With this recipe we use whatever vegetables we have from our CSA food box in substitution such as fava beans, onions, green garlic, and carrots.

Thomas Keller’s Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables
from Ad Hoc at Home

One 4 to 4 1/2 lb chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
6 thyme sprigs
2 large leeks
3 tennis-ball-sized rutabagas
2 tennis-ball-sized turnips
4 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut in half
1 small yellow onion, trimmed, leaving root end intact, and cut into quarters
8 small (golf-ball-sized) red-skinned potatoes
1/3 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 475 F.

Remove the neck and innards if they are still in the cavity of the chicken. Using a paring knife, cut out the wishbone from the chicken. (This will make it easier to carve the chicken.) Generously season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper, add 3 of the garlic cloves and 5 sprigs of thyme, and massage the inside of the bird to infuse it with the flavors. Truss the chicken.

Cut off the dark green leaves from the top of the leeks. Trim off and discard the darkened outer layers. Trim the root ends, cutting around them on a 45-degree angle. Slit the leeks lengthwise almost in half, starting 1/2 inch above the root ends. Rinse the leeks well under warm water.

Cut off both ends of the rutabagas. Stand the rutabagas on end and cut away the skin, working from top to bottom and removing any tough outer layers. Cut into 3/4-inch wedges. Repeat with the turnips, cutting the wedges to match the size of the rutabagas.

Combine all the vegetables and remaining garlic cloves and thyme sprig in a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables in a large cast-iron skillet or a roasting pan.

Rub the remaining oil over the chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Make a nest in the center of the vegetables and nestle the chicken in it.

Cut the butter into 4 or 5 pieces and place over the chicken breast.

Put the chicken in the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400 F and roast for an additional 45 minutes, or until the temperature registers 160 F in the meatiest portions of the bird–the thighs, and under the breast where the thigh meets the breast–and the juices run clear. If necessary, return the bird to the oven for more roasting; check it every 5 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 20 minutes.

Just before serving, set the pan of vegetables over medium heat and reheat the vegetables, turning them and glaazing them with the pan juices.

Cut the chicken into serving pieces, arrange over the vegetables and serve.

Treats for a Foodie in Northern Michigan’s Leelenau County:

• North Peaks Brewery “Archangel  Summer Wheat” made with Michigan Cherry Juice Ale – Traverse City

• Good Harbor Vineyards – Located just outside of Leland. We liked the bubbly! $3 for tastings
  
• Forty-Five North – Great new tasting room with award-winning wines.  You receive four complimentary tastings and after that you pay $5 for reserve tastings.  Right now Forty-Five North uses CA grapes as they await the maturation of their vines.  Last year we loved the pinot noir rose and this year they featured their award winning Blanc Pinot Rose.
• Black Star Farms – $5 for tastings – This is an interesting tasting room with many guests visiting to imbibe.  You can also taste their mild Raclette cheese while sipping on wine.  Friends love their Riesling.  BSF is also a B&B which looks like it would be fun to stay a night here on the farm sometime.

For more Up North Foodie Information see:  UP NORTH FOODIE Blog
For more Blame it on the Food recommendations from last year Up North: Click HERE

The balsamic glaze looks like chocolate syrup and the cheese is a bit disguised amongst the fruit and ice cream in this recipe.  The disguised ingredients make this dessert feel like a new discovery for the palette!

Grilled Fruit Kabobs with Balsamic Glaze and Manchego Recipe

• 1  cup  Zinfandel wine or balsamic vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  dark brown sugar
• 2  firm ripe peaches, halved and pitted
• 2  firm ripe apricots, halved and pitted
• 2  firm ripe plums, halved and pitted * we used blackberries instead of plums
• 1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 1  ounce  Manchego cheese, shaved or a harder goat’s milk cheese

Soak your skewers in water first so that they do not burn when you grill the kabobs. Prep the grill and heat to medium-high.

In a saucepan combine the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and bring to a boil then simmer for 25-30 minutes (making sure you do not burn it) or until it is reduced to 3 Tablespoons.

Slice the fruits in half and cut the cheese into decent size cubes and put one of each on a skewer.  Then brush the olive oil onto the fruit and season with salt and pepper.  Grill the kabobs for 1 minute on each side.

Serve Kabobs with vanilla ice cream with the balsamic glaze drizzled on top.

