Category: food recipes
Citrus and Date Relish with Branzino
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times, WE LOVE TINNED FISH! We can’t say enough about all the wonderful flavors and brands we stock on the Aperitivo shelves. While tinned fish can serve as a quick and easy snack or meal, it’s nice to make something to enjoy alongside.
This citrus and date relish is a yummy condiment to serve on top of any tinned fish, especially the tinned Branzino Grigliato. It brings a freshness and brightness, along with a textural contrast to the soft fish. You could also use this relish to accompany any other cooked fish, with pita chips or on top of some mixed greens.
Any combination of citrus would work with the recipe – grapefruits, oranges, blood oranges, tangelos, etc.
Citrus and Date Relish with Branzino
3 medium mixed citrus- 8-10 kumquats
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 4 dates, pitted and chopped
- Salt
- EVOO
- 1 tin IASA Branzino Grigliato
Using a sharp paring knife, slice the peel and pith off of each citrus. Holding the citrus over a bowl to catch the juices, slice alongside the membrane to remove the segment.* Gently tear or chop each segment into 3 or 4 smaller pieces. Add the citrus pieces to the bowl.
Slice the kumquats in 3 or 4 pieces, removing the seeds as you go. Add to the bowl with other citrus pieces.
Add the minced shallot, chopped jalapeño, cilantro, mint and dates to the bowl and gently stir to combine. Drizzle in a few teaspoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and stir.
To serve, remove the branzino from the tin and set on serving plate. Spoon the relish over the top of the fish. Serve with a bright and crisp white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc or Grüner Veltliner.
Relish will keep for a few days, but is best if served immediately.
*If you need some help supreming the citrus, follow this guide.
Chèvre Green Chile Breakfast Tostadas
Laura Chenel is considered by many to be one of the founding mothers of American artisan cheese. Laura, along with Allison Hooper of Vermont Creamery, Judy Schad of Capriole and Mary Keehn of Cypress Grove, blazed the trail for farmstead cheese in America.
During the 80’s, when most of America was producing – and eating – artificial cheese made in large factories, these women took what little resources and knowledge they had and began to make small-batch, artisan goat cheese.
These women’s contribution to America’s cheese culture is undeniable, and we are honored to feature many of their cheeses in the Aperitivo case.
Laura Chenel’s marinated goat cheese comes in the most adorable (and recyclable) handled buckets, and pack a ton of flavor. The rich and creamy goat cheese is then blended with green enchilada sauce, making for the most addictive and versatile condiment.
This recipe uses the sauce as a base for breakfast tostadas. But could be used in traditional enchiladas, as a dip with corn chips or as a southwestern inspired salad dressing.
If you are feeling up to the challenge, make your own green chile sauce. But if you are pressed for time (or lazy,) the store-bought jarred variety works just fine.
Chèvre Green Chile Breakfast Tostadas
For the sauce:
- 1 15 oz. jar green chile enchilada sauce
- 1 bucket Laura Chenel Marinated Goat Cheese – Jalapeño Chile
For the tostadas:
- Tostada shells
- Eggs, fried to over medium or sunny-side up
- Pickled jalapeños or Mama Lil’s peppers
- Cilantro, chopped
- Salt and pepper
To make the sauce, add the jar of enchilada sauce and all but one of the marinated goat cheese discs to a blender and purée until smooth. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to one week.
To make the tostadas, place the shells flat on a plate. Generously spoon the sauce over the shells. Top each shell with an egg. Crumble the last disc of the goat cheese and scatter around the tostadas. Lightly drizzle oil from the goat cheese bucket around the tostadas and garnish with pickled peppers, chopped cilantro and salt and pepper.
Flatbread Combo – Pancetta, Olives and Fried Shallots
There are countless combinations that can be created with ingredients from the shelves of Aperitivo, and over the years, certain combinations have become favorites. Staff members have their go-to combo they recommend to customers, and customers come back and share amazing and delicious pairings they’ve put together at home.
Whether it’s for a salad, flatbread, pizza or nachos, certain ingredients just taste great together.
