Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence Turns Winemaker

Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence Turns Winemaker
Wining and Dining with Tyler at Herringbone, La Jolla
Story and photos by Denise E. Jones
Wine & Dine San Diego, October 11, 2012

Celebrity chef, Food Network star, cookbook author and restaurateur Tyler Florence has spent the last fifteen years sharing his vision of fine, approachable food with the world. When asked if he was a frustrated winemaker during a 2005 interview with Wine Spectator, Tyler responded, “I like the idea of having some land somewhere in the North Fork of Long Island, to have a farm and make some wine. Who knows? I'm 34. I think I have a few more lives to live. I could totally reinvent myself and do that and be very happy… it's such a craft to turn crushed grape juice into something that's so powerful and so beautiful.”

Tyler Florence at Herringbone, La Jolla

Four years later, Tyler found himself sitting around a table with Michael Mondavi and his family at their beautiful Carneros winery in Napa Valley, conducting the first blending session of Tyler Florence Wines.  Led by Rob Mondavi, a fourth-generation winemaker, the partnership has sourced three limited-production wines from world-class California vineyards – TF Pinot, TF Zin and TF Cab.  They also crafted an approachable, food-friendly pair to enjoy every day – Tyler Florence Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Each of these wines reflect their shared belief that wine and food should bring out the very best in each other.

Tyler Florence Wines (courtesy photo)

As a huge Tyler Florence fan who regularly cooks from Tyler’s Ultimate (best spaghetti carbonara ever) and Real Kitchen, I was thrilled to meet him during a recent four-course wine dinner at Herringbone, La Jolla.  The event showcased Executive Chef Amanda Baumgarten’s “Fish Meats Field” cuisine.

Herringbone Executive Chef Amanda Baumgarten

John and I kicked off the evening sipping sparking wine and wandering around the vintage warehouse that wildly imaginative designer Thomas Schoos re-imagined into Herringbone. The front of the restaurant is a cozy, open-air courtyard and bar furnished with couches, bistro tables, fireplaces, bougainvillea trellises, brick and reclaimed wood. The former roof was with retractable awnings that welcome warm dappled sunlight and salty ocean air.

A Navy diver for 20 years and avid collector of sea shells and creatures from the deep, John was intrigued by an entire wall of lobster traps stacked from floor to ceiling and filled with hundreds of inflated blowfish. Six 100-year-old olive trees, trucked in from Northern California, enhance the indoor/outdoor dining experience. The casual California coastal theme continues with several large paintings.  A giant whale skeleton, cased in a wrought-iron blimp structure, serves as a chandelier over the dining room bar. The creative culinary action led by Amanda Baumgarten, a Top Chef winner, is on view through a large glass window that spans the rear wall of the dining room.

For the first course, we enjoyed crudo, the Italian equivalent of sashimi, prepared with silky diver scallops dressed with squeezes and drizzles of orange juice and extra virgin olive oil and garnished with pink peppercorns.  With it, Herringbone poured Tyler Florence Sauvignon Blanc 2010 ($19.99), a unique blend of fruit sourced from both the warmer Oso Vineyard, located in Pope Valley, and the cooler Milliken Vineyard in the southern part of Napa. Cold tank fermentation emphasizes the purity of the fruit and enhances its aromatics, and barrel fermentation adds subtle creaminess and length. This approachable, food friendly wine has bright orange blossom, Meyer lemon, and grapefruit characters supported by a round mouthfeel.  (Wine notes were contributed by the winery)

Maine Diver Scallop Crudo (similar recipe here)
orange, pink peppercorn, extra virgin olive oil

The second course featured thickly cut, pan-roasted Alaskan halibut accompanied by spicy chorizo and tart Jersey apple slices, garnished with watercress and almonds and paired with TF Pinot Noir 2010 ($40). This wine comes from the Carneros District of Napa Valley, a world-famous spot for Pinot Noir. Tyler and Rob chose traditional winemaking methods such as manual punchdowns and aging in French oak barrels to enhance the wine’s luscious red-fruit character. Classic Pinot Noir aromas and flavors of bright cherry and berry are balanced by fresh acidity and engaging spice notes – all supported by a silky structure.

