Time Out!

Recipes: Hatch Fire Roasted Salsa - Hatch Chile Cream Sauce - (Instant Pot) Spanish Chorizo Shredded Pork - (Anita's) Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage and Pumpkin Salsa.

This posting is 3 weeks overdue.  I'll cut to the chase - ALL the recipes were customer and employee favorites.  Delicious.  Right amount of spice.  Easy to prepare.

The last recipe I'm sharing - had this for dinner.  Crispy sage and brown butter is a fantastic pairing.  Put that with Pumpkin ... yummy!

Hatch Fire Roasted Salsa

1 jar TFM NomNom Fire Roasted Salsa

½ c. diced onion

1 lg. Hatch Chile, stemmed, seeded and diced  OR

¼ c. roasted Hatch Chiles

¼ c. chopped cilantro

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Hatch Chile Cream Sauce

(This is a delicious accompaniment to TFM’s Jalapeno Hasselback Chicken Breast (located in the meat department)). 

8 oz.  sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese

3 to 4 Tbl. half-and-half 

1/3 c. cilantro, coarsely chopped and packed

5 large scallions, with green, coarsely chopped

3 to 4 Hatch Chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced OR

                1 c. roasted Hatch Chiles

1½ Tbl. fresh lime juice

salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until thoroughly incorporated.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

(Instant Pot) Spanish Chorizo Shredded Pork

4 lb. pork shoulder or butt

1 pkg. TFM Spanish Chorizo seasoning

3 Tbl. olive oil

1 c. chicken broth

Remove any large pieces of fat from the outer portion of the pork.  Cut pork into 2-inch cubes.  Season/toss with 1 pkg. TFM Spanish Chorizo seasoning.

Heat Instant Pot to Sauté.  When HOT add olive oil and being browning pork, several pieces at a time, being careful not to overcrowd. When all the pork has been browned and removed from pot. CANCEL cooking.  Do not drain any of that goodness from the pot.

To Instant Pot, add chicken broth and return browned pork.  Cook PRESSURE/LOW, KEEP WARM off, with steam vent closed, for 40 minutes.  When done, natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.  Remove pork to baking tray and let cool 10 to 15 minutes.  Shred. 

Serve as nachos, over rice, burrito, taco.  Add hot sauce and/or cut fresh pineapple.


(Anita's) Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage and Pumpkin Salsa
1 pkg. TFM frozen Pumpkin Ravioli
1 jar TFM Pumpkin Salsa
3 Tbl. salted butter
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves

Cook ravioli according to package directions.  Drain.

In pot add butter and sage.  Cook on medium high heat until butter is a medium golden brown.  Add ravioli back to the pot and toss until thoroughly coated.  

Place ravioli on serving dish.  Top with Pumpkin Salsa.

SNEAK PEEK

Afraid that's all you get.

I am working this coming weekend.  However, I won't know what I'm sampling until later in the week.  The "Join Us" table display I have on the store floor is ... just for looks. 

Wine and Food Tasting - August 31st & Sept. 1st

Another 2 table weekend!  I'm all in for Labor Day party ideas, snacks, and an easy dinner.

Saturday, August 31st
and
Sunday, September 1st
(12:00 to 3:30 PM)
     

Wine

• Saturday 
• Prosecco Cocktail with Bittermilk Tom Collins with Elderflower and Hops
• Red Sangria
• White Sangria
• Pineapple Mimosa
• Sunday
• Not sure, could be same as Saturday or Stock-Up wines.  All depends on stock-on-hand.

