We came, we canned, and we conquered! August 9, 2013 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment This past weekend, Chef Jean and I had the pleasure of working alongside eleven eager guests of Marcel’s preserving workshop. For two days we chopped, diced, and measured, sampled, adjusted, boiled, simmered, ladled, lidded, water-bathed and finally canned jams, chutneys, and preserves. Day one was filled with questions and answers, trials and adjustments, past experiences and shared tricks and tips. Everyone left that day armed with new knowledge, a sense of accomplishment, and two warm jars of sticky fig jam and brined squash and onion relish. Day two began revisiting what we learned, welcoming a new guest to the group, and offering up a few confessions (it was Sunday after all and Jean and I had gone a bit wayward on a couple of recipes the day before!). A busier day, but a more confident one for all; what seemed intimidating yesterday, seemed routine today. When the day was over we had toasted the fruits (and vegetables) of our labor, and canned towers of treats to savor and share. Citrus marmalade, and ginger mango chutney, peach preserves, sweet and sour pickled onions, cherry chipotle relish, and jardinière More importantly, and I’ll speak for myself here, I left on Sunday recalling just 24 hours ago, when on Saturday we all dipped our toes into unknown intrepid canning waters, and ended up preserving a truly memorable experience with truly wonderful people.
Chilled Corn Soup with Chile Crema August 2, 2013 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Chilled Corn Soup with Chile Crema 2013-08-02 20:39:11 This soup tastes like a bite of fresh corn and is a lovely way to begin an alfresco meal. Print Ingredients 9 Medium-large ears of corn on the cob, shucked with cobs reserved Salt, pepper and sugar to taste 3/4 cup Mexican crema 2 teaspoons Minced chipotle Instructions Bring one quart of water to boil. Add the reserved corn cobs and simmer 10 minutes. Remove the cobs. Add the shucked corn and simmer 2 minutes. Strain the corn from the water, reserving the water. Working in batches, puree the corn in a blender using the reserved water to liquefy the corn. Use only enough water to help liquefy the corn. (Don’t discard the water yet, though!) Blend until liquefied. As you finish pureeing each batch, dump the mixture into a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl, and using a flexible spatula, press hard on the mixture to strain out as much liquid as possible. Press hard! This is where the corn flavor will come from. Keep pressing until the remaining mash is dry and begins to form a clump in the strainer. Discard the mash and repeat with the remaining batches. The soup should be silky smooth. (I don’t recommend an immersion blender for this soup, the blades get gummed up from the corn.) If the final mixture is too thick, add in a bit of the reserved cooking water. Chill the soup until it’s cold. Just before service, stir the chipotle into the crema (or substitute full fat sour cream.) Ladle the soup into small bowls or shot glasses and top with a dollop of the crema. By Robin Nathan Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Zucchini, Chickpea, and Edamame Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette August 2, 2013 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Zucchini, Chickpea, and Edamame Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette 2013-08-02 20:28:34 Print Ingredients 1 cup edamame 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 zucchini, diced ½ small red onion, thinly sliced 6-8 romaine lettuce leaves, roughly chopped 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, broken into small chunks 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt Lemon Vinaigrette ¼ cup white wine vinegar ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme ½ teaspoon ground red pepper ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ¾ cup olive oil Instructions Combine all vinaigrette ingredients together then slowly incorporate oil – you may not need all the oil. Taste and adjust after adding half the oil. Set aside Combine the sugar snap edamame, tomatoes, chickpeas, zucchini, red onion and toss. Toss in romaine, Parmesan, basil, and salt. Toss with vinaigrette right before serving. By Kelly Sears Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Roasted Haricots Verts with Balsamic Reduction and Parmigiano-Reggiano Shards August 2, 2013 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Roasted Haricots Verts with Balsamic Reduction and Parmigiano-Reggiano Shards 2013-08-02 20:22:28 Print Ingredients Nonstick vegetable oil spray 1 pounds Haricots Verts, trimmed 2 large shallots, peeled, and sliced 6 large fresh thyme sprigs 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and Fresh Black Pepper 1 chunk Parmigiano-Reggiano Balsamic Reduction 1 pint balsamic vinegar 1 Tablespoon honey 1 bay leaf 4 whole cloves Instructions Position 1 rack center of oven and preheat to 450°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray or use parchment paper. Combine haricots verts, shallots, and thyme in large bowl. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Toss and spread in even layer on prepared sheet. Roast vegetables 10-15 minutes total. Toss 1/2 way thru cooking until brown in spots. Transfer vegetables to bowl. Drizzle with Balsamic Reduction. With a vegetable peeler, drop shards of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season with salt and pepper. BALSAMIC REDUCTION Pour the balsamic vinegar into a heavy bottomed saucepan and place over moderate heat. Stir in the honey, drop in the bay leaves and optional cloves or herbs and bring to a low boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer and allow the vinegar to reduce slowly. After an hour or so, when it has lost more than half of its original volume, the vinegar will start to appear syrupy, and you should watch it closely. To use as a glaze, cook the sauce to 1/3 of its original volume (when it will measure 2/3 cup). It should be the consistency of molasses, thick but still spreadable. Pour the syrup through a small strainer into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup. Discard the bay leaves and seasonings. By Jamie Bordoshuk Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/