I started this journal to keep every one abreast of my summer employ. Every summer I leave the humid climes of New Orleans and work for a wonderful family in the North-Western corner of Montana on the shores of Flathead Lake. I thought the best way to share a few recipes and stories with you would be through a daily journal entry and photos.
Enjoy my daily entries and hopefully the recipes with your friends. If you run into any problems with the recipes or have a question about anything listed here, contact me at nolabean@gmail.com
My 2008 New Years Resolution is to expand the journal to the latest events catered by NOLA bean, happenings in and around New Orleans and of course recipes based mostly on the home grown goodness of Louisiana.
Eat well, Kristen
January 3.2008
Well if you didn't receive "86 Recipes- New Orleans" for the holidays this year your New Year is not starting out perfectly. This collection of recipes from 86 New Orleans Restaurants and Caterers, edited by good friend and colleage Lorin Gaudin, is truly a treasure trove! Nola Bean was honored to be a part of the series! The box of recipe cards are available all over the city, so get out there, shop locally and start cookin!
January 2.2008
My husband and I spent our Christmas holidays in my home state of Florida and I have finally unpacked all of our Christmas Goodies. My sister found us one of the best gifts, it is the vase below. It looks just like a brown paper bag! As soon as I unpacked it I loaded it up with some fresh blooms from the Whole Foods Market. Thanks Kim!
Underneath my beautiful new vase are the four books that I received for Christmas. Charcuterie, Molto Mario (really the best chef ever on Food TV), Frank Stitt's Southern Cooking and The River Cottage Meat Book. I have only delved into the Charcuterie book and have already started curing my first side of bacon. I will keep you updated on its progress.
January 1.2008
So I have made my resolution, and I will do my best to make as many entries as often as possible! Happy New Year and remember to eat well!
August 10.2007.lunch
The Corn Dog. You may not want to admit to loving the iconic "food on a stick", but have just one Corn Dog at the best joint in this small town and you will be hooked. Rich Wines Burgerville, has closed for the summer and I wanted to share some photos of what a true american drive thru used to look like, and still does up here in Montana. The menu is filled with classics, some soon to be classics (the shrimpwich?) and the lowest prices around for food cooked to order. Enjoy the pictures, love to everyone at Burgerville!
August 8.2007.dinner
I am a bad, bad blogger! So sorry to keep everyone in the dark, but it is offically family time at the lodge, and this family (most from Northern Louisiana) has about 24 relatives/friends visiting over the next 4 weeks. Things have been just a bit crazed here, but I was inspired by our dinner to get back on the computer.
Tonight we had "Christmas in August", definetly not as catchy as "Christmas in July" but you will just have to work with me on this one. Of course we had the 19 pound, Butter roasted Turkey (see my fail proof recipe for Roasted Turkey below) but then we surrounded our beautiful bird with Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar Pecan Crust, Zucchini Casserole, Roast Turkey Gravy, Green Beans with Egg Sauce, Cornbread and Sausage Dressing, and Hot Sherried Fruit. We finished our meal with Aunt Jane's Syllabub (with extra bub-Whiskey) paired with Pecan topped Sugar Cookies. Merry Christmas! (in August!)
Perfect Roast Turkey...yields 1 perfectly roasted Turkey!
1-14 to 16 pound Turkey...1/2 pound room temperature butter, unsalted...Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place the rack in the lower third of the oven.< namespace="" prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xml="true">
Rub the entire bird, top and bottom with room temperature butter, then sprinkle inside and out with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold the neck skin under the body and then tuck the wing tips under the breast and tie drumsticks together with kitchen string.
Place the turkey on a large rack and place inside a large roasting pan. Roast the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees, about 1 ¾ hours – 2 ½ hours. Always, always take the temperature of a bird in the thigh meat, avoiding the bone. Remove the turkey from the oven, and lift the rack from the roasting pan onto a cutting board or rimmed sheet pan. Allow the turkey to rest for 20 minutes – ½ an hour. While resting the internal temperature of the thigh meat should reach 180 degrees. Carve and serve.
***Remember to always base doneness on the internal temperature, not the color. Many birds are fed nitrate rich corn feed that keeps their meat pink, even after cooking.
July 16.2007.lunch
For lunch today we went for almost simple, with a great take on a Tomato Sandwich. Essentially I deconstructed the Croque Monsieur, substituting White Cheddar for the Gruyere, adding Dijon Mustard, and removing the Ham and adding lots of sliced Tomatoes. The sandwiches were griddled and served hot and melty. Alongside a Curried Pea and Cauliflower Salad with Bacon, Sunflower Seeds and Currants.
