Here We Go Again! Coronado Concerts in the Park - Campania

When I was preparing my marinated seafood salad for Challenge Campania, the culinary theme for the first Concert in the Park of the season, I posted a photo on Newf in My Soup's Facebook wall of my grilled octopus and another of the finished salad. Carmen's comment regarding my first attempt at preparing octopus struck home as I sat down to write this post:

"There's a saying in the writer's world ... 'finishing a story is like putting an octopus to bed.' 

In other words, there will always be loose pieces - meaning:

You MUST avert your eyes from the stubborn loose appendages to see the glory of the work.

Press on. Your blog is a sight for sore eyes! We need you.

Put the need for perfection to sleep."

Those stubborn loose appendages really do get in the way of my writing. It takes me forever to get a blog post started because I want it to be creative, funny, interesting, and ... perfect.  I don't like just posting a recipe and photos - I want to be able to tell a story and share a little piece of my life with each post. It's easier to do that with these Concert in the Park posts because our intimate group of friends and family look forward to the summer season when we can all gather at the park and share the fruits of our labor in the kitchen while we visit, eat, drink wine and listen to music. I try to take as many photos as possible and hope the photos help tell the story - although I didn't do a very good job this week and need to get more people and band shots next time! What a great way to end the weekend!

I can't believe we are embarking on our 6th summer season of culinary-themed Concerts in the Park! I never know how many people are going to show up each Sunday, but we've definitely grown and it's always exciting to see new faces. Jim and Holli have become very close friends of mine over the past year. Holli could hardly restrain her enthusiasm for the first concert, so we met at the park extra early to set up the tables, relax in the sun, sip on margaritas, and take it all in.

If you've followed our group, you know we choose a particular ingredient, country, region, or something inspired by the band as our theme. Holli chose Campania because they travel to the region often to visit some of Jim's family. I was all for it because I love Italian food and have been wanting to make a marinated seafood salad with octopus.

Insalata di Mare - Marinated Seafood Salad

I've never prepared octopus before, but I've enjoyed it lately in a few salads at local restaurants. There are several variations of insalata di mare, using various combinations of seafood, vegetables and herbs, all simply marinated in olive oil and lemon juice. I found Bobby Flay's Marinated Seafood Salad to be most appealing, but I made a few changes. I liked that the seafood was simmered in a pot of water, white wine, lemon juice, peppercorns, garlic cloves, and bay leaves. Bobby uses octopus, shrimp, calamari and lump crab. I used octopus, shrimp, calamari, scallops and mussels. I stayed with julienned carrots, onions and celery (I've also seen bell peppers and fennel). Bobby uses orange juice and orange segments, but I wanted more lemon and used half orange juice and half lemon juice and thinly sliced lemon for garnish. I added a bit more chopped parsley and garlic and a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar.

I felt Bobby's instructions about preparing the octopus were a bit lacking, so I consulted a few other recipes and watched a few videos to figure out how to prepare it. I bought a whole, cleaned octopus which was about 2 lbs. They come frozen, but thaw quickly by placing the bag in a sink full of cold water. The octopus simmers for about an hour and then the pan is removed from the heat and the octopus is allowed to cool in the broth. After it cooled, I cut off the tentacles and discarded the head (you can cut up the head and use that too, but I just wanted the tentacles for the salad). Bobby didn't mention anything about the head. Some recipes tell you to cut off the purple skin and suckers from the tentacles, but I think that is a matter of personal preference. I did remove most of the skin, which I understand adds a bit more chewiness, and I sliced off some of the larger suckers. I marinated the tentacles in olive oil, chopped garlic and parsley, grilled them in a grill pan for about 10 minutes, sliced them, and tossed in with the rest of the seafood and marinade. Although the octopus is a little bit chewy, I loved the texture, flavor and color it added to this beautiful summer salad.

Also, I cooked the shrimp and calamari together in the broth for about 3 minutes, but I did not let them cool in the broth because I felt they would be overcooked. I transferred some of the broth to another pan to steam the mussels.

Cherries as Olives are from Jose Andres' Made in Spain cookbook and I've made them before, but couldn't resist making some for concert since it's cherry season.