A Foodie in Quebec City:

• Maple Products @ the Old Port Market – Marche du Vieux-Port: Maple Syrup, Maple Sugar, Sugar Pie, Maple Ale, Maple Wine, Maple Salad Dressing, Mini Maple Cones, Maple Candies, Maple Butter, Maple Spread, Maple Tea, Maple Beer from Boreale Beer … (A great brand of Organic Maple Products: Biodélices Organic Maple Syrup)
• Ice Cider, Cider, & Ice Wine Tasting Day Trip (just outside the city): Isle d’Orleans
• Classic Canadian Food: Tourtière = Meat Pie, Poutine (Canadian Quebec Style) = French Fries, Cheese Curds & Brown Gravy, Sugar Pie (Quebec City Sugar Pie with Thick Cream)= Maple Sugar Pie, Caribou Stew
• Drinks: Cheese Plates, Beer, & Sangria – Two spots to grab drinks before dinner: One in Upper Town is Bar L’inox - a 21 year old microbrewery, with 11 delicious beers, also pitchers of Sangria and happy hour specials + sausages in baguettes for a snack to split. *See below for rue Saint-Jean spots such as Pub Nelligans & La Ninkasi.

La Rue St. Jean Area (rue Saint-Jean - A Street beyond the city walls on the west end was a very cool area that seemed less touristy.)

• J.A. Moisan Epicier, a Gourmet Food Store (oldest grocery store in North America), with many Canadian products, prepared gourmet foods, and interesting selection of cheeses, chocolates, candies, and beer/wine.  Located in the Upper town close to some really interesting shop such as The Chocolate Museum and a clothing shop on a street I liked so much, rue Saint-Jean. A pub that we would like to try next time: La Ninkasi is the best place to have a large choice of Quebeckers beers and see a variety of shows.  Pub Nelligans, was great but we had too many people to fit inside because it was raining and we were there on the Tuesday night jam session of Irish music, which seemed really cool.

Wandering lustfully in search of the unique and delicious was the beauty of our trip.

In researching our visit to Quebec City online we found it quite hard to find the local spots as I assume the local food blogs are all in French. This made us realize that it may be difficult to have an Anthony Bourdain-type of locals experience in Quebec City. Luckily we did have help from our friends from Maine who had visited Quebec City quite a few times because of their interest in their French-Canadian heritage. So we knew our first visit was going to entail wandering, talking to locals, and exploring.

What we discovered about Quebec City:

We found the people in Quebec City to be very friendly from the man who gave us the mead to taste at the market and told us where to eat Poutine to the waiter at the restaurant who served us Poutine and told us where to drink next. The city had a very cool blend of modern and classical architecture where the new and old city met. There were many smaller shops instead of huge, mega-stores meaning you could find some unique items that you don’t often find in other cities without infinite exploration. There were many sidewalk-dining areas at the restaurants to dine and drink el fresco putting people together on the streets without glass separators. We discovered unique food and drink in our three day stay and the ability to eat it by walking constantly.

Great Food & Art Suggestions for Quebec City:

• Casse Crepe Breton Great Breakfast for Crepes in the Old City Quebec (There is always a line but the crepes are worth it.) Also try their half-coffee/half-hot cocoa with ice cream drink!
• Restaurant La Nouvelle France Great restaurant for traditional Quebec food such as Yellow Pea Soup, Poutine, Meat Pie, Caribou Stew, and Sugar Pie for Dessert (A Prix Fixe Dinner for about $20, not including drinks)
• The Market in Quebec City has great local goods and produce and is very worth a visit but make sure you have room for snacking – Le Marché du Vieux-Port de Québec
• A Contemporary Art Gallery in Quebec City – Galerie Lacerte Art Contemporain located near the Market in the Old City
  

Isle de Orleans: A Quebec City Day Trip

The Isle de Orleans was an interesting sustainable agricultural community. There were cows next to a small field of corn beside a fromagerie and orchards by vineyards and so on. All of these entities seemed to be sustaining everyone in the community as opposed to a monoculture. Many of the products they were producing were world class such as the Ice Wine and Ice Cider. As we entered the island by car from Quebec City (about 15 minute drive) we stopped on the right at the information center to grab a map of the island ($1) and to figure out where we wanted to go. We found some great wineries, cideries, a fromagerie, brewery/bar, and farms. Some tasting rooms have minimal fees of $2-3 and some are free.