July 15.2007.dinner
The birthday boy had only two requests for his birthday. The first was Alaskan Dungeness Crab and the second was Chocolate Merignue Pie. Not only did he get to enjoy both, but his fine guests also had 1 1/2 pounds of Malossal caviar delivered from Petrossian in New York. The caviar was enjoyed simply, my home-made, yeast raised blinis.
The Dungeness Crab was served with a warm Dijon Mustard tossed New Potato Salad, and home-grown Snow Peas cooked with a julienne of Radish and Green Onion, and lots and lots of drawn Butter
Before...
During...
After...
July 15.2007.dinner
Today is the big man's birthday and we are treating him as much like a rock star as he will permit. For lunch today I made him a big batch of Fried Green Tomatoes, served with a Grilled Chicken Salad dressed with a Fresh Basil and Apple Cider Vinaigrette. A Fruit salad of cubed Watermelon, sliced Nectarine and Montana grown Raspberries, completed our meal. No birthday lunch is complete with out dessert, Vanilla filled Whoopie Pies fit the bill.
July 14.2007.dinner
The motley crue from Austin arrived today, ready to hit the ground running...towards the lake. Looks like the heat wave we have encountered is hotter than even most Texans can handle. We had a hearty dinner for them, the only way to properly recouperate from a long day of travel. For dinner we had oven-roast Tenderloin, served on a locally grown Zucchini Cake, and creamy (non-fat) Sweet Potato puree. With all the good for you things on the plate I had to go and ruin it by topping it with Chroizo laced Hollandaise sauce, delicious! Dessert was just a delicious treat from the Texas Farmers Market...perfectly ripe Peaches, peeled and served with a small scoop of Butter Pecan Ice Cream.
July 14.2007.lunch
After a long week of cooking I took Friday night off, and while rummaging around the lodge I can across an old Electric Smoker. Definetly one of my best finds, I took to filling it as soon as possible. Tomatoes, Corn, Onions, Garlic, 1 small Trout a guest caught off the dock and the baby Potatoes.
Loaded up and ready to start smokin!
Getting on to more important things, for lunch we enjoyed Pulled Chicken salad with Smoked Onions served in peeled Tomato halves, lots of fresh Fruit and a small Butter Leaf Salad.
Take a look a our new lunch plates, more on them soon!
July 13.2007.lunch
I had a few extra Tuna Fillets leftover in the freezer from our Nicoise Salad earlier in the week, so I gently poached it in Olive Oil, shredded it and tossed it with home-made Aioli, Hard Boiled Eggs, Dill and Parsley from the Herb garden. Served with a light Green Salad, an easy lunch for an even easier day.
July 12.2007.dinner
Nothing could be easier than Rotissere Chicken. If you have missed my entry on Rotissere Chickens, scroll down to June 25 to see how well we can cook a bird here at the lodge. We served todays birds with oven roast Broccoli and Brown Rice Pilaf all delightfully smothered in good ole Chicken Gravy. A big bowl of peeled Tomato Wedges, tossed with shaved Young Onions, Olive Oil, Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, made our dinner the most "Southern" on the lake. Montana grown Gooseberry Crisps finished our meal in the most pleasant fashion.
July 12.2007.lunch
With our two remaining guests away touring on their motorcycles, we really just enjoyed the leftovers in the fridge. Nothing fancy, but I am a true lover of almost any cold leftovers.
July 11.2007.dinner
The last meal for the fishing family that has joined us for the last few days has inspired me to do a Surf and Turf dinner. Fresh, Wild King Salmon was composed with roasted Beets and Wild Rice sauced with a classic Beurre Rouge and a small Beef Tenderloin was grilled and served on a bed of a julienne of Snow Pea, Baby Carrot and Smoked Baby New Potatoes and topped with Horseradish Creme. A dessert of Home-Grown Cherry and Cream Cheese Ice Cream finished them off.
Surf and Turf, sans the Beurre Rouge!
July 11.2007.lunch
This past week we were able to make a quick run to the neighbooring town of Kalispell. We were lucky enough to reach their Farmers Market early enough to get more than our fair share of the beautiful Yellow, Red and Green Greenhouse Tomatoes. Now, they don't even compare to the Creole's of Louisiana but they are more than delicious in their own right. Today for lunch I made a delicious Yellow Tomato Gazpacho that we served alongside Crabcakes on a bed of raw Snow Pea Slaw.
