Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

This was a fun idea that I picked up from Food Network Magazine.  Simply flavor cream cheese with shredded cheddar, salsa,  and nacho flavorings and then roll into a ball and refrigerate.

When it is firm, roll it in crushed nacho flavored chips to give it a pumpkin color.  The hardest part was finding a bell pepper stem to use on the top.  If you have peppers in your garden, this should not an issue, but my supermarket did not have a lot of pretty stems to choose from.  I was happy with the festive look anyway.

Happy Fall!

PUMPKIN CHEESE BALL

16 ounces room-temperature cream cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
3 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons salsa
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno

Nacho-flavored tortilla chips, crushed
Bell pepper stem

With a mixer, blend the first 6 ingredients together.  Scoop into plastic wrap and use the wrap to form the mixture into a 5-inch pumpkin-shaped ball; chill at least 2 hours.  To serve, unwrap, roll in crushed nacho-flavored tortilla chips and press a bell pepper stem into the top.

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This salad is a last hurrah to Summer.  It showcases the late peaches of the season and an organic fennel bulb that I picked up at the market.  With those I made a peach salsa to garnish my grilled chicken and salad greens.

The salsa also includes roasted red peppers and onions.  It made enough to have on hand for other uses over the next few days.

The inspiration for this dish came from a wonderful new cookbook that I purchased last month.  One of my favorite restaurants in Asheville, NC is The Tupelo Honey Cafe.

The name Tupelo Honey comes from a special honey produced by bees that get their nectar from a rare tupelo tree that grows in the river basins of NW Florida.  It has a distinct flavor and changes slightly from year to year.  The Tupelo Honey Cafe also has a distinct flavor.  It is a reflection of the new South where grits become grits with goat cheese and fried chicken becomes nutty fried chicken with sweet potato mash.  The plain biscuit becomes a ginormous biscuit with tomato shallot gravy and a BLT becomes a southern fried chicken BLT.  These are just a few of the riffs on Southern classics that are served at The Tupelo Honey Cafe.  Chef Brian Sonoskus and co-author Elizabeth Sims have recently come out with The Tupelo Honey Cafe Cookbook.

I love the unique recipes in this book.  I also love the concept behind the recipes.   One of the first chapters is “The Larder”.  These recipes are for salsas, gravies, sauces, dressings, spreads and preserves.  They are the keys to the great flavors that make all of the recipes shine.

The peach fennel salsa gives this salad a kick, but the homemade pecan vinaigrette is also the perfect addition to the whole flavor profile.

The chicken is marinated in pineapple juice, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger before it is sauteed on a grill pan.  There are 4 recipes to follow to bring the whole dish together. But it is so worth the time that it takes because, once it is prepped, it can all be pulled together at the last minute.  It reminds me of a restaurant kitchen where each component is made ahead and ready to go for the final flourish and presentation.   I love this concept.  Next I will try the Sweet Potato Pancakes with Peach Butter and Spiced Pecans.  See what I mean?

PEACHY GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD WITH PECAN VINAIGRETTE

For the Chicken:
3 to 4 boneless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger

Combine pineapple juice, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger.  Add chicken breast and marinate in fridge for 2 to 4 hours.  Remove from marinade and saute on a preheated ridged grill  pan or in an iron skillet turning once until cooked through. about 4 minutes per side.  Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, let rest and then slice thinly.

For the Peach Fennel Salsa:
1/2 cup diced fresh fennel (bulb, stalk, and feathery leaves, tough outer layer discarded)
2 cups peeled and diced peaches (about 4 peaches)
1 cup diced roasted red bell pepper (I used the jarred variety)
1/2 cup diced red onion
4 teaspoons roasted garlic oil (I cooked 4 whole garlic cloves in 1/4 cup olive oil for about 20 minutes)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine the fennel, peaches, bell peppers, onion, garlic oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 30 minutes.  The salsa can be kept refrigerated for 2 days.

For the Pecan Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 1/2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons tupelo honey (or what you have)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pulling it All Together:

Place salad greens in individual bowls.  Top with chicken slices and salsa.  Serve with the vinaigrette drizzled over the top.  Garnish with a fennel frond if desired.

