WATERCRESS, SALMON AND AVOCADO SALAD

Ingredients

• One bunch of watercress, washed and stems cut short
• Smoked salmon – 2 small pieces per person
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced in slivers
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup Epstein Napa Valley Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Balsamic Vin – 6 yr old.
• 1 teaspoon stone ground mustard

Instructions

Mix
the olive oil, vinegar and mustard in a cup or jar.  Toss the
watercress with enough dressing to coat it lightly.  Plate the
watercress and place the salmon on one side and make a fan of the
avocado slices on the other.  Lightly drizzle the salmon and the
avocado with the olive oil dressing.

ROASTED RACK OF LAMB

Ingredients

• 3 trimmed racks of lamb at room temp (3 chops per person)
• St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Rosemary Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 3 tablespoons course grain mustard
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 3 minced garlic cloves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush lamb generously with Rosemary Olive Oil.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  Combine the mustard, bread crumbs, and garlic and then press mixture over racks of lamb.  Place the racks over the rosemary sprigs in a baking dish.  Roast for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 400 degrees.  Place a meat thermometer in the meaty part and roast until it reads 135 (med rare). Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let lamb rest for 10 minutes.  Carve cutting between the ribs.

POLENTA

Ingredients

• 9 cups of water or stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of Grey Sea Salt
• 2 cups of cornmeal

Bring the water(or stock) to a boil and whisk in cornmeal until mixture thickens and  boils…about 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook until thick…stirring occasionally…about 30 minutes.  (Can be cooked 4 hours ahead and held in a bowl over hot water).

RAGOUT

Ingredients

• 8-10 medium tomatoes cut into quarters
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
• 1/2 cup St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Balsamic Vinegar – 6 yr.
• Grey sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a pyrex baking pan and bake at 360 degrees for about 45 minutes.  This can be prepared beforehand and refrigerated….just reheat before plating.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs fresh asparagus
• 1/2 cup Epstein Napa Valley Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Grey sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 475 degress. Wash asparagus.  Break off ends and put in a single layer in baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt and bake at 475 degrees for about 12 minutes.

To plate all of this amazing food, spoon the polenta in the center and the ragout around the polenta.  Put the porkchop in the middle…surrounded by the asparagus spears…wow…I don't know if I will wait til Easter for this…..

But wait…there is more…..

GARLIC BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 8 garlic cloves
• 2 large whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons minced parsley leaves
• 2 1/2 cups baquette cut into cubes
• Grey sea salt

Instructions

In a saucepan scald the milk with the garlic cloves. Let stand 15 min. and remove and discard the garlic.In a bowl whisk together the whole eggs and the yolks add the milk and whisk and stir in the parsley, salt and pepper.Divide the bread crumbs among 8 well oiled muffin tins and ladle the custard mixture evenly over them. Let stand 10 min. The puddings can be prepared to this point up to 8 hours in advance and kept covered and chilled.

Bake the puddings in a preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes or until golden. Run knife around edges of puddings. Serve warm.  These freeze beautifully.

And for dessert……..
 
LEMON AND ALMOND TART

Ingredients for the pastry…

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 oz. almond paste
• 6 tablespoons chilled butter
• 1 egg
• Grey sea salt

Adjust the oven rack to low position and heat oven to 350. Put the flour, salt, sugar, and almond paste in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade or into a medium bowl. Pulse the mixture, or work with fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the egg yolk and pulse until dough holds together when pinched.
 
Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.Transfer the tart pan to a cookie sheet and bake until the crust is golden..about 20 minutes

Ingredients for the lemon filling…

• 2 medium lemons
• 1 tablespoon St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Lemon Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Epstein Napa Valley Extra Virgin Olive Oil
•  eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• box of fresh raspberries
• Dried lavender flowers

 

Grate 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and squeeze 1/3 cup of lemon juice into a medium bowl. Add the oils, eggs, sour cream and sugar and blend. Pour the filling into the prebaked crust and return to the oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes just until the filling has set. Cool on wire rack. Gently remove the rim of the tart pan.  Tart should remain on the removable bottom..dust with confectioners sugar. Cut into slices and plate ..garnish with the raspberries and lavender flowers.  This tart freezes well..just bring to room temperature..garnish and serve.