Alaskan Halibut
chorizo, Jersey apple, watercress and almond

Next, Baumgarten fanned beautiful slices of duck breast over a creamy pool of celery root puree.  Topped with clever compote of black currants and juniper berries, the fish was paired with TF Old Vine Zinfandel 2008 ($40). Tyler and Rob sourced grapes for this wine from an old, dry-farmed vineyard on Mount St. Helena in Lake County, a well-known Zinfandel region. They enhanced the wine’s rich fruit intensity with 10 months of aging in French oak. This wine has ripe black fruit character accented with dark cocoa and cracked pepper. Rich tannins give it a firm, pleasant structure that stands up beautifully to food.

Duck Breast
celery root, black currant and juniper

The fourth course starred slices of nicely grilled prime New York sirloin and melt-in-your-mouth short rib, complemented by arugula, charred tomato jam and fork-crushed potatoes and was perfectly matched by glasses of TF Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2008 ($65). For this exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, Tyler and Rob chose hillside vineyards throughout Napa Valley, sites where well-drained volcanic soils encourage small crops of intensely flavored grapes. Malolactic fermentation and aging in French oak concentrated the wine’s richness. Big, ripe fruit aromas and flavors are accented with nuances of coffee and toasted vanilla that last over the lush finish. A truly luxurious wine.

Duo of Beef
Prime New York and shortrib, charred tomato jam, forked potatoes and arugula

The delicious dessert finale tempted with luscious pillows of milk chocolate mousse adorned with dark chocolate disks, toasted hazelnuts and fresh figs. We toasted Tyler with his Cabernet 2008 ($24.99), thanked him and Chef Amanda for an exceptionally memorable evening, and lined up for photos and autographs. Tyler and Rob selected grapes for this wine from both hillside and valley floor vineyards that contribute rich, complex varietal expression. Grapes were fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks then underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel before 18 months of aging in French oak. Opulent cherry, dark berry and cassis character are balanced by supple tannins and hints of toasted vanilla and toffee – a classic expression of this world-famous Napa Valley Cab region.

Milk Chocolate Mousse
figs, hazelnuts, dark chocolate

Tyler Florence Ultimate Food & Wine Experience Contest

The national release of Tyler Florence Wines coincides with a great opportunity for home chefs around the country to show off their food and wine pairing finesse.  Beginning October 1, 2012 and continuing through December 31, 2012, the Tyler Florence Ultimate Food & Wine Experience contest challenges home cooks to submit a favorite wine-paired recipe to Tyler Florence Wines.  The five winners and their guests will visit Napa Valley and tour the Michael Mondavi family estate, followed by a  cooking class with Florence at his West Coast Kitchen Essentials shop in Mill Valley.  The day will close with dinner at El Paseo. This one-of-a-kind trip includes hotel accommodations, roundtrip airfare and all ground transportation. To enter, upload one original recipe that pairs well with Tyler Florence Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc. Once the voting phase begins, share your entry via Facebook and Twitter, and encourage your friends to vote for you on-line at Tyler Florence Wines. Tyler will judge the 20 top entries (10 for each wine) and will choose the grand-prize winners. You may enter more than once, but Tyler will select only one winner per household. Go to Ultimate Food and Wine Sweepstakes for details and rules. Unfortunately, this contest is void in CA and TN and where prohibited by law.

Herringbone
7837 Herschel Avenue
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 459-0221

Tyler Florence Wines

Coronado Concert in the Park: Bean Me Up!

This week's Concert in the Park culinary theme started out as Navy beans, because the Navy Band Southwest Wind Ensemble was providing the music for the evening, but was broadened to legumes at John's request so he could incorporate a peanut sauce in his Curry and Lobster Deviled Eggs.

Peanuts, unlike other nuts, are in the legume family. Some of the more commonly recognized legumes include beans, peas, and lentils. Interestingly, licorice root, from the leafy, perennial plant, and jicama, the crispy, sweet, edible root from a native Mexican vine, are also considered legumes.

