September 2011—Hillary & Nanette

Happy Birthday to Us!

with Guest Chef Tarla Fallgetter

Shaved Fennel Salad with Pears, Parmesan and Toasted Almonds

Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese and Apple Chutney

Pork Tenderloins with Asian Plum Sauce

Risotto with Asparagus and Parmesan Cheese

Warm Lemon Cake

Shaved Fennel Salad with Pears, Parmesan and Toasted Almonds

6-8 servings

3 cups baby arugula

3 Asian pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced

5 oz parmesan cheese, shaved

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Vinaigrette:

2 Tbsp pear vinegar

2 Tbsp sherry wine vinegar

2 tsp honey mustard

6 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Shake the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar and set aside. In a chilled bowl, toss the pears with vinaigrette to coat. Add the arugula and fennel and toss lightly, adding vinaigrette as needed. Gently toss in the cheese almonds.

Divide among 6-8 chilled plates. Serve.

Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese and Apple Chutney

8 servings

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

3/4 cup rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-1/2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cinnamon stick

1-1/2 lb granny smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup diced seeded plum tomatoes

1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 French bread baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Olive oil

Roasted garlic (see recipe below)

12 oz. soft fresh goat cheese (i.e. Montrachet), room temperature

Stir sugar and vinegar in a heavy pan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add next 4 ingredients and simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Mix in apples and raisins. Increase heat to high and boil until apples are tender, stirring frequently—about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Mix in tomatoes and mint.

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake until golden and crisp—about 8 minutes. Spread each toast with roasted garlic, top with goat cheese and chutney.

Roasted Garlic

4 large heads of garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut top 1/4 inch off heads of garlic to expose cloves. Place garlic in small baking dish. Add oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Turn garlic cut side up. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until garlic skins are golden brown and cloves are tender—about 55 minutes. Cool. squeeze garlic cloves from skins.

Makes: 1-1/3 cups

To roast without oil: Slice bulbs in half. Put back together and wrap in foil.  Roast for 35 minutes. 

To roast peeled Costco garlic cloves: Wrap approximately 20 cloves in foil then roast. 

Pork Tenderloins with Asian Plum Sauce

6-8 servings

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed well, cut in half

2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

Can also sprinkle with Mediterranean spices

Plum Sauce:

2/3 cup Chinese plum sauce

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

2 Tbsp pineapple juice

1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce

Italian parsley sprigs (garnish)

Simmer all the sauce ingredients together in a pan for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 °F.

Heat a sauté pan, add the oil and heat. Rub the tenderloins with Sichuan peppercorns and sear on all sides. Cover lightly with foil and place the pan in the oven until tender, turning once— about 15-20 minutes.

Remove the tenderloins from the oven and pour any juices into the plum sauce. Slice and serve with sauce. Garnish with Italian parsley sprigs.

Risotto with Asparagus and Parmesan Cheese

6-8 servings

2-4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup white wine

5 cups chicken stock, boiling

1-1/2 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp cream

8 oz asparagus spears, lightly cooked in water, drained, rinsed under cold water

Melt the butter in a sauté pan; add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the rice and sauté to coat with onion and butter. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add one cup of the hot stock to the pan, stirring, until the rice has absorbed most of the stock. Continue to cook the risotto, adding the stock one cup at a time until it has a creamy consistency—about 25 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the asparagus 1/3 cup of the cheese and cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among plates and sprinkle with additional cheese.

Cook’s Note:  Can stop making the risotto any time before it’s finished and finish it fully right before serving.

Warm Lemon Cake

6 servings

3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, soft

1 cup sugar (set aside 2 Tbsp for beating the whites)

3 yolks

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

3 whites

1-1/2 cups whole milk

Sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup cream beaten with sugar and vanilla to taste

1 cup fresh berries (optional)

Cream the butter and sugar (except reserved 2 tablespoons) together in a bowl; beat in yolks, one by one. Add the flour, lemon juice and zest. Pour in the milk slowly. Beat the whites until soft peaks, adding reserved 2 tablespoons sugar and fold into the cake mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Pour into a well-buttered 1-1/2 quart soufflé dish. Set dish in a pan and add enough hot water to the pan to reach 1/2 of the way up the sides of the soufflé dish. Bake until the tip is golden—it will still be a  little runny when done. Remove from the oven and set on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan of water.

To serve:  Dust with sifted powdered sugar. Spoon some on each plate, powdered sugar side up. Top with whipped cream and berries.