Lavender Season

The lavender outside is flourishing in the hot days and cool nights of the central coast. There is so much of it now, I'm fully inspired to attempt several new recipes. I do not want it to go to waste!

First up on the to-try list is a lovely crème brûlée from Jamie Oliver - http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/eggs-recipes/lavender-cr-me-br-l-e.

Next, I'll try a savory recipe, perhaps a lavender barbeque rub. If anyone has a savory recipe that uses lavender, do let me know! Feel free to contact me offline at info@alisonparkswhitfield.com.

Happy New Year Beans!

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

Today we are making good luck heirloom vaquero beans in the kitchen to bring forth happiness and prosperity in the new year. I think we all could use a little good fortune for 2014 : )

This recipe is a cross between the New Years Day black eyed peas found commonly in the southern states, and savory cannellini beans from Italy, with a smidge of Napa Valley coolness on the side.

Ingredients

1 lb of vaquero (or similar) beans
1/4 cup plus one tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Soak the beans in water for 6-12 hours. Yes... 6-12 hours.
2. Transfer the beans into a large pot and cover with water. The water should be about 1 to 1.5 inches above the beans.
3. Finely chop the garlic.
4. Using a small saute pan, saute the garlic until soft in one tbsp of the olive oil.
5. Add the sauteed garlic yummieness to the beans.
6. Now add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil directly to the bean mixture.
7. Bring the bean mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for approximately 2 hours.
8. Add the salt and pepper, then continue to simmer on low for another 30 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!!

In preparation for our Thanksgiving week... fresh, homemade butter! And it's so simple to make this tasty goodness.

Needed:
Heavy cream
A pinch of salt
A jar with a tightly fitting top

1. Fill the jar about halfway full with heavy cream. 
2. Screw on the lid and shake for about 15 minutes. Note that about 10-12 minutes in, the cream gets so thick it's hard to shake at all. But persist!!! Just after that point, the butter gloms together, the buttermilk separates out and it becomes super easy to shake.

Enjoy!!!

Spanish Padron Peppers

Alright. I've had these Spanish padron peppers at restaurants twice before, but I have never made them myself. Until tonight, that is. Wowser! So DELICIOUS! And simple as heck:

1. Heat very good olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add washed padron peppers.
3. Saute the peppers until soft and blistered and brown.
4. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt over the peppers and serve.

Swoon : )

Baked Lasagna

And here's the "after" photo of the amazing baked lasagna. And it was amazing! The key ingredient is layer upon layer of ever so thin pasta sheets piled high with a spicy and flavorful sauce. And some very fresh mozzarella to boot.

Lasagna, Unbaked

Lasagna, Unbaked
Originally uploaded by pixelish
Another "before" picture! Today it's lasagna before baking, as I prepare for my upcoming trip to Italy.

Baked Pumpkin Soup in a Pumpkin Shell

This creamy and flavorful baked soup is one of my very favorite recipes to cook in Autumn.

Ingredients
 
1 medium sized pumpkin
5 slices of toasted sourdough bread
1.5 cups grated gruyere cheese
16 oz chicken stock
8 oz heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Using a sharp and sturdy knife, cut out a lid from the pumpkin top and set aside. Scoop out the pumpkin guts and seeds, but leave the walls of the pumpkin thick and intact. Now place the pumpkin in a deep round casserole dish.

Toast the sourdough bread to a golden brown color. Rip the toast into bite-size pieces and place a layer inside the pumpkin. Cover the toast with a layer of the grated gruyere. Repeat the layering until you have used up all the toast and cheese. Sprinkle the mixture with the salt and pepper. Now pour in the heavy cream, followed by the chicken stock. Place the lid back on the pumpkin.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, then remove the lid from the pumpkin and bake for another 30 minutes or so, until golden brown. Enjoy!

Rustic Rose Marzipan

Long, LONG ago, (as in 20-30 years ago), Sunset magazine published a delicious recipe for home- made marzipan. I carefully tore out the page and kept it for years, but alas, I must have lost it somewhere along the winding road of my life.

Well, I've taken the idea of that recipe and turned it on it's head a bit.

So here's my unique take on home-made marzipan. Instead of a really fine grind on the almonds, I grind them a bit more coarsely, just to get that yummy nutty flavor going on.

When adding flavoring to the mixture, it's much more typical to use orange flower water or almond extract. But I've been experimenting a bit. I've found that rose water mixes very well with the almonds for a delicate and wonderful new flavor.

And in an homage to the original Sunset recipe, I shaped the candies just as they did long ago, into little loaves of "bread."

Rustic Rose Marzipan

Ingredients:

1 cup blanched almonds
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp rose water (found in ethnic or specialty food markets)
4 tbsp of corn syrup

Place the almonds in a food processor.
Grind for approximately 1 minute until the almonds resemble fine crumbs.
Add 1 and 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, the rose water and the corn syrup and process until the mixture resembles a thick paste.
Turn the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Knead the dough in the bowl, and, if needed, mix the remaining powdered sugar in little by little. Knead until the dough is smooth, pliable and not sticky anymore.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Shape the marzipan mixture and place on the parchment. The dough can be shaped into balls, fruits, animals, breads or whatever you like. Let dry for 2 hours. And enjoy!