Hello to all
my wonderful friends & foodie
family!I'm an explorer by heart. Give
me a weekend that's uncharted with social plans marked on the calendar & my
fingers will be busy mapping out a plan for a new local food adventure. Sunday I
woke up with a yen to hit the open road & when Ken (a guy who's
perfectly contented to just tend to his flower beds on Sunday) surprisingly
suggested a day trip to Ellensburg, I went right to plotting our
path.
Turns out there's a small Sunday farmer's market
in the quaint Northern Exposure-famed town of Roslyn just over the pass, &
when I read that there were fresh tamales to be had, you better believe I got
dressed in a hurry! The tamales from Casa de Blanca were indeed worth the
trip--an airy delight with spiced masa (never seen that before) &
plentiful pulled-pork tucked inside--plus we bought a tub of hard-to-stop
dipping into salsa & handmade stone ground chips for the
road.
Twenty-or-so miles downhill we reached Ellensburg, which I'd never visited
before (& probably wouldn't have) except for my love affair with taco
trucks... Amidst strings of soccer balls blowing in the wind & Mexican
wrestling on the tube, we enjoyed a fine comida of huaraches and tortas
at Tacos Chalito which cost a total of nine bucks with tip & a
tamarindo soda to boot. Who can beat that? We figured it helped pay for
the gas :) 
So it's back to work for me in my new Seattle hood of Wallingford (with a
wicked sunburn on the back of my legs from reading cookbooks at the beach,
yesterday.) Please stop by Bella Cosa for some summer fun--you better believe I will pack
your next picnic basket with earthly delights!
Besos,
Catherine Reynolds
Catherine Reynolds
LIMONI DI AMALFI COTTI AL FORNO (Amalfi Baked Lemons) from Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver
Okay, so lemons are not exactly a locavore item, but I've been dying to try this recipe out ever since I bought this cookbook. Hothouse tomatoes are available now at the farmers market & I can't wait to use some leaves from the Napoletano basil (an exuberantly fragrant variety with crinkled leaves) I planted alongside chard in an old wine barrel. After last year's fizzled summer, I invested in early-ripening tomatoes this spring & already have two ripe Stupice's. Not enough for even a tiny caprese salad, but perfect for this recipe. Put your early tomatoes to use!
Serves 4
2 large unwaxed lemons
One or two 5 oz balls of mozzarella, sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
4 fresh basil leaves
2 anchovy fillets
2 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
salt & freshly ground black pepper
optional: 1 dried red chili, crumbled
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the ends of the lemon & discard them, then cut the lemons in half crossways, giving you four 1-inch-thick discs. Now, using a small knife, remove the lemon flesh, leaving you with 4 hollow circles of skin. Basically, what we're going to do is flavor the mozzarella & push it inside the lemon skin so it absorbs the lovely lemon flavor when it bakes.
Now the mozzarella is obviously going to melt & ooze out when baked. In Italy, a lemon lef is placed underneath each one to keep everything in place, but it's fine to use a square of waxed paper to do the same thing. So lay a waxed-paper square or a lemon leaf on a cutting board & place one of your lemon skin "wheels" on top. Cut a piece of mozzarella to fit inside, then lay a basil leaf, half an anchovy fillet, & a half a cherry tomato on top with a small pinch of salt & pepper. Add a little dried chili if you like. Put another slice of mozzarella on top--the lemon skin should now be filled up. Do the same to the rest of the wheels, place them on a baking sheet, & cook in the pre-heated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden & bubbling. Remove from the oven & allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve with some hot grilled crostini. Simply scoop the mozzarella out, eat with toast, & mop up any juices. Delicious!
Blue Mountain Cider Company Framstead Cider $10.99
Blue Mountain Cider Company Cherry Cider $12.99
You have got to taste these fabulous artisan ciders! Ever since I tasted my first hard cider over a dinner of both savory & sweet crepes on the gondola-strewn canals of France's lush Venice Verte (the Green Venice), I have had a soft spot in my heart for hand-crafted cider. The Blue Mountain Cider Company is one of less than 100 Craft Cideries in the US & Canada combined & the project grew out of a cider-appreciation society right here in Seattle. With so many folks looking for local products these days, feel good knowing that the fruit is all sourced from the Walla Walla Valley & then made a few miles away in Milton-Freewater, OR.
