Onion & Feta Tartlets

This past weekend I catered an Open House/Grand Opening for a good friend in Augusta. The fare consisted of a host of yummy hors d’oeuvres; but this one item in particular captured the attention and appetite of most guests. Although I verbally gave the recipe to everyone who asked, here it is again, in case you forgot.

Ingredients

1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
2 large red onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
Pie crust (recipe below)
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
¼ red bell pepper, chopped (optional for garnish)
2 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and white pepper

Preparation
Make crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet (do not use a nonstick one or onions will not caramelize). Add onions and cook over medium low heat until caramelized, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in thyme and set aside to cool.
Grease 24-cup miniature muffin pan. Roll out crust into a three thin sheets. Using a 3” round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 24 rounds – 8 from each sheet of crust – and line the cups of the muffin pan.
Divide the onion mixture into the 24 cups, and then spoon in the feta. Add a piece of red bell pepper (optional). Combine the eggs with the cream, season and pour into the crust cases.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and light golden. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Crust
3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter, diced
6-7 Tablespoons cold water
Combine flour and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough water with fork just until flour is moistened. Divide dough into thirds; shape each into a ball. Flatten slightly. Wrap in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until ready to use.

Cantaloupe Pie with Ginger Snap Crust

Last week a friend came to visit. While sitting around talking about our favorite childhood foods, he mentioned cantaloupe pie. I had to admit that I had never heard of cantaloupe pie. Surely he was kidding. But I was curious, and wouldn't you know I had an overripe cantaloupe in the fridge that was destined for the trash. My friends Mothers version of cantaloupe pie was made with a graham cracker crust. Here I used ginger snaps. Okay, that was what I had on hand.
Thank you Captain Sam for sharing this warm memory with me!

Cantaloupe Pie

Ingredients:
1 medium cantaloupe (the riper the better)
½ cup sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1-¼ cup crushed ginger snap cookies
½ stick butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
Whipped cream (optional)

Preparation:
Combine crushed cookies, butter and sugar. Press into a 9-inch pie plate, covering bottom and sides. Set aside.
Cut the cantaloupe in half, peel and remove seeds. Cut into small pieces and put into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Put into a blender and puree. Return to pan.
Combine sugar, flour and salt and add to the cantaloupe mixture. Stir until thick.
In another bowl beat egg yolks. Add a little of the hot cantaloupe mixture to the egg yolks in order to heat yolks. Stir the yolks into the cantaloupe mixture. Continue to cook and stir the cantaloupe mixture until it is thick and creamy. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla paste. Pour into the pie shell.
Cool completely. Serve with whipped cream.

New Orleans Barbeque Shrimp

In the Uptown District of New Orleans, on Napoleon Avenue, is a restaurant named Pascal’s Manale. An Italian-Creole restaurant, their specialty is barbeque shrimp. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Barbeque shrimp - been there, done that.” No you haven’t, period! There is nothing “barbeque” about this shrimp - neither the preparation nor the sauce. Why it’s called barbeque beats me; but then, I don’t care. This shrimp is so good; it’s the stuff that dreams are made of.

I lived in New Orleans for 2 years. While there, I attempted to eat my way through the city. I was not able to dine in every great spot in the “Big Easy” but don’t feel sorry for me. I experienced the best and left with some good memories - not to mention all the recipes I could steal from willing and unwilling donors.

Many people have tried to copy Pascal’s Manale recipe; and it was even posted in the Times-Picayune newspaper several years ago - if in fact that was the authentic recipe. The recipe I have listed here is a culmination of no less than five different barbeque shrimp recipes that were given to me by friends who live there. It is not an exact match, but its close enough for me. If you ever find yourself in New Orleans, run, don’t walk to Pascal’s Manale. It will be one of the best experiences you’ll ever have. Trust me on this one.

New Orleans Barbeque Shrimp

Ingredients:
2 pounds shrimp
2 sticks butter, unsalted
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 bottle beer (6 ounces) - preferably Abita Amber
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon creole seasoning
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Tabasco, to taste (optional)
French bread

Preparation:
Clean shrimp and lay into a shallow casserole dish in one layer.
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add all other ingredients, except bread, and stir until beer foam subsides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 - 3 hours. Baste and turn shrimp every 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until shrimp are pink and cooked.
Serve in a soup bowl with sauce and lots of french bread.