I decided on Thomas Keller's Green Bean and Potato Salad for my main course, but just had to try incorporating licorice root into a dessert. The colorful salad features haricots verts, fingerling potatoes, toasted walnuts, fresh mission figs, radishes, Iberico ham or prosciutto, shallots, and chives, lightly tossed in sherry vinaigrette. I used some purple potatoes and our favorite red walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch.

Green Bean and Potato Salad with mission figs and prosciutto

John's 'deviled eggs of the week' were perched on a bed of rice studded with peanuts. He used the method to make Chinese marbled tea eggs, infusing the whites with basil. Unfortunately, the basil color and flavor didn't steep into the whites as much as he would have liked. He flavored the yolks with curry, coconut milk, honey, and cayenne, and then topped the filled eggs with lobster, micro basil, Thai chili rings and peanut sauce. That tiny piece of Thai chili packed quite a punch!

John's Curry and Lobster Deviled Eggs with Peanut Sauce

Patrick and John

Carmen found a recipe that took her back to her days in Italy. She remembers the Italians going to the beach with a big pot, small stove, and all the ingredients to make pasta and beans, and they added clams and mussels harvested from the beach. 

Carmen preparing Pasta e fagioli con le cozze

"When the stars make you drool, just-a like pasta fazool, that's amore"

Kellee's Marinated Three Bean Salad

For dessert, Carmen adapted this recipe for White Bean Cupcakes, using her own raw vegan icing that tasted like a cross between sorbet and frosting.

Pot de crème is so simple to make, yet it is such an elegant dessert. I love making mini pots de crème in espresso cups, which also makes transport to the park a breeze. Tyler Florence's Mocha Pot de Crème is made with heavy cream, egg yolks, vanilla, coffee beans, espresso, and semi sweet chocolate. I adapted his recipe slightly and infused the cream with licorice root instead of coffee, omitted the espresso, and used milk chocolate rather than semi sweet. However, as with John's attempt to infuse his egg whites with basil, my attempt to infuse the custard with licorice was only mildly successful (licorice root tea has many health benefits, so I can only hope my dessert retained some of those). I boosted the licorice flavor of the dessert by adding a splash of Ouzo, an anise-flavored aperitif, to the whipped cream. 

Pots de crème are baked in a shallow water bath at low heat

Milk Chocolate Pots de Creme with Ouzo Whipped Cream

Rich, silky milk chocolate custard

US Navy Band Southwest performing Michael Bublé's "Home"

***

Green Bean and Potato Salad with mission figs and prosciutto
Slightly adapted from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds thin green beans (haricots verts), stem ends trimmed
1 pound fingerling potatoes
1 sachet (1 bay leaf, 3 thyme sprigs, 10 black peppercorns, 1 smashed garlic clove, wrapped in cheesecloth)
Kosher salt
1 cup walnuts
Fleur de sel or fine sea salt
3 radishes
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 cup Sherry Vinaigrette (2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives
4 black mission figs, halved
Splash of fresh lemon juice
16 very thin slices of Iberico ham or prosciutto
Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Blanch the green beans in a large pot of boiling, salted water until crisp tender, about 2-3 minutes, using Keller's big pot blanching method, plunge into an ice bath, and drain on rack lined with paper towels.

Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices and discard the end slices. Put the potatoes, sachet, and 2 teaspoons salt in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and spread on a tray to cool. Discard the sachet.

Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet in a 375 F oven for 10 minutes, rotating the pan half way through. Remove from oven, transfer to a plate, and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Fill a small bowl with ice water. Trim the ends from the radishes and slice the radishes very thin using a mandoline. Transfer the slices to the ice water to keep crisp. Drain and dry before adding to the salad.

To assemble the salad, transfer beans to a large bowl and add the potatoes, shallots and walnuts. Whisk the dressing and spoon it over the salad. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with half the chives, and toss well. Arrange about half the salad on a platter. Place half the figs over the salad. Toss the radishes with the remaining salad, and arrange over the first layer of salad. Add the remaining figs, and sprinkle with the remaining chives and a few drops of lemon juice.

Arrange the ham or prosciutto on a small plate and drizzle with olive oil. Serve alongside the salad.

***

We only have two concerts left in the season. The good news is that the kids have gone back to school and most of the zonies (J & M and S & S excluded) have returned to Arizona. This is what Trapper thinks of Arizona Iced Tea.