Cherries as Olives 

Holli went all out with three of Jim's cherished family recipes: Braciole, simmered in and served with top secret DeLauro Three-Day Sauce, and Pasta e Fagioli. 

Braciole Preparation (photos by Holli)

For the braciole, Holli stuffed and rolled beautiful flank steak with garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, grated Romano, pancetta, pignoli nuts, and baby spinach.  The rolls are tied, browned in a skillet, and simmered in sauce for about four hours. This was heavenly...and the sauce, OMG! She warned me not to even try asking for the recipe; she had to date Jim for three years before he shared it.

DeLauro Braciole

While the pasta e fagioli was warming up on the portable stove, we dug into Kai's selection of pizzas - Pizza Margherita, Mushroom & Truffle Oil, and Artichoke.  I recently made some Neopolitan pizzas featured in Saveur, here.

Pizza!

Kai's Pizza Margherita

Carmen is always able to find the most interesting recipes, like this Molded Tomato Bread Salad. Slicing it reveals layers of bread, red and yellow tomatoes, and arugula - dressed with a garlic and herb  vinaigrette - all molded together in a loaf pan weighted down by a brick overnight.

Carmen's Molded Tomato Bread Salad

As the sun went down and the park became quite chilly, we were all happy to have a bowl of hot pasta e fagioli!

Jim refilling the Pasta e Fagioli bowl

Another winning DeLauro recipe, this version of "pasta and beans" also includes new potatoes and prosciutto (you can find the recipe on Holli's friend's blog, here).

Pasta e Fagioli 

Pammy, also known as our "salad queen" departed from her norm and shared this Neapolitan Potato Pie, which paired nicely as a side to the braciole. Inside, you'll find creamy mashed potatoes, diced ham, parsley, and four cheeses!

Gatto di Patate (Neapolitan Potato Pie)

In addition to all of the above, we nibbled on Kelley and Bryan's Tomato Bruschetta and Caprese on a Stick, and Sandra's  Italian Sandwiches. For dessert, mom suggested and I made Lidia Bastianich's Tiramisu al Limoncello (Limoncello Tiramisu). I added a thin layer of limoncello whipped cream to the top and garnished with fresh strawberries, raspberries and a drizzle of Strawberry Pomegranate Sauce featured on the cover of this month's Fine Cooking.

Sparks & Kellee

Ma che vuoi?

Holli made a batch of homemade limoncello last month, but I drank most of mine and had to buy another bottle to have enough for the tiramisu ;-)

Holli's Homemade Limoncello

Marina Grande, Capri, Campania (photo by Holli)

What a fabulous kick-off to the 2103 Concert in the Park season! Thank you to Jim & Holli for choosing the first theme and generously contributing incredible and authentic family dishes!

The Hollywood Stones, a Rolling Stones tribute band, perform this Sunday and our theme is anything inspired by the name Rolling Stones (rolled, stone fruit,... ?) or something inspired by one of their songs. Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with on this one!

Buon appetito!

French Fridays with Dorie and Bobby: Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes

For this week's Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes, I borrowed a few ingredients and methods of preparation from Bobby Flay's Chicken and Chickpea Tagine with Dried Apricots. Bobby's recipe takes the lead by incorporating ras al-hanut, a mixture of many different spices used in Moroccan cooking - and I just so happened to have some in my spice cabinet. It may not be easy to find at the local market, but it is easy to make your own. Mine may have been a little old, but a sniff told me it still had some umph in it.

I stayed with Dorie's sweet potatoes and prunes rather than Bobby's chickpeas and apricots. I threw in a few cloves of chopped garlic and a whole stick of cinnamon per Bobby, but omitted his canned tomatoes, and used Dorie's chicken broth. I garnished with parsley for a touch of greenery and Marcona almonds for crunch, and served it over basmati rice. I would have loved Bobby's flavorful harissa sauce as an additional garnish, but didn't go to the effort to find or make it this time.

Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes

Dorie uses an organic chicken, cut into eight pieces, or eight chicken thighs. Bobby goes for the thighs. I had the butcher cut the chicken into four pieces, and used the two breasts and two legs. I preferred Bobby's method of browning the chicken first, removing it from the pan, and then slowly cooking the onions until soft in a few tablespoons of the rendered chicken fat. I didn't see Dorie's point in dirtying two pans cooking the chicken and onions apart and losing all that flavor on the bottom of the discarded chicken pan. I have not yet acquired a tagine cooking vessel, so I used my large oval dutch oven.

