Tag: cow
Mortadella Pasta Salad
“Pasta salad: both pretty boring and the most popular dish at every outdoor gathering you go to, a true mystery of our time.”
Alison Roman
Thank you Alison for that oh-so-true food nugget.
While pasta salad has to be the most ubiquitous summer potluck item, there is much to be improved on the expected curly noodles, black olives, and bottle of Italian dressing pasta salad.
This recipe, brought to you by another great cookbook author Molly Baz, incorporates one of the most underrated meats in the Aperitivo case – mortadella.
You can sub any other thinly sliced cured meat from the case, but morty-d adds a beautiful creamy, fatty, and saltiness to the pasta salad.
This is a perfect salad to make a few days before, add the nuts and herbs before serving, and snack on it the entire day.
Mortadella Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 lbs dried large short cut pasta – rigatoni, cavatappi, whatever the fun shape from the photo is called
- 1 lbs fresh mozz – cow or buffalo
- ½ lbs mortadella – thinly sliced
- ⅔ cup pistachios – chopped
- 1 cup basil leaves – torn
For the dressing:
- 1 ½ cup Castelvetrano olives – about one small container
- 2 lemons
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 ½ oz grated hard Italian cheese – Parm, Pecorino Romano, Toscano, Provolone
- ⅔ cup EVOO
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Boil noodles according to package directions in salted water. Drain and rinse under cold water to wash off the excess starch. Let cool.
Make the dressing:
- Pit the olives and tear the flesh in half. Add to a large bowl.
- Zest one whole lemon into the bowl. Cut both lemons in half and squeeze the juice over the olives.
- Grate the garlic into the bowl. Add the grated cheese.
- Pour in the EVOO, season with salt and pepper, and stir the dressing together.
Assemble the salad:
- Tear the fresh mozz and mortadella into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl.
- Add the cooled pasta and gently stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and lots of pepper.
- Just before serving, add the chopped pistachios and torn basil leaves.
- Serve cold or room temp.
Danish with Havarti
Inspiration comes from anywhere these days – the internet, TV shows, overhearing someone misinterpret a menu item.
While shopping at the cheese counter recently, a pair of patrons misunderstood the Danish Havarti on the meltdown as a Cheese Danish with Havarti.
Sadly, they were informed that there were no Havariti danishes behind the counter. But it sparked a thought. Why not make a traditional style cheese Danish, but use Havarti.
That idea spiraled into incorporating some Fra’mani Rosemary Ham and Beau Bien Herbed Red Onion Marmalade. Grabbed some puff pastry on the way home, and ta da! A Danish with Havarti.
Danish with Havarti
Ingredients
- 0.25 – 0.5 lbs piece Danish Havarti
- 0.25 lbs Fra’mani Rosemary Ham, thinly sliced from the counter
- ¼ cup Beau Bien Herbed Red Onion Marmalade
- 1 package all-butter puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp of water
- fresh rosemary or thyme, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Grate the Havarti on the large holes on a box grater.
- Coarsely chop the sliced ham.
- In a small bowl, mix together the shredded Havarti and chopped ham.
- Unfold out the sheets of puff pastry and cut each one into 8 squares. You may need to gently stretch the pastry to get a square shape.
- To make a "kite" shape, start with the corners at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock postitions. Fold the 6 o'clock corner up to the 12 o'clock corner to make a triangle. Cut two slits up from the folded line, towards the 12 o'clock corner, leaving a small section still attached. Unfold the square.
- With the attached corners at the 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock position, grab the 9 o’clock corner and fold it across to the 3 o’clock corner. Reach your fingers through the middle square and grab the 3 o’clock corner and pull it underneath the piece over the top, returning it to the 9 o’clock position. Flatten to create a little pocket in the middle. (See photos below.)
- Spoon a small amount of jam in each cavity. Top with a scoop of the cheese and ham mixture.
- Brush the exposed pastry with egg wash and place in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to firm up.
- Set in the 400F oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Sprinkle with chooped rosemary or thyme.
- Let cool and enjoy.
Cheesy Capocollo Quiche
This extra cheesy, extra meaty quiche screams #brunchgoals.
Using a double cream cheese like Sweet Grass’s Green Hill will add a rich and melty texture to the quiche that oozes out when you slice into it.