The Farmstead Cider is most reminiscent of the traditional French-style of dry cidre with McIntosh & granny smith flavors, & an All-American apple pie finish. I sold a bottle to a skeptical gentleman who was literally right off a plane from Paris at Bella Cosa's last Saturday tasting--now that's a sound endorsement! Try this with a wedge of Estrella Family Creamery's Old Apple Tree Tomme, a wondrous WA cheese that's been washed with apple cider & brandy and aged on spruce planks... Divine, divine.
Blue Mtn's Cherry Cider is a personal favorite as it whets the whistle as a superb aperitif & I've not tasted anything like it before--not sweet, but juicy in the best way possible. All of the Blue Mountain Ciders are about 6.25%, so that means I can come home from work & refresh with a glass while preparing dinner, but I adore this as a low-alcohol option for afternoon brunch & picnics. Fresh fruit is added in before bottling so you really feel like you're tasting the essence of Walla Walla cherry orchards. But what really made this my fave? I brought home a wedge of L'Edel de Cleron, an ultra-creamy soft-ripened frommage from the Franche-Comte, & it was one of those pairings that makes a cheesemonger (& friends) swoon. Few pairings are a match made in heaven--this is one of them.
Okay, so lemons are not exactly a locavore item, but I've been dying to try this recipe out ever since I bought this cookbook. Hothouse tomatoes are available now at the farmers market & I can't wait to use some leaves from the Napoletano basil (an exuberantly fragrant variety with crinkled leaves) I planted alongside chard in an old wine barrel. After last year's fizzled summer, I invested in early-ripening tomatoes this spring & already have two ripe Stupice's. Not enough for even a tiny caprese salad, but perfect for this recipe. Put your early tomatoes to use!
Serves 4
2 large unwaxed lemons
One or two 5 oz balls of mozzarella, sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
4 fresh basil leaves
2 anchovy fillets
2 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
salt & freshly ground black pepper
optional: 1 dried red chili, crumbled
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the ends of the lemon & discard them, then cut the lemons in half crossways, giving you four 1-inch-thick discs. Now, using a small knife, remove the lemon flesh, leaving you with 4 hollow circles of skin. Basically, what we're going to do is flavor the mozzarella & push it inside the lemon skin so it absorbs the lovely lemon flavor when it bakes.
Now the mozzarella is obviously going to melt & ooze out when baked. In Italy, a lemon lef is placed underneath each one to keep everything in place, but it's fine to use a square of waxed paper to do the same thing. So lay a waxed-paper square or a lemon leaf on a cutting board & place one of your lemon skin "wheels" on top. Cut a piece of mozzarella to fit inside, then lay a basil leaf, half an anchovy fillet, & a half a cherry tomato on top with a small pinch of salt & pepper. Add a little dried chili if you like. Put another slice of mozzarella on top--the lemon skin should now be filled up. Do the same to the rest of the wheels, place them on a baking sheet, & cook in the pre-heated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden & bubbling. Remove from the oven & allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve with some hot grilled crostini. Simply scoop the mozzarella out, eat with toast, & mop up any juices. Delicious!
Blue Mountain Cider Company Framstead Cider $10.99
Blue Mountain Cider Company Cherry Cider $12.99
You have got to taste these fabulous artisan ciders! Ever since I tasted my first hard cider over a dinner of both savory & sweet crepes on the gondola-strewn canals of France's lush Venice Verte (the Green Venice), I have had a soft spot in my heart for hand-crafted cider. The Blue Mountain Cider Company is one of less than 100 Craft Cideries in the US & Canada combined & the project grew out of a cider-appreciation society right here in Seattle. With so many folks looking for local products these days, feel good knowing that the fruit is all sourced from the Walla Walla Valley & then made a few miles away in Milton-Freewater, OR.
