Green Beans with Crimini Mushroom Sauce July 22, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Green Beans with Crimini Mushroom Sauce 2015-07-22 14:01:52 Serves 10 Print Ingredients 2 ½ pounds fresh green beans, trimmed 2 T. unsalted butter 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced ½ t. paprika pinch of cayenne pepper 1 pound crimini mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced salt freshly ground black pepper 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth ½ cup sour cream 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice Instructions Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook just until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the beans and refresh them under cold running water. Drain them and pat dry. In a large casserole, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms. Cover and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until the mushrooms are browned, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour and then gradually stir in the stock until the sauce is smooth. Simmer the mushroom sauce over low heat, stirring, until it has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the green beans and simmer until the beans are heated through. Preheat oven to 400 F. Transfer the beans and sauce to a large glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. By Paul Lindemuth Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Gazpacho with Crispy Ham & Croutons July 22, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Gazpacho with Crispy Ham & Croutons 2015-07-20 19:49:25 Print Ingredients 2 cups day-old country bread, torn into pieces 2 garlic cloves, chopped pinch of cumin 1/2 t. Kosher salt 3 pounds ripe in-season tomatoes 1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped 1 red pepper, chopped 2 T. red onion 1/4 cup mild extra virgin olive oil 3 T. sherry vinegar 1/4 pound ham, cubed 1 thick slice of Ciabatta, cubed Instructions Place the bread in a bowl, add cold water to cover, and let soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain the bread and squeeze out excess liquid. Place garlic, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt in a mortal and, using a pestle, mash them to a paste. Place the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, soaked bread and garlic paste in a large bowl. Toss to mix. Let stand for 15 minutes. Add to blender (it may need to be in 2 batches) along with olive oil. Puree until smooth. Transfer soup to a large bowl and season with sherry vinegar and salt to taste. Refrigerate the gazpacho, covered, until chilled. At least 2 hours. In a small skillet, heat a Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add cubed ham and fry until crisp. Remove to bowl leaving olive oil behind. Add cubed bread and fry until browned. Garnish soup with cubes of ham, croutons and a drizzle of olive oil. By Amy Patterson Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Fresh Herbs Create Fresh Flavors by Lynn Dugan July 16, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Whether in your garden or from a farmer’s market or grocer, fresh herbs can create fresh flavors in your kitchen. Fresh herbs can be added as a finish to green salads, sautéed vegetables, bruschetta, pizzas, dips, salsas and dressings – the possibilities are endless. And if you are substituting fresh herbs for dried in a recipe, use a 3:1 ratio. Here are some tips to help with the use and storage of fresh herbs: Pick herbs frequently if home grown. Snip chives often for a sturdy plant with frequent new leaves. Parsley and cilantro, whose new growth comes from the middle, should be picked working from the outside, in. Basil should be picked from top. Scissors are best to trim herbs. Wash herbs gently. Fill a salad spinner with cold water and swirl the herbs gently loosen any dirt. Drain the water and spin the herbs dry. Store Sturdy Herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, chives) by arranging them in a single layer on a slightly damp paper towel. Loosely roll up the paper towel and transfer to a plastic zipper lock bag or wrap it in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator, 2-3 weeks. Store Tender Herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, tarragon) by snipping off the bases of the stems. Transfer them to a large jar with an inch of water in the bottom. Seal the jar by covering it with a plastic bag sealed with a rubber band. Store in the refrigerator 2-3 weeks. Store Basil by snipping off the bases of water at the bottom. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Avoid direct sunlight. And here is a yummy triple herb pesto that can be used with pasta, as a sandwich spread, or in a tortellini salad. It’s herbilicious! Basil-Mint-Parsley Pesto 2015-07-16 15:03:03 Yields 1 Print Ingredients 1-1/2 cup basil ½ cup mint ¼ cup parsley ½ cup hazelnuts or pine nuts, toasted 4 cloves garlic ½ cup parmesan cheese Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 1/4 cup EVOO Instructions In a food processor, blend garlic and nuts. Add basil, mint, parsley and cheese. Occasionally scrape down sides to blend evenly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Slowly drizzle the olive oil to blend. Adjust oil amount, as needed, for proper consistency. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
A Cheese Adventure by Maureen McHugh July 2, 2015 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Would I like to go on a cheese tour of Wisconsin’s Dairyland? Absolutely!! Fortune Fish & Gourmet, in partnership with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, invited Jill and a guest to board a bus for a three day tour that would take us up to Madison where we would explore the Southwest cheese region of Wisconsin. Our primary interest was to see what great cheeses we could identify and bring back to Marché when it opens this fall. What I didn’t expect was to be completely blown away by the farmers and cheesemakers that we met along the way. We met 15 cheesemakers in three days, many who represent generations of European cheesemakers who immigrated to Wisconsin. Here are a few highlights from our cheese adventure. First stop the Crave Brothers, a locally owned, family run dairy farm and creamery, was one of our most anticipated stops. They not only make outstanding fresh cheeses but also do it by practicing farming techniques utilizing 100% green power. By working in harmony with the land and investing in innovative farming practices they are a carbon negative company which continues to pass the heritage of dairy farming and cheese making down to the next generation. Another stop was to Uplands Cheese, a small dairy farm that honors the age-old traditions of milking cows seasonally, in time with the pastures. They make only two traditional farmstead cheeses: Pleasant Ridge Reserve, made in the summer months, while the cows eat fresh pasture and Rush Creek Reserve, made in the fall, when their diet changes to hay. While on a tour of Cedar Grove Creamery we were lucky enough to meet cheesemaker Anna Landmark who quit her job as a policy research director for a Wisconsin non-profit a few years ago and took the plunge into full-time cheesemaking. Today, she’s co-founder of Landmark Creamery and is crafting small batch seasonal cheeses from the milk of cows, sheep, and water buffalo. Anna shares space at Cedar Grove Creamery. She had just finished making a batch of her Petit Nuage cheese and was nice enough to let us have a tasting. Petit Nuage is a French style soft sheep milk cheese. What a treat! Each cheese is a perfect single portion that has a tangy brightness and sweet finish. We could imagine pairing it with honey, preserves, or adding it to a grilled vegetable salad. As the bus drove us back to Illinois we were both excited to share the experience and thought: what better way than a tasting! Jill has provided a sneak peek of what’s ahead by including Landmark’s Petit Nuage and Nordic Creamery’s Summer Butter in the current Marcel’s refrigerated case. Nordic Creamery uses farm-fresh sweet cream to make “Summer Butter” from April to October when cows are on pasture, creating fresh, herby flavors and a sunny yellow color. Pick some up next time you’re in! Follow all the happenings at Marché on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/marche496.