Our theme for Sunday is bourbon, which makes me think of the Kentucky Derby, so I hope we can also make it out to our local Del Mar track before the racing season ends.

Once we're through Concert in the Park picnics, I hope to start planning a special dinner party courtesy of Saveur and Plugrá butter. In case you missed the Facebook announcement, the editors of Saveur magazine chose There's a Newf in My Soup as the Plugrá Gourmet Club the month and will be sending us $500 and a special prize pack to help with the party! You gotta love that ;-)

The winning "dinner party" was our first Concert in the Park of this summer season, An Evening in Corsica.

Coronado Concerts in the Park - When in Rome

The Rat Pack was able to rally again after a memorable Saturday night at Baby Bellagio. We carried over the Italian theme for Concert in the Park with Roman cuisine. Many of us were still sporting our fedoras, and some added facial hair in honor of the birthday boy's latest look.

Alec and Sonoma

Kai, looking a bit more stylish and masculine
(see Aunt Kai with his tray of Cannoli, here) 

Nina slipped into a mini-toga and exchanged her fedora for a gold leaf headpiece

Sparks and Olivia

Kellee

John's Antipasti 

Kellee's Caprese Bruschetta 

Kai's Moretum, a type of herb cheese spread the Ancient Romans ate with bread 

Nina's Pasta Puttanesca

Here's how Nina prepared the pasta:  "The pasta was a puttanesca, I did it from memory:  Extra virgin olive oil, several cloves of garlic minced and cooked for a couple minutes over low heat, take off heat, throw in some chopped kalamata olives and fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, a squeeze of lemon (my touch, love the acid and liveliness it adds) and throw the hot pasta over the whole thing, toss with some grated parmesan and serve.  I think it's normally served without cooking the garlic first, but the saute takes the edge off the garlic so it's kind of nice like that."

A peek of shrimp from Zuppa di Pesce alla Romana, a Roman-style fish soup

In researching Roman cuisine, I came across Saltimbocca alla Romana, which consists of veal, prosciutto or ham, and sage, rolled-up and cooked in Marsala and butter. I adapted Tyler Florence's version, here, using chicken, prosciutto, sage, white wine, chicken broth and lemon. I was also able to prepare it at the park on our little portable gas stove, which only runs about $17.00 at Ranch 99 Market. I'm sure people at the park think we're out of control with these gourmet picnics, but I know they envy the sights and smells around our picnic blanket!

Saltimbocca alla Romana

For dessert, I brought the remaining cannoli from the night before, and made a fresh Plum Tart with Italian plums I found at the Hillcrest Farmers' Market that morning. Italian plums, sometimes called Empress plums, are native to the Mediterranean coastal regions of Italy. They are yellow-fleshed delicacies with low-water content and dense texture, which allows them to keep their shape during baking. Their flavor falls between sweet and sour after cooking, making them ideal for fall cakes and crumbles. I served my tart with John's whipped cream, spiked with bourbon and nutmeg.

Italian Plum Tart
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties! Ideas and Recipes for Easy Parties That Are Really Fun

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), diced
1 egg yolk
2 pounds firm, ripe Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the flour, walnuts, and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment. Add the butter and the egg yolk and mix until crumbly (alternatively, pulse together all ingredients in a food processor).

Press 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform or tart pan (you can also use a rectangular tart pan, as I did, or even mini-tart pans). Arrange the plums in the pan, skin-side down, to form a decorative pattern, beginning at the outside and working towards the center.

Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums (I had too much crumb mixture and used the excess to an additional mini-tart). Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling (mine was done at about the 40-minute mark). Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer the tart to a flat plate. Serve warm or at room temperature, with or without whipped cream or ice cream.

Beautiful Italian Plums and the crumb mixture used for the bottom crust 

Quartered plums are arranged in a decorative pattern on top of the crust

The remaining crumb mixture is then sprinkled over the top of the plums

Baked Plum Tart

****

We have one remaining Concert on Sunday, and then our Third Annual Southern Jubilee, and then John's Annual Halloween Extravaganza, and then...

We sure know how to picnic and party!