This was a comforting fall dish for a chilly evening, with plenty of leftovers for mom and the office scavengers the next day. Bradley went hungry (see whimpering on Facebook, which may be slightly more active and entertaining than the blog these days).

Bobby Flay's recipe can be found here. Just play around with the ingredients and methods you prefer and come up with your own version.

French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!

Taking the $5 Challenge with Bobby Flay's Throwdown Adobo-Seasoned Chicken and Rice

Thanks to Nina's orchestration, our little culinary group gathered in the park on Sunday for a $5 Slow Food Challenge.  An organization called Slow Food USA issued an encore $5 Challenge to demonstrate that slow food can also be affordable. Slow Food is defined as good for its eaters, its producers and the environment. The challenge was to share a fresh, healthy meal for less than $5 per person... "because slow food shouldn't have to cost more than fast food." You can read more about the challenge in Mark Bittman's New York Times' article, Shared Meals, Shared Knowledge.

Nina suggested we prepare a one-pot meal for four, with a budget of $20, using farm-fresh, organic, and healthy ingredients. Assuming you have some basic spices and pantry items, this is fairly simple to do. I get a kick out of cooking with ingredients from our modest garden, and was able to use the last of the Roma tomatoes, and some fresh oregano, for this dish. For a healthier version, you can use bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, and homemade chicken stock.

I chose Bobby Flay's Adobo-Seasoned Chicken and Rice, from his Throwdown cookbook.  Jorge Ayala, head chef of La Fonda Boricua, New York City's best known Puerto Rican restaurant, won this challenge with his Arroz con Pollo.  The recipes are fairly similar.  Bobby's adobo seasoning appears more complex, but I like the addition of diced, dried Spanish chorizo and a bottle of light beer in Jorge's recipe.  Jorge also uses bone-in, skinless thighs and drumsticks, but I just couldn't give up that crispy, seasoned skin ;-)

Adobo-Seasoned Chicken and Rice
Slightly adapted from Bobby Flay's Throwdown
Serves 4***

Adobo Seasoning
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons granulated onion
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

Chicken & Rice
10 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
2 medium red bell peppers, finely diced
1 Serrano chile, finely diced
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups long-grain rice
5 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas (not thawed)
2 cups green olives (Cerignola or Picholine)
Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
Zest and juice of a lime

Preparation:

Mix together the salt, granulated garlic, cumin, granulated onion, paprika, black pepper, turmeric and oregano in a small bowl. Season both sides of the chicken pieces generously with the adobo seasoning mixture (I used all of it).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the oil, skin side down (you'll need to do this in batches), and saute until the skin is crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook until the second side is golden brown, another 4 minutes or so. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and cover with foil to keep warm.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoon fat from the Dutch oven, and place it over high heat. Add the onions, red bell pepper, and Serrano chile, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the rice to the pan, stir to coat the rice in the mixture, and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, and salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Stir well, cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10-12 minutes. During the last few minutes, quickly stir in the peas, cover, and continue cooking until rice is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.

Remove the pot from the heat and let sit 5 minutes covered. Remove the lid, fluff the rice and gently fold in the olives, parsley, oregano, lime zest and lime juice. Add the chicken, stir to combine, and serve.

***According to Bobby, this recipe serves four.  There's enough rice for 6-8, so you could easily add a few extra pieces of chicken if you are taking this to a picnic or party, or want leftovers!

***

Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, you may also be interested in Bobby Flay's Winning Throwdown Pumpkin Pie.  This pumpkin pie post is one of my most popular posts.

The Crown Jewel Affair: Braised Lamb Shank Ragu Over Crisp Polenta Triangles

We're continuing with a series of posts dedicated to POM Wonderful's pomegranate season and The Crown Jewel Affair, a POM Wonderful Dinner Party we hosted on November 14, 2010. The first post, here, provides an introduction, brief recap of the six-course Chef's Menu, and two videos. The subsequent posts in the series share additional photographs of the food, party, and recipes. Our welcome cocktail, and each course served, incorporated the use of pomegranate juice and/or the arils.