A Chef With a Vision

Chef Randy Stamm, owner of Prime Steakhouse in Aiken, South Carolina, is no newcomer to the restaurant business. In fact he comes from three generations of restauranteurs, and has worked in his family’s New York City steakhouses since he was 16 years old. Classically-French trained at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park New York, he has owned over 10 steakhouses - all under the "Prime Steakhouse" name - throughout the United States.

So what brought Chef Randy to Aiken? Retired since he was 40 and living at the beach in New Jersey, he "got fed up with the depressing economic climate and negativity of living in the northeast." He moved to Aiken to be near his mother, who has lived in the area for 12 years. Once here, he was asked to revamp the culinary arts program at Aiken Technical College. But his retirement from the restaurant business was soon to end. “I need the action. After 8 years of living at the beach I was ready to get busy.” Prime Steakhouse was born again.

When asked why he would take on such a venture in this economy, he says it is because of the rapid growth of Aiken and the surrounding areas. “The south is the new northeast. My friends are moving to South Carolina, not Florida.” His vision for Prime Steakhouse is that it will “quickly become the finest restaurant in Aiken County.” Within two years he hopes to add more locations in Aiken and around the state.

Prime Steakhouse opened Friday, July 10th and features prime aged beef, and lobsters that are flown in daily. Beginning next week, a Raw Bar with oysters, shrimp and clams will be available in the bar area every afternoon starting at 3 p.m. But don’t be fooled by the name. Prime Steakhouse offers more than just steak. They are open daily for lunch (except Sunday) and have a full lunch menu with soups, sandwiches and salads (see Ahi Tuna Salad recipe below).
http://www.primesteakhouseaiken.com/
321 Richland Avenue
Aiken, South Carolina
803.642.4488


Peppercorn Ahi Tuna Salad with Wasabi and Balsamic Sauces (Recipe by Chef Randy Stamm)

Ingredients:
Ahi tuna loin
ground black peppercorn
mixed salad greens
wasabi (tube)
white wine vinegar
corn oil
red balsamic vinegar

Preparation:
Dust tuna loin with black pepper. Sear on all sides just until rare. Set aside.
Squeeze wasabi into a bowl and add vinegar and oil to make a runny sauce. Place in a squirt bottle and refrigerate to thicken.
In a medium sauce pan slowly reduce red balsamic vinegar by half and cool to room temperature. (If not reduced slowly, it will taste burnt.)
Slice tuna and arrange over greens. Serve with sauces.

Old-Fashioned Tea Cakes

Everyone has childhood memories of something that was just so delicious they couldn’t forget it. For me it was tea cakes. My aunt Lillie B., who lived in Memphis, would always bring them to us when she came to visit. Needless to say, we always looked forward to her visits with great anticipation. One of my biggest regrets is that I did not get her recipe before she passed away.

Recently a friend gave me a cookbook, Sweets by Patty Pinner. Much to my surprise and delight, Ms. Pinner shares her families’ tea cake recipes. I made the Old Fashioned Tea Cakes. They were scrumptious! Not too sweet and the nutmeg added just the right amount of spice. If you are a tea drinker, these tea cakes are the perfect accompaniment for your afternoon cup of Earl Grey.

Old-Fashioned Tea Cakes

(Recipe by Patty Pinner)

Ingredients

I cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)

1 ½ cups sugar

3 eggs

3 ½ - 5 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup light molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then set the bowl aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and nutmeg. Set the bowl aside/ Pour the buttermilk into another bowl. Pour the molasses into the buttermilk. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Add the flour mixture, a cup at a time, to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Add more flour if needed, half a cup at a time, until a smooth dough forms. Roll the dough out on a generously floured surface and then gather together to form a ball. Roll the dough out again, repeating this process 3 to 4 times. Roll out the dough ½ inch thick, then cut with a drinking glass or a round cookie cutter. *

Bake the tea cakes on the greased cookie sheets for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly brown. Remove the tea cakes from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 2 to 3 dozen.

* I used various cookie cutter shapes.

Canned Peaches - A Labor of Love

I remember when I was a young girl growing up in Chicago; every summer my mother, aunts and I would drive up to the countryside of Michigan to pick peaches for canning. We would return with the trunk loaded with bushels of peaches - not to mention the 'almost bushel' that we ate during the drive back home. My mother would spend the better part of a week washing countless jars and lids. And we would both spend what seemed like days peeling, pitting, slicing and finally cooking the bushels of peaches. I can't say that I miss those days - after all that was hard work. But what I do miss is all the pies, cobblers and other goodies that my Mother made for us, all year long, as the result of a few weeks of a labor of love!