Take the opportunity to use whatever veg, meats, and herbs are hanging in your fridge:
- Sliced piquillo peppers and blanched spinach, roasted broccoli, asparagus, peas, roasted sweet potatoes.
- Sliced ham, rotisserie chicken, smoked salmon, or spicy Capocollo from Smoking Goose sliced from the meat counter.
- Basil, dill, parsley, mint, thyme
Cutting the cheese into wedges creates these melty pockets of creamy cheese, but it does take the quiche a bit longer to set. Give the quiche the jiggle test a few times before removing it from the oven. The egg custard should be set and the middle should barely jiggle.
Cheesy Capocollo Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 package premade pie dough
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 Tbsp parsely, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 6 piquillo peppers, thinly sliced
- ½ cup blanched spinach
- 4 oz. Smoking Goose Capocollo, thinly sliced
- 8 oz. Green Hill, cut into 16 wedges
- Microgreens or extra chopped herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a pie pan and allow dough to slump down into the pan. Cut away the excess dough that hangs over the pan and place in the freezer for 10–15 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the freezer and line with parchment paper. Place rice or beans on top of the paper, evenly covering the surface of the crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully pour out the hot rice or beans and use a fork to prick a few holes in the bottom of the crust. Put the crust back in the oven to bake until lightly golden, about another 10–15 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a baking sheet.
- To make the egg custard, whisk together eggs, heavy whipping cream, whole milk, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper. Pour into a spouted measuring cup. Set aside.
- Start filling the crust by scattering half of the sliced piquillos and spinach on the bottom of the crust. Arrange the wedges of cheese on top, turning the wedges to face different directions. Nestle slices of Capocollo in between the cheese wedges and top with remaining piquillos and spinach.
- Gently pour the egg custard into the nooks and crannies of the filling.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the egg custard is set, the cheese is melted, and the edges of the Capocollo start to crisp up, about 40-50 minutes.
- Cool for 30 minutes. Sprinkle on microgreens or chopped herbs. Serve warm or at room temp.
The R.O.B. Dip
This weekend marks one of the biggest food holidays of the year – the Super Bowl.
Whether you could care less about the game, or have been personally victimized by Tom Brady for the last two decades, snacking during the Super Bowl is no doubt, one of the great American pastimes.
You may be wondering, who is ROB and why is this dip named after him. Well, there is no Rob. (besides the lovable Gronk) R.O.B. stands for Ranch, Onion, and Blue Cheese.
This combines all the flavors of Ranch dip, caramelized onion dip, and blue cheese dip. All the best Super Bowl Dips, mixed together into one, glorious spread. Go Team!
We love all the products from Bellwether Farms, and the crème fraîche is no exception. Creamy, tangy, and luscious, it is the perfect upgrade from sour cream.
Gorgonzola Dolce is a very mild and creamy blue cheese from Italy. If your crowd is looking for a more pungent and flavorful blue, feel free to go with something stronger. Opt for a cheese that’s more creamy than dry. The lovely mongers behind the counter will be more than happy to find a great fit for you.
This dip is a bit thick. So if you are looking for a more loose and creamy dip, add some buttermilk to thin out.
Happy dipping and Yay Sports!
The R.O.B. Dip
Ingredients
- 4-8 shallots
- 2 tbsp EVOO
- 5 oz. Bellwether Farms crème fraîche
- .25-.35 lbs Gorgonzola Dolce, room temperature
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- 2 scallions, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Veggies, chips, crackers, wings, or your other favorite dippers
Instructions
- Thinly slice the shallots on a mandolin or by hand.
- Heat EVOO in a medium pan and heat on low. Add the sliced shallots, season with salt and pepper and slowly caramelize, 45 minutes – 1 hour. Remove from heat and let cool. Shallots can be caramelized 3 days in advance.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the crème fraîche, mayo, and cooled shallots. Crumble the blue cheese with your fingers and add to the bowl. Add the garlic and onion powder, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper, and mix together. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Serve alongside veggies, crackers, or wings, and enjoy!
Mt. Alice Stuffed Dates
We’ve been fans of the von Trapp family and their cheese making since Aperitivo opened its doors. Their washed rind cheese, Oma, has become a menu and cheese case staple. So we were very excited when we heard about a new cheese coming from the family-owned creamery in Vermont.
Mt. Alice is a camembert-style cheese, made with organic jersey cow’s milk. It’s a wonderful bloomy rind cheese with notes of butter, crème fraîche, lemon, and earthy mushroom.
