Cherry Buttermilk Gelato & Chocolate Meringue "Profiteroles"

I went to the farmer's market and found the most amazingly succulent Bing Cherries.  I was so overcome with their beauty that I was compelled to purchase 8 pounds.  While my family is more than happy to eat such cherries out of hand, I was planning to make gelato and knew that the cherries would shine if incorporated. 


I thought about adding a supporting cast such as chocolate chunks or vanilla bean to the cherry gelato, but when an ingredient is so pitch perfect, it's almost sacrilegious to make it share the stage. 

Below, please find my recipe for buttermilk cherry gelato.  The inspiration to make the chocolate meringues to sandwich the gelato were born from the fact that I'm always left with copious amounts of egg whites, a byproduct of gelato making. 

Cherry Buttermilk Gelato

2 pounds fresh, ripe Bing Cherries, washed and de-pitted
1 1/2 cups cultured buttermilk
1 1/2 cups half & half
5 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
a pinch of salt

Place the pitted cherries, water and 1 cup of sugar and lemon juice in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Stir frequently, gently crushing the softened cherries with the back of a spoon until the sugar is melted and the cherries become soft and rupture, approximately 10 minutes.  Add the buttermilk and half and half and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring until the mixture reaches 180 degrees.  Do not allow the mixture to boil. 

Meanwhile, place the egg yolks, remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and salt in to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on medium speed until the egg yolks become light yellow and double in volume, about 3 minutes. 

Remove the cherries mixture from the burner.  Add 1/2 cup of the steaming hot liquid to the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking to combine.  Add the egg yolks back in to the cherry mixture in the saucepan and stir to combine.  Place back over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Allow to cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate in a sealed container until chilled. Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions.

Poulet Grand-Mère

This is a tasty, simple recipe that makes a great weeknight dinner while being easy on the pocketbook.  The olive oil mingles with white wine to make divine pan juice perfectly suited for dipping crusty french bread in.  It's also lovely served over pasta, rice or quinoa.

Poulet Grand-Mère


Ingredients
1 whole free range chicken split in half
2 pounds small new potatoes

1 pound of whole cremini mushrooms
2 large carrots roughly chopped in to 1/2" pieces
2 onions peeled and cut in to wedges about 1 inch at the thickest part
10 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 cup high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil
4" sprig of fresh rosemary
sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Thoroughly whisk the olive oil with the wine. In a 9" x 13" roasting pan, toss all of the prepared vegetables with half of the wine marinade and season liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle half the rosemary leaves over the vegetables.

Rinse and pat the chicken halves dry.  Position a roasting rack above the vegetables.  Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour the remaining wine-olive oil marinade over the chicken, being sure to coat all pieces thoroughly.  Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper on both sides and arrange, skin side up on the rack above the vegetables.

Roast the chicken and vegetables for 45-60 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the largest pieces of chicken register an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Serve the amazing pan juices with a side of noodles, quinoa or rice and make sure you have plenty of crusty bread on hand to sop up the juices with. This is could also be a one dish meal.

Serves 6.

Whole Wheat Cobrancosa Extra Virgin Olive Oil Zucchini Bread

If you have a garden and are growing zucchini, you will gaze at it every day and swear that the squash doubled in size since the previous day.  Such a prolific vegetable begs for inventive uses. 

Sometimes simple, healthy, and hearty win the day.  This recipe is all of that and delicious as well. Necessity was the mother of this invention, as zucchini season is now upon us. 

Whole Wheat Cobrancosa Zucchini Bread

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup super fresh cobrancosa extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 350degrees F.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, olive oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts (if using) until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake on the center rack for 45 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Blueberry & Fresh Lemon Olive Oil Gelato

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup Fresh Pressed Lemon Augrumato Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

For the Blueberry Puree

Combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of sugar and lemon zest together in a saucepan over medium heat. 

Stir occasionally,  being mindful that l that the pot does not boil over or burn. 

Keep the berries on medium heat until they release their juices and the sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from heat and strain, pressing the skins to release all the juices.  Add the lemon juice and stir to combine.   Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, place in a sealed bowl to chill for least two hours.

For the Gelato Custard Base:

In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, cream and salt. Cook until bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale yellow, for about five minutes.  Drizzle in the olive oil and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Slowly add 2 cups of the hot milk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, beating until combined.  Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook, continuously whisking, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon or until it reaches 175°F.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Place the bowl in a larger one partially filled with ice water and cool the custard to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.

Add the chilled blueberry puree to the custard and stir to combine.  Place the mixture in to the ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the gelato to a chilled container, cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours, before serving.

Introducing Michael, My 10 Year Old Wurstmeister - Participating in Charcutepalooza's June 2011 Challenge

My 10 year old son Michael is pictured here making basic Italian Pork Sausages.  While sausage making isn't normally the domain of most 10 year olds, my son has fallen in love the craft.   He sees the value in making something this delicious and nutritious with his own hands.

Part of his enthusiasm may be attributed to the fact that his father is a well seasoned butcher.  Or he may be influenced by the fact that I'm a chef. Either way, it seems natural that he would want to follow in his parent's footsteps.  We encourage his creativity and are amazed at how much he's learned in such a small amount of time.

For the last two years Michael has been working his way through Michael Ruhlman's book, Charcutrie.  Initially it was with a lot of hand holding as you might imagine.  However, as time has gone by, he's needed less and less help.

While it was an investment to procure all the necessary equipment to make the glorious salumi and hunks of meat that hang in our curing room, it's also been rewarding to say the least.

The Italian pork sausage Michael is shown making is one of the very first recipes he mastered over a year ago. He was very keen on participating in Charcutepalooza's June 2011 Stuffing Challenge.  Below, please find his finished product.

