Starters

January – Roasted Garlic Spice
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January – Roasted Garlic Spice

When should a recipe be posted? For me it’s a big question. If something is simple or obvious should it be left un-blogged? When is something interesting enough that you will want to read it? If you have thoughts, let me know because this question weighs on me. My family will say “take pictures and post this” and I think “there are a million similar recipes on the internet, no one will want to read one more”. It’s a problem because I read so many postings from talented home cooks out there, not to mention the professional blog sites.

Once in a while something simple turns out to be far more than the sum of it’s parts. This recipe came from the cookbook “At Home with Michael Chiarello“. I have found all his cookbooks treasure troves of simple and delicious ideas. He suggests using this roasted-garlic spice on potato chips, something I did as a amuse-bouche before Christmas dinner last year. But it has other uses as well.

“What is an amuse-bouche and why did you do that” you ask? For the what I turn to Wikipedia:

An amuse-bouche [aˌmyzˈbuʃ] (plural amuse-bouches) or amuse-gueule [aˌmyzˈɡœl] is a single, bite-sized hors d’œuvre.[1] Amuse-bouches are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons, but are served gratis and according to the chef’s selection alone. These, often accompanied by a complementing wine, are served both to prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse into the chef’s approach to the art of cuisine.

The term is French, literally translated as “mouth amuser”. The plural form is amuse-bouche or amuse-bouches.[2] In France, amuse-gueule is the proper term normally employed in conversation and literary writing,[3] while amuse-bouche is a euphemistic hypercorrection that appeared in the 1980s[4] on restaurant menus and is used almost only there. In French, bouche refers to the human mouth, while gueule refers to the mouth or snout of an animal, and is used as a derogatory term for mouth or face.[5][6]

And now for the why. I love dinner parties. And many of my friends (I count you in that group lovely readers) are amazing cooks and enjoy giving them as well. I arrive anticipating wonderful food and company. The house is filled with delightful smells. And, laid out on the buffet or coffee table are a selection of delicious pre-dinner snacks. I have no will power, I admit it. I usually make a bee line to the dips, cheese and other tidbits. Most certainly you have more self-discipline than I do! I hit the buffet (glass of wine in hand) and immediately stunt my appetite for dinner. It’s sad!

In France a restaurant will serve just a little something to welcome you and build anticipation for the dinner ahead, I have started to do the same. These potato chips are easy, addictive, delicious, and perfect with a glass of dry champagne.

Garlic Spice Potato Chips

Garlic Spice Potato Chips

Even better, they are quick and can be made ahead. Just make sure the container isn’t in plain sight or they will be gone in a flash.

I used this same spice mix on some chicken quarters before roasting, another success story!

Roast chicken leg quarters with roast garlic spice

Roast chicken leg quarters with roast garlic spice

So without further chat, here it is.

Roasted Garlic Spice

  • 8 fat cloves of garlic, very thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons finely ground sea salt, preferably grey salt
  • 4 black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • Pinch of chili powder
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the garlic slices in a single layer on top.
  3. Cover with a second piece of parchment paper.
  4. Bake until the garlic is dry and crisp, about 15 minutes. Watch this step carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. Ovens vary in their true temperature. My garlic was done in 13 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
  6. Grind the garlic and other ingredients in a spice mill (or coffee grinder dedicated to spices) until it is a fine powder.
  7. Store in an airtight container away from light and heat up to 2 months.

The potato chips couldn’t be easier once you have the roast garlic spice.

Roasted Garlic Spice Potato Chips

  • 2 bags of good quality plain potato chips
  • Roasted garlic spice
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spill the potato chips onto a large baking or cookie sheet.
  3. Place in the oven and heat until you start to see the oil on their surface, this will only be a few minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven and sprinkle (while still hot) with the roasted garlic spice.
  5. Cool and serve. You can also store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

What are your favorite tricks for wetting the appetite without overfilling your guests’ tummies?

April in the Kitchen – Carmelized Onion, Roast Cherry Tomatoes, and Curry on Toast
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April in the Kitchen – Carmelized Onion, Roast Cherry Tomatoes, and Curry on Toast

Tomato bruschetta is one of my favorite summer dishes. I serve it as a starter with drinks, or as dinner itself if there is some good fresh mozzarella or ricotta involved. Unfortunately,  tomato season is still a few months away, it lags sadly behind BBQ season. I am mentally ready for those tomatoes. I want them for a hamburger, or a fresh tomato sauce for pasta, or a caprese salad with mozzarella. But, the ones in the market are currently flavorless and mostly disappointing. Even the tomatoes at the farmer’s market were raised in a hot house. My mouth is set for the first dry farmed Early Girls from the Watsonville area. They are grown without any additional water once past the seedling stage. All the flavor is concentrated, oh my they are so good. Well, enough moaning about what I can’t have.

