Recipes: Anita and Mark's Hearty Vegetarian Chilli - Pesto Pepper Spread - Fromage du Jour 12, 13, 14 and 15

In the dairy case.

Oy!  It was another "do something with it" task. - Helen's Organic Veggie Ground.  Hmmm ... vegetarian ...  Look at me and the foods I sample out ... I'm a meat and potatoes girl.  How many recipes do I have bacon as an ingredient?  Imagine the thoughts running through my head when Mark asked me to sample this.  I'd rather recommend a Chardonnay to someone.  (If you've spoken with me, you know I cringe with recommending Chards because they are so all over the board and customers are very particular with their Chardonnay.)  Anyway,  chili, pasta meat sauce, and stir-fry are what came to mind (after all the awful thoughts cleared my head).  I went with Chili since that would be the easiest to prepare at the  store.  When I told Mark I'd use the product in chili he suggested Lysander's Original Chili Seasoning Mix.  Hence, Anita and Mark's Hearty Vegetarian Chili.

Anita and Mark's Hearty Vegetarian Chili

3 Tbl. TFM Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 c. diced yellow onion

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

2 (12 oz.) pkg. Helen’s Kitchen Organic Veggie Ground

1 pkg. Lysanders Original Chili Seasoning Mix

1 Tbl. ground cumin

2 (1 lb. 12 oz.) cans Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes

2 (15 oz.) cans TFM red kidney beans, drained

2 (15 oz.) cans TFM black beans, drained

Toppings: grated cheese, sour cream

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil.  Add onion and jalapeno.  Sauté until the onion is translucent.  Add remaining ingredients (not toppings).  Stir until incorporated.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 45 to 60 minutes.  Serve with toppings. 

I was on pins and needles with this recipe.  It was a huge sigh of relief when my taste testers said they enjoyed it and my vegetarian taste testers (Betty and Xavier) put their seal of approval on it.  Xavier couldn't get enough of it.  With confidence I sampled it out on Friday and Saturday, and customers were enjoying it.  

To keep the chili warm during sampling I had it on WARM in the slow cooker.  By the end of my tasting the little that remained in the cooker was thick, hearty, and bursting with flavor and a little more spiciness.  I was going to put it in the employee's back room, but bakery and deli scoffed it up.

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Nicole had a couple of containers of CIBO Pesto for me for sampling.  I decided to make a spread with it.  Rave reviews from customers.

Pesto Pepper Spread

1 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 c. mayonnaise

1 (6 oz.) CIBO pesto

1/3 c. Delallo Roasted Piquillo Peppers, drained and chopped.

Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Serve on TFM Original French Rounds.

Lorene was sampling this out at the cheese table.  She told me it was a hit.  A few customers stopped by table to let me know they loved it.  One gentleman told me it was "killer".  This would also make a nice sandwich spread.

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Nicole had another nice selection of cheese scraps for the Fromage du Jour.  I'm trying to keep these as simple for customers to make as I can.  Heck, Nicole and I will even grate the cheese for you.

Fromage du Jour 12 – Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs/ Bellavitano Balsamic

2 (5.2 oz.) Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbes, crumbled in

7½ oz. Bellavitano Balsamic, grated

¼ c. TFM Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 c. pine nuts, toasted

Place cheeses and oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until blended and smooth.. Refrigerate to let flavors blend (5 to 24 hours).  Mix in pine nuts. Serve with TFM Original French Rounds.

This was Friday's sampling and a hit with customers.  

Fromage du Jour 13 - Red Wax Gouda/Chaumes

10 oz. Red Wax Gouda, rind removed and grated

8½ oz. Chaumes, cubed

6 Tbl. TFM Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Place cheeses and oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until blended and smooth.. Refrigerate to let flavors blend (5 to 24 hours).  Serve with TFM Original French Rounds.

This was simple, mild, slightly nutty, and clean.  Although customers enjoyed this spread, it was not the hit Fromage du Jours 14 and 15 were.

Fromage du Jour 14 - Champinon with Mushrooms/Tallegio/Bellavitano Raspberry

7¼ oz. Champignon with Mushrooms, cubed

6¾ oz. Tallegio, cubed

5½ oz. Bellavitano Raspberry, grated

3 Tbl. O Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

Place cheeses and oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until blended and smooth.. Refrigerate to let flavors blend (5 to 24 hours).  Serve with TFM Original French Rounds.

Fromage du Jour 15 - Tallegio/Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs

11 oz. Tallegio, cubed

1 (5.2 oz.) pkg. Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs, crumbled

1 Tbl. O Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling

Wildly Delicious Roasted Garlic Sea Salt

Place cheeses and 1 tablespoon oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until blended and smooth.. Refrigerate to let flavors blend (5 to 24 hours).  Place in a serving bowl and drizzle with extra olive oil and garnish with sea salt.  Serve with TFM Original French Rounds.

Fromage 14 and 15 were the favorite for Saturday. Cheese was flying off the shelf to make these recipes.  It must have been the Tallegio.  Of the two, 15 was the favorite.  I just loved the way Fromage du Jour 15 looked with the glistening  drizzle of olive oil and sea salt garnish.  The flavor was amazing.