Apple Wood Smoked, Honey-Glazed, Brown Sugar Cured Ham - Classic American Style

Eight days in the making, below are pictures of the various stages of the ham making process from the initial curing of the free-range, pig leg to the fully cooked, smoked and glazed ham at top.

Brown Sugar Cured Ham - American Style

This is what a ham looks like before it's shot full of sodium, covered in sugar paste, smoked and finally wrapped in ubiquitous ubiquitous, crinkly, metallic bag.

Pardon me if the following is obvious, but ham is traditionally made from the cured, cooked or smoked thigh portion of an animal's leg.  And, more often than not, ham is made from a pig's leg.  While this may seem like a very rigid formula, there are many types of hams made in many styles ranging from Ibirian Ham from Spain to domestically produced Smithfield Ham from Virginia.

The ham pictured is made from local, free range pork.  It was lovingly prepared by my butcher husband.  He cut it, removed the skin and trimmed it of most of the fat.  This particular ham weighs about 5 pounds, a manageable size for me to cure and then smoke.  However, hams can be very large depending on the size of the animal they came from .

My ham was brown sugar cured.  This process entailed preparing and then submerging the meat in a brine solution of dark brown sugar, honey, molasses, kosher salt and DQ Curing Salt for 6 days.  The amount of time it needed to brine was based on the weight of the meat.  Once it was fully cured, I let it air dry for 24 hours under refrigeration and then applied a glaze of honey, brown sugar and really fantastic grainy mustard.   The final process is to smoke it, slow and low over apple wood until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees.

Basil May Make the Pesto, But the Right Extra Virgin Olive Oil Perfects It

Both the olive oil and basil for this application need to be just crushed and picked, respectively.  You can use a mortar and pestle as I did or use your blender.

 
Spinach & Basil Pesto With Ultra Fresh Cobrançosa Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
1 cup packed fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup super fresh and fruity Extra Virgin Olive Oil such as Cobrançosa
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste

Directions

In the jar of your blender add the salt, garlic, spinach and basil followed by the cheese, nuts, and olive oil.  Process on low until smooth, about 10-15 seconds, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides as necessary.  Prepare  your favorite cut of pasta and toss the strained, hot pasta with the pesto.


Makes about 2 cups of pesto

Free Range Eggs Gently Poached in Fresh, High Oleic, High Polyphenol, Organic Arbosana Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The eggs were laid fresh that morning.  The olive oil was green, fruity complex, peppery, and well balanced.  The arbosana I ultimately chose had  hints of green fennel, and artichoke with a pleasant bite and finish.  The flavor of the eggs was clean and earthy, if not faintly reminiscent of the collards, wild garlic and nettle upon which the hens regularly feasted.

The quality of the starring cast was paramount in this two ingredient application.  Therefore, my focus quickly became choosing the perfect extra virgin olive oil which would enhance the delicate flavor of the farm fresh eggs.  After almost almost two weeks of working with 20+ extra virgin olive oils in the test kitchen, I finally settled on a magnificent arbosana.  One of the problems I encountered was finding an extra virgin olive with a strong chemical profile that wouldn't overwhelm the eggs with equally strong bitterness.  However, its chemistry (oleic acid and phenolic content) needed to be such that its flavor would endure after being heated to and held at 170 degrees for 20 minutes.

The end result of finding the right extra virgin olive oil for this simple application was spectacular.  During the gentle poaching process, the white absorbed the flavor of the arbosana while the yolks remained beautifully gelatinous and creamy.  Once drained, the residual, thin layer of extra virgin olive oil coating the eggs mingled with the puddling egg yolk to create a delicate sauce of exquisite richness.  A quick grind of black pepper and a few flakes of sea salt brought it all together.

Spring! - Artichokes! - Quiche!

Like Castroville, California (the artichoke capital of the world), Castro Valley's zone 8b offers a near perfect micro-climate in which to grow artichokes.  The plants thrive in the cool coastal fog and warm, sun drenched days that frequent the valley.  So much so, that when I allow my artichokes to go to seed, they end up spontaneously germinating everywhere in my garden.  I'm constantly pulling up "volunteer" baby artichoke plants as if they were weeds. 

Growing artichokes in Castro Valley for nearly a decade  has taught me few things.  Despite what some may say, it's very easy to grow them from seed and once established, they require little care.  In our climate, the plants go dormant in the winter, but return to bud anew in the spring.  This cycle happens with or without my devoted attention.  For a modest effort, I'm rewarded with softball sized artichokes year after year.

The plant pictured at top is a Globe variety from my garden.  Last night I picked it along with several other softball sized buds.  I prepared the buds simply, by steaming them for 25 minutes.  We had them for dinner, eating the creamy hearts and tender leaf portions with a garlicky homemade aioli.

While steaming is a time honored and delicious way to enjoy artichokes, I have 8 thriving plants in my garden and have counted at least four large buds forming on each plant.  This surplus stirred my culinary creativity.  Below, please find my recipe for a delicious baby artichoke quiche.  I would highly recommend this as a perfect for Mother's Day brunch.





Baby Artichoke Quiche

• 8 baby artichokes, cleaned and trimmed
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
•  sea salt to taste
•  fresh ground pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallot
• 2 tablespoons fresh, fruity extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 ounces pecorino cheese, grated
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F 
2. Trim the artichokes and steam until tender or boil gently in a pot of generously salted water, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, refresh with cold water and quarter the artichokes. 
3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch, heavy nonstick skillet, and add the artichokes. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about five to eight minutes. Add the garlic, shallots and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. Stir in the flat leaf parsley, and season the vegetable mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
4. whisk together eggs and half-and-half. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Distribute the two cheeses evenly over the bottom of the pie shell.  Layer the artichoke mixture over the cheese and pour the egg mixture over the top.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 25 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is set. Allow to set 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

          Serves 8