Recently a good friend of mine from culinary school, Sharon Beamon, told me about her attempt at canning peaches, and how surprisingly easy it was. Below she shares her process with us.

Canned Peaches

"Canning seems to have become an extinct practice. My mother taught it to me and her mother taught her and so on. I decided to rekindle my desire to can peaches this year. It is somewhat of a time consuming process; but if you have all the necessary tools in place, it reduces the canning time considerably." (Sharon Beamon)

Ingredients:

32 Peaches (makes 5-6 quarts)

3 cups sugar

6 cups water

¼ cup lemon juice or

Fruit Fresh

Equipment:

Jar Grabber

Water Canner

Lid lifter (I use tongs)

Jar funnel

2 large pots

1 small pot (to boil lids and rings)

Ball jars

Jar lids and rings

Slotted spoon

Table knife

Large glass bowl (Used for ice water bath)

Preparation:

Prepare the sugar syrup in one of the large pots. Stir the sugar and water together and bring the solution to a boil. Once the solution comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved reduce the heat so the syrup can simmer.

Place lids and rings in small pot of boiling water. Reduce heat after a few minutes. Wash jars in hot soapy water and rinse. Place jars in a large pot of hot water and bring to a boil, reducing heat once water boils. (This step is not necessary but this is the way I was taught. This ensures that the jars are clean with no soapy residue remaining.)

Wash fruit thoroughly. Fill another other large pot with ¾ of water and bring to a boil. Cut a small "X" on the bottom of peaches. Carefully drop into hot water, 6 peaches at a time, for 45 seconds to 1 minute max. Scoop them out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place in an ice water bath. This will stop the cooking and make it easy to peel the skin off the peaches. Remove any brown spots or overly ripe areas, and then slice the peaches off the pit.

Once you have sliced the 6 peaches, add a ¼ cup of lemon juice or sprinkle with Fruit Fresh. Stir the peaches to ensure they are fully coated. This will reduce the browning of fruit and keep it a bright vibrant peach color. Repeat these steps until all peaches have been processed. Place all the peaches in the syrup on the stove for 5 minutes.

While the peaches are in the syrup solution, remove jars from hot water bath and place on a clean dry towel.

Turn the syrup solution off. Fill the jars with peaches - leaving a ½ inch head space - using your jar funnel and slotted spoon. Try to pack the peaches in the jars tightly without crushing them. When all the jars are filled with peaches, add in the syrup to each jar ensuring that the peaches are completely cover with syrup. Run a table knife between the jar and fruit tilting the jar slightly to release air bubbles that are trapped inside. Wipe the rim of the jar and carefully place the lid on top of each jar then screw on the jar ring but not too tight.

Place all jars in canner with at least 1 inch of boiling water and cover for at least 20 minutes but no more than 30 minutes. With your jar grabber lift each jar out, place on a clean dry towel, and leave over night. Check to make sure the lids are sealed by pressing in the middle of the lid. If the lid did not seal properly, it will move up and down. These unsealed jars can be stored in the refrigerator and you will still be able to eat the fruit. (Any unsealed jars of fruit cannot be stored outside of the refrigerator.) Store sealed jars in a cool dry place.

*For more detailed instruction go to: www.pickyourown.org/peachcanning.htm

Peach Amaretto Ice Cream

Yet another one of my favorite peach recipes. If you like ice cream this just might become your favorite as well. I remember the first time I had peach ice cream – it was at the first Ridge Peach Festival I attended shortly after moving to South Carolina. I couldn’t get enough of it! Hopefully after trying it, you will be hooked too. And if you happen to be in the area this weekend, do stop by and experience the Ridge Peach Festival for yourself. I promise you will have lots of fun and good "peach" eats.

Ingredients:
4 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Amaretto
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split
6 egg yolks
½ cup sugar

Preparation:
Mash half the peaches in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice, sugar and Amaretto and combine. Cover and refrigerate.

In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine the milk and 1 cup of the cream and the remaining peaches. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the milk mixture along with the vanilla bean. Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pan, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the peaches with the back of a spoon. Discard the solids and the vanilla bean.

Combine egg yolks, sugar and remaining cream in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in ½ cup of hot milk mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly until smooth. Pour back into saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and keeping at a simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon – about 4 to 6 minutes. Do not let the custard boil.
Strain through a sieve into a bowl. Place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice and water. Stir occasionally to cool. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skim from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours.

Put the custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers instructions. Add the Amaretto and smashed peaches after the custard is nearly frozen - about five minutes before removing from the machine. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm - at least 3 hours.