Whipped Chèvre with Candied Sweet Peppers

Serves 6-8 as a snack with other dishes

1 lb Decimal Place Farm chèvre
1-2 T heavy cream
To taste kosher salt
½ cup candied sweet peppers (recipe included)
Your favorite dipping vessel - cracker, crudite, etc (Today we’re using RIVERVIEW FARMS fresh OKRA as a dipping utensil)

1. In a small mixing bowl or stand mixer, let the chèvre come to room temp. Add the heavy cream and salt, then mix thoroughly until the cheese is a spreadable consistency.
2. Spread the chèvre into a serving bowl, then spread the candied sweet peppers on top to serve.

Candied sweet peppers

Yield: 1 ½ cups

12 ea sweet peppers*
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 ¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 ea garlic clove, slivered
½ ea small hot pepper +, chopped
pinch kosher salt
1 Tbl sherry vinegar

* Chef recommends: Jimmy Nardello peppers (sweet Italian frying peppers)
+ Your choice of chile – Chef used a small ripe jalapeno

1. Beginning at the bottom, slice the peppers into thin rings up to the seeds ~1/8" thick. Then deseed and julienne the remainder of the pepper. You should have a volume of almost 4 cups.
2. Set aside in a small sauce pot, add the sherry, and reduce by half.
3. Add the sugar & water and bring to a full boil.
4. Add the sweet peppers, hot pepper, and garlic to the pot and stir, keeping the burner on medium high heat. The syrup will not cover them completely at this point, but the peppers will release water to bring up the volume of the syrup.
5. Cook the peppers until the syrup has reduced and the peppers are opaque. Season with salt and sherry vinegar, then set aside to cool.

Skillet roasted okra with a grainy mustard & curry vinaigrette

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

1 lb. okra INDIAN RIDGE ORGANIC FARM
As needed olive oil
To taste kosher salt
¼ cup mustard & curry vinaigrette (recipe included)

1. Pre-heat your oven & cast iron pan to 400F.
2. To prepare the okra, remove any fibrous stems and cut in half lengthwise. Toss with olive oil & kosher salt to cover.
3. When the pan is ready, add the okra (working in batches if adding all at once is too much), toss briefly, then put back in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Stir once more and let them go cook another minute or so. Ideally, the okra will still have a bit of a crunch, and will not be slimy.
4. Put the okra immediately into a mixing bowl and add the vinaigrette. Stir to thoroughly coat, adding additional vinaigrette & salt if desired.

Grainy mustard & curry vinaigrette

Yield: ~1 cup

1ea shallot, finely chopped
1ea garlic clove, minced
2 Tbl whole grain mustard
½ tsp madras curry powder (or more if desired)
3 Tbl white wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
¾ cup EVOO

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Adjust seasoning as needed.