Yellow Tomato Gazpacho...yields 1 quart
2 pounds yellow tomatoes... 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced...1 cup yellow bell pepper,diced...½ cup Vidalia onion, diced...1/2 cup orange juice...3 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil...2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar...2 garlic cloves, minced...1 medium jalapeno...¼ cup cilantro leaves....iodized salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
With a paring knife remove the core from the tomatoes. Split the tomatoes in half and over a strainer squeeze the seeds out reserving the juice. Run the tomatoes over the large holes of a grater, and rub back and forth to remove as much of the flesh from the tomatoes, leaving behind as much skin as possible. Set aside ½ cup of the chopped tomatoes along with ¼ cup of the cucumber, ¼ cup of the yellow pepper, and 2 tablespoons of Vidalia onion. In a food processor combine the remaining ingredients in a blender, starting with the liquid. Puree till smooth, season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill over night if possible. Serve the gazpacho in cold bowls and garnish with the remaining reserved diced vegetables.
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Because the heat is still keeping us good company I decided to do a braised dish. Now I know that sounds like an oxymoron but it allowed me to work in the morning getting the braise in the oven, while it was still cool and then kept the stovetop clear and most importantly off. We braised Beef Short Ribs in Balsamic Vinegar and Figs, and served the braised Ribs on a bed of Parsnip puree and caramelized Figs. Dessert was much more memorable, freshly made (no box mix) New Orleans style Beignets. Served with the only thing Beignets should be served with...lots and lots of powdered Sugar.
July 10.2007.lunch
Two gentlemen, biking from Seattle, joined us today. We enjoyed a composed, cooling lunch, of Nicoise Salad. Seared rare Tuna, sliced thinly, wedges of peeled Tomatoes, home-grown Butter Lettuce tossed with a Dijon Vinaigrette, roasted baby Beets, Garlic stuffed and marinated Olives, Baby New Potatoes and shaved Young Onions.
July 9.2007.dinner
The heat is still persisting, so I took a bulk of tonights meal time preperation to the grill to keep it as cool as possible in the kitchen. We had a simple dish of Grilled Pork Kebabs served with a Plum Chutney, made from Lodge grown Plums that I put up last summer, on a bed of Cauliflower Puree and wilted Dinosaur Chard. Dessert was a Huckleberry Crisp served with soft Whipped Cream.
July 9.2007.lunch
A simple lunch today. I roasted a whole Turkey yesterday, and we enjoyed the Turkey Breast, thinly sliced on our pressed sandwiches. I paired the Turkey Breast with a Sundried Tomato and Fresh Basil Pesto and aged Asiago Cheese. Served with Rosemary and Orange marinated Kalamata Olives and a Green Salad it was a great way to beat the heat, before jumping in the lake.
July 8.2007.dinner
What a weekend, we have finally started to receive the heat wave that has been washing over the rest of the country. We had temperatures in the high 90's all weekend and in town they reached the low 100's. Never has it been this hot here. The timing could not have been worse, weather wise, for the camping trip the owners made. A long dusty weekend was in store for them, and the five guests that returned with them, and they are ready for a dip in the cool lake and then a fantastic dinner.
Tonight I made a dish based on the Lamb Chops that we were able to procure. Seared and served on a Spring Vegetable Ragout ( Chard, Asparagus, shaved Young Onion and a dice of Zucchini), and a soft bed of Polenta. An easy pan sauce of White Wine, Dijon Mustard and fresh Fines Herbes completed the dish. For dessert, their first in 3 days made a fresh batch of Lemon Verbena Ice Cream and served it with a warm Red Wine and Cherry Sauce.
You can find the recipe for the Cherry Sauce below!
Red Wine Cherry Sauce...yields about 1 1/2 cups
4 Tablespoons unsalted Butter...2 cups pitted Cherries...1/2 cup Sugar...1/2 cup Red Wine...In a large saute pan set over medium low heat, slowly melt the butter until foamy but not browned. Add the cherries, tossing to coat, add the sugar to the pan, tossing to coat and increasing the heat to medium high. Allow the sugar to melt and just begin to caramelize, then add the red wine slowing pouring it around the edges. Stir well, and reduce until a slightly jammy consistency is reached. Serve warm.
