Dinner with Darren and the Scots

Dinner tonight was a trip. We had three meat eaters, one vegetarian, and one vegan. The meat eaters were not willing to go veg, so I cooked both ways!

I found the most amazing produce at the farmers' market, so the menu features some of those exciting finds.

Sourdough Crostini with Muhamara (vegan)
Figs wrapped in Prosciutto


Vegan tartlets of Roasted Beet and Rye Groats in a Merlot Reduction Sauce served with Salad of Wild Arugula and Jujubees

Prime Rib au Jus, Fingerling Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts
or
Pappardelle Noodles with Oyster and Lobster Mushrooms, Foraged Red Spinach, and Sea Beans in a Saffron Cashew Cream (vegan)

Vegan Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Vegan Cupcakes

Several years ago, I worked as the pastry chef for a well-known vegan restaurant in San Francisco. Imagine my surprise at how far vegan baking has come since then! There are countless products and resources for you now - it's just fantastic!

I tried this recipe that I got off Chow.com. It's from the book "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World."

Of course the buttercream is not as good as real butter (I mean, come on, is anything?) but if you're a vegan craving a old fashioned cupcake, look no further!

Yellow Gazpacho

Soup:
1-1/2 c chopped yellow heirloom tomatoes (only the best, ripest, sweetest ones!)
3/4 c chopped yellow bell peppers
1/2 c chopped yellow onion
1 c chopped English cucumbers (peeled and seeded)
1/2 c french bread (white part only) cut into small pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t ground cumin
4 T white wine vinegar
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig of fresh thyme
Salt and Pepper

Garnish:
1/4 c chardonnay (frozen)
2 t red tomato, seeded and cut into brunoise
1t chives, finely minced
1/2 t jalapeno, seeded and cut into brunoise
Hawaiian alaea sea salt


1. Pour chardonnay into a bowl and place in the freezer to make ice.
2. Place all soup ingredients except thyme, salt, and pepper into a food processer and blend until liquified. Pour mixture into a non-reactive bowl, add thyme, then salt and pepper(You'll want to undersalt it a little because you'll be garnishing with sea salt later. If you skip the sea salt, then season to taste).
3. Cover and place in refrigerator for a few hours or until cold.
4. While the mixture is cooling and macerating, prepare garnish by chopping tomato, jalapeno, and chives and mixing them together.
5. When ready to serve, force mixture through a fine-meshed seive
6. Garnish with 1t chardonnay ice, 1/8 t Alaea pink sea salt, and 1 t of the brunoise "salsa." Serve cold.

Makes four 1/2 cup servings

Grilled vegetables and dried apricots in a garlic, fennel vinaigrette

I had some leftover grilled vegetables (Fennel bulb, red onion, zucchini, and shitake mushrooms) from BBQing last night. I chopped them up, threw them on some fresh arugula, whipped up a dressing, and was surprised at how wonderful the resulting salad was.

Serves 2

2c grilled vegetables, medium dice
2c fresh arugula, washed and dried (if using pre-washed, a half bag will do)
1/4 c dried apricots, medium dice
1 large clove garlic, sliced thin
1t fennel seeds
1T extra virgin olive oil
2T olive oil
3T white balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper

Place the grilled vegetables, arugula, and apricots in a medium salad bowl.

Toast fennel seeds in a sautee pan over medium heat until they darken slighty and release their aroma. Remove the toasted seeds from the pan and grind them.

In the same pan, add your 2T olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add your sliced garlic and fry until golden brown and crispy (beware the hot spots on your pan! Don't let any garlic burn!)

Add your hot garlic and garlic oil to the white balsamic. Add the ground fennel, and the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Toss the salad with the dressing and serve immediately.

Baby Artichokes

1 container (~1lb) fresh baby artichokes, cut in quarters
1T capers
1T caper brine
2T olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 c red and yellow cherry tomatoes, cleaned and halved.
3 cloves garlic, minced
1c chicken stocks
salt and pepper

In large sautee pan, over medium heat, add the garlic, artichokes, tomatoes, salt and pepper, capers, and caper brine. Sautee until aroma is released from garlic and artichokes begin to look a little brown and cooked around the edges. Season with salt and pepper and add the stock. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 12 minutes, or until broth is evaporated. Taste and fix seasoning, serve.

Note on cleaning artichokes: after rinsing them under cold water, cut the tail off, about 1/2" before it starts (into the bulb). Next, cut off 2/3" off the spiky end so no leaf tips are left on the artichoke. Finally, remove outer leaves, so that only the heart remains.

Alternative version: add pesto or romesco with the capers in the beginning.