1 pound of baby spinach
1/3 cup broken pistachios
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Balsamic Vinegar of Modena – 6 Year Old

Roast the pepper at 375 until skin cracks and pepper is slightly soft. Remove from oven and peel and chop.
Heat oil and vinegar in skillet. Remove from stove. Add nuts, pepper and spinach and toss. Serve immediately.

Grilled Flank Steak

2 1/4 pounds of flank steak
1 cup St.Helena Olive Oil Co. Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil
 1/4 cup fresh chopped rosemary [or 1 tablespoon dry ]
1/4 cup St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Balsamic Vinegar of Modena – 6 Year Old
1 1/2 Tablespoons each salt and coarsely ground pepper

Put oil, vinegar and herbs and seasonings in a glass baking dish. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Set BBQ on Med-Hi heat [ or preheat broiler ]. Remove meat from marinade. Discard marinade.Grill 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Let stand 5 minutes . Cut across the grain in thin strips.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

6 medium size Yukon Gold potatoes
1 whole garlic bulb
1/4 cup St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Sevillano Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I Tablespoon St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Balsamic Vinegar of Modena – 6 Year Old
 1/2 stick of butter
1/3 cup warmed milk

Cut top off of garlic bulb to expose ends of cloves. Place in small oven proof dish and pour over the olive oil and the vinegar. Roast in 350 oven until cloves are soft 45 min. to 1 hour.  Remove cloves from husk and reserve the oil mix.
Peel potatoes and cut into small pieces. Boil in salted water until very tender. Drain. Add the garlic cloves, the warm oil, 1/2 stick of butter and warmed milk to the cooked potaoes and whip until smooth.[ add more milk as needed to make a very smooth consistency ].

Roast of Winter Vegetables

6 carrots cut lengthwise
6 parsnips peeled and cut lengthwise
2 onions peeled and cut into wedges
6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons St. Helena Olive Oil Co, Sevillano Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 stick of melted butter

Put all ingredients in a roasting pan and pour over the olive oil and melted butter. Toss. Roast at 400..stirring twice…for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Glorious Chocolate Tart

5 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter cut into small pieces
10 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
5 tablespoons all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan with 2 3/4inch high sides. Stir the chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heatuntil chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.Beat the eggs and 1 1/4cups sugar in large bowl until well blended and beginning to thicken. Sift flour and baking powder over eggs and fold in. Gradually fold in chocolate mixture. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 20 minutes. Cover pan with foil. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs still attached, about 30 minutes longer.Uncover pan. Cool in pan  on rack [ tart will fall as it cools ]. [ can be made a day ahead].

Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Sift powdered sugar over top. Cut into wedges. Garnish with raspberries and sprigs of mint.and whipped cream.

 

 

 

 

                         

1/2 pound organic baby lettuce mix
2 or 3 satsuma tangerines [ or navel oranges ] peeled and sections pulled apart
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teas. St. Helena Olilve Oil Co. Balsalmic Vinegar Di Modena – 6 Yr Old

Place lettuces and fruits in large bowl. Toss with oil and vinegar mixture. Add freshly ground pepper. Plate and garnish with fresh edible flowers where available.

Fresh Fettucine with a Saute of Spring Mushrooms

12 to 16 ounces of fresh fettucini [ or  1 package of dry ]
2 cups of assorted mushrooms such as chantrelles, crimini, shitakes etc.sliced
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 large shallot bulb- peeled and chopped
1 large leek- [ green top removed ] chopped
1 bunch fresh chives chopped
1/4 cup St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Sevillano Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Shaved [ or shredded ] parmesan cheese

Sautee the mushrooms, garlic, shallot and leek in the olive oil in a large skillet until soft. Bring pot of salted water to boil and add fresh fettucini and boil about 4 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauteed vegetables.  Plate in pasta bowls, finish with a drizzle of the olive oil and sprinkle cheese and chives over top.