When planning a menu or researching an ingredient, I often consult The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs. This book is a guide to hundreds of ingredients, summarizing key aspects of each ingredient's essence (season, taste, weight, volume, and primary function), most recommended cooking techniques, helpful tips to keep in mind when working with it, compatible flavors, flavor pairings to avoid, and examples of dishes from notable chefs using that ingredient.

I was amazed to discover the versatility of the pomegranate. One "highly recommended" pairing with pomegranates is salad (especially cucumber, fruit, and green salads). "Frequently recommended" pairings include cardamom, chicken, cinnamon, desserts, ginger, grapefruit, lamb, lemon, roasted meats, orange, and sugar. Then there are approximately 40 more ingredients and spices that are "recommended" pairings with pomegranates.

Chef Cindy Pawlcyn's Chiles en Nogada, my fourth course, uses chile peppers, onions, garlic, cinnamon, pork, walnuts, and lime, all recommended flavor pairings with pomegranates.

I considered some kind of taco to complement the Chiles en Nogada, and wanted to use lamb. I came across Bobby Flay's Roasted Venison with Spicy Mexican Cranberry Sauce, and knew I could modify that recipe with the use of lamb instead of venison and pomegranate juice and arils instead of cranberry juice and cranberries. I liked the idea of braising lamb shanks in the sauce, yielding tender pieces of lamb, but then wasn't so sure what else I would add to the tacos. Sometime around 3:00 a.m. one morning, when I seem to do my best menu planning, the thought of a deconstructed lamb taco floated into my head, with the crispy polenta stepping in for corn tortillas, and that's how this course evolved. The primary ingredients and spices (lamb, allspice, cinnamon, onions, garlic, chicken stock, and red wine), are all listed in The Flavor Bible as recommended pairings with pomegranates.

Braised Lamb Shank Ragu

Spicy Pomegranate Mexican Cinnamon Sauce

Polenta Triangles, Cojita cheese and pomegranate arils

Adapted from Bobby Flay's

Pan Roasted Venison with Spicy Cranberry Mexican Cinnamon Sauce

4 large lamb shanks

Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
1 large onion coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Mexican cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup red wine
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Polenta Triangles (recipe follows)
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Cojita cheese, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Season each shank with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven and sear the shanks. Remove once browned.

Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the cinnamon and allspice. Return the shanks to the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock and pomegranate juice and season with salt and pepper.

Bake covered in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until the shanks are very tender. Remove the shanks from the pot and strain the sauce mixture into a clean small saucepan. Over medium heat, swirl in the butter, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. When the shanks have cooled enough to handle, remove the meat and tear into bite-size pieces. Add meat back to the sauce. At this point, you can refrigerate and then reheat before serving.

When ready to serve, place a polenta triangle on each plate, top with Braised Lamb Ragu, and garnish with Cotija cheese and pomegranate seeds.

Basic Italian Polenta

6 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

In a large, deep pan, over high heat, bring water and sea salt to a boil. Gradually stir in polenta. Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until mixture is very thick (about 20-30 minutes). Use a long-handed spoon to stir because mixture pops and bubbles and can burn. Stir in butter, and more salt if needed. Serve immediately, topped with freshly grated cheese.

To make Crisp Polenta Triangles:

If making into polenta triangles, oil a 9 x 12 inch baking pan, spoon polenta into pan while hot, spread evenly, and smooth the top. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate.

Once the polenta is cooled and firm, you can cut it into squares, lift the squares out of baking pan with a spatula, and cut each square into two triangles, wrapped and refrigerated until ready to use. Remove the prepared triangles from the refrigerator about an hour before you are ready to saute.

Heat about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large saute pan and heat to 350 degrees F. Using a metal spatula, gently lower the polenta triangles into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan; saute in two batches if necessary. Saute the polenta triangles until golden brown on each side and then transfer to a paper towel to drain briefly.

You won't want to miss dessert, coming up next, Chocolate Pavlova, Pomegranate Frozen Custard, and Pomegranate Pink Peppercorn Syrup!

