Garden Fritter Stack with Basil Yogurt

By Chef Stacy Maple

 

Ingredients

½   Medium Zucchini, grated

½   Medium Yellow Squash, grated           

¼   Medium Red Onion, grated                     

¼ C   Sun dried Tomato, julienne

¼ C   Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 TB   Pine Nuts

 

2 TB   Egg White

 

½ C   Flour

 

½ tsp   Baking Powder

 

½ tsp   Salt

 

¼ tsp   Cracked Black Pepper

 

½ C   Greek Yogurt

 

1 TB   Fresh Basil, chiffonade

 

 2 TB   Canola Oil

Directions:

Step 1

In medium mixing bowl, combine first 7 ingredients.  In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.  Stir dry mixture into grated veggies until fully incorporated. 

Step 2

In small bowl, mix together yogurt and fresh basil.  Set aside.

Step 3

In non-stick skillet, heat oil on medium high.  Once oil is hot, spoon 1/4 cup of fritter mixture into skillet  Flatten the fritter mixture like a pancake.  Flip fritter once edges are golden brown.  Reduce heat to medium and brown other side of fritter.  Remove fritter with spatula and place on cooling rack lined with paper towel to blot oil.

 Step 4

Serve Fritters stacked one on the other, like pancakes. Top fritter stack with dollop of basil yogurt.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

A Fresh Take On Pesto posted by Chef Stacy Maple

Herbs of Summer

Herbs plants are thriving this season with all the warm, wet weather July is bringing.  Fresh herbs add vibrant flavor to a dish with out adding a ton of calories or unwanted fat.  A simple combination of herbs, oil, nuts and spices makes a lovely sauce known as Pesto.

A Fresh Take On an Old Classic

Historically, “Pesto” referred to a paste-like sauce made from fresh basil crushed with garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. 

Today, Pesto has taken on a new culinary meaning.  Now, Pesto is made from any combination of fresh herbs, nuts, oil and spices, resulting in a limitless combination of simple, yet vibrant sauces.  The texture of pesto can vary from smooth and creamy to thick and pasty or thin and runny.  There are no rules with pesto and limitless possibilities.  It's easiest to make in a food processor but it can be chopped by hand or even crushed together with a mortar and pestle.  So pick some herbs, roll up your sleeves and grab an apron.  It's time to make pesto.

Uses for Pesto

Pesto is not only quick and easy to make, but it is extremely versatile: Toss whole grains in Pesto; Dress salad greens with Pesto; Spread Pesto on a sandwich; Slather corn-on-the-cob with Pesto; Use Pesto as a dip; Drizzle Pesto over chicken, seafood, beef or pork. The possibilities are endless!

Try out some of these fresh pesto recipes:

 

 

 

 

Chilled Georgia Peach Soup posted by Chef Stacy Maple

A Real Peach of a Soup

It’s peach season in Georgia!   Is there anything better than a fresh Georgia peach? How about a Chilled Georgia Peach Soup!  This sweet and tangy, smooth and creamy chilled soup is the bomb! 

My chef hat is off to Chef Jason Franey, Food & Wine's Best New Chef 2011, for creating this chilled soup.  I have added a few locally sourced ingredients to make it authentically Georgian. Start by marinating fresh peaches (I suggest peaches from your Georgia peach farmer, of course!) overnight with fresh goat cheese, dried apricots, cucumber, yellow bell pepper, Georgia's Tupelo honey, white balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  The mixture is then pureed until very smooth and creamy, served very cold and garnished with fresh, crumbled goat cheese, cucumber slices, corn bread croutons and basil. 

Though this recipe was created by a Seattle chef, it’s the perfect chilled soup to beat the Georgia heat this summer ...a real peach of a soup!