What is there and what can I do? Ok then, I will settle for cherry tomatoes. And roasting them both brings out the sweetness and intensifies the essence of tomato.

Here is a recipe you can serve now, with pride before an outdoor BBQ, while waiting for the first tomatoes of summer (don’t forget a glass of rose). This is an adaptation of a classic mid-summer bruschetta, made with roast cherry tomatoes. The recipe comes from the cookbook “The Fat Radish, Kitchen Diaries“.

Cherry tomato bruschetta with carmelized onions and curry sauce

Cherry tomato bruschetta with carmelized onions and curry sauce

Onion, Tomato, and Curry on Toast

  • Olive oil
  • 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes of mixed colors
  • Coarse salt
  • 8 thick slices of toasted country bread or sourdough
  • 1/2 cup curry sauce (recipe below)
  • Small handful of torn basil and cilantro leaves
  1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until well caramelized, be patient as it could take an hour or more. Remove them to a small bowl to cool.
    Sliced Yellow Onions
    Carmelized Onions
  3. Place the tomatoes in a roasting pan and coat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Roast, stirring now and then, until soft, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

    Roast Cherry Tomatoes

    Roast Cherry Tomatoes

  4. To serve, divide the warm onions and tomatoes over the toast. Drizzle each toast with a tablespoon of the Curry Sauce and top with fresh herbs.
  5. Serve immediately.
Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

Curry Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 apple, peeled and cored, thinly sliced
  • 1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, pelled and minced
  • 1 kaffir lime leaf (or zest and juice from a 1 lime, added at the end)
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can of unsweetened coconut milk
  • Coarse salt
  1. Place the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, apple, ginger, lime leaf, curry powder, and turmeric. Cook, stirring now and then, until softened, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the coconut milk, bring to a boil, then lover the heat and simmer another 10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
  3. Remove the lime leaf and puree the sauce in a standard blender or an immersion blender. (Add the lime juice and zest if you did not have a kaffir lime leaf.)

    Curry Sauce

    Curry Sauce

  4. Season with salt.

This recipe makes quite a bit of curry sauce. I used the remainder as a sauce with a simple roast chicken. It will last for a few days in the fridge.

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

I’m taking this to share with Angie at Fiesta Friday #64. Each week the food, recipes and pictures are more amazing!

Fiesta Friday

Fiesta Friday

April in the Kitchen – Prosciutto Wrapped Mango with Mascarpone and Aged Balsamic Vinegar
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April in the Kitchen – Prosciutto Wrapped Mango with Mascarpone and Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Really I don’t know why I even bother to write out this recipe, it’s all there in the title. With all the fancyness going around these days I think we forget that sometimes the simpliest recipes are the best. This is one of the easiest, freshest, and most delightful of dishes to serve with a before dinner with a glass of wine (rose or sparkling would be lovely) or drinks. And, it is light enough not to spoil everyone’s appetite. I know I have a tendancy to fill up on all the wonderful starters laid out before a dinner party, sometimes I’m quite full by the time dinner is served. And that is a sad thing when a hostess has gone to so much trouble.

I used mangos this time because they have just started showing up at the market, but you could make this with melon or peaches or plums. Use what is in season and looks best at the market.

Proscuitto Wrapped Mango

Prosciutto Wrapped Mango

  •  Cubes of mango or other fruit is season
  • 6 thin slices of prosciutto
  • Mascarpone cheese
  • Aged balsamic vinegar
  1.  Wrap bite sized cubes of fruit with a thin slice of prosciutto.
  2. Smear a dollop of mascarpone cheese across a serving dish.
  3. Set the wrapped cubes of fruit on the cheese to hold them in place.
  4. Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar.

That is all there is to it. I’m going to take this to Fiesta Friday to serve to the Angie and her friends. There are so many delightful dishes served at the party, this won’t spoil anyone’s appetite.

