Ready for Fall Chicken with Grits

Low and Slow Braising Chicken

Its slowly becoming Fall here in California with some cooler days and a occasional shower now, with that change comes the season of stews and other slow cooked foods. I recently made a stewed chicken dish  the other day using common aromatic ingredients such as garlic, onions and tomatoes, normally I like to serve this stewed chicken with soft and creamy polenta. This time I had the idea to try and use ground hominy instead of polenta, Hominy is a form of corn just processed differently. It is dried corn kernels treated with slaked lime, washed and then ground, it can be ground to a flour which is used to make common corn tortillas (Masa Harina) if its ground course then it can be cooked like polenta with the southern name of hominy grits. It turned out great and the leftover grits were put into a loaf pan to set up, the next day it was sliced and fried in a pan.

Chicken with Hominy Grits

Poached Petrale Sole with Garden Yellow Tomato Sauce

Wine Poached Sole with Tomato Sauce

Working backwards tonight I started with yellow tomatoes from the garden and came up with a menu to go with it. My idea is to make a yellow tomato sauce and serve it with white wine poached Petrale Sole and jumbo Gulf prawns. Only a few ingredients & so simple; quality is the key.

Poached Sole with Yellow Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
Petrale Sole fillet, cleaned (4-5 oz per person)
2 medium Yellow tomato, rough chopped 
Jumbo Gulf prawns, cleaned, shells reserved (3 per person)
1 cup White wine or vermouth 
2 cloves Garlic, peeled, chopped
1 Shallot, peeled, chopped
1 Knob Butter
Kosher salt/pepper
Pinch Arugula

Method:
1. Simmer garlic, shallots and prawn shells in wine for about ten minutes then remove shells.
2. Roll the sole, season and place in wine liquid, gently poach till cooked through, remove and keep warm in low 200F oven.
3. Add tomatoes to poaching liquid and cook till soft, add a pat of butter and blend till smooth.
4. Check sauce seasoning and adjust if necessary, keep warm.
5. Saute prawns in butter and garlic till just done.
6. Place a sole roll and 3 prawns on a warm plate, spoon sauce over and garnish with arugula.

Notes: Can be served chilled. Sole can also be stuffed with sauteed spinach.

Food Truck Party Catering

Dinner is Served with Million Dollar Views

The Boneyard Food Truck

Choices

Strawberries and Cream

A new trend in party catering is to simply hire your favorite food truck. I attended a birthday party recently and that's exactly what they did. The food was from the barbecue truck The Boneyard of San Francisco. The truck is fairly new to the food truck scene and is the creation of pit masters Mike Bradford and Rich Mainzer.
The truck has a rotating menu of BBQ staples such as brisket or pulled pork, salads, beans, etc.

The Boneyard Barbecue Truck
boneyardtruck@gmail.com

Home Style Sweet Potato Fries

Grilled Sweet Potato Fries

Grilling in a Stove Top Pan

It seems like after years of eating russet potatoes, people are enjoying the new and somewhat trendy sweet potato. Not just for holiday meals anymore, they are served with every day meals now. My kids will often share a big bowl of grilled sweet potatoes, their favorite. I simply peel and slice them about a half inch thick, toss in olive oil with a light dusting of kosher salt, slowly grill on a stove top pan till tender. Non stick pans work great. They're also good grilled over a charcoal fire with a squeeze of lime.

Fresh Garden Vegetable Hash

Just Picked Heirloom Tomatoes

Peppers, Potatoes, Onions and Tomatoes

Garden Vegetables, Grilled Beef and Smoked Bacon Hash with Poached Egg

When the garden is producing amazing vegetables you have to cook them anyway you can. This morning I made a hash with lots of mild gypsy peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and a little smoky bacon for flavor and finished with a poached egg & sliced avocado. A big cast iron pan works great in this recipe. This is simple to prep in the morning while you are drinking your first cup of coffee. The first step is to dice all the ingredients, next slowly cook the bacon. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook till tender and crispy browned, season to taste then place a scoop on a plate. Top with a poached egg if you wish.

Note: I love hot sauce with mine, maybe you will too.

Cool Summer Soup

Yellow Pear Tomato Gazpacho

Hot tomato soup is a winter classic, but in the Summer full of warm days a chilled soup is very refreshing. The first soup that comes to mind is the Spanish classic Gazpacho. It's a very simple soup to make, and with that the quality of the ingredients are key. It's August so tomatoes are at their absolute best right now. Gazpacho is almost like a blended tomato salad with most of the same ingredients like vinegar, olive oil, cucumbers and tomatoes. This is a great soup to make ahead and serve the next day. Give it a try.

Gazpacho
Ingredients:
3 cups Heirloom Tomatoes
1 cup Cucumber
1/4 cup Red onion
3 cloves Garlic
Pinch Oregano (fresh or dried)
1/4 cup Vinegar (Spanish sherry or red)
1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh Pepper

Method:
1. Peel and rough chop the cucumbers, red onion and garlic.
2. Rough chop the tomatoes, save a little for garnish.
3. Put all ingredients except for salt in a blender, blend till smooth or chunky.
4. Salt to taste and pour into bowls.
5. Garnish with diced tomato and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Tamalpie Pizza Restaurant

Tamalpie Pizza, Mill Valley

"The Dipsea" Fresh Mozzarella Pizza

Crunchy Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad

I recently went out for pizza the other night and tried a new to me restaurant called Tamalpie in Mill Valley California, the name is taken form the local landmark Mt Tamalpais and Pie the slang word for pizza. The restaurants design theme is taken from mountain biking along with some of the pizzas named after the more popular local biking trails. I really like the menu and with additions of local artisan ingredients like Hobbs Pepperoni and Point Reyes Blue Cheese it was hard to choose. The Pizza here is the star but the sides and or menu items are just as good.