This flatbread uses an Aperitivo favorite, La Quercia Pancetta spread, bright Castelvetrano olives, crispy fried shallots and a squeeze of lemon. If you are feeling extra motivated, make your own flatbread! If not, use store-bought lavash, naan, pizza dough or tortas to pile on these great flavors.
You can buy a large container of already fried shallots at most Asian grocery stores, but they are also easy peasy to make.
Flatbread with Pancetta, Olives and Fried Shallots
- Lavash cracker, naan bread, store-bought pizza dough, or homemade flatbread
- La Quercia Pancetta spread, set out at room temperature for 15 minutes
- 6-8 Castelvetrano olives, pitted and sliced
- Fried shallots
- 1 lemon, zested and sliced in half
- Parsley, torn or coarsely chopped
- Black pepper
Bake or warm flatbread or crackers and place on serving platter.
Squeeze out a tablespoon of the pancetta spread and generously smear all over flatbread. Add more if necessary.
Sprinkle sliced olives, fried shallots, lemon zest and parsley evenly over the flatbread. Squeeze the lemon half over the flatbread, and crack a few grinds of black pepper over the whole thing.
Serve by tearing, cracking or slicing off pieces of the flatbread.
La Tur Crème Brûlée
Breaking through the burnt sugar crust on a crème brûlée has to be one of most satisfying food moments of all time. Now, imagine under that sweet, crunchy exterior is a complex and sweet custard – made with cheese.
La Tur is a favorite of the Aperitivo staff and a great cheese to serve on a board or use in your kitchen (see Cauliflower Mac and La Tur.) It is a cow, sheep and goat’s milk cheese from Piedmont, Italy and packs a sweet, earthy creaminess in its cute little package.
A few cheeses in the Aperitivo case are sold in their own little ceramic dishes – Le Secret and St. Albans. Once you are done devouring the cheese, the dishes are great to keep in your kitchen, and make perfect crème brûlée dishes!
You can also find different sizes of shallow terra cotta dishes on the Aperitivo shelves. Using these shallow dishes is more similar to Spain’s Catalan cream, and allows for a higher crust to custard ratio. Which, isn’t that why we are here in the first place?
If you are using regular 4 oz. ramekins, you will need to increase the cooking time to 30-40 minutes, since the custard is deeper in the dishes.*
Using a kitchen torch is one way – and the most fun way – to achieve the burnt sugar crust on top of the custards. But if you don’t own one, using the broiler setting in the oven can accomplish the same effect.
La Tur Crème Brûlée
- 5 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 piece La Tur, set out at room temperature for 30 minutes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 quart hot water, for water bath
- 8 teaspoons granulated sugar, for the brûléed crust
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is well blended and begins to turns a pale yellow.
In a small saucepan, gently heat the cream and vanilla over medium heat until it is very hot, but not quite boiling. Gently scrape off the top rind of the La Tur to expose the creamy interior. Take the cream off the heat and spoon out half of the La Tur and fold in. Once the cheese is melted and the mixture is homogeneous, add in the rest of the cheese and stir until smooth.
Slowly add the cream to the egg and sugar mixture, a little at a time, while stirring constantly.** Once the mixture is smooth, evenly divide amongst shallow ramekins.
Place ramekins in a roasting pan or glass baking dish and place in the oven. Pour enough hot water to come halfway up the ramekins and bake the custards for 20 minutes. They should be set, but still gently tremble in the middle.
Carefully remove the ramekins from roasting pan and let cool on a kitchen towel for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours to continue to cool (cover with plastic if cooling overnight.)
When ready to serve, sprinkle the additional sugar over the custard to evenly cover. Using a blow torch, melt the sugar to form the crust. If using the oven, place custards on a sheet pan and set to broil for 3-5 minutes.
Let sit for 5 minutes before serving, if you can stand it.
*This recipe makes around 16 oz. of custard, so plan accordingly for whatever size of ramekin you are using. Just try and fill them evenly so they will cook at the same rate.
**If you have a buddy in the kitchen, have one person whisk and one person stream in the warmed cream. If you are tackling this dessert solo, wrap a kitchen towel around the bowl to hold it in place as you simultaneously pour and whisk.