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We were invited to dinner last Saturday night.  We are so lucky to have such good and supportive friends.  And to think that we met them because of our respective blogs.  The “Other Penny”, as we sometimes refer to each other, has a lifestyle blog that has detailed her many talents in whispering houses back to life.  She and her husband both know what a house needs to make it a comfortable home.  Her blog, The Comforts of Home, chronicles the projects and ideas that can improve any house.  But she is also a fantastic cook.  Penny is well aware of our upcoming trip to France (Probably because that is all I talk about).  Both she and her husband  have been to France and have shared many tips with us.  For our Bon Voyage dinner Penny made a French meal.

One of France’s national treasures is the Gourgere.  These small cheese puffs are made from pate a choux dough.  In its sweet version the dough is used in cream puffs stuffed with sweetened whipped cream.  But when you want a savory appetizer you add Gruyere cheese to the dough and allow them to bake, puff and form a hollow center.  They melt in your mouth.  They are made all over France, but the Burgundy region claims them as their own.  They are served in many restaurants there as an appetizer with the local aperitif.  We had them with a lovely white wine.  Here is the recipe from Barefoot in Paris.

Coq au Vin, the classic French chicken in red wine is one of the dishes that I have served many times.  But Penny’s version, made with white wine, is a perfect alternative.  The one thing that has always bothered my about the original recipe is the burgundy color that infuses the chicken.  It just doesn’t look natural.  White wine is a good thing for this dish.  Penny also uses boneless chicken thighs which cook faster and retain their juiciness.  Her rendition keeps the smoky bacon flavor, the earthiness of the mushrooms and the silkiness of the onions.  It is winey and earthy at the same time.  The mashed potatoes (David’s favorite) and the braised carrots are the perfect  finishing touches.   You can find her recipe here.

Dessert was a spectacular lemon meringue tart.  The recipe came from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris.  The mood has been set and we are ready for our trip.  Thanks for a great meal Penny.

I have been corresponding with the proprietor of the place we will be staying in the Loire Valley of France.  He was the one who inspired me to make the Chicken Under a Brick in a previous post.  He kindly sent me this recipe for lentil salad that he likes to serve with the chicken.

We spent last weekend visiting our family in Cary, NC.  I love spending time with the Grandchildren, but I also like Cary for the Trader Joes, Whole Foods and The Fresh Market.  Kristen and I made a trip to Whole Foods while I was there.  I was on a hunt for French lentils.  Lentilles du Puy are grown in central France in Auvergne.  The volcanic soil and dry climate allow the lentils to dry on the plant.  They are thus smaller,  less starchy than other lentils, and have a more intense peppery flavor.

Lentils benefit from added flavor.  This salad is brightened with sprigs of thyme, bay leaves, whole cloves, garlic and red wine vinegar.  Sprinkled with goat cheese and cherry tomatoes it is a winner.  Served at room temperature, it goes well with grilled meats or as a stand alone dish for lunch.  Thanks for the recipe Steve.  It was delicious!

SALADE DES LENTILLES ET CHEVRE

2 cups (about a 1 pound box) of French lentils
1 tsp salt
Splash of red wine vinegar
1 sugar cube
1 carrot, minced
1 shallot, minced
Bouquet Garni*

1/2 cup best quality olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 shallot, minced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup best quality olive oil, or to taste
8 oz “semi-dry goat cheese . . not the soft, fresh logs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup snipped chives
Cherry tomatoes for garnish

Rinse clean, then put the lentils in a heavy-bottom saucepan of about 8 inches diameter, cover the lentils by 2 inches of filtered water, then add the salt, sugar, vinegar, minced carrot and shallot and Bouquet Garni.  Stir and bring slowly to the simmer, lower heat and cover (just like cooking rice) and set the timer for 25 minutes.  Make sure the water does not evaporate.  After 20 minutes, check the lentils.  Depending on the age and other factor, they should be cooked, but not at all mushy, in 25-30 minutes.  If they are cooked but you have water remaining in the pot, drain the water off and return to the pan to the lowest heat to carefully evaporate what water remains.  Conversely, if you run out of water and the lentils are still undercooked, add boiling water 1/4 cup at a time and cook until done.  The goal is to have no water left when the lentils are cooked, as it would dilute the dressing.