The Farmstead Cider is most reminiscent of the traditional French-style of dry cidre with McIntosh & granny smith flavors, & an All-American apple pie finish. I sold a bottle to a skeptical gentleman who was literally right off a plane from Paris at Bella Cosa's last Saturday tasting--now that's a sound endorsement! Try this with a wedge of Estrella Family Creamery's Old Apple Tree Tomme, a wondrous WA cheese that's been washed with apple cider & brandy and aged on spruce planks... Divine, divine.
Blue Mtn's Cherry Cider is a personal favorite as it whets the whistle as a superb aperitif & I've not tasted anything like it before--not sweet, but juicy in the best way possible. All of the Blue Mountain Ciders are about 6.25%, so that means I can come home from work & refresh with a glass while preparing dinner, but I adore this as a low-alcohol option for afternoon brunch & picnics. Fresh fruit is added in before bottling so you really feel like you're tasting the essence of Walla Walla cherry orchards. But what really made this my fave? I brought home a wedge of L'Edel de Cleron, an ultra-creamy soft-ripened frommage from the Franche-Comte, & it was one of those pairings that makes a cheesemonger (& friends) swoon. Few pairings are a match made in heaven--this is one of them.
Almansenas La Huella de Adaras 2005, Almansa $11.99 12
bottles available!
I had the good fortune to score a case more of this--so don't you deliberate on this one--I offered this in my first newsletter & it sold out in 10 minutes... Honest! Believe you me, I wish I could offer you more of this, but this wine sold out from the distributor in a flash. I tried this at home & this sumptuous velvety wine disappeared in no time. How exciting to see great things coming from this little known appellation.
"This is an absolutely sensational value from Bodegas Almansenas, located in Almansa. Importer Eric Solomon believes that Almansa is Spain's greatest location for Garnacha Tintorera, more commonly known as Alicante Bouschet. The 2005 La Huella de Adaras is a blend of 60% Garnacha Tintorera, 30% Monastrell, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up an alluring bouquet of mineral, lavender, blueberry, and black raspberry. Super-rich, layered, and well-balanced, it has 1-2 years of aging potential. However, there is no obvious reason to delay gratification. This is what over-delivering is all about." -92 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Muga Rosado 2007, Rioja $13.99
I had the good fortune to score a case more of this--so don't you deliberate on this one--I offered this in my first newsletter & it sold out in 10 minutes... Honest! Believe you me, I wish I could offer you more of this, but this wine sold out from the distributor in a flash. I tried this at home & this sumptuous velvety wine disappeared in no time. How exciting to see great things coming from this little known appellation.
"This is an absolutely sensational value from Bodegas Almansenas, located in Almansa. Importer Eric Solomon believes that Almansa is Spain's greatest location for Garnacha Tintorera, more commonly known as Alicante Bouschet. The 2005 La Huella de Adaras is a blend of 60% Garnacha Tintorera, 30% Monastrell, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up an alluring bouquet of mineral, lavender, blueberry, and black raspberry. Super-rich, layered, and well-balanced, it has 1-2 years of aging potential. However, there is no obvious reason to delay gratification. This is what over-delivering is all about." -92 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Muga Rosado 2007, Rioja $13.99
For all of you who crave those salmon colored rose's that leave
sweetness completely behind (& fall into the under $15 category), this is
it! A blend of Garnacha, Viura, & Tempranillo, this is one of the
zestiest vintages I've had yet (meaning great acidity, fantastic with
food.)Pomegranate & cherry chalkiness on the nose goes hand in hand with
freshly squeezed blood orange juice & pink grapefruit kick--delightful!
This is the perfect dinner-mate for a summery Nicoise salad, but we put it up
against a Moroccan chickpea & merguez one-pot dish and the results were
mighty tasty. Enjoy the longer hours on your deck & make a date with Muga!
Looking for expert Spanish wine advice? Gourmet staples to stock the pantry? Melt in your mouth artisan charcuterie & intriguing hand-selected cheese? You can find me at Bella Cosa (1711 N. 45th, just west of the Wallingford Center) Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 am to 7 pm, five days a week. Please come by & say hello!
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