Recipe: Pickled Candy Cane Beets with White Truffle Whipped Goat Cheese, Shaved Fennel and Hawaiian Black Lava Salt

Serves:12 

Pickled Candy Cane Beets with White Truffle Whipped Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

Pickled beets

3 pounds baby candy cane beets (washed and scrubbed)

1 pint rice wine vinegar

1 pint water

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 small yellow onion (thinly sliced)

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

Black lava salt to taste

Goat cheese

10 oz goat cheese (room temp)

¼  teaspoon white truffle oil

1 pinch kosher salt

Fennel

1 bulb Fennel

1/2 of an orange

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Two days before serving:  In a small sauce pan, add water, rice wine vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, mustard seeds and onion. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Place beets in a stainless steel or plastic container and pour in boiling liquid. Cover and refrigerate for two days.

Goat cheese:  Place goat cheese, truffle oil and pinch of salt into food processor. Pulse 10 times for 3 seconds.

Fennel: Slice fennel as thin as possible. Squeeze juice of half an orange on sliced fennel. Add olive oil.  Toss and set aside for 15 minutes.

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Recipe: Panzanella Salad

Panzanella Salad by Executive Chef Charlie Giordano

By Charlie Giordano

I never saw my Sicilian grandmother throw out a scrap of bread or a tomato, and this was one of her favorite recipes for using both. It is a recipe designed for the summer when tomatoes and basil are at their best. There might not be a better partner for a nicely charred steak or a piece of simply grilled fish. The balsamic vinegar and the acid of the tomatoes cut through the fat of a steak and intensifies the sweetness of the meat.

You don’t have to use Roma tomatoes, but that’s what my grandmother grew the most of, as long as the tomatoes are at the peak of ripeness any tomato will work fine. If you have any fresh mozzarella fell free to add some at the end. Grilled shrimp, scallops, left over fish or that last few slices of prosciutto will work beautifully. This is all about using what you have on hand. Day old bread works best for soaking up the sweet juices of the tomatoes. So don’t throw out that half loaf of bread from last night, go to the store, garden or roadside stand and make the quintessential summer salad.

Recipe: Panzanella Salad

Serves: 4    

Ingredients:

½ loaf Italian bread (cut into 2″ cubes)

4 cups Roma tomatoes (cut in 1″ cubes)

½ red onion (sliced ¼” thick)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ cup fresh basil leaves (shredded)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Cut bread into 2″ cubes the day before.

Mix Bread, Roma tomatoes, red onion and basil in large bowl. Pour in balsamic vinegar, mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour in extra virgin olive oil, mix well. Garnish with whole basil leaves and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 144 Calories; 11g Fat (63.2% calories from fat); 2g Protein

No Comments »  |  Posted at 4:37 PM