Food

• Corporate Required:
• Chips
• All Dressed
• Sour Cream and Onion 
• TFM Gucamole
• TFM Southwest Hatch Chile Dip (if Deli is unable to prepare this, I'll sample Pimento Cheese)
• TFM Tortilla Chips
• Hatch Chile
• (Instant Pot) Shredded Pork with Spanish Chorizo Seasoning and
• Hatch Chile Cream Sauce
• Hatch Fire Roasted Salsa
• Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha Hot Sauce
• TFM Pumpkin Salsa

SNEAK PEEK

Recipes: Avocado with Marcona Almonds, Castillo de Canena EVOO and Smoked Salt - TFM Rotisserie Chicken with Aji Amarillo Sauce - Roasted Red Pepper Tapa - Calabrian Style Shrimp Scampi - Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese - Italian Caprese Platter

I have to begin with THANK YOU!  I don't know who sent a compliment about me via TFM's website, but not only was it greatly appreciated, but made my day!  (Also, you're obviously not the people I'm referencing at the end of this post.  When Rodney told me he received an email about me ... I cringed.)

It was a wonderful weekend sampling.  Again, Saturday FLEW by, especially when I had the fun and love of my regular customers ...

All the samples were a HUGE hit and I was told numerous times, this assortment was the best yet. EVERYTHING was a FAVORITE! Now all I think about is, "how can I top this?"  

I was soooooo busy cooking grilled cheese and shrimp, trying furiously to keep samples on the table, plus chit-chat with all my customers.  Wondering if I bit off more than I could chew ... 

So many new and delicious products in the store!  I get carried away and can't edit myself.  All I want to do is SHARE ... it all ... at once.

With all that preamble ... here are the recipes.  Customers enjoyed them all with many "delicious" comments.  Every sample was, "this is my favorite".  Customers even told customers, "you have to try that, it's so good."  All music to my ears.  Also handed out more recipes than ever.

The sampled brands were Culinary Collective (Castillo de Canena EVOO, Zocalo Aji Amarillo Paste, Aneto Fish Broth) and Food Match (Divina).  I'm glad they supported me with this sampling.  Stonewall Kitchen as well ... always there when I need them.

Avocado Halves with Marcona Almonds, Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Spices

2 small or medium avocados

¼ c. Marcona Almonds coarsely chopped

4 pinches Faulk Salt Smoked salt flakes or Sea Salt Flor de Sal

4 pinches TFM Spanish Chorizo seasoning/spice*

3-4 Tbl.  Castillo de Canena Picual EVOO

Slice each avocado in half and remove seeds and arrange on serving plate. Sprinkle chopped Marcona almonds on all four halves, then sprinkle with salt, and smoked salt flakes*. Drizzle olive oil on each one. Serve with crusty bread or with just a spoon!

* You can use Piment d'Espelette, unsmoked hot paprika, ground cayenne or Aleppo pepper.  

This recipe was a "who knew?!" Such a deliciously easy way to eat an avocado.  Creamy.  Crunchy.  Hint of spicy. Nice hint of smoke.  I could sit and snack on this all day long.

I use smoked salt flakes as a finishing salt.  LOVE it on my steak when it comes off the grill.  One of my customers said they would use it on pork chops and salmon.  Another thought it would be great for sprinkling on cupcakes after you frost them.

*****

Aji Amarillo Sauce

¼ c. Zocalo Aji Amarillo paste

2 Tbl. ketchup

¼ c. sour cream

¼ c. Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Aioli

2 limes juiced

2 green onions chopped

1 Tbl. cumin

Kosher Salt, to taste 

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, or bowl, blending until thoroughly incorporated. You can vary the level of spice or salt as you like.

Originally I was going to sample this with TFM's rotisserie chicken, but Gene got to the chicken before I did and he chopped it up for chicken salad.  Shrimp was Plan B and that was PERFECT.

My favorite words ... SOLD OUT ... of Zocalo Aji Amarillo paste.

*****

Roasted Red Pepper Tapa

5 pieces Divina Roasted Red Peppers   

4 oz. Dry Spanish chorizo

4 oz. Manchego cheese

1 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley

Castillo de Canena Picual EVOO

Drain peppers of the brine they were packed in and pat dry.

Cut each pepper crosswise into ½-inch slices and arrange on platter.

Thinly slice the chorizo and cheese. Arrange with the peppers.

Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle parsley over the entire surface.

