Hot August Menu!
Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30
August 11th & 25th
Temecula Olive Oil Tasting Room
Seal Beach
Call Now for reservations
562-296-5421
Sponsored by
Ceviche:
Chop the white fish into small dice, add to a mixing bowl and set aside.
Clean the pepper of stems, seeds and ribs and mince into a fine dice. You may want to wear glove to do this.
Mix all ingredients together well; making sure it’s all covered by the lime juice and olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Tomato Broth:
Place the bread into the bowl of a food processor and process until you have coarse crumbs. Add remaining ingredient and process until pureed. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Ladle some tomato broth into a cup or bowl. Place avocado into center of bowl, place ceviche into the center and top with lemon zest and a sprig of cilantro.
Seafood Gazpacho Shooters
Prosciutto & Melon Skewers
Steak Sandwiches with Blue Cheese Butter, Heirloom Tomatoes, Pickled Onions & Arugula
Pan Seared Shishito Peppers
French Style Fingerling Potato Salad
Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Peaches
Call Now for reservations
562-296-5421
Sponsored by
There is nothing like summers sweet corn on the cob. The tables at the farmers market this weekend were loaded with all kinds of corn and great prices make you want to stock up but corns sweetness will turn to starch the longer it’s stored. There’s an old saying that you should start the water boiling for the corn before you pick it. But if you don’t have a corn field in your back yard here are a couple of tips to help maintain that sweetness.
One, don’t peel and husk your corn, leave it in its little corn jacket and store in the refrigerator. This won’t maintain it’s sweetness long but it will stay sweet for about a day.
Two, peel and husk your corn, freeze separately and when frozen wrap in plastic and pop into a freezer bag. Use within a few weeks for best results.
Three, (this is my favorite), peel a few leaves off the outer ear but leave the husk and some leaves still attached. Chop off the very top and the bottom. Here’s another tip for you-usually corn worms are only found in the top of the ear, just lop that part off, the corn is still good to eat and it means that the farmer didn’t dust the corn with insecticide (a good thing). Put the corn into the microwave and cook for 5 minutes, remove carefully it will be hot. Place in a colander in the sink and run some cool water over it. After it cools, refrigerate and it will hold it’s sweetness for a day or two.
Here’s one of my favorite hot weather dinner salads using sweet corn right off the cob!
Dressing
In a jar or small bowl add vinegar, shallots, Dijon mustard and parsley flakes, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. As soon as the dressing starts to thicken stop and taste the dressing, if it needs more continue to add the olive oil while whisking. Any extra dressing may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Tear the lettuce leaves into large pieces and add to a large bowl and toss with a little of the dressing. Add the corn, cucumber, tomato and shrimp and toss again with a little dressing. Lightly mix in the avocado and place into shallow bowls or large plates, sprinkle with bacon and cheese and serve extra dressing on the side.
Makes 2 entrée salads
Notes:
Pick up fresh corn from the farmers market, not the supermarket. The sugar in corn starts to turn to starch when it’s picked so by the time it gets to the supermarket much of the sweetness will be gone. When you get the corn home here’s an easy trick to help keep the sweetness in for a day or two. Remove some of the outer leaves but not all. Cut the top and bottom off the ear and microwave for 5 minutes. It will be hot when you bring it out of the microwave so run some cool water over it and set it aside to cool completely. This method is similar to blanching and shocking your vegetables. Use right away (peel the remaining leaves and silk then slice off the cob) or store in the refrigerator for a day or two.
In the hot weather buy the shrimp already cooked for an easy meal at the end of the day. If you purchase raw shrimp to cook it simply bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning and cook at a slow boil (bubbles just break the surface) until the shrimp is done, about 5 minutes. To test the shrimp simply take one out, run cool water over it, peel, devein and eat it!
Pomegranate vinegar can be ordered from Temecula Olive Oil Co.
Place a steamer basket into a large pot, fill with water to just above steamer bed, bring to a boil while you prepare the artichokes.
Cut about 1” – 2” off the top of the artichokes with a serrated knife. Trim the stem to the desired length. Pull off any of the smaller leaves near the bottom and take a pair of kitchen shears to cut the prickly edge off the remaining leaves. Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise, rub the artichoke with a cut lemon, add the lemon juice and rind to the pot of boiling water and place the artichokes in the steamer. Cook for 30 minutes, remove the artichokes and let cool. Remove the choke with a spoon and set the artichoke halves into a large bowl. Toss the artichokes with olive oil and season with a little sea salt and pepper.
Heat your grill to medium-high heat and grill artichokes until slightly charred, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Serve with Walt's Wharf dipping sauce.
When I got my first community garden, the city had to run an ad to get people interested in gardening. That was 20 yrs ago, today we have a 3 year waiting list for available plots.
The first thing I did was research, which I love to do, on the best way to grow organic vegetables. The one book I kept going back to was ‘Square Foot Gardening’ by Mel Bartholomew, an engineer who redesigned the backyard garden in order to grow more vegetables in a smaller space. We all learned to garden from books and farmers who grew in large spaces on large farms, we don’t need to use their methods in our little backyards.
Mel’s design was basic, a 4 x 4’ raised bed with 6” sides (or taller) set upon landscape fabric to prevent weed or grass growth, other materials could also be used, then filled with equal portions of vermiculite, peat moss and compost and then divided into 16 one foot spaces. In each space Mel created a planting guide depending on the recommended space for each seed. Such as corn gets 1’ space to itself and so do tomatoes because they are large plants, smaller veggies can be planted 4, 16 or 18 to a square. We can help you understand that, we’ll be talking about Square Foot Gardening this Sat, May 14 at 10 a.m. at The Plant Stand in Costa Mesa.
You can also check out Mel’s book and website,
http://www.melbartholomew.com/what-is-square-foot-gardening/
Or
http://squarefootgardening.org/square-foot-gardening-method
2972-A Century Place
(In the back)
Costa Mesa, Ca
(714) 966-0797
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.
At
Thursday, April 21st
We have a few seats left, don’t delay
SIGN UP NOW!
6:30-8:30, approximately
Here is the sauce class you have all been asking for!
All sauces are are variations of French Cuisine’s ‘Mother Sauces’. We’ll share the most basic sauces and their variations and how best to adapt them to easy everyday cooking.
Winter Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries & Walnuts
Pomegranate French Style Vinaigrette, Pomegranate Vinegar
Seared White Fish with Lemon Olive Oil Dill Sauce
With White Wine Poached Seasonal Vegetables, Lemon Olive Oil
Irish Mac & Cheese with Smoked Bacon Au Gratin, Hickory Smoked Olive Oil
Minted Shortcakes with Grand Marnier Strawberry Sauce, Orange Olive Oil
Call (562) 296-5421 for reservations
Sponsored by
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
