Sliced Green Zebra &  Orange Heirloom Tomatoes
Fresh Burrata Cheese
Pistachio, Caper, Shallot, Green Peppercorn Relish
Chiffonade of Fresh Basil

Pistachio Relish

Inspired by the July issue of Food & Wine magazine, this is one of many crazy good recipes we prepared on our recent vacation in Oregon. The issue featured “best new chefs & their simplest recipes.” Right up our vacation alley!

“In-flight magazine”
Reading Food & Wine on the plane.

One recipe we loved was Green Tomatoes with Pistachio Relish
by Chef James Syhabout of Commis restaurant in Oakland, California.

Three Sisters

The Three Sisters are three volcanic peaks of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range in Oregon, each of which exceeds 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in elevation. The three peaks have 15 named glaciers among them, nearly half of all the 35 named glaciers in Oregon. The Sisters were named Faith, Hope, and Charity by early settlers.  (from wikipedia here)

Drizzle tomato slices with olive oil and sea salt. Cut burrata ball into wedges.

Spoon relish over tomatoes and cheese.

Pistachio Relish

• 1/3 c. salted roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 c. finely chopped shallot
• 2 T. small capers, rinsed
• 2 T.  rice wine vinegar
• 2 t. sugar
• 1 t. brined peppercorns
• 2 T. olive oil

Combine all ingredients, let stand 30 minutes.

We added burrata to the Chef’s original version and we adjusted the relish recipe so it could be served in a half hour.  Chef Syhabout’s recipe involves pickling the ingredients overnight.

Finish with fresh ground black pepper and a chiffonade of basil. Fabulous!

Hiking in Oswald West State Park

Suspension Bridge over Necarney Creek

Necarney Creek

The hiking trail winds its way through the forest and ends at
the Pacific Ocean here at Smugglers Cove.

Please stop back soon for more recipes and photos from our trip to Oregon!

Fans of the ubiquitous Insalata Caprese made with fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil will go wild over our unique Caprese Verrine. Freshly extracted tomato water combined with sea salt and gelatin when chilled, creates a smooth gelée that melts on the tongue tasting of pure tomato flavor, and pure summer heaven! Layered with chopped burrata – fresh mozzarella stuffed with “rags” of mozzarella and heavy cream with all its wonderful delicate creamy, sweet, sour, and earthy flavors. Finished with fresh basil from the garden and our favorite fruity olive oil from California Olive Ranch – this little 2 oz. verrine is our new darling for summer entertaining.

We served the Caprese Verrine as the amuse bouche at our recent Sunken City Supper Club event, “Mediterranean on the Pacific.” It was a fabulous start to an amazing al fresco summer dinner…

Caprese Verrine Recipe

Blend fresh juicy tomatoes in a food processor (or blender) with sea salt.

Press the tomato pulp in a fine mesh sieve to extract all the tomato water.  In a sauce pan, bring 2 c. of tomato water to a simmer. Add 2 t. gelatin and stir gently until gelatin is completely dissolved. Scoop off any foam. Gently pour tomato water into verrines. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until set. We placed some of the verrines tipped to the side in an egg carton to get the gelatin to set on an angle.

Chop burrata cheese, taking care not to lose the cream. Place in a bowl, then spoon the creamy burrata on top of the gelée. Drizzle with good fruity olive oil. Add a bit of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. (If burrata is not available, you can substitute chopped fresh mozzarella mixed with a splash of heavy whipping cream).

Finish with a chiffonade of fresh basil.

We liked the casual look of basil, salt and pepper falling about the little saucer.

Serve the verrines cool, but not too cold, to fully enjoy the tomato and burrata flavors.

Remind your guests to dig the spoon all the way down
to get all the distinct tastes and textures in one bite.

Caprese Verrine: a little bite of summer heaven.

Puff Pastry Pizzette
Red Wine Braised Short Rib
Gorgonzola, Roasted Tomato
Arugula Chiffonade, Malt Vinegar Vinaigrette

May I offer you an appetizer?