Note: Can season with salt and/or splash of sherry vinegar.

*****

Calabrian-Style Shrimp Scampi

(adapted from Rachel Ray)

3 Tbl. olive oil

1 lb. raw shrimp, deveined and tails on

Salt and pepper

1 rib of celery, finely chopped

1 large shallot, finely chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped or grated

2 to 3 Tbl. Divina Chopped Calabrian Chilies

½ c. dry vermouth or white wine

½ c. Aneto Fish Broth

3 Tbl. butter

A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large pan over medium-high to high heat, add shrimp and sear 2 minutes, then turn, season with salt and pepper, cook a minute more, and remove from pan.

Add remaining olive oil, celery, shallots and garlic, Stir a minute or 2, then add Calabrian Chilies and stir.

Add vermouth, or wine.  Simmer until it is absorbed.  Add Fish Broth and let it bubble and reduce a minute.  Add butter and parsley.  Swirl.  Add shrimp back to pan and turn to coat.  Cook shrimp through (approx. 2 minutes more).  Douse with lemon juice.  Serve.

I used Mystified Chardonnay, since that was the wine I was pouring.  It was also a nice pairing. 

Serve this over rice for a delicious meal.

*****

Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese

3 - 4 DIVINA Roasted Red Tomatoes, drained

2 - 4 slices American cheddar, or other melting cheese

2 slices bread – Brioche, white,  whole grain

2 Tbl. Butter

Sandwich tomatoes (or peppers) and cheese between bread while heating 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.

Press sandwich slightly and add to pan.

Cook, flipping once and adding additional butter if needed, until toasted and cheese is melted, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Brioche bread and a combination of American yellow cheese and Muenster cheese.  Combined with Divina Roasted Red Tomatoes.  Yum!  Also, instead of butter, I spread mayonnaise on the outside of the bread and cooked.

*****

Lastly, this weekend I had no filter.  I snapped a couple times.  To the customers sampling at the time, I apologize for my weak moment. Keep in mind, the following is MY opinion and NOT that of TFM ...


For the woman who felt the need to grope around the chopped macadamia nuts, and the gentleman who felt the need to take a fork and dive into the food ... this was food I had prepped for sampling.  WHY do you think you can do this!?  The Health Dept. frowns upon this. I more than frown upon this. This was product I prepped for assembling and sampling.  That's why it was BEHIND the product for sale; furthest away from you. I couldn't use the macadamia nuts and had to throw them out.  As for the gentleman ... I stopped him before his fork hit his target.

In the words of my customer Jim, "don't make the Wine Lady mad."

P.S. I will also ask one question ... why do some customers think the hand basket, with a clip board and sleeve of cups, on the OPPOSITE side of the table from you, is trash?  Why are you compelled to toss your trash in it like you're shooting a basketball?  WHY would I have a trash bin far away from you, lower than the table, for you to use?!

Obviously not my weekend for smiling all day long and biting my tongue.  Done venting.

Wine and Food Tasting - August 24th & 25th

This weekend ... next weekend ... we then celebrate Labor Day and kids return to school.  I have two tables this weekend and want to celebrate fun party bites and easy ideas for meals.

Saturday, August 24th
and
Sunday, August 25th

(12:00 to 3:30 PM)
     

Wine

• Saturday, I'll pour wines that are new into the store.  Based on stock:
• Romance Rose
• Mystified Chardonnay
• Pinot Envy Pinot Noir
• Mystified Red Blend
• Sunday's wines will be decided when I reset my table Saturday night.

Food

• Corporate Required:
• Coconut Collaborative Dessert Pots
• Chocolate
• Salted Caramel
• Lemon
• Humm Kombucha
• Avocado with Marcona Almonds, Castillo de Canena EVOO and Smoked Salt
• TFM Rotisserie Chicken with Aji Amarillo Sauce
• Roasted Red Pepper Tapa
• Calabrian-Style Shrimp Scampi
• Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese
• Italian Caprese Bites