July 5.2007
After a late night, all of the guests left. Full of fireworks and good food! The owners of the Lodge will be heading for a weekend trip into the Bob Marshall Forest to enjoy a weekend of fly fishing and camping. I will be enjoying a short break, but will be back on the Sunday for dinner. Have a great weekend!
July 4.2007.dinner
So everyone thought that I was crazy to suggest changing the location of our meal, but the boat dock seemed like the perfect place not only to eat but to view our own fireworks display. We move down portable tables, covered them with hand-sewn tablecloths and surrounded them with our find of the summer. The house, built around 1920, had a surprise waiting for us underneath. We were lucky enough to discover 16 wooden, red, folding chairs from the late 40's early 50's. They completed the ambiance, Martha Stewart would have been proud and I would like to think a little bit jealous of our set-up!
For dinner we enjoyed, Fried Chicken, Ice Cold Potato Salad, Black Eye Pea salad with Roast Sweet Potatoes and Fresh Basil. Dessert was a delicious Lemon Verbena Ice Cream. A very Happy Fourth!
A closeup of our beautiful tablecloths, thanks Jesse!
The chicken and I arrive at the dock. The view from above.
The guests start to arrive.
The tables could not be any better looking. The guests look great as well!
Birds Eye View!
July 4. 2007.lunch
I don't know about you, but Fourth of July means Hamburgers and Hot Dogs! We had an easy lunch of the two all-American Classics, grilled and served with all the fixins to go with, Curried Broccoli Salad with Crispy Bacon, Currants and Sunflower Seeds. Finished with a tall, iced glass of Strawberry-Rhubarb Lemonade lunch could not have been more perfect!
July 3. 2007.dinner
Tuesdays mean fresh fish and Jim just got beautiful Alaskan Sockeye Salmon in. We marinated it in Orange Thyme and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and gave it a quick grill. Served on top of Wild Rice Pilaf and roasted Batons of Zucchini. The dish was finished with a Rosemary Lemon Beurre Blanc and a scattering of Zucchini Chips. Dessert was much more comforting than classy, Chocolate Mousse Parfaits.
July 3. 2007.lunch
Lunch took a Middle Eastern turn today. A savory Lamb stew made with Tomatoes, Prunes and a julienne of Dried Apricots finished with fresh Lime Juice and chopped Cilantro. Served on a bed of Whole Wheat Couscous and a batch of Tzatiki to cool it down with just a touch of fresh mint. Also, freshly made and griddled Whole Wheat Naan made a great scoop for the Chickpea Hummus. Delish.
July 2. 2007.dinner
A few weeks ago, the man of the house brought back 4 beautiful Hudderite Ducks. (More about the Hudderite's a little later!) The ducks are similar to a Muscovy Duck in size, but a bit leaner. I butchered the ducks down, removing all the fat to render, removing the duck breasts for a later dinner and curing the legs for confit. I had been waiting to have the right sized group to use up all of these delicious duck fixins and finally got my chance tonight.
I marinated the duck breasts in a little Smoked Paprika, and grilled them medium-rare slicing them thinnly for the main meal. To serve underneath I shredded four of the confit duck legs and made a hash with a medium dice of Yukon Gold Potato, Sweet Potato, minced Garlic and rendered Chorizo then finished with lots of fresh Parsley from the Herb Garden. A pan sauce of reduced Roasted Duck Stock and wilted Kale from the garden brought it all together. A very fine dish indeed! For dessert I made a Bread Pudding Souffles with Bananas Fosters Sauce. What a night!
My favorite dish, so far, of the summer!
Bread Pudding Souffles! Bananas Fosters Sauce...not just for ice cream.
July 2. 2007.lunch
No lunch today, but it was a chance for me to make my weekly run to town. I have talked a little bit about our local supermarket the Super One, but I thought I might give you an idea of how I get everything back to the house. It takes a LOT of food to keep everyone happy. Once I make my trip to the store, none of the cashiers are ever to happy to see me, I load up the back of the Volvo and I mean load it up. I return to the lodge and move all of the groceries from the SUV (no hybrids up here yet, but I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed) into the Gator. The Gator is one of my favorite things up here. It is a great little ATV, with a large bed. It is a ton of fun to drive, and I have to admit it makes me feel a bit tough!
The "GATOR"! Almost a week's worth of groceries.