 

Chilled Georgia Peach Soup with Fresh Goat Cheese              

Yields 4 servings

30 minutes prep , Plus overnight marinating

 

Ingredients

3 cups sliced peeled Georgia peaches (about 4)
¼ cup diced peeled seedless cucumber, plus thin slices for garnish
¼ cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
¼ cup diced dried apricots
2 TB Tupelo honey
3 TB crumbled fresh goat cheese, plus garnish
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus drizzle
½ tsp Kosher salt
1 large garlic clove
2 cups diced Corn Bread (1/2  inch)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Basil leaves for garnish
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Step 1

In bowl, toss together peaches, cucumber, bell pepper, apricots, honey, goat cheese, vinegar, olive oil, salt and garlic. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Step 2

Remove garlic clove and discard.  Transfer contents of bowl to blender add ¼ cup of water and puree until smooth and creamy.  If too thick add more water.  Season to taste with vinegar and salt.  Refrigerate the soup until very cold, about 1 hour.

Step 3

Meanwhile, in medium skillet, heat remaining ¼ cup of oil, add diced corn bread.  Cook over moderate heat stirring until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes.  Using tongs, transfer croutons to paper towel and season with salt.

Step 4

Ladle the peach soup into a shallow bowl and garnish with sliced cucumber, crumbled goat cheese, croutons and basil.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with black pepper.  Serve. 

 

Making Cheese At Home Posted By Chef Stacy Maple

How To Make Fresh Cheese at Home

Making Fresh Cheese or Queso Fresco at home is surprisingly easy.  If you can boil water, you can master this 3 ingredient recipe! One taste of this creamy, all-natural cheese and you will never want to buy supermarket versions again with all those strange chemicals and gums.  That's not my idea of fresh! Why buy it when you can make it cheaper and fresher at home?

Once you are comfortable with this recipe and the technique for making Fresh Cheese, get creative with the ingredients.  Try replacing apple cider vinegar with other acids like flavored vinegar, citrus juice like lemon or lime, white wine or even soda pops.  Try making Fresh Goat Cheese by using goats milk rather than cows milk and look for non-homogenized milk at your co-op or local dairy as it will curdle much better.

Fresh Cheese Recipe Ingredients: 2 C          Whole Milk 3-4 oz      Apple Cider Vinegar* Pinch       Salt   Equipment Needed: Sauce Pan Colander Cheese Cloth Kitchen Twine Kitchen Thermometer

Preparation:

Step 1  Heat  Milk and salt in large sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir until milk reaches 180 degrees or milk begins to froth.  Hold at 180 degrees for 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Step 2  Slowly stir in Vinegar.  Small curds will begin to form and milk will separate into 2 parts: curds and whey. 

Step 3  Line a colander with 2-3 layers of cheesecloth.  Place colander over bowl.  Slowly pour milk mixture through cheesecloth and colander, letting whey (clear liquid) drain into bowl.

Step 4  Once most of whey has drained off and cheese is cool enough to handle, lift the edges of the cheesecloth up and twist, wrapping the cheese securely inside the cheesecloth.   Tie “bag” closed and hang it to let the whey drain (about an hour).

Step 5  Once cheese has drained well, it is ready to be eaten or it can be “aged” for up to one week in refrigerator.  As cheese ages, it will become drier and the flavor stronger. 

*Note:  Apple Cider Vinegar can be replaced with any variety of vinegar, fresh lemon or lime juice or white wine.  However, Fresh Cheese should be drained well so that it doesn’t taste like the acid used to curdle the milk.  The longer it ages and the drier it becomes, the less it will taste like the acid used.

Quick & Easy Summer Side Salads

By Chef Stacy Maple

For many of us, May marked the beginning of another hectic summer season with Mother’s Day get togethers, high school proms, graduation parties and end-of-school celebrations.  Now, there are hedges to clip, lawns to mow, and flowers to prune.  With all the planning and schedule juggling that the summer demands,” quick” and “easy” are two words that connect with anyone trying to plan fresh, delicious dinners this month . 

On the bright side, our local farm markets and road-side stands are open again and stocked with lovely late spring and early summer vegetables, like Georgia grown cantaloupe, heirloom tomatoes and early sweet corn varieties.  These vegetables are especially easy to find right now and make delightfully simple, fresh side salads.

These Quick & Easy Summer Salad recipes have 9 or less ingredients, require minimal skill and can be prepared in 15 minutes or less.   Not only are they quick and easy, but these recipes are clean, simple, fun and fresh.  Bring it on, summer!