***

Just in Time for Autumn and Thanksgiving! Bobby Flay's Winning Throwdown Pumpkin Pie

We were lucky enough to catch Bobby Flay at our local Williams Sonoma store during his book signing tour for Bobby Flay's Throwdown!: More Than 100 Recipes from Food Network's Ultimate Cooking Challenge. With my autographed copy in hand, I couldn't wait to get home and try one of the recipes.

During Season 7 of Throwdown, Bobby Flay challenged Michele Albano (Michele’s Pies, Norwalk, Connecticut) to a Pumpkin Pie Throwdown. The judges were James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, Dorie Greenspan, and chef/co-owner of Metro Bis Restaurant, Christopher Prosperi. Bobby was victorious with his Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Crunch and Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream.

Bobby’s strategy was to create a pie with an intensely flavored filling, using molasses, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla. He wanted the filling to be luxuriously smooth and creamy, so he used extra egg yolks, heavy cream and milk, and strained it before baking. He also decided to keep it simple with canned pumpkin puree and a nontraditional graham cracker crust. To finish off the pie, he topped each slice with airy, boozed up whipped cream and crunchy cinnamon-oat streusel, providing a wonderful contrast of textures.

The cinnamon crunch calls for light muscovado sugar, and the filling calls for dark muscovado sugar. Muscovado is a type of unrefined brown sugar with a strong molasses flavor. It is slightly courser and stickier than most brown sugars, and is nutritionally richer, retaining most of the natural minerals inherent in the sugarcane juice, which also provides its rich flavor and color.

I quickly became frustrated in my quest to locate muscovado sugar at every store in San Diego. Having never tasted the difference before, I became obsessed with trying to find it. One gourmet-cooking store had a pound of light, but told me they are discontinuing it because it just doesn’t sell. Both are available through Amazon (India Tree Dark Muscovado Sugar, 1 Pound (Pack of 4); Billington's Natural Light Brown Muscovado Sugar, 16-Ounce Bags (Pack of 10)), but I wanted to make the pie over the weekend. I snapped up the remaining pound of light, and settled for using dark brown sugar in the recipe, and adding an extra tablespoon of molasses.

Nevertheless, this was one incredible pumpkin pie. I sent out an e-mail to some of our friends in the neighborhood, offering free pie, and we had 10 people stop by for a late afternoon slice!

Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Crunch and Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream
Slightly modified from Bobby Flay's Throwdown!: More Than 100 Recipes from Food Network's Ultimate Cooking Challenge and Throwdown Pumpkin Pie

Cinnamon Crunch:
(Makes enough for 2-3 pies)

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup quick cooking rolled oats
½ cup light muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold

Graham Cracker Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, whisked (for brushing crust)

Pumpkin filling:

3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
¾ cup dark muscavado sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream (for serving):

1 1/4 cups very cold heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon (to your taste)

Preparation

For the Cinnamon Crunch:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, oats, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor, and pulse a few times. Add the butter and pulse until combined. Pour the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and pat it into a rectangle, approximately 4 x 6 inches. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Break up into small pieces and store in an airtight container.  Again, this makes enough crunch for 2-3 pies.  It would also be good sprinkled over ice cream.

For the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix until combined. It should feel like wet sand, and just come together.

Spread the mixture evenly into a 10-inch pie plate, using your fingertips or the flat bottom of a glass. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Brush with whisked egg.

Put the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the crust is light brown and firm to the touch, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the Filling:

Reduce the oven to 300 degrees F.

Whisk together the eggs, yolks, both sugars, and molasses in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the pumpkin puree, spices, salt, cream, milk, and vanilla seeds and continue whisking to combine. Strain the mixture through a coarse strainer into a bowl (this will provide the velvety smoothness). Whisk in the butter.

Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, and pour the strained mixture into the baked shell. Bake until almost set, about 1 hour (the edges will be set and the center will be jiggle slightly when shaken). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, if preferred.

Cut into slices, and top each with a large dollop of whipped cream and some of the cinnamon crunch.

For the Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream:

Combine the cream, vanilla seeds, syrup and bourbon in a large chilled bowl and whip until soft peaks form.

Garnish each piece of pie with a dollop of the whipped cream and sprinkling of cinnamon crunch before serving.