Creme Caramel with St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Organic Lavender Flowers

Approximately six custard cups:

4 eggs                           
3 cups lowfat milk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 teasp. vanilla
1 tablespoon St. Helena Olive Oil Organic Lavender Flowers
nutmeg

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 20 seconds on medium setting.

Caramel:  Place 1/3 cup sugar in heavy saucepan and melt the sugar over medium heat watching and stirring with wooden spoon until sugar melts and turns a caramel color . Remove from heat immediately and pour a small amount in each custard cup to barely coat the bottom. Put about 1/2 inch of water in large pyrex-type baking dish and arrange the custard cups in it. Pour the custard mixture over the sugar in the cups and sprinkle nutmeg on top. Bake in 350 oven just until custard is set. Remove from oven and water bath. Let cool. When ready to serve invert on dessert dish and garnish with a pinch of organic lavender flowers,

 

 

 

15 chicken thighs
1/2 cup St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Rosemary Oil
1/2 cupSt. Helena OLive Oil Co. Lemon Olive Oil
1/4cupSt. Helena Olive OIl Co. Sherry Vinegar
4 whole garlic bulbs
1/4 cup minced [ prepared ] ginger
1/4 cup crushed freh rosemary
 kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper

Put the thighs in a large baking dish. Combine the oils and seasonings in a measuring cup. Cut the tops off the garlic exposing the tops of the cloves. Pour the oils over the thighs. roll the garlic bulbs to coat them. Roast at 360.until cooked through and browned. Remove to pretty platter and garnish with the garlic, fresh parsley and cherry tomatoes.

Rustic Artisan Baquettes broiled with a trio of St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Flavored Oils

3 baquettes: Cut baquettes in half lengthwise. Place on cookie sheets. Brush one loaf with St. Helena Olive OIl Co. Tuscan EVOO, the second loaf with St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Rosemary oil and the third loaf with St Helena Olive Oil Co. Sevillano oil. Next mix a few drops of cognac, some chopped pine nuts and mix with gorgonzola. Spread this mixture on the first loaf. On the 2nd loaf spread some crushed red pepper chopped chives and parsley and on the third loaf pieces of mozzarella. Reserve until near time to serve and then put under broiler and lightly brown. Remove from oven and cut into 3 inch slices on the diagonal.

Valentine's Salad – a chop of romaine,radish, endive , red onion and
chives finished with a swirl of St. Helena Olive Oil co. Walnut and
Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oils.

2 heads of romaine washed, spun and finely chopped
2 to 3 heads of endive finely chopped
1 red onion finely sliced
8 radishes finely sliced
1/2 cup St Helena Olive co. Walnut Oil
1/2 cup St Helena Olive Oil Co. Lemon Oil
1/8 cup St Helena Olive Oil Co. Balsalmic Vinegar Di Modena

Mix oils and vinegar well and toss salad in large bowl adding ground pepper and salt to taste.

Pinzimonio with Broccoli and Red Pepper

Combine 1/2 cup of St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Sevillano EVOO and 1/8  cup St Helena Olive Oil Co. Balsamic Di Modena in a bowl and place with some washed and sliced red pepper and broccoli florets [ for dipping] on the buffet table.

Marinated Black and Green Olives

6 ounces of Kalamata olives
6 ounces Greek green olives
1 1/2 cups St Helena Olive Oil Co.Tuscan EVOO
4 1by2 inch orange strips
4 1by2 inch lemon strips
1tables. crushed fennel seeds
1 teas. crushed red pepper

Rinse the olives and crush each olive with flat side of knife until the skin starts to break. Place in bowl. Combine all remaining ingredients in a pan and heat until oil bubbles. Pour over olives in bowl. Let stand overnight. Drain oil from olives and put into bowl. Serve olives & oil and place by baquettes for further dipping.

Chocolate Truffles

You are on your own!   We love Woodhouse Chocolates in St. Helena!