 

Summer Sweet Corn & Heirloom Tomato Salad




My family's sweet corn farm in Fredericktown,  Ohio
Farming varieties of early & summer sweet corn since 1977

3 ears Fresh Sweet Corn, husked

3 large Heirloom Tomatoes, cut in wedges

2 TB Red Onion, slivers

1 Jalapeno, minced (ribs and seeds removed)

2 TB Fresh Basil, chopped

3 TB Fig Infused Vinegar (or White Balsamic Vinegar)

2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TB Local Honey

Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook Corn in large pot of boiling, salted water until corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and Cool to room temperature. Cut corn kernels from cob. Transfer corn kernels to large bowl and add Tomatoes, Onion, Jalapeno and Basil.

In small mixing bowl, whisk together Vinegar, Honey and Oil. Pour vinaigrette over Salad and gently toss together. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

 

 

Georgia Cantaloupe Salad

1              Cantaloupe (GA grown, if possible)

2 TB        Pine Nuts, toasted

¼ cup      Goat Cheese Crumbles

2 TB         Fresh Basil, chopped

Directions

Clean and cut cantaloupe into 1” pieces.  Transfer cantaloupe to mixing bowl. Add Goat Cheese crumbles Pine Nuts and Basil.  Lightly toss together.  Chill and Serve.  (This recipe is also great with other melons like watermelon and honey dew.   Give it a try!)

The Bounty of Spring

 

 Pecan Crusted Chicken and Arugula Salad

Spring is here and soon our local markets will be filled once again with its bounty.   In Georgia, we can look forward to local spring vegetables like arugula, asparagus, radishes, morel mushrooms and our beloved pecans.  After a long winter of braised meats and roasted root vegetables, the light and bright flavors of spring are a welcome sight.  

The Pecan Crusted Chicken and Arugula Salad is a beautiful dinner salad that showcases the taste of spring in Georgia:  Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast on a bed of fresh Arugula with grilled Asparagus and crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese drizzled with White Peach Balsamic Vinaigrette.   A perfect balance of flavors and textures: Sweet and savory; Light and filling; Raw and roasted; Simple and elegant.

Tossing cooked and fresh vegetables together is an easy way to create an interesting dinner salad.  Grilling or roasting vegetables adds complexity and depth of flavor through the browning process and certain vegetables are more desirable when cooked rather than eaten raw.  Try grilling or roasting these vegetables to create something new and exciting in your next salad: asparagus, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, green beans, sweet corn and radishes. 

Pecan Crusted Chicken and Arugula Salad

 Pecan Crusted Chicken
1 cup Georgia Pecans
½ cup Breadcrumbs
1 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Salt, divided
1 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Sugar
2 Egg Whites
1 TBSP Water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

 
 
 
 
 
 


INSTRUCTIONS
In food processor, chop Pecans fine until they are consistent in size. Add breadcrumbs, Paprika, 1 tsp of Salt, White Pepper and Sugar and pulse together. Pour Pecan Crumbs mix in pan.  

 

 



 

 

Whisk together egg whites and water.  Dip Chicken breasts in egg wash, sprinkle with salt and then coat in Pecan Crumbs.  Shake off extra coating and set aside.  Repeat process until all chicken breasts are coated.  

 

Heat olive oil in sauté pan.  Transfer Pecan Coated Chicken to hot sauté pan.  Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes then flip chicken to cook other side.  Cook for additional 4-5 minutes.  Be Careful not to burn pecans.  Remove chicken and let rest for 2-3 minutes before plating on salad.

 

White Peach Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 Georgia Peach, peeled (substitute 1 cup of drained, canned peaches, if you must.)
2 TBSP Honey
¼ cup White Balsamic Vinegar
¼ tsp Salt
White Pepper, pinch
¾ cup Canola Oil

INSTRUCTIONS
In food processor, add peaches and honey and puree.  Add vinegar, salt and pepper and pulse together.  With food processor running, slowly pour in canola oil.  Continue running food processor until dressing is completely emulsified.  Taste and adjust seasoning. 