***

Featured in Fine Cooking's What We're Cooking Now! Grilled Peach, Watermelon and Blackberry Salad

I was honored when one of the editors of Fine Cooking contacted me a few months ago and asked if I would contribute to What We're Cooking Now, for the July/August issue.

Fine Cooking requested a simple seasonal specialty featuring fresh peaches, blueberries or summer squash.  Grilled peaches instantly came to mind, and I recalled a fruit salad with grilled peaches, mascarpone-honey dressing, and toasted almonds. Grilling the peaches until they are caramelized brings out the natural sugar, and peaches pair so beautifully with almonds, blueberries, blackberries, mascarpone, and lemon.  Unfortunately, due to keeping my contribution around 25 words, I was unable to share the complete recipe. 

For your next picnic, barbecue, or pool party, forget that plastic platter, with unripe and/or overripe fruit, assembled and packaged by your local grocery store, and take a few extra minutes to prepare this simple, bright and impressive fruit salad.

Grilled Peach, Watermelon and Blackberry Salad with Mascarpone Honey Dressing, Toasted Almonds and Mint
Adapted from Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill: With More Than 125 Bold New Recipes
Serves 8

For the Dressing:

1 cup mascarpone cheese (or vanilla yogurt, drained)

2 tablespoons honey, plus 2 tablespoons for drizzling

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine mascarpone, 2 tablespoons honey and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix until smooth.

For the Salad:

4 peaches, halved and pitted (yellow peaches make the salad more colorful)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 wedges seedless Watermelon
1 pint blackberries or blueberries
1/2 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds
1/4 cup Mint, chiffonade, plus a few sprigs for garnish
Zest of one lemon

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill (or heat a grill pan on your stove). Brush the peach halves on both sides with oil and grill cut-side down until golden brown and caramelized, 3-4 minutes. Turn over and grill 1-2 minutes more. Arrange all the fruit on a large platter, or in a large bowl. Spoon small portions of mascarpone honey dressing evenly around the fruit. Drizzle top of fruit with honey, and sprinkle with toasted almonds and mint chiffonade. Garnish with lemon zest and a few mint sprigs.

Everything is Just Peachy when Thomas Keller and Bobby Flay Join the Picnic!

Now that the sun has finally decided to make an appearance, sending May Grey, June Gloom and Summer Bummer (when the condition extends into July) on their dreary way, Coronado Island is just Peachy! Fuzzy, ripe, juicy peaches have rolled into the Farmers' Markets and stores, just in time for our Concert in the Park culinary group to tackle Challenge Peaches this past Sunday.

After coming across Keller's Marcona Almond Butter recipe in my Ad Hoc at Home, and incorporating it into Food & Wine's Fettuccine with Spicy Almond Pesto for the Daring Cooks' July Challenge, I noticed Keller's beautiful photograph of Endive and Arugula Salad, with Peaches and Marcona Almonds. It had "summer" written all over it, and I was anxious to showcase some of my coveted Marcona almonds and fresh peaches for Challenge Peaches!  My styling isn't at the level of Ad Hoc's food stylist, but I just love the colors and flavors in this salad...

The only time-consuming part of this salad is making the peach puree.  You'll question if it's worth the effort, when the vinaigrette only requires two tablespoons. Put those thoughts to rest, because you will have no problem using the remaining puree.  Keep reading and you'll see!

Endive and Arugula Salad, with Peaches and Marcona Almonds

Slightly adapted from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home

Serves 6

3 heads white Belgian endive

3 heads red Belgian endive** 

2 tablespoons Peach puree (recipe follows)

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds (about 5) medium-size ripe freestone peaches

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 1/2 oz. arugula (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup salted, roasted Marcona almonds

**I couldn't find red endive, so I used 2 heads Treviso Radicchio. I made the salad again the next night, and used baby green and red romaine, green endive, and arugula. I think any combination of red and green lettuce would be wonderful.

Keller explains how to cut and clean Belgian endive. Trim about 1/2 inch from the bottom and the outer leaves will fall away. Continue trimming a little at a time, in the same fashion, until all the leaves neatly release themselves. Put the leaves in a bowl of cold water to crisp and refresh for about 5 minutes, drain, and whirl in a salad spinner.