July 1.2007.dinner
Tonight it was all about the Brisket! Below you will find the recipe for the beef brisket that I created to marry New Orleans and Texas, not an easy task these days! We enjoyed the sliced Brisket with home-made BBQ Sauce, Buttered Skillet Cornbread, Parsnip Mashers and grilled Aspargus. To finish it all off we enjoyed my White Peach and Buttermilk Sherbert, garnished with fresh Pineapple Mint from the Herb garden.
New Orleans-Texas Rub...yields about cup
6 Tablespoons ground Coffee & Chicory (we use French Market Brand...available all over New Orleans or at www.frenchmarketcoffee.com )...2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar...2 Tablespoons Chili Powder...2 teaspoons ground Cumin...2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt...1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper.
Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl, store at room temperature until ready to use. This mix stores well for about 2 weeks. Rub onto Chicken or Beef (maybe even Scallops?) and allow to marinate for a few hours before using. NOTE: Farmers Market brand coffee is very course, if you prefer a finer grain to your rub, you can run the coffee through a coffee grinder to get a finer grind.
July 1.2007.lunch
Today we enjoyed our second "party barge picnic". We enjoyed all kinds of tasty things, laid out on the back of the boat while drifting in Flathead Lake. On todays menu we had iced Radishes, Cucumbers and Jicama, Tomatillo Salsa and Pico with baked Multi-Grain Tortilla Chips, sliced Watermelon, Chipotle and Roast Tomato Bisque and Chicken Panani's with Cilantro Pesto and Queso Fresco! Ole!
June 30.2007.dinner
Tonight we had a really yummy meal with an Indian slant to it. I decided to prepare a Pork Tenderloin that I marinated in a mixture of Mango Chutney, ground Fennel Seed, ground Cumin, Siracha, & Garlic. All of those delicious ingredients are pureed in the food processor and then emulsified with olive oil until it reaches a mayonaise like consistency. I rubbed that all over the Pork and then griddled it with salt and freshly ground black pepper, finishing it in the oven before slicing. We served the Pork on a bed of Brown Basmati Rice Pilaf and wilted Rainbow Chard from the Farmers Market. The crowning glory of the dish was a Tomato and Peach Chutney whose recipe I have listed below. Enjoy it warm with a hot dinner, or even cold on a sandwich or with pate. Dessert was a warm home-grown Rhubarb and Huckleberry Crisp served with whipped Cream.
Tomato and Peach Chutney...yields about 1 1/2 cups
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil...2 teaspoons grated, fresh, Ginger...1/2 cup diced Red Onion...3 cloves garlic, minced...1/4 cup brown sugar...1/4 cup rice wine vinegar...1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes...3/4 cup, peeled and chopped fresh peaches...2 Tablespoons chopped Parsley...2 teaspoon chopped Cilantro...Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste.
In a large saute pan placed over medium high heat, heat the olive oil until just beginning to warm. Add the grated ginger to the pan, not browning, just flavoring the oil and then add the red onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onions until soft, trying not to brown. When the garlic and onion has softened, sprinkle the brown sugar over the onions, tossing well. Raise the heat to medium high and when the sugar just starts to bubble, slowly add the rice wine vinegar to the pan cooking until just syrupy. Add the tomatoes and peaches and cook until the mixture reaches a jammy like consistency. Remove from the heat and spread out on a sheet pan to cool. Once cool, fold in the chopped parsley and cilantro, seasoning as needed with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy hot, cold or room temperature.
June 30.2007.lunch
We had a huge, HUGE, wind storm last night! The winds on some parts of the lake reached up to 75 miles per hour and the east side of the lake still has no power. Luckily, for now, we are on the west side. We lost three trees and the high winds brought a cool front in, dropping evening temperatures into the 40's.
Desperately seeking some inner warmth we enjoyed a fresh Corn, Bacon and Thyme Bisque and Louisiana Crabcakes on a Orange and Rice Wine Vinegar dressed bed of shaved Napa Cabbage.
Evidence of my poor picture taking is above, have you ever seen a better picture of a tree trunk? If you look at the fir trees in the back right of the picture you can see the branches just starting to blow.
