Grilled Peaches with Fresh Cherries

Wow- when peaches are at their peak, this is an amazing dish.  We serve it as a small plate but it almost seems like dessert. 

2 cling-free peaches, sliced in half with stone removed

About 20 Edamame pods, cooked in well-salted water (about 45 beans)

20 Ranier cherries, halved and pitted (you can substitute dried cherries- use half the quantity)

1 bunch swiss chard, de-ribbed

Approx. 2 tsp. Honey

Approx. 4-5 tsp. Balsamic glaze (we love Williams-Sonoma's product)

Salt and pepper to taste

Grill the halved peaches cut side down over Mesquite charcoal until golden brown - approximately 4 minutes, but watch closely to prevent burning.   Set aside.  Saute the swiss chard in a heavy saucepan with 1/8 C. water about 3 minutes (until tender).  Drain; season with salt and pepper; set aside.

To assemble, place swiss chard on the serving plate.  Arrange the peaches, cherries, and edamame on top.  Drizzle honey and balsamic glaze over the top.  Serves 4.

Slow Roasted Tomato Marinara

Our local farmstand has a terrific deal on tomatoes right now, so we are buying flats of them (10 pounds at a time).  One way to enjoy them now - and later - is to make up a huge batch of this easy marinara sauce - it freezes great. 

4 - 5 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 large sliced red onion
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
8-10 green onions, roughly chopped
1/2 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt to taste (preferably Himalayan Pink Salt)

Core, skin, and cut tomatoes in half.  Remove seeds by gently squeezing the halves over the sink.  Place tomatoes cut side up in 2 large baking dishes.  Sprinkle salt over top.   Scatter garlic cloves on top and drizzle with olive oil. 

Bake in a 200 degree oven for 5 hours. Mix fresh basil, green onions, and sliced onions in 1/4 c. oil; pour over the tomatoes. Continue to bake for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. 

Put in a large bowl, and puree using a wand blender.  (Alternatively, you can puree in a food processor).  Enjoy on your favorite pasta or as a pizza sauce.

Gazpacho

We love this recipe to take advantage of the bounty of tomatoes in our local farmstands.  Simple to make, this cool and spicy chilled soup is just the ticket for these hot summer days.

4 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored, peeled, and coarsly chopped
2 red peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 red jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 green onions, coarsely chopped
3 very thick slices fresh French bread, crusts removed and coarsely torn
1/3 C. good quality extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 Tbl. Allepo or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. sweet paprika
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

Put olive oil into blender, followed by tomatoes, peppers, and remaining ingredients.  (You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blender).  Blend until very smooth.  Chill at least 4 hours.  For serving, garnish with one or more of the following:

• Freshly made croutons (cubed french bread sauteed in olive oil and salted to finish)
• Chopped cilantro
• Chopped green onions
• Diced avocados

Serves 6-8.  This will keep (in theory) 3-4 days, but trust us, it won't last that long!

New Restaurant We Love!

Occasionally we stumble across an Orange County restaurant that meets our OC Locavore seal of approval.  We look for locally sourced ingredients prepared in a fresh and innovative way.  

In the Newport Beach strip mall location where the highly regarded Pascal closed its doors some months ago, we've discovered a wonderful new restaurant - Juliette.  This little gem - at the moment a diamond in the rough - is well worth the trip.  The Executive Chef, Daniel Hyatt, is currently sourcing from the venerable Santa Monica Farmer's Market; but he is attempting to find even more local Orange County ingredients. 

Open less than a month ago, the kitchen is still working out a few minor kinks. That said, we've dined there 3 times in the last 8 days, so they are definitely hitting all the right buttons.  Comically, one of our favorite dishes one evening was a mistake - the heirloom tomato, watermelon, buratta cheese, arugula, and balsamic dressing salad was accidentally made with beets instead of tomatoes.   We happily munched through half the salad before we caught our waiter's eye to point out the mistake.  He quickly replaced the salad as described on the menu, which was equally appetizing.

Not to be missed is the Farro Risotto, made with squash blossoms, trumpet mushrooms and Swiss Chard.  Farro is a barely-like grain -- chewy and nutty -- and while it sounds fairly hearty for a summer menu, it delivered a big plate presence on a small plate menu.  This treatment was so tasty that we have reconsidered our previous notion of risotto as a wintertime dish.  Other favorites are the Tuna Crudo, with an amazing jalapeno mango sorbet and micro shiso (although one night the dish was a little too soupy), and the Beer Braised Octopus with gnocchi, Castelvetrano olives and Romesco (which is essentially a Spanish pesto).  The french fries include an excellent house made ketchup and harissa aioli.  For dessert, one night we had a cheese platter, and the Pierce Point cow cheese from Cowgirl Creamery was outstanding.   Another night we had the fabulous Salted Caramel Pot de Creme.  


Despite our minor quibbles (which include the lack of any amuse bouche, bread, or even breadsticks to tide you over), we will be returning again very soon.  Given Pascal's long tenure in this location, we can only hope that Juliette will enjoy the same longevity.  If not, it won't be for the lack of our patronage..

Parisian Potatoes

We dubbed these "Parisian Potatoes" because we discovered this delicious method in Paris.  

Ingredients

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes

3 Tbl. olive oil

2 Tbl. unsalted butter

Directions

Wash and dry potatoes, then dice into 1/2 inch cubes (leaving skin on). 

Preheat sauté pan over medium heat until very hot; then add oil and butter.  Sauté slowly, stirring frequently to minimize sticking.  If sticking occurs, you will need to transfer the potatoes to another lightly oiled, preheated pan to finish - otherwise they will never brown and will end up steamed.  

Remove from pan immediately.  If necessary, drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.  Sprinkle with Himalayan pink salt.

These potatoes will be golden and crunchy on the outside and creamy and soft on the inside.  Eat promptly and enjoy!