Backyard Bites

I can’t forget this amazing cheese I just had.

TEN YEAR OLD CHEDDAR!

Can you believe it!

This cheese was amazing!
Little crystals, super sharp, crumble off the block, totally mind-blowing.

When this cheese was made it was 1999 and yes the prince song came to mind.

Prince - 1999
Uploaded by djarnaldo. - Explore more music videos.

the whole plate

A few nights ago went through my fridge and found some great ingredients.
I made a delicious diner with only buying the fresh fish.

Myer Lemon Tilapia
Israeli Cuscuses with mushrooms (yep leftover from the stuffed Portobello)
Broiled spring squash
Fresh salad

For the fish I got some fresh Tilapia at Tokyo Fish Market
Mixing some fresh Myer lemon chunks and juice, with olive oil, champagne vinegar, fresh lemon thyme, and black pepper. I brushed it onto the fillets and browned them in a hot heavy cast-iron pan. Then I put it in the oven to keep warm.

I took the Israeli Cuscuses with mushrooms out of the fridge and in the skillet and heated it up.

The Squash I washed, cut in half, and drizzled in olive oil. Then under a HOT broiler until the tops brown

The salad was mixed greens, with splashed of lemon juice, olive oil, champagne vinegar, fresh lemon thyme, and black pepper. (Yep, just like the fish)

Israeli Cuscuses Stuffed Portobellos

You need:
4 large Portobello mushrooms
Olive oil
2 shallots finely chopped
½ red, yellow, or orange (or a mix) bell pepper finely chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
2/3c uncooked Israeli Cuscuses
1 1/3 c boiling water
Salt and pepper

in a heavy pot put the olive oil, shallots, pepper, garlic, chopped mushroom stems, and dry Israeli Cuscuses. Stir until the veggies are soft and the Cuscuses smells toasted (about 7-10 min) add the water and bring back to a boil, cover and reduce heat until the Cuscuses is tender (about 15 min)

Grill the Mushroom caps over med/hot coals about 5 min each side. Brush with oil to keep moist.

Remove mushrooms from grill and top with the Cuscuses

ENJOY!

Beet and Endive Salad

You will need:
4 large beets (red, gold, whatever else you can find)
2 heads of endive
Walnuts
2T butter
¼c brown sugar
Mixed spring salad greens
Goat cheese

Put walnuts, butter, sugar in a skillet and toast until walnuts are coated with butter and sugar (does it get any better than that?)

Slice endive in half long ways and drizzle with olive oil
Place on med hot grill, when cooked chop in 1 inch pieces

Slice the beats into ¼ inch slices and drizzle with olive oil
Place on med hot grill, when cooked chop in big bite chunks

Place salad greens in big bowl; add all the grilled veggies and walnuts.  Add as many bits of goat cheese you want and mix the salad (I use my hands, it works way better then tongs)

ENJOY!

A little dollop of bliss.

Grilled Nectarines with Mascarpone Cream

You need
8oz Mascarpone
3/4c heavy cream
4 to 8 Tablespoons of Cointreau
1/2c Sugar
4 Tablespoons melted butter
4 large Nectarines

Toss in the KitchenAid the Mascarpone, 1/4 c heavy cream, and 3 to 6T of the Cointreau, and mix until smooth. Transfer to different bowl.  Then add the remaining heavy cream and the sugar, beat until peaks form.  Add the Mascarpone mixture and fold together. Then put in refrigerator.

Melt butter and add rest of the Cointreau

Cut the Nectarines in half and brush with butter mix and place on medium/low fire

Let grill about 5-7min each side, until the Nectarine is soft.
Place two half’s on each plate and cover with the Mascarpone mixture.

ENJOY!!

Last nights dinner was something to write home about.  My good friend John Paul has just finished nursing school and we had him and his wonderful wife Andréa over for the first (yes, late) backyard grill out. Both are (lacto/ovo) vegetarians and so I go to my trusty vegetarian grill cookbook and start looking for recipes I can take and turn into my own.  


After deciding on

Beet and Endive Salad
Israeli Cuscuses Stuffed Portobello
Squash and Tomato towers with Goat Cheese
Grilled Nectarines with Mascarpone Cream


I went to Monterey Market and found some wonderful delicious veggies.

Killer Cucumber Martini

So this drink is super rough, but ohhh so good

Take one nice size cucumber and take the cheese grader to it, making this cucumber mush, then start squeezing with your hands. Get as much juice as you can.  If you have a vegetable juicer you can use that, and I’m sure you will get better results.   Put that juice in a martini shaker with some ice and set aside.

Squeeze one-half lime and put in maybe a tablespoon of fresh mint in the shaker.

Now for the booze.  I use Hendricks gin.  I have BIG martini glasses so I use about 3.5oz per person, so ~ 7oz in the shaker and go to town.  Shake Shake Shake!

Cut a few thin slices of cucumber and place in chilled glass, and fill with the beautiful green drink.  Oh so magical.

Possible variations
-    Add some soda water and turn this martini into a lighter refreshing backyard drink
-    Change the alcohol, try some vodka, rum, and many some silver tequila

Have you ever worked with escolar?
Last night was the first time for me, and it worked out quite well.

Escolar is a meaty, oily fish.  I would compare it to the love child of a Chilean sea bass and a swordfish.  All in all quite good.

Starting with the fish I had about 10oz, I cut it in half and, thoroughly salted the entire fish. (You will rinse the salt off so go ahead and be generous).  Let the fish sit with the salt as you get the veggies ready.

Looking through my fridge I found some summer squash, brussel sprouts, and fennel bulbs.  After tossing all aforementioned ingredients with olive oil I thought they needed a little kick, so I added some cyanine pepper and some chili lime cashews.  With everything mixed I put it under the broiler until things got toasted, then stick some foil on top and let cook.

As the veggies are under the broiler I rinsed the fish off and patted it dry.  Wanting to use the cashews I too a small handful, with a 6 inch spring of fresh rosemary, a little black pepper, and I ground it all up in my coffee/spice grinder.
Taking the nut rub I covered the fish and put it in a 9x9 pan covered with aluminum foil and then in a 400-degree oven and cook for about 15 minutes. (Until the flesh is just white all the way through).

Set on plate with the veggies around the fish, and enjoy!

My first assignment I am giving my self is a hard one.  I want to review all the microbrews beer in cans. I know there are many great breweries out there that are starting to can their beers.  And I want to try them all!