Recipes: Corn and Black Bean Salad/Salsa - Fromage du Jour 16 and 17 - Over Cream Cheese

I would love to say, "I'm back", but ... can't.  Having my food sampling table was only for two days.  What I can say is, "what a great two days of sampling!"  Thursday The Fresh Market was busy and that meant I was too. Thursday I could not keep product on my sample table, nor wine on my wine table.  I'm happy to say "SOLD OUT" of many items.  Friday when I arrived at the store to prepare my food the Assistant Grocery Manager and Assistant Store Manger greeted me with, "I need you to do something with ..." Plus they both wanted me to "do something with" different products. Ahhhh, just like old times!

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I originally prepared this first recipe January 5, 2014.  It was popular then and just as popular this weekend.   

Corn and Black Bean Salad/Salsa*
1 (16 oz.) jar Stonewall Kitchen 
     Spicy Corn Relish
1 (15 oz.) can TFM Black Beans, 
     drained
1 ripe avocado, peeled, cored and 
     cut into ¼-inch cubes 

1 c. tomatoes, diced 

1/3 c. diced red onion 

8 oz. Adams Reserve cheese, cut into ¼-inch cubes 
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)

¼ c. chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and toss. Serve.

* If you are preparing this as a salad, use cherry tomatoes and quarter them.  Also, cut the avocado into larger (½-inch) pieces. Cheese would also be cubed larger.  Serve as a side salad.

  If you are prparing this as a salsa then prepare as indicated above and serve with tortilla chips.  You can also serve with tacos.

In January I used Monterey Jack cheese and shredded it (I didn't read the recipe - oops!).  This time I used Adams Reserve Cheddar and cubed it (as the recipe called for).  Both cheeses work in this.  BUT, cubing it is best.  I did not use jalapeno when I sampled this at the store. 

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Nicole saved cheese scraps for me and I was able to prepare Fromage du Jour.  Friday one customer gave me a backhanded compliment saying, "I hate people like you who can just create delicious recipes."  Trust me, if the recipe did not taste good to me and/or my TFM Taste Testers, it would NEVER make it to my table.  But hey, thanks for the compliment. 

Thursday I prepared this simple and tasty cheese spread.  We sold out of the Parmesan Reggiano Nicole cut.  

Wildly Delicious Sea Salt

Fromage du Jour 16 (The Italian) - Mozzarella/Parmesan

8 oz. Mozzarella, cubed

8 oz. Parmesan Reggiano, 
     rind removed and grated

6 Tbl. TFM Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 
     plus extra for drizzling

3 oz. (3 1/8” slices) Genoa Salami, diced

¼ c. smoked sundried tomatoes, diced

Wildly Delicious Roasted Garlic Sea Salt

Place cheeses and 6 tablespoons oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until blended and smooth. If mixture is too thick add  more olive oil until desired consistancy is reached. Transfer to a bowl and  mix in salami and sundried tomatoes.  Place in a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with sea salt.  Serve with TFM Toasted Garlic French Rounds.

This was a customer favorite and both cheeses were flying out of the cheese case.  Aside from loving the words "sold out" I do enjoy - "amazing", "delicious", and "this is great", which this recipe evoked.  I'll even take backhanded compliments.

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When I left the store on Thursday Nicole and I decided to do Fromage du Jour 16 again on Friday. It was very popular plus sold a lot of cheese.  However, Parmesan Reggiano sold out and Nicole did not have time to cut more.  I needed another cheese.  On top of that, when I arrived at the store Friday to prepare my food, I was given the task of, "do something with black olives and artichokes".  I was now going to modify Fromage du Jour 16's recipe and hopefully it would be a hit.  Fromage du Jour 17 turned into how I like my ice cream - with plenty of good stuff in it. (I cannot do plain chocolate ice cream.  Sorry, I'm not a vanilla girl.)

Fromage du Jour 17 (The Italian #2) - Mozzarella/Parmesan

8 oz. Mozzarella, cubed

8 oz. 3-Cheese Blend Flakes** 

8 Tbl. TFM Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 oz. (3 1/8” slices) Genoa Salami, diced

¼ c. smoked sundried tomatoes, diced
½ c. sliced black olives, drained
½ c. chopped artichoke hearts, drained

Wildly Delicious Roasted Garlic Sea Salt

Place cheeses and oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until blended and smooth. If mixture is too thick add  more olive oil until desired consistancy is reached. Transfer to a bowl and  mix in salami, sundried tomatoes, olives and artichokes.  Place in a serving bowl. Garnish with sea salt.  Serve with TFM Garlic Parmesan French Rounds.

** A blend of Romano, Asiago, and Paremsan.  

Another customer favorite.  WHEW!  

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Thursday and Friday I prepared two "over cream cheese" dishes.  Both were huge hits with customers.  Saturday I had customers tell me they served them at their July 4th parties and they were a big hit.  I even had a couple customers return to purchase the ingredients so they could make them again.

This first dish had me amazed.  All I kept thinking to myself was, "who knew?!"

Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip
1 jar Robert Rothschild Farms 
     Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip
8 oz. TFM Cream Cheese
1 pkg. Original Pretzel Crisps

Place cream cheese on a serving plate. Top with 1/3 to ½ a jar of Robert Rothschild Farms Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip.  Serve with Pretzel Crisps Original flavor.

A couple weeks ago I sampled Pretzel Crisps and the Raspberry Honey Mustard.  I dipped the pretzel in the dip and served it in a tasting cup.  A nice snack.  Sold a few of each product.  Thursday and Friday I prepared this recipe. I could not keep either product on my table.  Thursday the guys in grocery were unloading the truck and after I sold the product on the shelf I had to keep asking them to find what I needed on the pallets and bring me the cases.  Customers comments were, "amazing", "delicious", and "addictive".

I have sampled out Earth & Vine's Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam before (in various recipes).  It is always a hit. I always sell out.  I must brag here and say - that after I introduced Earth & Vine's Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam to customers TFM (Midlothian) cannot keep it on the shelf.  So let this be fair warning ... if you know you're going to need it, buy it when you see it.

Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam
1 jar Earth & Vine Provisions 
     Red Bell Pepper and 
     Ancho Chili Jam
2 (8 oz.) blocks TFM Cream Cheese
1 pkg. TFM crackers or 
     French Rounds

Place cream cheese on a serving plate. Top with a jar of Earth & Vine Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam.  Serve with your favorite TFM crackers or French rounds.

ALWAYS a customer favorite.  Try it. You won't be sorry.

That's all until ... Tom gives me more hours to plan and prepare food.  In the interim I will be sending e-mails to the companies I made contact with at the Fancy Food Show last weekend.  I want to start receiving product so when Tom gives me hours I'm ready to cook.