Photo from Jespahjoy

CHEESE FONDUE

Serves 6

With the unprecedented cheese renaissance in this country, this old war horse of the 60’s and 70’s is making a huge comeback. Time to unearth that old fondue pot and long forks or wooden skewers and treat your sweetie to something special.

Emmental and Gruyère are the most commonly used cheeses in a classic fondue, but Appenzeller, Comté, Beaufort, Tête de Moine — all relatively low in moisture — also work fine. The addition of cornstarch keeps the cheese and wine from separating.

As an additional treat, when you’re almost done eating the fondue, leave a thin coating of cheese on the bottom of the pot. Lower the flame and allow the coating to turn into a brown crust, then break it into pieces and share it with your guests. The crust is considered a delicacy in Switzerland.

1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons kirsch
1/2 pound Emmental cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
1/2 pound Gruyère , coarsely grated (2 cups)

Accompaniments: Cubes of French bread, apple wedges, cubes of smoked ham, boiled baby new potatoes or whatever else you’d like.

Rub inside of a 4-quart heavy pot with cut sides of garlic, and then discard garlic. Add wine to pot and bring just to a simmer over moderate heat.

Stir together cornstarch and kirsch in a cup.

Gradually add cheese to pot and cook, stirring constantly in a zigzag pattern (not a circular motion) to prevent cheese from balling up, until cheese is just melted and creamy (do not let boil). Stir cornstarch mixture again and stir into fondue. Bring fondue to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to fondue pot set over a flame and serve with bread and other accompaniments for dipping.

OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER

Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer

Invented at Antoine’s in New Orleans in 1899, the dish was named after John D. Rockefeller , the richest American at the time, for the richness of the sauce. Antoine’s has kept the original recipe secret but all kinds of interpretations exist. Basically it includes a rich cream sauce with spinach and other greens and flavored with Pernod or anisette. This version omits the rich sauce but is still full of flavor.

24 small to medium oysters
2 cups gently packed young spinach leaves
1-1/2 cups gently packed watercress, large stems removed or more spinach
1/3 cup gently packed celery leaves
5 tablespoons butter
1 ounce Pernod or other licorice flavored liqueur
Salt to taste
Drops of lemon juice and your favorite hot sauce to taste
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Shuck the oysters discarding the flat top shells. Drain the oysters and strain their liquor and refrigerate both until ready to cook. Wash deep shell inside and out and set aside.

Blanch the spinach, watercress and celery leaves in lightly salted, boiling water for 30 seconds until wilted. Strain and rinse thoroughly in cold water to stop the cooking and set the bright green color. Add the greens to a food processor along with the green onions and pulse to chop very finely (or can be done by hand).

Melt butter in a skillet over moderate heat and add chopped greens and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the strained liquor, Pernod and season to your taste with salt, drops of lemon juice and pepper sauce and cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet with 1/3 inch or so rock or coarse salt and press reserved oyster shells into the salt to keep them upright. Place an oyster in each and divide the green sauce among them. Top with parmesan and bake until sauce is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

ASPARAGUS RAVIOLI WITH BROWN BUTTER SAUCE

Makes 20,  serving 4

You could also use fresh pasta for this in place of the won tons. It will take a little longer to cook of course.

1/2 pound tender young asparagus, woody ends discarded, tips reserved
Sea salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup farmer or whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or mashed anchovy fillets
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
40 wonton wrappers

For the sauce
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds or pine nuts, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly grated lemon zest
Parsley Sprigs for garnish, preferably fried

For the ravioli: Bring 4 cups salted water to a boil in a saucepan. Add asparagus tips and cook till tender but still bright green, 1 minute. Drain and shock in ice water drain again and set aside. Cut stalks into 1-inch lengths and cook as above. Dry stalks on a paper towels and chop very finely in a food processor or by hand. Place in a bowl.

Add cheeses and remaining ingredients except wontons and stir together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Place a scant tablespoon of filling on half of the wrappers. Using a pastry brush, paint water around edge of each square. Top each with one of the reserved wrappers and press edges firmly to seal. If you don’t cook ravioli right away, cover with a damp cloth.

Bring salted water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add ravioli and bring to a boil. As soon as ravioli rise to the top, about 1 minute, remove with a slotted spoon to warmed plates.

For the sauce: While waiting for water to boil, melt butter in a skillet over moderate heat and add almonds, shaking pan. Cook until butter turns a light brown color. Add reserved asparagus tips and drizzle over ravioli. Top with a grinding or two of pepper, some freshly grated parmesan and a little lemon zest. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

John Ash © 2013

30AEATS

 Wonderfully versatile piquillo peppers come exclusively from the small northern Spanish region of Navarra. Nestled between the borders of southern France and Basque territory, the town of Lodosa thrives on a busy trade in piquillo peppers. The peppers take their name from their distinctive, narrow, triangular shape: Piquillo means “beak” in Spanish.