June 29.2007.dinner
A great group from the great state of Texas arrived today, a little later than we had expected but we were ready to welcome them with open arms and a warm meal. One of the lovely guests thought ahead and sent us a beautiful box of burgers and tenderloin steaks from Allan Brothers. To celebrate her arrival and thank her for her gift at the same time we cooked the tenderloins for dinner. The tenderloins were marinated in a combination of garlic oil and bacon fat ( why not?!), sprinkled with salt and freslhly ground black pepper and grilled. We served them on a bed of Black Beluga Lentils studded with a tiny dice of Yellow Onion, Celery and Carrot, Balsamic Vinegar and fresh Parsley. Fresh Spinach from the farmers market was wilted and served between the lentils and the beef and then the dish was sauced with a demi glace reduction flecked with a dice of Hickory Smoked Bacon and toasted, chopped Walnuts! For dessert we enjoyed a quick orange biscuit, this has the texture of a scone, split and filled with sugar macerated Alpine Strawberries and fresh Whipped Cream. It doesn't get any better!
June 26.2007.dinner
We have two supermarkets in the city closest to us, about 25 minutes by car. My favorite is the Super One and Jim the Meat & Seafood Manager there has taken great care of us for 5 years now. Tuesdays Jim has fresh Seafood flown in from the Pacific North West as well as Wild Shrimp from...you guessed it the Louisiana Coast! It makes me feel so good knowing that even though I am far from my local Farmers Markets in NOLA ( www.crescentcityfarmersmarket.org ) that I can still get THE best shrimp in the world all the way up here! Jim brought in some fresh wild Snapper and took it home to enjoy for dinner.
Nothing too crazy, our first group of guests are leaving tomorrow,and we don't want them to be to reluctant to board their flights home in the morning. I lightly dusted the fish with salt, freshly ground black pepper and flour and gave it a nice sear. In the same pan I prepared a classic Amandine Sauce, composed of Sliced Almonds, lots of butter, fresh Lemon juice, fresh zest, and lots of chopped Parsley. We served the Snapper Amandine on top of Brown Basmati Rice Pilaf and wilted, home-grown spicy Lettuce. Dessert was a freshly made Cheesecake topped with Marscarpone and served on an Alpine Strawberry and Huckleberry Coulis. (Once again, this was so pretty but I just plum forgot to take a picture, I promise I will get better!)
June 26.2007. lunch
Another beautiful day...another beautiful anitpasta plate to enjoy for lunch. I don't normally repeat lunches, or try not to, but our group this week enjoyed their antipasta so much earlier in their stay that we had to try it one more time. This time the meats stayed the same (see June.23.2007.lunch for the meats and a picture) but I changed up the plate just a little.
We enjoyed grilled Green Onions and grilled Lemon scented-Asparagus, Eggplant Caponata, Honeydew Melon Carpacchio with fresh Rosemary, peeled Creole Tomatoes (our last) layered with fresh Mozzarella and drizzled with Balsamic Vinaigrette, Arugula and shaved Parmesan salad and of course Garlic-rubbed and grilled Chibatta. We were so anxious to eat, I forgot to take a picture, but I thought you might enjoy seeing our fresh herb pots.
Fresh Basil
Sages and Thymes. Lots of Parsley love, curly and flat leaf!
June 25.2007.dinner
It is still freezing but with patches of sunshine breaking through. We have had some high winds and spots of rain, so we have all decided to enjoy a candle-lit dinner inside this evening. The doctor and his lovely wife (two of my favorite eaters) from down the road will be joining us for the evening. With the cold, comfort comes on the plate so we filled ours with creamy Polenta, grilled Asparagus, Rotissere Chicken and of course Chicken Gravy! We finished the evening with a chocolate souffle, that I learned from my days in the kitchens of Chef Lagasse.
Our beautiful birds! Chocolate Souffles!
June 25.2007.lunch
What a day! We had a really big wind storm blow through early this morning which has kept our temperatures in the upper 60's. We needed a light, but warming lunch so I was able to create a cream of Carrot soup made even richer with a roasted Duck stock, Ham salad and a big salad of our own home grown lettuce, radishes and julienne of green onions. May not sound like much, but it sure did hit the spot.
Our beautiful lettuces!
June 24.2007.dinner
There is a big storm getting ready to blow in but we had just enough time to sneak in dinner on the back patio. Tonight I crusted a rack of Lamb with Parsley and Whole Grain Mustard and served it on a bed of Butternut Squash puree and thinnly shaved Brussel Sprouts that I cooked down with Brown Butter. I finshed the dish with a quick pan sauce of Maderia and Diced Shallots! I had orginally planned to serve a White Chocolate Sherbert (yes, even I am drawn into Martha's Show every once in a while) but the failure of that recipe just goes to show that following a recipes doesn't always turn out well! I was able to whip up a quick batch, no recipe needed, of Chocolate Mousse.