In a medium bowl, stir together the two tablespoons of peach puree, shallot, parsley, and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.

Cut the peaches in half and discard the pits. Place each peach half cut-side down on a cutting board and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Finely dice the smaller, less attractive slices to make 1/4 cup and add those diced pieces to the dressing. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Toss the endive with half the dressing to lightly coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss in the chives. Toss the arugula and peaches with a little of the dressing.

Arrange the salad on a serving platter, layering the endive with the peaches and arugula. Sprinkle the almonds over the top and drizzle the salad with a little more vinaigrette.

Peach Puree

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 pounds ripe peaches

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Peel the peaches with a pairing knife. Halve, pit and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Puree in a blender until smooth and then strain through a fine mesh basket strainer.

Combine peach puree, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large saucepan. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and bring the puree to a simmer over medium heat. Keep at a simmer, skimming the foam that forms on the top, until the puree reaches 215-220 degrees F. Remove from heat, pour into a canning jar or other storage container, cover and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to a month.

For my next dish, I was inspired by Williams-Sonoma's Jalapeno-Peach Pork Tenderloins (thanks, mom, for finding the recipe!). I did not want to use WS's bottled Jalapeno-Peach Barbecue Sauce, although I'm sure it's quite tasty. We are a cooking group, and homemade sauces are expected! I've always wanted to try Bobby Flay's Mesa Barbecue Sauce recipe, and figured I could enhance it for our theme with some of that extra Peach Puree. Yes, I do have moments of brilliance from time to time.

Mesa Barbecue Sauce (enhanced with Peach Puree)
Slightly adapted from Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill: With More Than 125 Bold New Recipes

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
8 plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons dark molasses
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoons pasilla chile powder
1 tablespoon paprika
[1 cup peach puree] optional

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer 15 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth.   Pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature. Sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator stored in a tightly sealed container.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Mesa Chile-Peach Sauce

I marinated the pork tenderloin in some of the Mesa Barbecue Sauce for about an hour.  I grilled the tenderloin over medium-high heat, covered, until the internal temperature reached 145 degrees F, approximately 15-20 minutes, turning intermittently and basting with additional sauce.  I allowed the tenderloins to rest about 10 minutes before slicing.

For dessert, I whipped up some Mini Pavlovas, topped with John's homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, and more of that fabulous Peach Puree spooned over the top!

Now that I've taken up way too much time and space talking about my peachy dishes, let us now drool over the rest of our peach-inspired picnic!

As usual, the adult beverages were plentiful, with John's White Peach Sangria, Jim and Carmen's Peach Margaritas, Jack and Sandra's Peach Tea, and an old Dutch recipe from Sandra's great grandmother, called Advocaat.

Alec & Nina shared Artisan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, made with Ciabbata bread from Bread & Cie, Spring Hill jack cheese, double-cream brie, and Grilled Peaches with Caramel Rum Sauce.

Nina said she brushed the slices of ciabbata with the rum sauce, placed a slice of jack on one side, a slice of brie on the other, and a slice of grilled peach in between. She placed the sandwiches on a pan, that had been brushed lightly with canola oil, and baked the sandwiches in 300 degree oven for 5 minutes on each side.  She sprinkled the sandwiches with salt and served them on a bed of wild rocket and shaved jicama, which had been lightly tossed with seasoned rice vinegar and olive oil.

Our lovely Sandra cooked up a storm with her Roast Pork Loin and Peach Conserve, with roasted asparagus and potatoes.  Nice peaches!

Carmen presented a refreshing Peach Gazpacho with Crab Salad, inspired by Chef Jason Franey's recipe.

And here we have Carmen's Peaches and Cream Cake, inspired by this Nova Scotia Blueberry Cream Cake

No photo, unfortunately, but we enjoyed meeting Lavio and Barbara, and sampling Barbara's Grilled Peaches with Ricotta, ginger and almonds.

Our week, and evening, was made extra-special with a visit from my Aunt Gwen, who traveled all the way from the island of Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands!  Me, Mom & Gwen...

When Thomas Keller autographed my copy of Ad Hoc at Home at his book signing event a few months ago, he wrote, "It's all about family."  It was very special reconnecting with part of my family...

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