Tamalpie Pizza
475 Miller Ave.
Mill Valley, Ca
94941
415.388.7437

Garden Heirloom Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Summer Heirloom Tomato and Lemon Cucumber Salad

Late Summer is the time of year when tomato plants are in full production, and coming up with ways to use them all is a fun challenge. I was recently given a basket of really nice home grown sun gold and yellow pear tomatoes with a few lemon cucumbers. A salad was my first thought and its a great way to fully taste the tomatoes without masking their perfect flavor. Lemon cucumbers look and are about the same size of a lemon with mild flavor.

Summer Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
Ripe Tomatoes, sliced
Cucumber, peeled/sliced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Quality White Vinegar (Maybe Champagne)
Fresh picked Herbs (Parsley, Oregano, Thyme)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper

Method:
1. Arrange the Vegetables and Drizzle with the Olive oil and Vinegar.
2. Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper.
3. Scatter with the Herbs.

Note: Other ingredients can be added like Parmesan, Red Onions, Avocado, Etc.

Almost Harvest Time

Almost Ready Red Grapes in Sonoma

It's almost harvest time in the great wine regions just North of me- Sonoma, Russian River and Napa. It's said to be a good producing year with a bumper harvest expected. Can't wait and might have to go help out at a friends vineyard. You know harvest brings great parties at the end.

A Trip to Baja Mexico, Part 2

Dining out in Mexico can be fun with lots of options from the famous street taco carts grilling meats over charcoal to the more fancy ocean side seafood restaurants, I like to stay away from the main tourist areas to get a better value and food that is more genuine. A sign of a good restaurant where you can't go wrong is a crowded place filled with locals and if you ask someone for or a recommendation you might find a great hole in the wall place too.

Simple Mahi Ceviche

Common Road Side Restaurant in San Jose

Sea of Cortez Prawn Combo Plate with the Ever Present Modelo Beer

Nervous Cows??

Baja Pacific Sunset

A Trip to Baja Mexico

I recently returned from a week in the Western Mexican region of Baja. Besides the lure of its warm beaches, the food is a big draw. Seafood dominates this coastal region and the menus reflect that with lots of trophy fish such as Marlin, Mahi and Tuna. The most common preparation is the famous Baja fish taco- simply made with grilled fish, cabbage and salsa. There is also quite a bit of ceviche made from fish and shellfish; the chilled fish is perfect in the hot and humid environment. What was different on this trip for me, was having access to a full kitchen in my room. This gave me the opportunity to cook more of the foods I saw in the local markets.

Simple Shredded Chicken Taco

Blue Corn Chips with Salsa

Sopes with Pinto Beans, Cheese, Avocado and Fresh Salsa

Breakfast Egg & Cheese Scramble with Avocado and Refried Pinto Beans

Stone Fruits

Grilled Fruit Salad

These common fruits including apricots, peaches, plums and nectarines are named stone fruits because of their stone-like pits. These are in season right now and bursting with sweetness; great in chutneys, fruit salads, desserts or just by themselves.

Weeknight Dinner

Green Chard Stuffed Eggplant

I knew my girlfriend was going to be working late and would not have a chance to eat, so I made a little snack for her to nibble on.  I made a quick, fresh tomato sauce with diced heirloom tomatoes, onions and garlic, simply stewed in extra virgin olive oil. While the sauce was simmering, I thinly sliced Italian eggplant and drizzled with the same olive oil and put onto a hot grill to cook. When done I layered it out on a cutting board and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. The filling was finely sliced green kale, sauteed with olive oil and garlic, spooned on top and rolled up, then placed on top of a pool of sauce and it's done.

Made Up Breakfast

Breakfast is often the time when I will create something with whatever I happen to have on hand. Depending on how much food I have, it can be simple or complex. This morning I found masa dough, bacon, eggs and fresh tomatoes. My vision was to make a thick masa patty called sopes in Latin countries. This patty would be fried in the fat of the bacon with chopped tomatoes, and when that's done an egg is simply fried and then it's assembled. It turned out great, and next time I will add diced avocado and chopped cilantro.

The High End Burger Trend

The Common Hamburger has been around for a long time but recently it seems the trend is ultra high quality. The ingredients can range from Kobe style beef, Artisan baked rolls, Heirloom tomatoes and maybe even White Piedmont Truffles? honestly am not much of a burger lover, maybe its because of the amount of poor quality fast food out there. But lately I have been eating more including this week with a visit to a good local restaurant here in Marin County.

Super Duper Double Burger

Super Sign

State of the Art Green Building with Solar Power

Super Duper Burger with outlets around the San Francisco Bay Area, Fresh ingredients including Niman Ranch Beef, hand cut fries and house made pickles, be sure to try the local Organic Straus Creamery ice cream. Average price for a double burger and fries is around $10

Super Duper Burger
430 Miller Ave
Mill Valley, Marin County
California
415.380.8555