debbi will prepare a hearty chicken and vegetable soup with the ingredients.
Reservations being taken now.
Taking a mid-spring fling is a great way to enjoy the bounty of the Central Coast and take in the newness of the season. Be a spring early bird and book now and pay in full by April 1 (nothing foolish here) for only $650 double occupancy. Price peeps up to $675 on April 2.
Itinerary
Friday
Afternoon arrival and check in at Cambria Pines Lodge, all cozy fireplace rooms
Self Guided Tour of Cambria’s fabulous Farmers Market
Cooking Class Meet and Greet Party
Saturday
Meet in the lobby of the Lodge and travel to Paso Robles with The Wine Wrangler
Central Coast Lavender Farm Tour, Discussion and Tasting
Rangeland Ranch Winery Tour and Tasting
Vineyard Lunch Prepared by Chef Debbi and the Debettes
Pasolivo Olive Oil Tasting
Various Winery Stops
Return to Cambria approximately 4 p.m. for a personal afternoon and evening
Sunday Events
Check out and meet in Lodge lobby at 10 for a caravan to Paso Robles Farmland
Tour Biodynamic Farm, Windrose Farm with Bill and Barbara Spencer
Farm Luncheon
Growing Asparagus
Asparagus is a very hardy, cool-season perennial vegetable, which can produce a spring harvest for 10-20 years! Therefore, it must be planted in a “dedicated bed”. It can be grown from seed, but most often is grown from 1-2 year old “crowns” (rhizomes), which is offered in January.
For 6 crowns, you will need a dedicated area measuring 6’ wide x 6’ long.
For 13 crowns, you will need a dedicated area measuring 6’ wide x 10’ long.
Crowns are dormant and must be planted within one week; you may keep them in the refrigerator, so they don’t break dormancy, until you can plant out.
Asparagus requires rich, fertile, well-drained soil, with a pH of 7.0 – 7.2.
Mix in lots of compost. If gophers are a problem for you, install wire barriers down in the bed before planting. Be sure the bed is as weed-free as possible. They prefer full sun.
Be sure the soil is at least 50 degrees. Dig a trench 12-15” deep (roughly twice the length of the roots), and allow 3-4’ between rows. Mound up soil inside the trench to create a cone 6” tall; cones should be 1’ apart. If you are trenching down into regular soil, prepare the bed by the “double dig” method, adding in compost to assure a well-draining soil.
Over each cone, drape the roots of one asparagus crown. Begin filling the trench with soil, up to just 1” above the crowns, to start. Firm the plants in well. As the plants grow and shoots emerge, begin covering the crowns with more soil until the trench becomes level with the soil surface. Water well each time.
Asparagus takes a few years to fully mature. Do not harvest any shoots the first year; after they emerge, let them leaf out so the foliage can nourish the growing roots and rhizome for future production. Remember that good things come to those who wait!
You can begin to harvest lightly the shoots in the second year for about a month. The fleshy roots still need to develop and support perennial growth in future seasons. Plants that are harvested too much, too soon will become spindly and weak, and perhaps not recover. To harvest, simply cut or snap the spears 1-2” below the soil and at least 2” above the crown.
Subsequent harvests generally last for 8-12 weeks. Be sure to harvest daily during the season; either use or refrigerate immediately in a plastic bag. 6-8” is the optimum size. Don’t leave them to become tall and woody.
If you want blanched asparagus, which is a gourmet treat, mound soil around them (or otherwise exclude light from them so they do not form chlorophyll.)
At the end of the harvest, let the spears leaf out and become ferny. It can make a nice tall border. When the foliage yellows, cut it down to 2” stubs and add a 4-6” mulch of compost or leaves, which will help control weeds and feed the soil with organic matter and nutrients. If you live in an area with lots of frost, you can help protect your plants (which are hardy down to zone 4) by adding a thick layer of compost and straw to the bed.
Next Spring, be sure to weed the bed thoroughly, but pull the weeds instead of hoeing them to prevent damaging the plants, which are spreading out underground. The 6 or 13 plants you’ve planted will eventually fill out the entire bed, and you will enjoy this fantastic veggie for many, many years!
Written by Jo Ann Trigo of Two Dog Nursery. Jo Ann and Alex have many other growing guides on their site under Helpful Guides, visit them soon.
(Photo: Danny Johnston, AP)
From Bruce Horowitz, USA Today
Under pressure from consumers and activist groups, General Mills says it will stop using genetically modified ingredients to make its original Cheerios cereal.