Tyler's Ultimate Greek Salad with Grilled Calamari, in an Ultimate Phyllo Bowl

Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess. Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers! Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 17th to May 16th at The Daring Kitchen!

For this Daring Cooks' Challenge, we were instructed to make savory dishes, in edible savory containers. The possibilities are many, considering a "container" is simply defined as one that contains, i.e., holder, receptacle, vessel. I wanted to prepare something different, which was challenging because there are already so many creative ideas out there. Renata shared some of these ideas in her article, A Round-Up of incre-E-D-I-B-L-E containers, here.

I racked my brain and solicited ideas, but finally settled on attempting to make a king-sized version of a phyllo cup, in the form of a salad bowl large enough to hold a salad for four.

I had to figure out what to use for a mold, how many layers of phyllo I needed to make the bowl strong enough, and what my filling would be. When I think phyllo, I think Greek. I browsed through a few cookbooks and found Tyler Florence's Ultimate Greek Salad. Topped wiith grilled calamari, it had my name all over it.

I eyed my timpano pan hanging on the wall and decided it would make the perfect mold (it's 15 inches in diameter and quite large).

I buttered it generously to avoid any possibility of sticking, and proceeded to layer buttered sheets of phyllo inside the pan. I overlapped and reinforced, allowing some of the edges to gently drape over the edge of the pan. I think I used about 10-12 sheets of phyllo. I baked it at 325 degrees F for about 10 minutes, watching and rotating so the edges didn't get too brown. After baking, I allowed it to cool about 5 minutes, carefully loosed the phyllo bowl from the pan, and slipped it out onto a baking sheet. I returned the freestanding bowl to the oven, which was turned off but still warm, and allowed it to rest and dry a bit more while I prepared the salad.

It appeared extremely delicate, but was surprisingly sturdy.

I tossed the salad in another bowl first, and then transferred it to the phyllo bowl which I had placed on my Beast's Feet serving platter. As I started adding salad, I cringed when I heard little crackling noises as the weight of the salad settled against the crispy phyllo walls. I held my breath as John quickly snapped away with the camera, praying the walls would not come crashing down, spilling salad all over the table.

Success! The phyllo bowl was a unique presentation, complemented the Greek salad within, and provided an element of fun - throughout dinner, we were all reaching in and breaking off pieces buttery, flaky phyllo to eat with our salad. The Greek salad can be prepared with or without the calamari, or you can substitute roasted or grilled chicken.

The Ultimate Greek Salad with Grilled Calamari
Minimally adapted from Tyler's Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time
Serves 4

10 small whole calamari, bodies only (3/4 to 1 pound)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, or one large tomato, cut into wedges
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
½ pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
Lemon wedges, for garnish

The vinaigrette serves as a marinade for the calamari and dressing for the salad.

Start by rinsing the calamari tubes and patting them dry. Place the calamari in a medium bowl.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, dried and fresh oregano, thyme, and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Pour half the vinaigrette over the calamari and set the rest aside while you make the salad.

Put a large grill on the stove over medium-high heat, or preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill and get it very hot.

Combine the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, cheese, olives, and romaine in a large bowl. Pour the remaining vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine.

Lightly oil the grill pan or grates of the grill with canola oil (take a few paper towels and fold them over several times to make a thick square. Put a small amount of oil on the paper towels, then carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick grilling surface). Put the calamari in the grill pan or on the grill and cook for 2 minutes per side. Cut the grilled tubes into rings.

To serve, arrange the salad on a large platter and scatter the calamari on top. Garnish with fresh oregano leaves and lemon wedges.

Don't forget to go to The Daring Kitchen website and vote for the most creative edible container and filling. You can visit the recipe archives for the complete challenges and recipes, and the Daring Cooks' blogroll for links to the members' blogs. If you love to cook, and can be a little daring in the kitchen, sign up and cook along with us!

Thank you, Renata, for sharing your article about edible containers and hosting this month's challenge. Now you know, the creativity of the Daring Cooks' community cannot be contained!