Put 1/2 cup of olive oil and the minced garlic into a large bowl.  Pour the hot lentils on top of the garlic and oil and do not disturb for a couple of minutes.  The heat of the lentils will slightly cook the garlic, taking the edge off.  Then mix to combine, add the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and leave to cool.  The bowl should be big enough to spread out the lentils so they cool quickly and evenly.

Once cool, add the other minced shallot, and more olive oil, salt and pepper if you feel they are needed.  Mix well.  Remove the rind from the goat cheese and crumble it into the bowl, and mix very well to end up without any large chunks of goat cheese.  Add the parsley and chives, mix and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight if possible.  Don’t worry about correcting the seasonings at this point, as they really need a rest to develop the full range of flavors.

To serve, bring back to room temperature.  Mix again, check for salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar.  Take your time adjusting the flavors so you get it just right.  Serve.   Bon Courage et Bon Appetit!!

*4 sprigs thyme, 2 imported bay leaves, 6 coves, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 tsp celery seeds, tied in cheesecloth, cloves and celery seeds tied in a clean teabag.

I just sprinkled the goat cheese on top and added two stalks of chopped celery for added crunch.

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I am always on the lookout for unusual appetizers when we have company.  I like the idea of a savory cheesecake.  I also like the idea of an appetizer-size cheesecake.  Giada De Laurentiis provided just the thing.  My blogging friend “the other” Penny of The Comforts of Home and her husband came for dinner last night.  I wanted to try something a little more complicated than cheese and crackers.

The hardest part of this cheesecake was finding a 4 1/2-inch spring form pan.  I did find one at a kitchen store for $3.99 but did not measure it until I got home.  It turned out to be 4 inches and did not hold all of the ingredients in the recipe.  The cheesecake can also be made in a ramekin if you don’t want to bother with finding a small spring form pan.  I put the overflow in a small ramekin.  It is a mixture of ricotta cheese, cream cheese, and goat cheese to which roasted red peppers are added.  The cheese cake is then baked.  The recommended topping is apricot jam, but I used a pepper and onion relish.

The weather was beautiful on Saturday so we were able to eat dinner on the porch.  There is something so special about dining al fresco with friends.

The menu was Zinfandel Beef Ribs, Rice Pilaf with roasted almonds and orange soaked dried cranberries, Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan, and homemade yeast rolls.

Dessert was Apple Crostata  with ice cream and coffee.  But the best part of the meal was the company,   the conversation, and the laughter.  A beautiful Spring evening on the porch was the icing on the cake.  Thanks Penny and K for traveling over the mountain to spend time with us.  Good friends just make the food taste better.

Enjoy!

RED PEPPER CHEESECAKE

1/2 cup ricotta cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup cream cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup goat cheese (2 ounces)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup thin strips or roasted red bell peppers (blotted dry)
1/4 cup apricot jam (Can substitute hot pepper jelly, other jams or onion, pepper relish)
1 to 2 teaspoons hot water

Special equipment:  1 (4 1/2-inch diameter spring form (cheesecake) pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wrap the outside of the cheesecake pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil.  Place the ricotta, cream cheese, and goat cheese in a food processor.  Pulse to mix.  Add the sugar, egg, and salt and pulse a few times until well mixed.  Stir in the red pepper strips.

Pour the cheese mixture into the cheesecake pan.  Place the cheesecake pan in a small roasting pan.  Pour enough hot water in the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.  Bake until the cheesecake is golden at the edges and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken. about 45 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold).

Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.  Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold.

Combine the jam and the water in a small bowl and stir until the jam is liquefied.  Remove the cheesecake from the spring form pan.  Place on a serving plate.  Drizzle the jam mixture over the top of the cheesecake.  Serve with pita chips or crackers.

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