While the oats used to make Cheerios have never contained any genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the company did make changes to its sourcing — and now, for example, only uses non-GMO pure cane sugar instead of beet sugar, says spokesman Mike Siemienas.
The change was made “many weeks” ago, says Siemienas, who declined to be more specific on the timing. “We do value our Cheerios fans and we do listen to their thoughts and suggestions,” he says, in an e-mail.
Some consumers have health and environmental concerns over the use of GMOs, though there is little scientific proof that products made with GMOs are less safe. The move is being hailed by anti-GMO activist groups as a major victory. It comes at a time activists have been increasingly pressuring American food makers to remove GMOs from all foods — or, at the very least, label all foods that do contain GMOs.
Last year, Whole Foods became the first national grocery chain to require all of its suppliers to label all products that contain GMOs by 2018. In the past year, Chipotle announced plans to phase out GMOs and Kashi is also is taking action to phase out GMOs.
But General Mills has no plans to phase out GMOs from its other cereals in the U.S, even though most Cheerios varieties sold in Europe are made without GMOs. “For our other (non-organic) cereals, the widespread use of GM seed in crops such as corn, soy, or beet sugar would make reliably moving to non-GM ingredients difficult, if not impossible,” says the company, in a statement.
Even then, the latest action by Cheerios maker General Mills could nudge other big food makers to follow.
“This is a big deal,” says Todd Larsen, corporate responsibility director at Green America, a green economy activist group. “Cheerios is an iconic brand and one of the leading breakfast cereals in the U.S.” What’s more, he adds, “We don’t know of any other example of such a major brand of packaged food, eaten by so many Americans, going from being GMO to non-GMO. ”
One year ago, the group used social media efforts to rally consumers to pressure General Mills to make Cheerios without GMOs. Cheerios was picked, in part, because it’s one of the first foods given to many toddlers.
As for the taste of Cheerios, well, that won’t change, says Siemienas. “Cheerios remains the same great-tasting, wholesomely good cereal that’s been a family favorite for years.”
Deb’s Kitchen Botanicals are created by warm sun, fertile soil, and fresh water combined with a generous appreciation for the healing and health power found in nature.
Feed your skin inside and out – naturally
My search for a healthy skin care alternative began in 2010, when my sensitive skin could no longer tolerate commercial creams and lotions. Maybe it was the petroleum products, perhaps the alcohol, something in the fragrance or dyes, I couldn’t say. But I knew I needed something to protect and heal my skin from all my time spent outside digging in the dirt or inside frequently washing my hands and cooking utensils. My livelihood, let alone my personal comfort, rested on finding a product that I felt good about putting on my skin and my skin felt good about – period.
The first product I really needed was a burn balm. I’m a chef, and no matter how careful I am in the kitchen, I can’t avoid the occasional hot pot.
Cyber Mon (through Wed!) Deals
Pricing Good Through Wed. Dec 4
FREE SHIPPING INCLUDED!
For hundreds of years, people across the globe have made their own health treatments. Through experimentation we have unlocked the power of botanicals. This is kitchen science. I began experimenting with ingredients known for healing skin such as African shea butter, aloe vera, and calendula oil. However, as a chef, I understand that even simple ingredients need a bit of enhancement. Think of berries with just a bit of sugar to heighten sweetness or a pinch of salt on a garden tomato. The right combination of ingredients, even for a lotion, can be transformative. And personally, I like lotions with particular textures and soothing fragrances.
I began researching ingredients often just wandering through my garden seeking out fragrances that I liked and testing herbs with known therapeutic properties.
The process was slow, much in the same way it is when I develop recipes. But when it’s good, it’s really good. I shared the first batches with family and friends and I quickly knew from the calls and request for refills that my ideas about quality ingredients held true for everything in my life. Deb’s Kitchen Botanicals was born.
I believe strongly in the earth-health connection. What goes into the soil eventually ends up in our bodies. That’s why I practice sustainable gardening, cook with organic and local ingredients, and use natural cleaners. It followed that the care I was taking in how I was feeding my insides should also go into the ingredients I was using on my skin.
Deb’s Kitchen Botanicals are made with organic and natural ingredients that are both preservative and chemical free.
1 medium organic* russet potato person
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 -2 tablespoons butter, REAL BUTTER, unsalted
1/2 cup milk (cream if you want to be decadent, or mix the two)
Sea Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon sour cream, optional
1 teaspoon chives, optional
1 tablespoon grated cheese, optional
Wash potatoes and then cut into large chunks, place into a large saucepan and cover with cool water. Add a tablespoon of Kosher salt, bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
Heat the butter with the milk (I use the microwave). If you use the microwave wait to heat until the potatoes are cooked. Drain the potatoes and peel the skin off with tongs. For creamy soft mashed potatoes slip through a ricer into the still hot saucepan that you cooked them in (without any water!) If you don’t have a ricer just put the chunks back into the pan, place on the stove over low heat for a minute or two. This helps to dry them a little further so they absorb the butter and milk more evenly.
Add enough butter and milk (or cream) to the potatoes and lightly mashed with a potato masher, they should come together easily. Don’t overwork the potatoes or they can turn gummy. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste and add any optional ingredients, serve.
If you’re making potatoes for a crowd they can be made about 1 hour ahead of time and kept warm on low in a preheated slow cooker! (I don’t remember where I learned that trick but thank you to whoever it was that shared it)
*Organic potatoes, all kinds of pesticides and sprays are used on conventional potatoes to keep bugs from eating them while they grow. Then to harvest them and finally to keep them from sprouting in the store. Choose organic for your health.
Join me at The Plant-Stand in Costa Mesa for our last class of the year! We’ll be sharing some tips and tricks for creating great seasonal appetizers from your pantry and garden.
Sat Dec. 7th 10 a.m.
Free!
Join us for some talk and a tasty treat!
There are two methods to making a smooth and easy gravy. It’s much easier if you prepare or purchase a good turkey or chicken stock a few days ahead of time. Below you’ll find a recipe for home-made chicken/turkey stock if you prefer to make your own. Make it ahead of time, refrigerate for three days or freeze for up to three months. This will also make it easier to remove any fat that has congealed on the top.
The thickening agent in an easy gravy is flour, you could use cornstarch but if you cook it too long the cornstarch will start to break down. The two methods are Beurre Manie or Roux. Both can be made ahead of time and both can be refrigerated for weeks or frozen in to ‘logs’ and then you can cut off any amount you may need for your dish.
Both methods require equal amounts of fat and flour, usually butter. Use approximately 1 tablespoon of either mixture per cup of liquid/pan drippings. Any pan drippings should be added to the stock before adding the thickener. If you’d like to defat the pan drippings, pour off liquid and put into the freezer until it begins to harden, about 10 minutes, scrape the fat off the top of the drippings and add the liquid to any stock you are using. Bring to a boil and add thickener as described.
So on to the recipes!
Beurre Manie (Kneaded Butter)
In this case the thickener is added to the hot or boiling stock.
½ cup butter, unsalted and room temperature
½ cup flour
Place butter into a small bowl and mash flour into the butter with the back of a spoon until completely incorporated. Bring your stock to a boil and add Beurre Manie while whisking until thickened.
Roux
Also equal parts butter and flour but the stock or pan drippings are added to the hot melted roux.
Per cup of stock/pan drippings:
1 – 2 tablespoons butter
1 – 2 tablespoons flour
Add butter to a sauté pan and when melted, whisk in flour at all once, keep whisking until thickened and the flour has a chance to cook a little, maybe 1 minute. Add hot liquid while whisking into the roux.
Neither of these methods will result in any clumping as the flour has already bonded with the fat and will melt smoothly into your sauce.
Here’s a good basic ‘Enhanced Chicken Stock’ recipe:
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When I was growing up, if I was lucky enough, once in awhile we’d dine at a fine dining restaurant. They always served a relish tray when the guests were seated, it was to stimulate your taste buds and make you hungry. I miss having those relish trays but once I learned how to make pickled vegetables myself, so easy!, I keep them in the refrigerator almost year round. The vegetables change with the seasons; they can be eaten alone, with cheese and crackers or chopped finely to make a wonderful relish for all kinds of meats. Be creative!
Makes 2 - 3 quarts
Wash and drain vegetables. Sterilize jars and lids in hot water.
Bring vinegar, water, salt, sugar and pickling spice to a boil.
Pack vegetable medley into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Pour hot solution over mix in jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Add liquid to bring headspace to 1/4 inch. Wipe jar rims.
Refrigerate and let stand 2 days before serving. Will last several weeks refrigerated.
For longer storage, process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes.*
*Follow jar manufacturers directions for filling and processing jars.