Aperitivo Cocktail Meatballs
While it feels very Mad Men-esque to serve tiny meatballs in a sweet jelly sauce, they are still a pretty damn good party food.
This takes a slight departure from the traditional grape jelly and ketchup mixture by using Wildly Delicious Beet and Red Onion Marmalade to achieve that same sticky sweet and sourness.
The Aperitivo twist on these meatballs is using mortadella. The yummy Italian bologna makes the meatballs moist and tender and adds a unique peppery flavor. These meatballs would also be great with pasta and tomato sauce, in a meatball sub or on a platter with a bright and acidic salsa verde dipping sauce
Using a tablespoon to measure the meatballs, this recipe makes about 30. If you’d like them smaller than a golf ball, use ½ tablespoon to scoop out the meatballs. Or if you have a very hungry crowd, this recipe can easily be doubled, or tripled.
Aperitivo cocktail meatballs
1 garlic clove- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 – 1 ¼ lbs ground pork
- ½ lbs thinly sliced mortadella
- 1 jar Wildly Delicious Beet and Red Onion Marmalade
- 1 12 oz. bottle Heinz Chili Sauce
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Grate the garlic clove into a large bowl. Crack the egg in the bowl, add the salt, pepper and olive oil then whisk to combine.
Finely chop the mortadella slices and add to the bowl along with the Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan and the ground pork. Mix everything together with your hands until all the ingredients are combined.
Before you roll out the meatballs, form a small tester patty and cook in a skillet for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. The mortadella is quite salty, so you might not need to add any additional salt. After adjusting the seasoning, form all the meatballs.
Using a tablespoon to scoop the meat, form golf ball sized balls and place on an oiled rimmed baking sheet, about an inch apart. Bake for 16 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through.
While the meatballs are cooking, add the jar of marmalade and chili sauce to a crockpot. Fill the empty chili sauce jar halfway with water and shake to remove all sauce from the sides of the jar. Pour into the crockpot and stir to combine. Turn on the crockpot to HIGH to warm sauce.
Once the meatballs are cooked, add to the crockpot and gently fold into the sauce. Let the meatballs rest in the sauce for 30 minutes for the sauce to thicken and the flavors to meld together.
Keep the crockpot on low and serve with toothpicks.
Labneh and Sardine Dip
Fact – everyone should eat more tinned fish. They are packed with flavor, nutrients and come in beautiful little packages. They are also extremely versatile – delicious enough to eat on their own with some crusty bread or a killer ingredient to use in cooking.
Aperitivo has been apart of the tinned fish movement since opening, and the shelves continue to house high-quality and unique conservas from around the world.
This dip is the perfect way to get to know a familiar, but often overlooked fish, the sardine. Matiz Sardines with Lemon have a bright acidity that balances out the richness of the labneh.
If you haven’t tried the Brush Creek Creamery Marinated Labneh, this is your chance! Labneh is strained yogurt, very common in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Brush Creek’s is spiced with garlic, parsley and salt, then marinated in olive oil, peppercorns and chiles. You won’t need the entire jar for this recipe, so spread the leftovers on toasted pitas or dollop on roasted veggies.
Labneh and Sardine Dip
- ⅓ cup marinated labneh- about ⅔ of the jar
- ¼ cup sour cream or creme fraiche
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons Mama Lil’s Peppers, more if you like it spicy
- 1 tin Matiz Sardines with Lemon
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper
- Parsley, lemon zest and oil from labneh, for garnish
- Belgian endive and Rustic Bakery crackers, for serving
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, labneh, lemon zest and juice and the chopped Mama Lil’s
Open the tin of sardines. Gently pull apart the fillets and pull out the skeleton that runs down the middle. Flake apart and add to the bowl. Add the chopped parsley and stir to combine.
Taste and add salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley, lemon zest and drizzle with oil from the labneh. Serve with endive and crackers.
Cheese, Honey and Jam Ice Cream
Yes, this is a thing. This insanely delicious, and truly customizable dessert is the next big thing that you should make. Like now.