We are in summer entertaining mode here @ Taste With The Eyes. Two big parties, back to back. Lots of appetizers! We served this one at both parties, big hit…

Cook short ribs a day ahead.

Brown about 2 lbs. short ribs in half olive oil half butter in an ovenproof casserole. Add a half-bottle of hearty red wine, 2 c. beef broth a few smashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Cook covered in a 325° oven until tender, about 3+ hours.

Chill overnight. Remove the fat, save the juice, shred the meat. Reheat to assemble the pizzettes.

Cut puff pastry sheets into rounds with a cookie cutter. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350° until golden brown.

Poke a hole in the top of the pastry. Add crumbled gorgonzola cheese.

Top each pizzette with a slice of roasted tomato then about a tablespoon of warm (not hot) shredded short rib.

To make the tomatoes: Slice Roma tomatoes crosswise. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Season with salt, pepper, dried oregano. Drizzle with olive oil. Cook in a convection oven at 425° until most of the moisture evaporates and the tomato begins to caramelize.

Finish with ribbons of arugula lightly tossed with a small amount of malt vinegar/olive oil/ salt /pepper.

Happy summer entertaining!

Baja California, Mexico! Have you been? Unfortuately it’s been a few years since I’ve been down there. We loved Ensenada –  a couple decades ago we rode our bicycles 50 miles from Rosarito to Ensenada. That ride is still going strong, in its 31st year. And we always love Los Cabos, with it’s great beaches, restaurants, nightlife and fishing. In Guerrero Negro, where the whales come in the winter to give birth, you can experience them up close in the lagoon.

Fish tacos have been a specialty in Baja, no wonder, as it is a long thin spit of land surrounded by water. Traditionally, the tacos are local fried fish served on a corn tortilla, with shredded cabbage, onion, crema, and lime. That’s the way I remember them sold from street vendors in Ensenada back in the early 80’s. Speaking of Ensenada, have you been to Hussong’s (est. 1892), the oldest cantina in the Californias?

Baja-Style Tortilla Vegetable Soup

This soup recipe came about from a trip we took to Mexico years ago. It’s evolved over the years, the original recipe was made simply with chicken broth and only onion and anaheim chile. I think the current incarnation is really flavorful, authentic tasting, and healthy too!

Sauté chopped onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil until softened. Then add finely chopped chiles (serrano or the milder anaheim) and minced garlic, stirring and cook about 5 more minutes. Add ground cumin and dried Mexican oregano, these herbs are important for the authentic flavor.

Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes. I am a fan of Wolfgang Puck Organic Vegetable Broth.

Corn tortillas are cut into strips then fried in canola oil. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. The corn tortillas contain no cholesterol and no lard. The fried tortillas are a key component, a bag of tortilla chips is an unworthy substitute!

Then add a good amount of shredded cabbage to the soup, and cook until the cabbage is just softened (don’t over cook).

Lastly, add peeled seeded tomatoes to the soup and turn off the heat. Add a small amount of salt if necessary. Add the juice of one lime. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, diced avocado, cilantro leaves, lime quarters, thinly sliced serrano peppers and queso blanco.

Queso blanco is a creamy, soft, and mild unaged white cheese that originated in Spain and spread to Mexico. The name queso blanco is Spanish for “white cheese.” It is made by heating whole fresh milk to near-boiling, adding an acidifying agent such as vinegar, stirring until curds form, then draining the curds in cheesecloth for three to five hours. It has been compared to Indian paneer and to a mild feta, and is considered one of the easier cheeses to make, as it requires no careful handling and does not call for rennet or a bacterial culture. Queso blanco is traditionally made from cow’s milk.  I like this cheese in soup, as it does not melt, but it does soften in the hot broth.

The vegan version of this soup (sans cheese) is also posted on our brand new blog, The Great VEGA’N VEGETARIAN Project, the brainchild of Cynthia Nelson of Tastes Like Home blog, where contributors from around the globe share vegetarian creations. I am so happy to be a contributor to the new blog which launched this past weekend. Please stop by soon! And if you would like to contribute to The Project (you do not need to have a blog) we would love to have your input. Go here.