Amber Waves a Grain: June 2008

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Is it really June?

Summer starts in 42 hours and 59 minutes.

Tonight we returned to Biela, one of our favorite spots on the lake. Everything was wonderful as usual but the item that really stood out was the bruschetta. The olive oil wit hfresh herbs really made all the flavors of the dish POP!

I'm going to work on my own version of this accent sauce with the herbs I've planted in the garden. Look for recipe ideas soon.

Tater Tot Egg Bake (photo above)

I looked in the fridge and found 1/2 a bag of Oreida tater tots, 1/2 an onion, a little shredded cheese an almost-out-of-date jar of salsa and 5 eggs.

What's a girl to do but make an egg bake!!

Start with an oven proof baking dish, I chose my Le Creuset stoneware 9x9 dish.

Layer on the tots, thinly sliced onions and a few dollops of salsa. Scramble the eggs, add a touch of S & P for flavor and pour over the tots. Bake at 350(F) for 35-40 minutes or until the eggs start to pull away from the edge of the dish.

This should be more potato than egg- reminescent of a Spanish Omlete and, depending on the salsa you use it will have a bit of a kick!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Start with a nice Pork butt or shoulder. Rub sparingly with olive oil and then rub generously with the rub (my recipe follows but any pork rub will do). In a large dutch oven sear over high heat, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from pot and set aside while you saute celery, carrots, and onion with a few cloves of garlic. This will keep the meat from sticking to the bottom of the pan and it will add flavor. Return the pork to the pot on top of the Mirepoix and add 2 bottles of full flavored/dark beer. Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees (F) and place the covered pot in the oven. Cook at 250 for 2 hours then reduce the heat to 200 degrees and remove about 1/2 of the liquid in the pot. Cook for an additional 1 and a half hours. Remove from the pot and let cool to room temperature before pulling apart to make the sandwiches.

Place cooled, pulled meat into pot with 1/4 c. water and 1/4 c BBQ sauce of your choice and re-warm stiring to incorporate sauce into the meat. Toast buns and serve with crispy fried onion strings and cole slaw.

Dessert

Poached Pears or Apples: (Title photo)
one pear or apple per person
2C green tea
1 C fruit juice of your choice
1/4 C dark rum

Caramel sauce, Chocolate Sauce, other perferred toppings

Bring to a simmer and place fruit into pot. Cover, let simmer over medium to low heat for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender depending on ripeness of fruit.

Quarter and pit, arrange in a bowl with desired toppings

Optional topping- Champaigne Sabayon:
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup sparkling wine

Fill a 1-quart saucepan half-full with water over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Place all ingredients in a medium stainless steel bowl and whisk until well combined. Place the bowl over the saucepan and continue to whisk until the sauce is thick and doubled in volume, 3 to 5 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough so that it will support a ribbon of sauce trailing off the end of the spoon when lifted.

-Emeril Lagasse 2003

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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Is it really June?

Breakfast (or Brunch?)

Tater Tot Egg Bake (photo above)

Dinner

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

The Recipes

Dessert