It is always nice to have a simple and easy snack or appetizer in your back pocket when you get a last minute cookout or party invite. Or just to have in the fridge when you need a quick pick-me-up.
You can make them ahead of time and store in the fridge. Just pull them out and roast before serving.
These dates are a great contrast of flavors and textures – chewy dates with some crispy blackened pieces, stuffed with earthy and creamy cheese, drizzled with sweet honey and crunchy salt. Mt. Alice is a great option, but any soft-ripened cheese will work here.
Mt. Alice Stuffed Dates
Ingredients
- 10 Medjool or Turkish dates
- .25 lbs piece Mt. Alice
- Crunchy salt
- Honey
Instructions
- Remove the pits from the dates.
- Slice the cheese into ¼ in. strips, then again into ¼ in. wide pieces, roughly the same size as the date’s pit.
- Stuff the piece of cheese in the cavity where the pit was and squeeze the sides together to partially close.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Place dates in the pan and cook until they start to blister and the cheese begins to melt, 5-8 minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Drizzle with honey and crunchy salt.
Charred Corn Salad with Queso Fresco
We love it when our favorite creameries introduce new cheeses! Evergreen Lane, a quaint farm and dairy in Fennville, MI, is most known for their seasonal goat’s milk cheeses and jersey cow’s milk cheeses.
Queso Fresco is Evergreen Lane’s newest addition to our case. It is a fresh cow’s milk cheese, perfect for crumbling over salads, tacos, enchiladas, and this charred corn salad. Compared to traditional queso fresco, Evergreen Lane’s version isn’t as dry. So let it sit out, unwrapped, for a few minutes to dry out.
This corn salad is a perfect dish to take on a picnic, to a BBQ, or just eat alone in your house. Thanks to food goddess Alison Roman for the idea to add corn nuts to a corn salad. The extra crunch and saltiness takes the salad to the next level. If making this ahead, wait to stir in the corn nuts just before serving, so they stay nice and crunchy.
Charred Corn Salad with Queso Fresco
Ingredients
- 6 ears of corn
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 Divina Calabrian Chili pepper, finely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp EVOO
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ tbsp Tajin or other brand of chile lime seasoning
- ½ cup corn nuts
- ½ piece Evergreen Lane Queso Fresco, crumbled
- Salt and pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a dry cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the ears of corn. Cook and rotate corn until kernels begin to char, about 8 minutes. Remove from the skillet and place on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.*
- In a mixing, place an upside down glass or bowl that fits in the bottom part of the bowl. Trim the bottom end of one corn cob to sit even on the bottom of the glass. Slice the kernels off the cob and let them fall into the bowl. Repeat with remaining ears. Remove the glass and stir the kernels.
- Add the minced shallots, chopped calabrian pepper, chopped cilantro, EVOO, lime juice, and chile lime seasoning to the corn. Stir to combine. Taste and add more chile lime seasoning or salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
*You can also char the corn on an outdoor grill.
Vinegared Smashed Potatoes with Schallenberg and Cornichons
There are some flavor combinations that are hard to improve on, because well, they are already so perfect on their own. But who are we to not try and push the envelope?
People have been melting Raclette on potatoes for hundreds of years, enjoyed alongside bright and acidic pickles and cornichons.
Salt and vinegar chips have been around since the 1950’s and are one of the most popular potato chip flavors in America.
Why not marry these two dishes and make one bigger, better, bolder snack?
We hereby bring you….
Vinegared Smashed Potatoes with Schallenberg and Cornichons
The potatoes get boiled in vinegar, then smashed and roasted until they are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Then to top it all off, a robust and beefy Alpine cheese gets melted on top. Yum yum yum.
Any Alpine cheese will work – Raclette, Gruyere, Appenzeller, Challerhocker – but we are really excited about Schallenberg. So grab a wedge and try it out.
Vinegared Smashed Potatoes with Scallenberg and Cornichons
Ingredients
- 1 lb small Yukon Gold potatoes
- 6 Tbsp apple cider or white distilled, or a mix of both, plus 1 additional Tbsp
- ¼ cup EVOO
- 0.15-0.25 lbs Schallenberg, grated on the large holes of a box grater
- ¼ cup cornichons, chopped
- Chopped fresh herbs, dill, parsley, carrot tops, etc.
