Spinach Salad

 

Salad

12 oz. spinach

1/2 cup crumbled feta

4 tbsp. almonds, slivered

4 kumquats, sliced into coins

1 cluster smoked grapes

1/2 red onion, pickled

 

Pickled Red Onion

1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup BOOC Cranberry Pear White     Balsamic

3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. dried tarragon

1 tbsp. sugar

black peppercorns

salt & pepper

 

Vinaigrette

1 cup BOOC Blood Orange Olive Oil

1/2 cup BOOC Cranberry Pear White Balsamic

1 shallot, minced

1/2 bulb fennel, finely chopped

salt & pepper, to taste

 

Smoked Grapes

Soak two or three handfuls of wood chips in a container of water for fifteen minutes. Drain the wood chips and place in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Once the wood chips begin to smoke, place the grapes in a perforated pan and place over the wood chips and cover. Smoke grapes for 6-7 minutes, remove from pan and chill.

 

For the Pickled Red Onion

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all pickling ingredients and heat until sugar dissolves. Allow pickling liquid to cool, then add red onion and soak for at least four hours and store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

 

Vinaigrette

Place all vinaigrette ingredients, except olive oil, in blender and blend over medium speed until smooth. Add olive oil in a steady stream until emulsified.

 

Divide salad ingredients equally among four plates, drizzle with vinaigrette, & enjoy!

 

Fried Truffled Mac & Cheese

 

Roux

1 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. BOOC Black Truffle Oil

3/4 cup flour

 

Smoked Gouda Cream Sauce

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup BOOC Black Truffle Oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 bunch sage, chopped

1/2 lb. smoked Gouda cheese, cut into small chunks

1 quart half & half

1/2 tbsp. ground mustard

1/4 cup cream cheese

salt & pepper, to taste

 

1 cup flour

egg wash – 2 eggs, beaten, mixed with

2 tbsp. water

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. BOOC White Truffle Sea Salt

red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

 

2 cups macaroni, cooked al dente and cooled

 

Begin by making the roux, which will later be added to the cheese sauce. Melt the butter and black truffle oil together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter-oil mixture is hot enough that a pinch of flour sprinkled into it will slowly start to bubble, whisk flour into the butter-oil mixture until a thick, rough paste forms. Whisk constantly while it bubbles over medium heat. As it cooks, the roux will become smooth and begin to thin. Continue to cook and stir until the roux resembles a peanut butter-brown color, approximately 30 minutes.

 

Next, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add butter and black truffle oil to pan, and allow to warm. Add chopped sage and onion to pan and sauté for roughly five minutes. Next, lower heat to medium-low and add the half and half and ground mustard to the pan; do not let the pan’s contents come to a boil at this point. Start adding the Gouda to the sauce, a few chunks at a time. After some chunks have melted, blend the sauce thoroughly with an immersion blender, and continue to add more Gouda to the sauce and then puree the sauce until all of the Gouda has been used. Now, add the cream cheese and roux to the sauce, stir to combine, and remove from heat.

 

Combine the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce, spread evenly onto a sheet pan, and cool in the refrigerator until firm. Remove from the refrigerator and slice the mac and cheese into desired shapes.

 

Take each piece of mac and cheese, roll in flour, lightly coat in egg wash, and roll in panko bread crumb mixture (panko, parmesan, parsley, white truffle salt, red pepper flakes). Drop into a fryer, or add to a skillet with hot oil and fry until golden brown.

 

 

Seafood Risotto

2 quarts seafood stock

1 tbsp. BOOC Lemon Olive Oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/4 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 bulb fennel, finely chopped

10 mushrooms, quartered, marinated in 1/4 cup BOOC Tarragon Olive Oil and salt & pepper

2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, marinated in ¼ cup BOOC Blood Orange Olive Oil and salt & pepper

8 pickled ramp bulbs, sliced

1/2 bundle asparagus, blanched, chilled, split lengthwise

sprig fresh tarragon, chopped

1 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces and kept chilled

4 oz. Calvander cheese, shaved

salt & pepper

 

Heat seafood stock in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, keep. Heat large pan over medium-high heat, add lemon olive oil to pan and allow to warm. Add chopped onion, celery, and fennel to heated olive oil and sauté for roughly five minutes, being careful to not let the garlic brown. Add quartered, marinated mushrooms and continue to cook for just a few minutes. Add Arborio rice to pan, stir to coat with oil, and cook for another minute or so, until there is a slightly nutty aroma, but do not let the rice brown.

 

Add a ladle of hot seafood stock to the rice and stir until the liquid is fully absorbed. When the rice appears almost dry, add another ladle of stock and repeat the process. It's important to stir constantly, especially while the hot stock gets absorbed, to prevent scorching, and add the next ladle as soon as the rice is almost dry.

 

Continue adding ladles of hot stock and stirring the rice while the liquid is absorbed. As it cooks, you'll see that the rice will take on a creamy consistency as it begins to release its natural starches. Continue adding stock, one ladle at a time, for 20-30 minutes or until the grains are tender but still firm to the bite, without being crunchy. If you run out of stock and the risotto still isn't done, you can finish the cooking using hot water. Just add the water as you did with the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring while it's absorbed.

 

Fold in raw, marinated shrimp halfway through cooking the rice. As soon as the risotto reaches the desired consistency, stir in asparagus, pickled ramp bulbs, and fresh tarragon. Stir in the pieces of chilled butter and three ounces of the shaved Calvander cheese. Divide risotto among four plates and garnish with remaining cheese.

 

Olive Oil Cake with Chocolate Ice Cream & Balsamic Strawberries

 

Chocolate Ice Cream

3 egg yolks

1 whole egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

pinch salt

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups half & half

1/2 cup hazelnut liquor, like Frangelico
1 cup chocolate chips, melted in a double boiler

 

Olive Oil Cake

3/4 cup BOOC Leccino Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for greasing pan

1 ½ tsp. orange zest

1 ½ tbsp. strawberry bar mix

1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)

1 tsp. cayenne powder (optional)

2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

5 large eggs, separated, reserving 1 white for another use

3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

 

Strawberries, sliced and soaked in BOOC 18 Year Traditional Balsamic

BOOC Strawberry Balsamic, reduced

 

Chocolate Ice Cream

In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, half & half, hazelnut liquor, and chocolate chips. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, making sure all the chocolate chips melt, but be careful not to burn. Using a mixer, whip together egg yolks, egg, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until the egg mixture appears pale yellow and creamy. Slowly temper cream mixture into eggs. Chill until cold, and then follow directions on your ice cream maker.

 

Olive Oil Cake

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease springform pan with some olive oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Oil parchment. Whisk orange zest together with flour. Beat together egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil, strawberry bar mix, cayenne powder, and chili powder, beating until just combined (mixture may appear separated). Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined.

 

Beat egg whites (from 4 eggs) with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Gently fold one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

 

Transfer batter to springform pan and gently rap against work surface once or twice to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan. Cool cake to room temperature. Remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment, then transfer cake to a serving plate.

 

Serve a slice of the olive oil cake with a generous scoop of chocolate ice cream. Finish the plate with a quick drizzle of the strawberry balsamic reduction and top with the balsamic soaked strawberries and a pinch of vanilla bean sea salt.