Our Lamb resting before the big slice!
Our final dish!
June 24.2007.lunch
Easy, breezy lunch on the back patio today. We had a large chop salad, made with local Lettuces, peeled chopped Tomatoes, chopped Kalamata Olives, crumbled Feta and shaved Red Onion. We topped that off with crumbled Pita Chips and Lemon, Oregano and Garlic marinated & grilled Chicken Breasts.
I spent a large amount of time in the garden that the breakfast cook and gardener has made into one the most beautiful spots on the property. The garden, roughly 22 feet X 21 feet, is surrounded by chicken wire that rises 8 feet from the earth and is enclosed with a sliding barn type door, keeping the deer out and our veggies safe from harm. The lady of the house is also a lover of roses, so mixed in with our Rhubarb Chard, Garlic, Peppers, Spicy Lettuce, Butter Lettuce, Zucchini's and Beans of all sorts we have a wide selection of David Austin English Roses. Our favorite being the Abraham Darby!
Spicy Salad greens and Butter Lettuce Rhubard Chard and Kale
The inner workings of our Rhubarb!
A few of the beautiful pink English roses, just blooming on the lake.
June 23.2007.dinner
For some strange reason I have been craving peanut butter for days, so l decided that the only reasonable way to finish dinner last night would be with a Peanut Butter pie. Of course we started the evening off with a beautiful salad of local lettuce dressed with Champagne vinegar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt and freshly ground black Pepper. We followed that with a meal of Horseradish crusted Beef Tenderloin, wilted Rhubarb Chard from our own garden, and Cauliflower Gratin. I sauced the tenderloin with a Red Wine/Demi Glace reduction and it could not have been better.
Getting back to that pie...Here is a recipe for you all
Peanut Butter Pie yields 1-9 inch pie
For the Crust: 6 ounces of Vanilla Wafers 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips, optional
For the Filling: 12 ounces Cream Cheese, soft 1 cup all-natural Peanut Butter 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract 1 1/4 cups Confectioner's Sugar 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream, whipped
For the Crust: In a food processor, process the vanilla wafers until finely ground. Add the melted butter to the food processor and process with the ground wafers till evenly dispersed. Pat the wafer crust into a 9 inch pie pan, and then toss in the freezer for 10 minutes and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pull the crust from the freezer and bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, if you would like you can now add the chocolate chips to the base of the pie, and allow to sit for a few minutes. The heat of the crust will melt the chocolate , and then you can spread the chocolate over the base of the pan. If you spread the crust with chocolate, return it to the freezer for 10 minutes to set the chocolate and cool the crust. In any case, chocolate or no, you have to cool the crust completely before adding the filling.
For the Filling: In a standing mixer whip the cream cheese and peanut butter with the paddle attachment until creamy and well combined. Add the vanilla and then slowly add the confectioners sugar until well incorporated. Fold 1/2 of the whippped heavy cream into the peanut butter base and then follow with the remaining whipped cream. Spoon the filling into the cooled cookie/chocolate crust. Smooth the filling, it will be domed as any properly filled pie should be. Place the pie in the freezer for 2 hours. You can serve it directly from the freezer after the two hours, but if you leave it in there longer you need to place it in the fridge to take the freeze off for about 1/2 an hour. Serve with extra whipped cream and/or chocolate sauce. **Remember to cut the pie with a wet, hot knife to make things easier on your self!
June 23.2007.lunch
It has been almost a month for me in Montana and I had yet to visit Joan. Joan is the vivacious red-headed women who opened her deli last summer and I was beyond pleased when I saw that her new business had survived it's first Montana winter. Joan is who I go to for all of our Italian cured meats, and she makes our antipasta plates worth enjoying. Today I stopped in a bought a little bit of almost everything, Pancetta, Bresaola, hot Coppa, Prosciutto di Parma and Salami.
We served our delicious cured meats with a wedge of ripe Cantelope drizzled with Balsamic syrup, a Lemon dressed salad of home-grown Arugula and shaved Asiago, poached Garlic, crushed Red Pepper and Broccoli salad, raw Zucchini slaw with home grown Oregano, roasted Red and Yellow peppers, Sliced Mozzarella layered with peeled Creole Tomatoes and fresh, home-grown Basil and Garlic rubbed and grilled Chiabatta. Off to another fantastic nap!
