Tag: winter
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.
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.
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.
Baked Belgian Endive with Epoisses and Golden Raisins
There is nothing, repeat, NOTHING wrong with eating a wheel of Epoisses, room temp, with a baguette. That sounds great. You can even watch this video of someone doing exactly that.
But if you are looking to try something a little different with the creamy and stinky French classic, this is for you.
The bitterness of the endive is balanced by the fattiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the golden raisins and the honey drizzle at the end. It makes a hearty side dish on a cold night. And you only need half the wheel for the recipe, leaving you the other half to eat with that baguette.
Baked Belgian Endive with Epoisses and Golden Raisins
BREADCRUMB TOPPING
- 4 ounces Italian bread (about ⅓ of a field&fire loaf)
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons EVOO
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon La Quercia Pesto Bianco lardo spread* /
ENDIVE
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Belgian endives, sliced in half, lengthwise
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup sweet Riesling
- ½ cup golden raisins – about .15 pounds
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ wheel Epoisses or 4 ounces a washed-rind cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons honey
*If you are needing to keep this dish vegetarian, omit the Pesto Bianco and add ½ teaspoon of salt to the breadcrumb mixture instead.
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Slice the outer crust off the bread and tear into small pieces. Combine the bread, parsley, olive oil, crushed red pepper and black pepper in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Toss together with a wooden spoon and cook until brown and toasty, around 8 minutes. Halfway through, add the Pesto Bianco. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat.
Add the butter to the skillet. Once foamy, add the endive, cut-side down. Let the underside develop some color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set on a cutting board. Sprinkle 1 tsp of the salt on the cut-side of the endive, getting in between the leaves.
Add the minced garlic to the remaining butter and let cook for 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic, adding a splash of olive oil if the pan seems too dry. Add the wine and raisins to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining teaspoon of salt and return the endive to the skillet, cut side up.
Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set to broil. Slice the Epoisses into 4 pieces. Top each endive half with a piece of the cheese and the bread crumb topping. Set back in the oven and broil until melty and golden, about 2 minutes.
Let cool slightly and top with chopped parsley and a light drizzle of honey. Serve with sauce and raisins spooned on top.
Burrata, Tangerine, Fennel and Olive Salad
The classic Spanish combination of oranges and olives is delicious both in a glass (see the Aperitivo bar favorite, Barcelona Vermut) and on a plate.
Calling this dish a “salad” feels a bit generous. The mix of creamy burrata and sweet, juicy tangerines creates a slight resemblance to an orange creamsicle. So if eating a salad seems no fun, try one that tastes like dessert!
The olives from the Taberna mix are great in this salad, but if you are partial to the lemony, bright green Castelvetrano olives, feel free to use those instead. They just need to be pitted before chopping.
Burrata, Tangerine, Fennel and Olive Salad
- ½ medium head or 1 small head of fennel
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- 2 tangerines or small oranges
- .25 pound Taberna olives or Castelvetrano olives
- 1 bunch watercress – thick stems removed
- ¼ cup good quality EVOO, plus more for drizzling
- Crunchy salt and pepper
- One 4 oz package Di Stefano burrata
- Parsley, chopped
Core and thinly slice the fennel bulb – you should have about 1 cup. Reserve a few fennel fronds to garnish the salad. Place the sliced fennel in a large bowl with the vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Peel the tangerines and slice into rounds and place in the bowl with fennel.
Quarter the olives and place in the bowl with fennel and tangerines. Stir in ¼ cup of olive oil and season with crunchy salt and pepper.
On a large platter or shallow bowl, scatter the watercress. Scatter the fennel, tangerine and olive mixture over the watercress. Place the burrata in the center of the platter and drizzle the cheese with olive oil, crunchy salt and pepper. Sprinkle the reserved fennel fronds and chopped parsley over the salad.
Serve by slicing into the burrata and scooping up the rest of the salad components.
(Alternately, you can tear the burrata and scatter over the rest of the salad.)
