Polenta with Glazed Spring & Summer Vegetables

Polenta with Glazed Spring and Summer Vegetables
Recipe by Stella Dillard of Atlanta Culinary Connection
5/26/18
Yield: 4 Servings

¾ cup Polenta
3 cups Water  
4 ounces Goat cheese, fromage blanc, labneh or creme fraiche
as needed Butter or oil  
1 each Spring onions, tropea onions or green garlic
1 bunch Hakurei turnips
4 ounces Sugar snap peas, English peas
    OR  
1 bunch Broccolini
2 ounces Mushrooms
1 each Lemon  
1.5 cups Water or vegetable stock  
to taste Salt & Pepper  

Instructions:

• Dice onions or slice garlic.

• Separate turnips from greens. Quarter roots and slice greens into 3/8" ribbons.

• String peas, and shell if using English peas. Otherwise, quarter pods.

• If using broccolini, separate florets from stems. Cut stems into 1/4" slices, and leaving florets intact.

• Remove stems from mushrooms and halve or quarter depending on size.

• Bring water to a boil over high heat, and salt for desired flavor. Whisk in polenta and lower heat. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until tender.

• Heat cooking oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and sear until brown, fragrant, and slightly crispy. Reserve, and return pan to low heat. Deglaze with a splash or water or stock.

• Heat butter or oil in a pan over medium heat until foamy (butter) or just shimmering (oil).

• Add onion or garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir until fragrant and translucent, adding water or stock if necessary.

• Add turnip roots and broccolini slices, if using. Cover about halfway with liquid and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, and check for tenderness. If necessary, add more water.

• When turnips and broccolini are almost tender, add peas, if using. Cook until peas are bright green and tender, 35 minutes.

• Stir cheese or crème fraiche into polenta. Taste and correct seasoning with salt & pepper.

• Zest lemon over vegetables and taste. Add any soft herbs you'd like, and correct seasoning with lemon juice and/or salt.

Beet Green Paneer

Beet Green Paneer
Chef Zach Meloy of Better Half

5/5/18

1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons + 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces paneer, (Indian cheese, either store-bought or homemade: recipe follows), cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lb. beet greens, (or other hearty greens) chopped
2 leeks, dark leaves & root end removed, chopped
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
4 bulbs green garlic, chopped finely                                                        
2 large dried chiles, finely chopped, or ground
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
 

In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the leeks, ginger, garlic and chile. Sauté the mixture until it's evenly toffee-colored, which should take about 15 minutes. If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out.

Add the beet greens and stir well, incorporating the spiced leek mixture into the beet greens. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.

For the paneer:
1 gallon, whole milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
kosher salt

Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.

In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while so be patient!

Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!

Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!

Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.

Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth!) and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.

Unwrap your beautiful disc of homemade cheese!

Stawberry Beignets

Strawberry Beignets
Recipe by Chef Gerry Klaskala of Aria
4/28/18

2 tsp.               Sugar
2 tsp.               Salt
6 cups              AP Flour
¼ cup               Baking Powder
2 cups              Water
2 cups              Milk
2 each             Eggs                                                                 HERITAGE FARM
1 tsp.               Vanilla Extract
4 qts                Oil for Frying
6 cups              Strawberries, washed, dried and stemmed   GREEN OLA ACRES
For dusting      Powdered Sugar

1. Combine the water, milk, vanilla and eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and the sugar and mix until the batter is smooth.
3. Pour the oil into a large, deep pot or a deep fryer and heat to 360ºF.
4. Dip the strawberries into the batter and ensure even coverage. Use a slotted spoon to lower the dipped strawberries into the hot oil. Cook until batter is golden brown and puffy. Remove beignets with spider or slotted spoon.
5. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Veggie Toast

Veggie Toast
Recipe by Executive chef, Edwin Molina of Double Zero
4/21/18

Ingredients
2          slices sourdough bread                                            TGM BREAD
½         cup chèvre                                                               DECIMAL PLACE FARM
2          tbs. fresh herbs (i.e. basil, parsley, dill, fennel)         HEIRLOOM GARDENS
Olive oil
1          radish (sliced thinly)                                                 RODGERS GREENS & ROOTS
4          mushrooms (cleaned and quartered)                         HEIRLOOM GARDENS
3          Carrots (cleaned and cut into 4 spears)                    MCMULLAN FAMILY FARM
Honey                                                                                 DANCES WITH BEES
Red wine vinegar
Lettuce greens (Arugula, kale, or bibb)                                 RODGERS GREENS & ROOTS

Preparation

Preheat a grill over high heat. Meanwhile, lightly brush the bread with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, and then set aside. Chop fresh herbs, about 2 tablespoons worth. Add the herb mixture to the cheese, and season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Once grill is hot, grill the bread on both sides to the desired darkness and then set aside to cool. Heat a pan over high heat and add a splash of olive oil to the pan. Add carrots to the pan to begin roasting, and do not move around. Once that side has developed color and caramelization, flip each carrot over onto another side and continue to do so until there is color on all sides. Add the mushrooms to the pan and roast until they caramelize. Season with salt and pepper and add a splash of red wine vinegar. In a bowl combine your lettuces and radish slices. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar. Mix well to combine and set aside.
 
To assemble, use the back of a spoon and apply a generous amount of the cheese mixture to the top of the sour dough toast. Spoon roasted veggies over the top of the cheese mixture and drizzle spoonful of honey on top. Finish with a pinch full of arugula and radishes and cut the toast in half.
 
Chef’s note: This recipe can be utilized in many ways using what you find at the market. If you happen to stumble upon some eggs, poach a few to place on top! Another great option is to line the toast with earthy nut butter (like cashew or almond) instead of the cheese. The veggies of course are interchangeable – I like to get a good hard roast on them to develop flavor but keeping some raw will not hurt the dish either. HAPPY COOKING!!