Quinoa, Nice Getting to Know Ya

It seems most of my posts lately are related to my Daring Cooks and Daring Baker challenges, and French Fridays with Dorie.  But, they have all been fun challenges, with recipes worthy of cooking and sharing, so I hope it's all good. I would love to be in the kitchen more, cooking a few recipes from my cookbooks and cooking magazines (I did sneak in a link to the recipe for Tyler Florence's lamb chops and harissa sauce this week, from Tyler's Ultimate), but work gets in the way and we're getting ready for our move in a few months. Also, I did spend quite a bit of time this month preparing and photographing a few dynamite recipes for the Daring Cooks, and am thrilled to be hosting the May Challenge. I'll announce the challenge to the members on April 17, and then everyone will reveal their results on their blogs on May 14!

This week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Quinoa, Fruit, and Nut Salad, re-introduced me to Quinoa, which I've only had once or twice in the past. Pronounced keh-NO-ah, or sometimes KEEN-wah, it is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds, and native to the Andes Mountains of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Although most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually related to leafy green vegetables like beet, spinach and Swiss chard. The Incas held the crop to be sacred, and referred to it as the mother of all grains and gold of the Incas. It was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using golden implements. To this day, it is an important food in South American cuisine.

In the 1980s, two Americans began cultivating it in Colorado. Since then, quinoa has become more and more available as people realize it is an exceptionally beneficial and delicious food. When NASA scientists were searching for an ideal food for long-term human space missions, they declared quinoa unrivaled in the plant or animal kingdom for its life-sustaining nutrients.

Photo from BYU College of Life Sciences

Cooked quinoa seeds are fluffy and creamy, yet slightly crunchy, and have a delicate, somewhat nutty flavor. While the most popular type of quinoa is a transparent yellow color, other varieties feature colors such as orange, pink, red, purple or black.

Organic Red Royal Quinoa from our local Boney's

In its natural state, quinoa seeds have a coating of bitter-tasting soapy saponins to protect against birds and other predators. Most quinoa sold commercially in North America has been processed to remove this coating, but it is still a good idea to thoroughly rinse the seeds to remove any remaining saponin residue before cooking. In South America, the saponin removed from the quinoa is used as detergent for washing clothes and as an antiseptic to promote healing of skin injuries.

To cook the quinoa, add one part of the grain to two parts liquid in a saucepan. After the mixture is brought to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cover. One cup of quinoa cooked in this method usually takes 15 minutes to prepare. When cooking is complete, you will notice that the grains have become translucent, and the white germ has partially detached itself, appearing like a white-spiraled tail. If you desire the quinoa to have a nuttier flavor, you can dry roast it before cooking. Simply place it in a skillet over medium-low heat, and stir constantly for five minutes.

Dorie's Quinoa, Fruit and Nut Salad calls for your choice of various dried fruits, nuts, herbs and greens. She adds a touch of ground ginger to the lemon juice and olive oil dressing, and tops the quinoa with yogurt. I went more savory with ours, using toasted almonds, fresh orange supremes, asparagus, spinach, and parsley, and served it with pan-grilled lamb chops and harissa sauce, a recipe from Tyler's Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time (recipe also here, and another version of harissa here).  

Quinoa, Asparagus, Orange and Almond Salad

Adapted from Quinoa, Fruit and Nut Salad

Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours

4-6 servings

1 cup red quinoa

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups water

Supremes from 2 oranges

1 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted

6 ounces fresh asparagus, sliced diagonally into 2 inch pieces, and blanched

6 ounces baby spinach, sauteed briefly in a tablespoon of olive oil so it's slightly wilted

Juice of one lemon

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 shallot, minced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon walnut oil

Place quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer, and run cold water over it while gently rubbing the seeds together with your hands, to thoroughly rinse off any residual saponin.

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan, salt the water, and add the quinoa. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 12-15 minutes.

While quinoa is cooking, make the dressing by whisking lemon juice, shallots, parsley, olive oil, and walnut oil together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the quinoa in a sieve and transfer to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly. Add the orange supremes, almonds, asparagus, spinach and dressing. Toss gently, and serve.

We love the texture of the quinoa, its nutty taste, and versatility in mixing in various fruit, nut and vegetable combinations. I am looking forward to trying it Dorie's way, with dried fruits, ginger and yogurt.

French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s newest book, 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. Dorie always tells a personal story behind each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing.