Join
at
Temecula Olive Oil Co., Seal Beach Tasting Room
For a Demo Cooking Class
Thursday May 5th
Second Class Added
Thur, May 19th
6:30 -8:30
May Menu
(Similar to Paté) with Olives & Cornichons
with Radicchio and Spring Vegetables
Call (562) 296-5421 for reservations
Sponsored by
Tips from Chef Debbi’s presentation at The South Coast Plaza Garden Show
From Your Herbal Garden
General Guideline for Growing Herbs
Most herbs like well-drained soil let slightly dry out except drought tolerant plants (lavender, rosemary) let those dry out a little bit more. Scratch down and inch or two in the pot and if it’s dry water.
Full Sun
Basil – Chives – Dill – Fennel – -Oregano – Rosemary – Tarragon – Thyme – Lemon Verbena
Partial Sun
Chervil – Cilantro (cool season herbs) – Lemon Balm – Mint
Pick before they flower or when they have buds on them
Never harvest more than 1/3 plant, it may not recover
Deadhead some; let others go to seed & flower to attract beneficial insects, butterflies & bees
Annual Herbs such as basil, cilantro, dill, nasturtium that grow and die in a year’s cycle.
Biennial Herbs such as sage and parsley will grow one year and bloom/set seed the next.
Perennial Herbs such as bay (which can be grown in a large container), tarragon, lavender, lemon balm, oregano can grow 3 years or longer.
Container Growing
Some larger herbs, rosemary for one, are better grown in the ground. Good for containers, Ca. bay, thyme, lemon balm (mint), parsley
Using a container, choose an appropriate size
Use an organic potting soil
Check for water needs frequently and fertilize with fish emulsion once a month
Herbs for Tea
Bee Balm, Bergamot, German Chamomile a 2’ annual, Mint
Fennel, leaves & seeds, Lemon Balm (mint family), Lemon Verbena, Mint, Rose Hips (seeds cases)
Pick leaves in the morning, when they have the most oil in the leaves/flowers
1 cup tea=1/4 cup of leaves and/or flowers, steep 5 minutes
Herbs for Potpourri
Lavender, lemon balm, rose, mint, thyme, calendula, bee balm, sweet woodruff
Cooking with Herbs
Keep herbs in a vase with fresh water; remove any leaves from the bottom of the stem that might be submerged. Do not wash until ready to use. Dry in a rolled up paper towel.
Herbs to Use With Food
Chicken: thyme, rosemary, parsley, tarragon
Pork: sage, rosemary, thyme
Fish: lemon verbena or lemon balm, chives, tarragon, dill, cilantro
Beef: rosemary, thyme, parsley
Lamb: rosemary, thyme, mint
Vegetables: thyme, oregano, lemon verbena
Add dried herbs at the beginning of preparing a dish, crush in the palm of your hand or in a mortar and pestle.
Fresh herbs should be added at the end of cooking.
If using fresh in place of dried use 1 – 2 times as many herbs as the recipe calls for
Herb Butters or Cheese
Drain plain yogurt overnight in cheesecloth
Mix with fresh chopped herbs for a cheese dip
Or
Add chopped herbs to room temperature butter,
Roll up in plastic wrap into a cylinder, freeze and slice off a piece to add to fish, steak or chicken.
Herbal Vinegar
Flavor vinegar for use in cooking and in vinaigrettes.
Bruise one cup of leaves for every 2 cups of white wine or delicate vinegar. Allow to steep for two weeks.
Bath Salts
You can use your favorite essential oil or blend. Mix with Epsom salt, essential oil and a little food dye. Let the mixture dry, place in a jar or muslin bag.
Rosemary Lavender Soap Recipe
3 cups glycerin soap base*
1/4 cup infusion of lavender flowers and rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon, lavender oil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary oil
1 pulverized dried rosemary
Combine melted base and herbal ingredients, stir until blended, then pour into molds and cool.
* Craft Stores, Michaels
Lip Balm
1 Tb. + 1 tea. Beeswax, chopped
1 Tb. Shea Butter
3 Tb. Almond, Coconut or Olive Oil
15 drops organic essential oil
Melt everything together over low heat except essential oil. Remove from heat and stir in essential oil. Pour into tubes or tins and let cool.
Thurs. April 28th 2 p.m.
Sun. May 1st 11:30 a.m.
Free
10 – 11 a.m. Free
We’ll be exploring the world of
Moved to Sat. March 19th 10 – 11
Join us for some conversation and a tasty bite!
The Plant Stand
2972-A Century Place
(In the back)
Costa Mesa, Ca
(714) 966-0797
Photo from Earthwise Gardening
We still have some spaces for our March 24th class! Sign up today!
March Menu
Class Dates:
Seal Beach Tasting Room
Thursday, March 10th SOLD OUT!
Catch the same menu on Thurs. March 24th
6:30-8:30, approximately
Call (562) 296-5421 for reservations
Temecula Tasting Room
Saturday, March 12th 12 – 2, approximately
Call (866) 654-8396 for reservations
Photo: Bill Granger’s Leek Tart
Seal Beach
Thur. Feb. 4th Sold Out!! Repeat class available Thur. Feb 18th, don’t miss out!
6:30 – 8:30, approximately
Also presenting this Valentine Day menu in the
Sat. Feb. 13th, 12-2 Still some spots available
See below for reservations
Panzanella Salad with Ca. Avocado
A classic Italian salad with Toasted Bread Cubes
Creamy Ca. Avocado & Blood Orange Olive Oil Vinaigrette
Individual Puff Pastry Filet Mignon Tarts
with Caramelized Onion-Mushroom & Blue Cheese Sauce
Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Gremolata
Spring asparagus with a Garlic-Lemon Dust
Strawberry Brownie Bites
For Seal Beach Reservations please call:
562-296-5421
For Temecula Reservations please call:
951-693-0607
6:30-8:30p.m., approximately
SOLD OUT!
2nd CLASS ADDED
WE’VE ADDED THUR., JAN 28TH
IN SEAL BEACH
CALL FOR RESERVATIONS TODAY!
12-2 p.m., approximately
Menu for both venue’s
Blue Cheese Stuffed Fried Olives with Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Tangerine, Beet & Avocado Salad
Braised Chicken Breast with White Wine Crème Fraîche Sauce
on a bed of Blanched Spinach with Bacon
Tomato Stuffed Raviolis
Meyer Lemon Cupcakes
For Seal Beach Reservations Call:
562-296-5421
For Temecula Reservations please call:
951-693-0607
Sponsored by
DON’T MISS THIS WEEKEND
IN TEMECULA!
Mary Platis, Author of Cooking Techniques & Recipes with Olive Oil &
Chef Debbi, Author of ‘What’s In Your Pantry’
are teaming up to bring you
Cooking From The Pantry Series!
First stop
Temecula Olive Oil Co.
Temecula tasting Room
Cooking Class Demo-Wine Tasting & Book Signing
Sat. Nov. 21st
12 – 2 $45.00
Menu
Mediterranean Vegetables in Olive Oil
Fresh Tomato Risotto
Baby Beets and Brussels sprouts Salad
Turkey Rollatini with White Wine, Porcini Mushroom Pan Sauce
Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake with Vanilla & Fig Balsamic Compote
For Temecula Reservations please call:
951-693-0607
Second stop
Sunday, Nov 22nd
Book Signing and Wine Tasting 12 ~ 2
Sponsored by
Smoked Trout Canapés with Pickled Onions and Mascarpone
Pomegranate, Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Salad
Braciole
Italian Stuffed Beef Rolls
Mushroom Bolognese
Chocolate Raspberry Linzertorte
10 – 20% off on all purchases the night of the class
Class Sponsored by
NOW TAKING RESERVATIONS!
Seal Beach Tasting Room By Reservation only, call: 562-296-5421
Classes are $45; Pre Paid Reservations only
Feel free to BYOB
Back to Your Roots Weekend Tour
Chef Debbi & The Debettes on the Coast
The Debettes & I packed our bags and headed north for some exploratory fun. Since we have one Debette who luckily gets to live in Cambria, the southern ones and I took off for Cambria on a Fri, spent a tasty evening at Sea Chest Restaurant chatting it up with the cooks and left Sat. morning for Santa Cruz and points north.
We inadvertently picked the wrong weekend as all up and down the coast there were graduations and traffic galore but we always have fun no matter what happens! We drove up 101 to just past Monterey and came over to the coast at Moss Landing. Hot and dry inland, Moss Landing was shrouded with fog (we liked that better anyway). Up hwy 1 through very crowded Santa Cruz and up to meet our friends in Pescadero at Harley Goat Farm. Since we were just about an hour behind schedule we all pulled our lunch goodies out and set up one of the picnic tables in the field next to the farm.
Bright and sunny with some little puffy patchy clouds the weather was perfect for an ‘out in the field’ lunch. Fresh baked bread that came with our friend George Menzelos from San Francisco, the olive oil king, and our blogger friend, Robin Ove, from Santa Cruz; George also brought some tasty bakery cookies for dessert. Salami, cheeses, smoked olives (that Robin smoked), farm fresh fruit, avocado, tomato confit and I can’t remember what else. Wine, of course, silly people! It was a lovely lunch in the middle of nowhere.
We really came to see the goats and so we toured the little goat pens, the lovely patio garden and their cute gift shop filled with all things made from goat milk. I believe Harley Farms is the first to use edible flowers on top of their creamy goat cheeses.They make all sorts of products out of goat milk from ‘Baby Bum Balm’, Body Scrub, Facial Tonic to Goat Milk Liquid Soap.
The day is quickly getting away from us and we wanted to make one more stop at Love Apple Farm, which was about an hour away so we packed up and headed out.
More farm touring in the next issue.
Want to join us on a Farm, Food and Wine Tour? Our next adventure is Oct 23-25, 2015, look here for more info……Oct. Farm, Food and Wine Tour
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Generously butter an 8 1/2-x-41/2-inch loaf pan and place the pan on a baking sheet. A cake pan, Bundt cake pan or any other pan may be used; you made need to adjust the cooking time.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Put the sugar and zest in a medium bowl and, with your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic.
Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla and whisking vigorously until the mixture is very well blended.
Still whisking, add the dry ingredients, then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the oil. You’ll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan; it should be golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold, and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.
Glaze (optional)
½ cup lemon marmalade mixed with 1 teaspoon water
To Make the Glaze:
Put the marmalade in a small saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl, stir in the teaspoon of the water and heat until the jelly is hot and liquefied. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the cake with the glaze.
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan
Preheat the oven to 400°. Pre-bake the shell according to directions in Pate Brisée recipe. Let cool to room temperature or cool overnight. Sprinkle with the cooled crust with fontina cheese. Arrange the asparagus pieces around the bottom of the shell, season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs. Serve room temperature or slightly warmed. Can be served along with a light salad tossed with vinaigrette dressing.
Serves 6
If you wanted to turn this into a quiche mix together 4 eggs & one cup of cream, half and half or milk. Pour it over the cheese and asparagus and bake approximately 40 minutes. You may have to cover the edge of the crust with foil to prevent it from burning.
Adapted from 'What's In Your Pantry' by Debbi Dubbs
From ‘What’s In Your Pantry’
www.debskitchen.com
[email protected]
Add flour and salt (sugar also if making Pâte Sucrée) into the bowl of a food processor; pulse a few times to incorporate all the ingredients.
Add the butter and process until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is pea size.
Place the mixture into a wide bowl and add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together. Don’t overwork the dough or it will be tough, not flaky. Once the dough comes together in a ball, divide it into two pieces, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Dough can be wrapped well at this point and frozen for up to three months. Let the dough defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Roll one chilled disk out on a floured counter or rolling mat, lifting and moving the dough every few rolls to help prevent sticking. Add only enough flour to the counter to keep the dough from sticking.
Place your pan on top of the dough to make sure it is the correct size, it should be slightly larger than the pan, then roll the dough onto your rolling pin and unroll over your pan. Gently lift and lay the dough to fit the pan, never pull the dough to stretch it. Lightly press the dough into the pan, roll your rolling pin over the top edge of the tart or pie pan and remove excess pastry.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400°.
To blind bake:
Blind baking is baking the dough without filling.
Prick the bottom and sides of the dough; cut a piece of foil large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the dough, butter the dull side and lay the buttered side on the bottom of the dough and press into the sides. Line with pie weights or dried beans and bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the weights and foil and let cool before filling
Makes 2 - 10” crusts
In a small bowl mix together the shallot, Dijon mustard and vinegar. Add a pinch of sea salt and a little grind of pepper. While whisking slowly pour the oil in until the dressing starts to thicken a little and emulsify. Stop and taste the dressing before adding the remaining oil. You may not need all of the oil depending on the flavor of the vinegar. Add more as necessary.
In a large salad bowl toss together the lettuce, cucumbers and croutons with a little of the dressing. Just until the greens have a shimmer of dressing on them. Season with sea salt and pepper, toss again, taste and adjust dressing and seasonings. Add berries and avocados and drizzle with a little of the dressing.
Serves 6