At first glance, piquillos look like a variant of sweet bell pepper, but just one bite will tell a different story, as the familiar sweetness gives way to a sneaky heat. Navarra’s piquillo peppers are traditionally roasted over a beechwood fire, which adds a delectable smokiness to their bouquet. The final product is then packed whole in its delicious juices, ready to be sliced, stuffed and puréed into a variety of delicious dishes.

I’ve also included a recipe here for making leafy herb oils. This is a great way to use fresh herbs, and the oil can add a new dimension of flavor to grilled meats, fish, and vegetables. Let me know what creative uses YOU find for using fresh herb oil.

GOAT CHEESE STUFFED PIQUILLO PEPPERS

Serves 12 as a Tapa

Seek out a good herbed fresh goat cheese or alternately, mix in your own favorite fresh herbs. Piquillo peppers are available canned or jarred. Save any of the leftover garlic scented olive oil for other uses such as frying potatoes.

10 ounces fresh herbed goat cheese
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
12 whole piquillo peppers
1/3 cup fragrant extra virgin olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
12 Caper berries, drained
Fresh Basil Oil (recipe follows)

Mash the goat cheese in a bowl with the zest. Stuff the whole piquillos three-quarters full with the mixture and place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and fry the garlic until lightly golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Drizzle the peppers with some of the oil and briefly broil in a preheated oven. If cheese oozes out just push it back in.

To serve: Use a spatula to transfer to a platter or individual plates and top with the fried garlic and a grinding or two of pepper. Serve with a caper berry or two, if desired.

For leafy herb oils
I suggest using basil, mint, chives, cilantro, parsley, shiso

3 cups packed herbs, large stems removed
1 – 2 cups olive oil
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Blanch the herbs in lightly salted, boiling water for 2 – 3 seconds. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. This blanching step inactivates the enzymes that cause the herbs to turn brown and develop an oxidized flavor.
Squeeze the herbs very dry with your hands. Chop and add to a blender along with enough oil to cover by 2 inches. Blend to make a paste. Let sit for an hour or two and then strain thru a fine mesh strainer or a coffee filter. This might take an hour or two depending on what you are using to strain the mixture. Season with a little salt and pepper if you want, and store covered and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. Return to room temperature before using.

A gorgeous night for learning to cook with Chef John Ash at the Dry Creek Peach & Produce Company

One of my favorite events each year is a class and dinner that I do with Dry Creek Peach Company in the middle of their orchard in the beautiful Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg, California.  I do this in partnership with Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg, a very fun cooking school that offers a wide range of classes throughout the year.

One of the recipes we made at this event: Grilled Coconut Chicken, Peach Chutney and Sesame Spinach

Historically, the Dry Creek Valley was a place in which all manner of fruits and vegetables were grown.  Dry Creek Valley, an official AVA, is now planted almost entirely with wine grapes and Dry Creek Peach is the last outpost for some of the most delicious peaches, nectarines and plums that I’ve ever had in my life.

Photo courtesy Donna Del Rey, Relish Culinary Adventures

I try to work peaches into every course and it’s always fun to see what the favorites are.  This year the “winner” was a very simple salad course, the recipe for which I’ve included below.  If you make it, let me know what you think of it!

ARUGULA SALAD WITH GRILLED PEACHES, MORTADELLA AND ROBIOLA
Serves 6

Robiola is considered by many to be Italy’s best cheese.  It comes from the Piedmont in the north and is a blend of cow, goat and sheep’s milk.  True Mortadella is sublime.  It hails from Bologna.  Seek out the real versions of both the meat and the cheese for this recipe.  It will make all the difference in the world!

12 thin slices of mortadella
12 ounces fresh robiola
12 basil leaves
3 ripe peaches; halved, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons or so fruity extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups packed baby arugula leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

On a work surface, lay out the slices of the mortadella. Divide the robiola in the center of each one and top it with a basil leaf. Fold the mortadella over the cheese and then fold in the sides to form a neat packet.  Secure with toothpicks.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Lightly coat the peaches with olive oil and grill until nicely marked.  Slice each half attractively and set aside.

Grill the packets over high heat for about 1 minute per side, until they are lightly marked and the cheese has softened. Discard the toothpicks.

In a bowl, toss the arugula with olive oil and vinegar and season to your taste with salt and pepper. Arrange peaches and dressed arugula attractively on 6 plates.  Top with warm packets and serve right away.