Quark is a new addition to the Aperitivo cheese case. It is a mild, slightly tangy and creamy European-style fresh cheese that is similar to old-fashioned cream cheese. It’s like Greek yogurt and cream cheese had a baby. It comes from the amazing people at Vermont Creamery, and we are excited to be able to offer it to you.
While Quark can be used in a multitude of sweet and savory applications – think; stirred into soup, topped on granola, mixed in mashed potatoes – in this recipe, it’s folded with whipped cream, honey and a sweet jam, then frozen.
It would hard-pressed to say that any jam wouldn’t be delicious in this recipe. Sweet pepper, tomato jalapeño or Kalamata fig wouldn’t be first on the list, but who knows. They could work! No matter which jam you choose, 2-6 ounces would be enough to use.
The honey in this recipe is more than just acting as the sweetener. The Italian Cherry Blossom honey adds a floral complexity to the dessert that gives it a depth that is unmatched by commercial honey. If the honey is a bit crystallized, place the entire jar in a large bowl and fill with hot water. Let the jar sit in the water for a few minutes to gently warm up.
Cheese, Honey and Jam Ice Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup Ritrovo Selections Italian Cherry Blossom honey
- 1 (8-oz.) container Vermont Creamery Quark
- 1 small jar Eat This! Spiced Caramel Pear Jam or a few ounces of any other sweet jam
- Kosher salt
- Crunchy salt, optional
Spray a 9×4 loaf pan with cooking spray and lay in a large piece of plastic wrap.
Pour heavy cream in a large bowl – Cold bowls and cold cream make whipping easier! Whip the cream using a handheld beater, a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a whisk and good ole elbow grease. Whip until you see stiff peaks.
To that bowl, gently fold in the Quark. Once combined, fold in the honey and Spiced Caramel Pear jam and a pinch of salt, leaving streaks of honey and jam throughout.
Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and place in the freezer. Freeze for 2-3 hours.
Scoop into bowls and serve. Sprinkle with crunchy salt if desired.
*This can be made one-week ahead. Tightly cover and let thaw in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Roasted Cauliflower Mac & La Tur
Don’t let the lack of color on this hearty plate fool you into thinking it lacks flavor.
Using La Tur, a beautiful three milk cheese from Piedmont, Italy, in a cheese sauce adds an earthy sweetness that is a great contrast to the nutty and caramelized cauliflower. Depending how ripe the La Tur is, the rind may stick to the paper around the outside. Don’t panic. Just use a spoon to scrape as much of the soft cheese as you can into the sauce.
Whole wheat macaroni makes the dish a bit more toothsome and hearty, but feel free to use any white macaroni or an alternative flour pasta.
This is a baked version, but the recipe can be haulted for a stovetop version. After mixing the cheese sauce, noodles and cauliflower, transfer to serving dishes and that’s it!
Roasted cauliflower mac & la tur
1 head cauliflower- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 box, whole wheat macaroni
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 piece La Tur, top rind removed
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
- Breadcrumbs, or crushed crackers or chips
- Microgreens to garnish, optional
Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut the cauliflower into small florets (around the same size as your noodles) and toss on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 35-40 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a handful of salt and boil noodles according to box instructions.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Continue to stir in order to cook the flour, about 3 minutes. Slowly stream in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid clumping. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally until the mixture is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Remove from the heat and add the La Tur, a pinch of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce becomes smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Mix the noodles, cauliflower and cheese sauce together into a baking dish, top with crushed crackers or breadcrumbs, drizzle with olive oil and pop under the broiler for 5 minutes, until golden and brown. Serve and enjoy.
Truffle Carbonara Nachos
Who says nachos can’t be fancy?
Herby chips? Fancy.
Egg yolks? Fancy.
Pancetta? Fancy.
Truffle? Fancy.
If you are feeling extra fancy, topping the nachos with caviar would send them over the edge of fanciness.
These decadent nachos are drizzled with an eggy sauce that combines the simple techniques of hollandaise and carbonara. If you need to make these nachos vegetarian, omit the pancetta and use two tablespoons of extra hot water instead.