IMG_3041

 

Fiesta Friday

Fiesta Friday

IMG_3042

April in the Kitchen – Roast Garlic and Chard Bruschetta
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April in the Kitchen – Roast Garlic and Chard Bruschetta

I think of bruschetta as a summer dish, but it is also perfect for other time of the year if you vary the toppings. We’ve had some very warm weather and my chard is bolting. I’m trying to harvest as much as possible before all is lost, but I think it is almost over for this batch that was planted last fall. As with last year, we’ve had an unseasonably warm spring. I need the garden space for tomatoes, always an iffy crop here in Northern California. The last two summers have been warm and I’ve been successful with the smaller varieties, cherry tomatoes also do very well. If it’s a foggy summer I make green tomato chutney in the late fall, some years they don’t ripen at all.

Chard and Roast Garlic Bruschetta

Chard and Roast Garlic Bruschetta

Back to the chard, this bruschetta is a delicious way to highlight the vegetable. Kale or even spinach would also be good prepared this way. Lightly cook the greens to ensure they are still vibrant.

Bruschetta with Roast Garlic and Swiss Chard

  • 1 head of garlic, top 1/4 inch cut off to expose the individual cloves
  • Olive oil
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon (non-waxed organic)
  • 1/4 cup of softened butter
  • Freshly ground pepper and sea salt
  • 1 bunch of Swiss chard, washed, dried, stemmed and roughly chopped
  • 1 country loaf, sourdough preferred, thickly sliced and toasted
  • Red pepper flakes
Bruschetta

Bruschetta

  1.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Cut a piece of foil large enough to enclose the head of garlic, drizzle the garlic with olive oil, close the foil tightly, and bake for about 40 minutes until the cloves are soft.
  3. Cool the garlic to room temperature, then mix with the softened butter, zest and juice of the lemon, salt and pepper. Use a fork to mash it together.
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on high heat.
  5. Add the chard to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  6. When ready to serve, spread the toast with the garlic butter and top each with some chard, sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
Roast Garlic and Chard Bruschetta

Roast Garlic and Chard Bruschetta

This recipe is adapted from “The Fat Radish Kitchen Diaries“.

I’m taking this bruschetta to Fiesta Friday #64 to share with Angie and the gang.

Fiesta Friday

Fiesta Friday

February in the kitchen – Cauliflower Croquettes
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February in the kitchen – Cauliflower Croquettes

These cauliflower croquettes are amazing! My husband and I ate the entire recipe in a single sitting! Forget the meat (we did), you won’t need it. Made small they would be wonderful as a starter, or larger as a main or side dish. Gluten free, vegetarian (if you leave out the bacon), low carb, and delicious! Isn’t cauliflower a wonderfully adaptable vegetable?

I served the croquettes topped with avocado sauce. They would also be good with a fresh salsa verde or green sauce or a dollop of sour cream.

  • 1 small to medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 4 slices of bacon, fried crisp and crumbled – keep 2 tablespoons of the fat
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 4 scallions, very thinly sliced (white and green parts)
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup of garbanzo flour
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
chopped scallions and parsley
Ingredients for cauliflower croquettes
Cooked Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower with other ingredients
  1. In a food processor rice the cauliflower florets (it should be evenly chopped but not completely pulverized).
  2. Transfer cauliflower rice to a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 4 minutes, or until cooked.
  3. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees F.
  4. Transfer the cauliflower to a strainer lined with a tea towel. Let it cool until safe to handle, the twist the towel to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. There will be a lot.
  5. Transfer the cauliflower rice to a mixing bowl, and add the next 8 ingredients. Up to the olive oil. Mix well. add egg, scallions, parsley, salt and pepper and mix well.
  6. Heat two tablespoons of the bacon fat (if using) and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  7. Form the cauliflower mix into a loose croquette or burger shape. The mixture will be quite loose but will firm up when cooked. Press the patties flat with a spatula. Fry until brown on one side, then flip and cook the other.
  8. You may need to do this in batches adding more olive oil to the pan.
  9. As you finish one batch, place the cooked croquettes on a cookie sheet in the oven to keep warm while you finish frying the rest.
  10. Serve with avocado sauce, salsa verde, or sour cream with a garnish of parsley.
Cauliflower Croquettes

Cauliflower Croquettes

Cauliflower Croquettes with Avocado Sauce

Cauliflower Croquettes with Avocado Sauce

I’m taking this to Fiesta Friday #57 to serve with my avocado sauce. Come join Angie and the gang at the Novice Gardener.