Chicken and Two Cheese Tortas (p171 Food & Wine July 2012)
This was good. Like real really fantastically I think this might be a mistake good so I'm going make it again. While clearly the pickled jalapeno round out the sandwich and I think really pull them all together, Shannon had it without and still thought the sandwiches are good. It's a nice interplay between all the various pieces. Though the recipe called for iceberg lettuce, I couldn't bring myself to do that (Cleverly Farms only had, I think, a test plot of iceberg). So the keys here. It didn't take long to make, it comes together quickly and using excellent ingredient it makes a damn fine sandwich. So much I was a bit upset when I didn't get to have leftovers (Joseph and Shannon finished it off). I did switch up the recipie a little and used 24 month Parmesan and fresh mozzarella from the cheese shop.
BATs (Bacon, Arugula and Tomato and this time with better bread, but no cheese) (Blue Gate)
So combining some Vande Rose Farms Bacon, fresh tomatoes, Cleverly Farms arugula, some wheat bread from La Mie. It is such a good combination.
The Cheese Shop Pizza
So we have some freshly pulled Mozzarella, 24 month aged parmesan, and Olympic Provisions Saucisson Sec. A bit excessive? Perhaps. The Saucisson Sec was magical both cooked and uncooked. It also exuded this delicious fat that could be used to top other things, or add flavor elsewhere. I did a bit more mozzarella then I should've (top left corner below couldn't handle the water exuded). So next time around I'll have to figure out how I'll have to decrease the mozzarella content because of the added liquid, or if I just added a bit more then the 8oz that I should've. Anyways It was good, I'm going to do it again, though this time around I'll keep my sausage more local, though I will be working my way through the rest of the fine offerings of Olympic Provisions at the Cheese Shop.
Spicy Ground Pork Tacos (Crooked Gap)
Combining dried spices, fresh peppers (jalapeno, hatch, etc), black beans, some chipotle smokiness. It made for good tacos. I should've gotten smaller tortilla. The place here in town that makes the tortillas I buy does apparently make tortillas at the 6" size...I guess I'll have to ask my grocery store about it.
Grass Fed Beef Burgers (Crooked Gap, yes Crooked Gap)
So I had a talk with Ethan at Crooked Gap about the beef. Usually when I buy meat at the market the target meat to fat ratio is around 10-20% (for taste, not for health). This beef turns out to be a much lower fat ratio, he wasn't sure what it was, but said between the combination of being grass fed (makes the cow leaner) and Dexter cattle (also a leaner breed that's more of an all around animal (work, milk and meat)). So I'll have to change up how I do this. Either a lower and slower cooking or adding fat from something else (bacon or chevre, for example) to get it to that target 15-20% ideal fat level. I figured it was problematic when it didn't exude much fat, like one would expect out of a good fat ratio meat. I bought some more and will be trying either the low and slow method, or fat adding. I haven't decided yet.
Tomato and Feta Salad (Blue Gate, Reichert's Dairy)
Tomatoes good, feta good...I don't think I added enough of the other stuff to make it good overall. It needed something a bit more. I served this on the side of brats.