Truffle Carbonara Nachos
- 1 bag Torres Mediterranean Herbs chips
- 0.25 pound piece of La Quercia pancetta
- 0.4 – 0.5 pound piece Jumi Truffle Raclette
- 2 eggs, yolks separated, whites discarded
- ¼ cup Parmesan – grated on a microplane
- Black pepper
- Chives
Prepare the nacho pan. Spread chips in an even layer onto a sheet pan or casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350℉.
Dice pancetta into ¼ in. cubes. Place into a small sauté pan over medium heat. Let the pancetta render out some fat and get crispy, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the pancetta and pour 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat into a bowl or cup with a pour spout. Set aside.
Remove the rind from the cheese and grate using the large holes on a box grater. Sprinkle over the chips and place in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 7-8 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk the two egg yolks and the grated Parmesan cheese. While whisking, slowly stream in the rendered pancetta fat until emulsified and no streaks of fat remain. If you’d like the sauce to be thinner, stream in a tablespoon of hot water as well. (If making nachos without the pancetta, slowly stream in two tablespoons of hot water.)
Remove the nachos from the oven. Sprinkle crispy pancetta over the chips and drizzle on the carbonara sauce. Garnish with black pepper and chopped chives.
Fig Wellingtons
A slight detour from a traditional Beef Wellington, these little sweet and savory puffs are a great snack to bring to any get-together.
Schaller & Weber’s Pâté with Goose adds a richness to these bites, but the entire tube won’t be utilized. Use the leftovers on a charcuterie board with crusty bread and cornichons, make decadent deviled eggs by adding a scoop to the yolk mixture, or gently melt the pâté with butter and a splash of sherry and toss with warm pasta.
Beau Bien Herbed Red Onion Marmalade is the jam used in this recipe, but get creative and swap for any of the amazing preserves on the Aperitivo shelves.
Most frozen puff pastry will have two sheets in the box. If you are feeling frisky and want to make 48, grab a larger container of figs and double the number of prosciutto slices.
Fig Wellingtons
Makes 24 two-bite snacks
- 1 sheet thawed puff pastry
- 12 dried black mission figs (a small container will have more than enough)
- 12 slices La Querica prosciutto
- 1 tube Schaller & Weber Pâté with Goose
- 1 jar Beau Bien Herbed Red Onion Marmalade
- 1 egg
- Assorted salts or seeds – poppy seed, flake salt, smoked salt, fleur de sel, sesame seeds, etc.
Preheat oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, aluminum foil or baking spray.
Gently roll out thawed puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface until the rectangle almost doubles in size. Slice the sheet into 24 smaller pieces. Start by slicing the longer end of the sheet into thirds using the folded lines as a guide. Cut each third in half.
In the other direction, cut down the middle, then each of those halves in half. That should give you 24! Stack up the rectangles and cover with a damp paper towel until ready to assemble the wellingtons.
Slice the stem off 12 figs and cut in half lengthwise and keep to the side.
Cut each slice of prosciutto in half lengthwise and set aside. If the slices are extra long, cut into thirds and snack on the rest while you assemble.
Make an assembly line. Place the puff pastry stacks, halved figs, prosciutto slices and spoons in both the jam and pâté on a large cutting board. Fill a small bowl with water and use a pastry brush (or your finger) to seal the edges.
Start by rolling out 1 piece of puff pastry until it is roughly 2 in. x 3 in. Place a few slices of the onions on the middle of a prosciutto slice. Smear about a ½ teaspoon of the pâté on the fig and lay face down on the onion. Wrap the prosciutto around the fig and place in the middle of the puff pastry sheet. Brush the edges with water and bring the corners together. Seal the edges by squeezing and gently pressing down so there are no holes in the bottom. Set on the prepared sheet tray.
Repeat until all 24 are assembled. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush on each of the wellingtons. Sprinkle with salt or poppy seeds and bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until golden brown.
Let cool and serve with grainy mustard.
Fig Wellingtons can be made in advance. Once cooled, keep in an airtight container in the fridge and bring up to room temperature before serving.