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put potatoes and 6 tablespoons of vinegar in a large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Set the pot over high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Boil for 10-15, until the potatoes are just fork-tender. Drain and transfer to a rimmed baking dish.
- Smash the potatoes by either placing an additional rimmed baking sheet on top of the potatoes and pressing down. You can also use a skillet, plate, or a mug to smash each potato. Break a few apart to get jagged edges and spread out on the baking sheet.
- Toss the potatoes gently with olive oil, the additional tablespoon of vinegar, salt, and pepper and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through until the potatoes are golden brown. Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the potatoes. Place back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer potatoes to a serving dish and top with chopped cornichons and fresh herbs.
‘Nduja Tater Tots
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it 1,000 times, WE LOVE ‘NDUJA. It has to be one of the greatest culinary ingredients of all time. Everything gets better when you add a little ‘nduja. Butter? Yup. Pasta? Yup. Grilled ham and cheese sandwich? Yup. And countless other times that haven’t been documented on the internet.
And it should come at no shock that ‘nduja makes the childhood favorite, tater tots, even better.
Homemade tater tots are easier than you may think, but do require a bit of touch and feel to get right. Using frozen, thawed potatoes makes for a more consistent tot, but they can be a little wet. Squeeze out the extra water with a kitchen towel or sturdy paper towel once they are thawed. When mixing, you might need to add a little bit more cornstarch to help them stick together better. And a quick nap in the freezer helps keep them together as well.
While ketchup might be the most traditional tater tot dipping sauce, this tangy yogurt dip with sizzled herbs brings some freshness and creaminess to the crunchy and salty tots. This dip also utilizes an underappreciated ingredient – herb stems! Yes, most of the time you pluck the leaves off and toss the stems. Instead, the flavorful stems get finely chopped and sizzled in oil that gets swirled into the dip.
Any of the ‘nduja brands in the Aperitivo case would work great for this recipe. You just need to let it sit out on the counter for a bit before making the tots.
‘Nduja Tater Tots
Ingredients
For the 'Nduja Tater Tots
- 3 cups thawed shredded potatoes
- 1-2 Tbsp 'Nduja, room temperature
- ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1-2 cups fry oil (canola, vegetable, peanut, corn, etc.)
For the Sizzled Herb Dip
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 4 stalks parsley
- 4 stalks dill
- 2 scallions
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup crème fraîche
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the ‘Nduja Tater Tots
- In a large mixing bowl, add the thawed shredded potatoes. Using a kitchen towel or sturdy paper towel, squeeze out as much water as you can. Pour out excess water and break up the clumps with your hands.
- Add in the ‘nduja, Parm, salt, pepper and cornstarch and mix until well combined.
- Scoop out a tablespoon of the potato mixture and form a “tot” shape with your hands. Make a cylinder shape using the closed, rolled-up fingers of one hand (like you are making a pretend telescope with your fingers and hand,) and the pointer finger and thumb of your opposite hand to form the top and bottom of the tot.
- Set the tots on a plate or small sheet tray and repeat until all the potato mixture has been formed into tots. Place the plate or tray in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.
- While the tots are in the freezer, pour oil into a heavy bottom pot and bring the temperature up to 375°F.
- After 10 minutes, remove the tots from the freeze. Gently drop a few tots in the hot oil and fry until golden brown all over, about 4 minutes. Remove from oil using a slotted spoon and pour onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet or a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the tots are fried.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve with Sizzled Herb Dip.
For the Sizzled Herb Dip
- In a medium pan, add oil and heat over medium heat. Remove leaves and fronds from the herb stalks. Chop the leaves and set in a medium mixing bowl. Mince the herb stems and the scallions and add to the hot oil.
- Gently fry the herb stems until fragrant and sizzled, about 5 minutes. Pour oil and herbs into a glass jar or bowl to let cool.
- To the mixing bowl with the chopped herb leaves, add the yogurt, crème fraîche, lemon juice, and chopped herbs. Add a dash of salt and pepper, taste and adjust if needed.
- In a small serving bowl, add the yogurt mixture and swirl fried herb oil over the top.
Notes
Sizzled herb oil and yogurt mixture can be made 3 days ahead of time. Store separated in the fridge.
BCBLT – Blue Cheese Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich.
You’ve seen BLAT. You might have seen a PLT. Heck, you might have seen a SPLAT. But here, we present to you, the BCBLT – Blue Cheese Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich.