 

Arugula Salad

1 Cup Arugula, washed
5-7 stalks of Asparagus, grilled or roasted
2 TBSP Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
5-7 Pecan Halves
1 Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast, sliced (see recipe above)
White Peach Balsamic Vinaigrette, (see recipe above)

INSTRUCTIONS

Assemble salad as follows:  Line perimeter of plate with cooked Asparagus.  In center of plate add Arugula.  Slice Chicken and shingle it over the Arugula.  Sprinkle with Gorgonzola Cheese and Pecans.  Garnish with fresh peach slice. Serve with White Peach Balsamic Vinaigrette. 

 

 

 

 

 

A Healthier Shepherd's Pie: A Real Pot of Gold! Recipe by Chef Stacy Maple

Shepherd's Pie: Truly Irish

Shamrocks…Leprechauns…Green Beer?  Looking for something to make your St. Patrick’s Day truly Irish?  Skip the Corned Beef and Cabbage this year and try a real Irish tradition:  Shepherd’s Pie.  Unlike Corned Beef and Cabbage, which is a strictly an Irish American dish, Shepherd’s Pie is a staple of traditional Irish heritage. 

Shepherd’s Pie probably originated in Ireland sometime in the 19^th Century among the peasantry as a cheaper version of “Cottage Pie”.  Cottage Pie was made with beef, but In Ireland, beef was scarce and too expensive for most of the Irish peasantry to eat.  Shepherd’s Pie was made with Mutton or lamb, a more affordable meat available to the working class.  Today, the names are used interchangeably to describe a pie of flavorful minced meat and rich gravy topped with mashed potatoes.   Delicious, no matter what you call it!

Lighten Up! Shepherd's Pie

A flavorful minced meat pie can not be made in a healthy kitchen…Blarney!   I have developed a lighter version of Shepherd’s Pie that is full of rich flavor, but light on fat and calories.  Lighten Up! Shepherd’s Pie uses well seasoned ground turkey and mashed cauliflower with fat-free ricotta cheese in place of the traditional lamb and mashed potatoes.  By adding some super veggies to the meat mix and a touch of Irish stout, Lighten Up! Shepherd’s Pie is a nutrient packed dish, full of flavor and rich in tradition… a real pot of gold!  “Shlainte!” (…On your health!)

Lighten Up! Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Yield: Serves 4

Preheat Oven: 375 degrees

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ cup chopped Onion

1 T minced garlic

1 1b ground Turkey

½ cup small diced carrots

½ cup small diced Broccoli

½ cup peas

¼ cup fine chopped Spinach

2 T Whole Wheat Flour

6 oz Irish Stout or Red Wine

½ cup Vegetable Stock

1 head of Cauliflower

¼ Fat-Free Ricotta Cheese

1 Egg White, beaten

1 tsp Water

White Pepper, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

Directions:

Step 1	Fill 2 Qt pot with water.  Place over high heat and bring to a boil
Step 2	Clean Cauliflower and cut in to similar sized pieces. Once water is boiling, add cauliflower.  Cook until “knife tender”.  Strain cauliflower.
Step 3	In food processor, add cooked cauliflower and Fat-Free Ricotta cheese. Puree until smooth.  Season with Salt and White Pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Step 4	Warm sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add Oil, Onion, Garlic and ground Turkey.  Season with Salt and Pepper.
Step 5	Once Turkey is browned and seasoned well, add Carrots, Peas, Broccoli and Spinach.
Step 6	Sprinkle turkey and vegetables with Whole Wheat Flour.  Distribute flour evenly throughout mixture.  Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.  Be careful not to burn.
Step 7	Add Stout (or Red Wine) and stir.  Mixture will begin to thicken.  Once alcohol has reduced by half its original volume, add Vegetable Stock.  Continue to cook over medium heat.  Pan gravy will form.
Step 8	Adjust seasoning with Salt and Pepper, if needed.  Remove from heat.
Step 9	Spray or grease casserole dish or 9 inch pie pan.  Pour meat and vegetable mixture into pan.  Be careful not to fill more than 2/3 full.  (Individual servings can be made in smaller pans. Adjust cooking time according to size of pan)
Step 10	Drop large "pillow-like" spoonfuls of cauliflower mix over meat and vegetables.
Step 11	With fork, beat Egg Whites and Water together.
Step 12	With pastry brush, brush egg wash over the “peaks” of the cauliflower mixture.
Step 13	Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until is browned.
Step 14	Remove from oven.  Rest for 10 minutes before serving.