This is the 4th iteration of this very popular festival and definitely worth attending.  Complete details are at www.artisancheesefestival.com. Among the highlights for me are an amazing Barn Party on Friday, March 26th and a really fun stroll around dinner on Saturday, March 27th.  Eight great chefs are participating including:

Christian Caiazzo of Osteria Stellina in Point Reyes
T. Chris Jones of the girl and the fig in Sonoma
Lars Kronmark of The Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena
Jason Denton of Jackson’s Bar and Oven in Santa Rosa
Mark Stark of Willi’s, Monti’s and Stark’s Steakhouse all in Santa Rosa
Duskie Estes and John Stewart of Zazu, Bovolo and Black Pig Meat Company in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg
Percy Whatley of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite
Jesse Llapitan of the Palace Hotel San Francisco

If that weren’t enough there is a Sweets Lounge following the dinner event with amazing sparkling and dessert wines and of course, great desserts to keep you dancing all night.  This for the amazing price of $85!

Sunday features a market place featuring cheese makers and their cheeses from the entire West Coast.  Some really great seminars are also being offered including one of my favorites, Pairing Cheese with Beer.

Hope I’ll see you there!

John Ash

This time of year we’re often spending more time in the kitchen and as a result more questions come up.  Here is a couple I’ve received recently that I thought I’d share with you.

What to Do If You’ve Added Too Much Salt to the Soup or Stew

OK . . . here’s the scenario: The recipe called for a teaspoon of salt but you misread it and added a whole

Photo from Nate Steiner

tablespoon.  What do you do??  Don’t despair – - you don’t have to throw the whole thing out.  To rescue an over-salted soup or stew here’s what I do:  I take a raw potato, wash it then quarter it and drop it into the soup or stew.  I don’t know exactly what goes on – - ya’ know the chemistry of it?  But somehow the potato actually
tempers the salt and makes it much less apparent.  It seems to actually absorb some of the brininess.  Be sure then to discard the potato before serving.

A couple of other things that seems to help when you’ve added too much salt are adding a bit of sugar, also adding a bit of tomato paste and finally adding a bit of fresh citrus juice like orange or lemon can all help gently reduce the salt in an overly salted soup or stew.  The first choice for me however is to grab a potato!

Buying and Storing Cheese

Photo from cwbuecheler

Storing cheese seems to be a universal problem for all of us.  Here are a few pointers:

Store cheese away from the fan.  The vegetable drawer is ideal.  Don’t use the “cheese compartment” that is built into the door of many refrigerators.  The constant temperature change that comes from opening and closing the door isn’t good for cheese.

Don’t wrap young, soft cheeses like Jack or soft ripening (bloomy rind) cheeses like Brie in plastic.  Plastic literally suffocates them.  Instead use parchment, waxed or butcher paper.

Hard cheeses like Parmesan, Cheddar, Swiss, which got that way because they have less moisture, should also be wrapped in breathable materials.  If however they are as dry as you like them then plastic wrap is recommended to prevent further drying.  However, remember that plastic can change flavor, so re-wrap in fresh plastic every couple of days if you have it around that long.

Fresh cheeses like Ricotta, Crème Fraiche, fresh goat cheeses and those packed in water like Mozzarella or Feta should be packed in a sealed plastic or glass containers.

Finally, don’t freeze cheese.  The results are almost always disappointing.

WATERMELON, GRILLED FIG, ONION AND FETA SALAD
Serves 6

This brings together 4 of the “basic flavors”: sweet, sour, salty and pepper.  As with all recipes, adjust these elements to your own taste.

1 medium sweet red or white onion, peeled, cut in 1/2″ thick slices
6 large ripe fresh figs, halved
Olive oil
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups young watercress or other peppery greens such as arugula, woody stems discarded
Raspberry vinaigrette (recipe follows)
6 cups chilled seeded watermelon, cut into 2 inch cubes or triangles (use both red and
yellow watermelon, if available)
6 ounces or so drained feta, preferably Bulgarian or California
Garnish: Mint springs

Brush the onions and figs with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Grill over a medium heat until nicely marked and softened.  Set aside (can be done an hour or two ahead).

Arrange a bed of watercress and top with the watermelon.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over and arrange onions and figs attractively around.  Place feta on top and garnish with mint sprigs.

Raspberry Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon finely minced shallots or green onions
1/4 cup raspberry or other fruit vinegar
1/4 cup raspberry puree made from either fresh or IQF frozen berries, strained to
remove seeds
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons honey (or to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk the shallots, vinegar, raspberry puree, orange juice, honey and oil together to make a smooth mixture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.