We were inspired by our friend in cheese, Cheese Sex Death, and wanted to recreate her amazing idea of spreading funky, smokey and tangy blue cheese on an already almost perfect sandwich.
A general cooking rule of thumb, the fewer ingredients a recipe calls for, the higher quality those ingredients should be. And that holds true for a simple sandwich like a BLT. You will taste every component that goes into it, and the better they taste on their own, the better the sandwich will be.
Rogue River Smokey Blue is a GREAT cheese to use on a BLT. It almost has enough smoky richness that it could replace the bacon altogether. You shouldn’t. But you could. If this seems too strong for you, any creamy and mild (as opposed to sharp and acidic) blue cheese would work – Chiraboga, Gorgonzola, Bay Blue.
Look for a nice thick-cut smokey bacon. It is the main protein on the sandwich, so something with a nice chew and meatiness is best.
Choose your favorite crunchy and sturdy lettuce. Arugula, butter, iceberg, etc. Want to be fancier? Opt for pea shoots or sprouts. It’s your sandwich. You do you.
Arguably the most important component of the sandwich, the tomato. In season, use a juicy heirloom (the uglier the better.) Not in season, reach for a beefsteak. You should always salt the tomato while assembling the sandwich, but this is even more important when the tomato is a bit meh.
Mayonnaise brings some need creaminess to a traditional BLT. It is still necessary for a BCBLT, but don’t feel the need to slather it on thick. You’ll get some fatty creaminess from the blue cheese.
Making a quickle of radishes and red onions not only adds a nice crunchy texture to the sandwich but brings a fresh vinegary note to each bite. Thinly slice a few radishes and a quarter of red onion. Toss in a small bowl with your favorite vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Last but not least, the bread. The unsung hero of the BLT. It doesn’t even get a letter in the name, but can make or break the sandwich. Something too crunchy and chewy will make the ingredients swish out and be too hard to bite into. But something too soft with soak up the tomato juice and get soggy. Bagels are a fun option, or a sturdy thick-sliced white or sourdough bread.
A sandwich recipe seems a little silly, so you are on your own here. But remember, there isn’t much better than a well-balanced and well-constructed sandwich. So stop and think about your components before you make a sandwich.
Tomato Ricotta Zucchini Rollatini
Late summer’s harvest can sometimes get a bit excessive. Having giant zucchinis and hundreds of juicy cherry tomatoes overflowing in bowls in your kitchen is a wonderful problem to have. But you still need to find a way to use the abundance of veggies before they pass their prime.
Combining sweet cherry tomatoes with fluffy ricotta cheese to make a rich and creamy sauce makes a delicious base for rolled zucchini slices.
If you have leftover Tomato Ricotta sauce, it is great tossed with pasta, spooned over roasted vegetables, or smeared cold over crusty bread.
Tomato Ricotta Zucchini Rollatini
Ingredients
Tomato Ricotta Sauce
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Zucchini Rollatini
- 1 large zucchini or 2 small
- salt and peper
- 12 slices La Quercia Prosciutto thinly sliced
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella sliced into 12 pieces
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus more to finish
- Fresh basil leaves
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- To make the sauce, process the tomatoes, cheeses, garlic, anchovy fillets, and olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Add the basil, and pulse until combined but with some green flecks, 7 to 8 times. Taste and add salt and pepper. Use right away for zucchini rollatini, or cover and refrigerate for up to one week.
- To make the rollatini, preheat a grill pan on medium-high heat. Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin strips until you have 12 full slices. Strips should be a little less than ¼ in. Season both sides of the zucchini slices.
- Spray grill pan with cooking spray. Grill zucchini slices 2 minutes on one side until slightly softened and grill marks appear. Gently flip over and grill for another 30 seconds. Remove from pan and set aside. Repeat with all zucchini slices.
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Spread 1/4 cup of the tomato ricotta sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- On a cutting board, lay out a slice of zucchini. Take one slice of prosciutto and lay flat across zucchini. Place a piece of mozzarella on one side of the zucchini and roll up the slice. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until all 12 slices are complete.
- Spoon additional sauce on top of each zucchini rollatini and sprinkle on freshly grated Parmesan. Bake in the 400℉ oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
- Top with torn basil leaves, more grated Parmesan cheese, and serve.