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
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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.
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.
Artichoke Pesto Bruschetta
Tuscan Summer Salad
Gigante White Beans with Roasted Red Bell Peppers
Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Sundried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Basil & Toasted Pine Nuts
Bucatini with Porcini Mushroom Sauce
Rustic Berry Tart
Call Now for reservations
562-296-5421
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Is your garden overflowing with tomatoes? I always grow too many and one of my favorite ways to make them go a little farther is to oven dry them. Much like sun dried, these concentrated gems pack a powerful punch and can be used in any dish where you’d use tomatoes. Especially nice on a cheese plate with some creamy goat cheese nearby.
To preserve them I turn them into a tomato confit and keep in my ‘pantry’ refrigerator. They can’t be water bath canned because of the oil, but they will keep for about 6 months in the refrigerator, if they last that long. The refrigeration will also help to preserve the oil and keep it from going rancid quicker. Use only fresh organic herbs and make sure you wash and dry them very well, you don’t want any water going into your beautiful confit.
Mangia (Eat!)
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Arrange the tomato halves cut side up and close together on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper.
In a bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Drizzle over tomatoes and bake until the tomatoes are soft and shriveled but still retain some moisture, 1-2 hours or more.
Let cool completely. Tomatoes can be stored in a glass jar, cover tomatoes with olive oil, add a fresh sprig of thyme, seal and refrigerate.
Photo: Chez Pim
with
Thur. June 9th
6:30 – 8:30. approximately
Seal Beach Tasting Room
$45.00
By Reservation Only (562) 296-5421
Sponsored by
Photo: Food Network BBC
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
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
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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
Here’s a great ‘From The Pantry’ appetizer, serve up with any dip or all alone!
Great out of the pantry appetizer….
Fill three bowls, from left to right, with the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs. Stuff the olives with your choice of fillings.
Spear and olive with a toothpick (optional- you can use your hands if you like) and coat it in the flour evenly, shaking off the excess, into the egg, and then roll it in the bread crumbs. Use a fork to pop it off the toothpick onto a plate. Repeat until all of the olives are crumbed.
Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan until it reaches 350°F on a deep-fat thermometer or a candy thermometer. Place a few of the olives at a time in the bowl of a slotted metal spoon and lower them into the oil. Fry in batches until golden brown, less than 1 minute. Fish out the olives with a spoon and transfer them to paper towels. Spritz them with lemon while sizzling, if you like. Serve hot.
The flavor of this soup relies on using a good and flavorful beef stock. Read the label to make sure it’s not over salted. Or you could try making a batch of your own!
Heat the olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker**.
Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown in batches, don’t crowd the meat or it will steam and not brown. Remove the meat and set aside. If using already cooked meat skip this step and jump ahead.
Add a little more olive oil to the pan if necessary, add the vegetables and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.
Add the barley and the reserved meat; simmer the soup for another 15 or 20 minutes, until the barley is tender. Season with a little salt and pepper if needed and enjoy.
To cook barley, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the barley. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, drain, and set aside.
**To pressure cook the soup: After browning the meat, add the stock and barley to the pan, place the lid on the pressure cooker, bring to full pressure and cook for 10 min. I let the pressure cooker naturally release pressure before continuing.
Add vegetables and return to pressure over high heat. Cook 15 minutes and let pressure release. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Barley photo credit, Fine Cooking. To read about barley follow this link, Fine Cooking-Barley