June 22.2007.dinner
After a very satisfying lunch and an even more satisfying nap we started on dinner. Much to my luck, a package arrived while we were all napping, a gift to the owners of the lodge from one of the couples staying with us. Inside were the delights of a new company called Low Country Produce ( www.lowcountryproduce.com ). A mixed bag of beautifully packaged pickles, preserves, jams and best of all pepper jelly! Now all good New Orleanians always keep a jar of pepper jelly in the pantry to pour over a bar of cream cheese to serve to unexpected or even expected guests with Triscuits.
We used their Garlic Pepper Jelly to make dinner. I cleaned our pork tenderloins of their silverskin and marinated them in garlic oil. I then prepared a wild rice cake bound with a pananda of no-flour bread and goat cheese, and griddled them on each side till browned. I finished the pork in the oven, and kept the rice cakes warm in a low oven. Getting to the pepper jelly...I sauted a large handful of halved, peeled pearl onions in a very hot saute pan with just a touch of olive oil. After a few minutes, I added 1/4 cup of the divine pepper jelly, reduced the heat to medium and then added 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar to the pan. I allowed this to reduce until nice and syrupy, then added about 1/4 cup of water, reduced the heat to low and covered for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, I removed the lid and pulled the onions out (to use as garnish) and added 1/4 cup of olive oil. I poured this warm mixture over a mess of seasoned spinach (salt and freshly ground black pepper) and wilted the spinach with the warm vinaigrette. To plate we placed the rice cake on the base of the plate topped with the spinach and then the sliced pork. We finished the dish garnishing with the glazed pearl onions, and drizzled any leftover vinaigrette over the top. It wasy all kinds of spicy, rich and smooth goodness!
Our final dish!
June 22.2007.lunch
The weather has hit its peak, with the highs in the mid 70's during the day and dipping into the upper 40's at night. The family here has just received its new baby, a brand new boat that we call a "party barge". While those of you who only sail or travel by yacht; do not dismiss the idea of a large boat with ample seating, shade and the added incentive of actually being able to speak with the other people around you while gliding along a perfectly rocky body of water. We set out on our second picnic of the season. We cruised for an hour or so, allowing the captain to adjust to his new surroundings and then paused in the center of the lake for lunch.
We enjoyed a smoked salmon salad, made with the Alaskan salmon smoked by the friend of the caretakers, a wonderful salad of Creole tomatoes, thinly sliced English cucumber, red onion and home-grown baby arugula. To top off our two salads we also enjoyed wondeful ham and cheese sandwiches made with thickly sliced ham, a triple cream brie, roast garlic puree and just a hint of dijon mustard on thinly sliced Semolina - Sesame Batard. I griddled the sandwiches right before we left and were perfect room temperature. We finished everything off with fresh Alpine strawberries, acquired that morning at the local farmers market, and wedges of watermelon. Sparkling lime mineral water and Bloody Marys could not have complimented the lunch better. Till dinner...
June 21.2007.dinner
Our next couple to arrive came bearing fruit. Organic baby artichokes, fresh peaches and even more tomatoes. They also brought along some slow roasted tomatoes that they just could not bear to leave home without and we turned everything into a delicious dinner.
The artichokes, as long as my small palm, were pared down and then gently poached in a well scented water that included celery, onion, carrot, fresh thyme, lemon and orange zest. The pouch of slow roasted tomatoes were folded into an Isreali coucous, that I cooked risotto style, lending both their slow roasted flavor and their deep rust colored hue. We topped the the risotto style couscous with garlic oil and parsley marinated shrimp which we grilled. The articokes were seared on the cut side with just a touch of butter and then the whole dish was finished with a sherry beurre blanc. It was delicious!
June 21.2007.lunch
Our very first picnic of the season, and we could not of asked for a more pastoral setting. The family here has just finished construction on a new cabin, located about a mile form the main lodge. Beautiful interior walls made of fir and exterior walls and floors of epay. All of the windows are screened , no glass whatsoever. The house sits on stilts and juts out over a small rocky valley with a beautiful far off view of the lake. We enjoyed a salad of home grown greens with a whole grain mustard and champagne vinegar vinaigrette, chilled Creole tomato gazpacho (yes, I brought 25 pound of Louisiana Creoles with me), and chilled Crabmeat salad with diced Avocado.