Suggested Food & Drink Tasting on Isle de Orleans:

• Blackcurrant Liqueur & Blackcurrant Wine = Mixed together make their Sangria Recipe which we really liked @ Cassis Monna & fille Economusee de la liquoristerie This winery had a great outdoor patio to hang out on after sampling their products in their tasting room downstairs.  We loved the design and aesthetics of this place!
• Ice Wine @ Vignoble Isle Bacchus ($35 for 200ml bottle & $3 for wine tastings, classy spot)
• Ice Cider @ Cideries
• Blackcurrant Framboise @ La Ferme de Liz Ouellet (made by a local woman and a Frenchman from the Dijon Region of France had just come by and said her products were as good if not better than those found in Dijon)Maple Butter
• Duck Terrine, Mustards, Jams, & Cider Tastings for $3 @ Domaine Steinbach Ciderie et Relais Gourmand – Great spot for an entire range of tastings. (I liked the onion preserves and the blueberry and apple jam)
• Cheese, the very first ever made in North America (in 1635) Samples @ Les Fromage de l’isle d’Orleans

What to do when you have accumulated 3-6 bunches of carrots?   Make carrot soup with orange juice and zest.  This is a recipe I got from family Chef and it is really clean and healthy.  We stirred in a bunch of dill and a spoonful of sour cream instead of cilantro to garnish.  Have you ever had fresh squeezed carrot, orange, and ginger juice?  OK, next time let’s try this with ginger as an addition.

Carrot Soup Recipe

• 2 lbs carrots, cut into “coins”
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 4 tablespoons butter (or 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil)
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 5 to 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• salt and pepper
• Sour Cream
• Dill or Cilantro

In soup pot, sauté onions in butter til golden, about 15 minutes. Add sherry. Add carrots, cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes or til carrots are very tender. Let soup cool. Puree soup in blender or food processor.* Return soup to pot, add orange juice, orange zest, salt and pepper to taste and reheat. To serve, place in bowl and garnish with sour cream and dill or cilantro.

This is a Bon Appetit recipe from this months magazine.  It is a really healthy dish and makes a nice left over lunch.  The healthy, veggie, yogi types will tell you that this is their type of food!  Look at their bodies, trust them!

CSA Food Box Ingredients Used:

• Kolhrabi
• Spinach

Curried Red Lentil, Kohlrabi, and Couscous Salad Recipe

8 main-course servings

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2010/08/curried_red_lentil_kohlrabi_and_couscous_salad#ixzz0uNyJ6xlQ

This salad recipe is a restaurant recreation based on a salad that I had at Big Sur Bakery and Restaurant in June.  It was awesome!  This is definitely one of my favorite recipes of the summer, so far.  I looked in the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook and realized that the peach and mache salad was based on the Field Greens Salad with Pecans, Croutons, and Ranch Dressing recipe + garlic in the dressing, peaches in the salad, and Feta cheese but no croutons.

Peach, Feta, & Mache Salad with Creamy Garlic (Ranch) Dressing

Serves 10

* You can limit the salad greens you use based on what you have.  I used radicchio, butter lettuce, and mache.

• 2-3  peaches, sliced with skin on
• 2 heads frisee
• 1 head of raddachio, torn into bite sizes
• 1 head butter lettuce
• 2 heads of Beligian endive
• 2 handfuls of mache

• 6 oz. crumbled Feta cheese
• +pecan halves (optional)

Big Sur Bakery Ranch Dressing (+ Garlic)

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise (see instructions below)
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 whole scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced chives
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For dressing combine buttermilk, creme fraiche, and vinegar in a spouted measuring cup.  Put the mayonaise in a bowl, and slowly pour in the buttermilk mixture while whisking vigorously.  Add the shallots, scallions, parsley, and chives, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Let the dressing sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

* I added garlic to this recipe, about 3 cloves minced.  The dressing on the salad at BSB was called a Creamy Garlic Dressing.  The next night I took what was left over of the ranch dressing and added Gorgonzola to it to create a blue cheese style dressing for an apple fennel salad.

Homemade Mayonnaise

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups rice bran oil or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

To make mayonnaise in a food processor, put 1 tablespoon water, the egg yolks, a few drops of lemon juice, and the Dijon Mustard in the processor.  With the processor running, gradually add a few drops of the oil.  Continue adding the oil in a thin stream-you want to do this slowly to ensure that the oil is fully emuslified into the yolks from the get-go.  Once you’ve incorporated about 1 cup of the oil (the mixture should be very thick at this point), add another tablespoon of the water and a few more drops of lemon juice.  Season with the salt and pepper, and continue to slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup oil while the processor is still running on high speed.  Transfer the mayonnaise to a glass jar or plastic container until ready to use.

The mayonnaise will keep for up to 3 days under refrigeration.

It is an interesting game to play, how many ingredients can be incorporated from my CSA food box into one recipe?  Being able to use at least three veggies in a recipe is pretty great, gives you a high … well, almost!

CSA Food Box Ingredients Used:

• Zucchini
• Summer Squash
• Carrots
• Scallions (Green Onions – if you got them in your box)

Zucchini Slaw Two Ways Recipe

Serves 4-6

Recipe from Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes from Foster’s Market

• 2 medium zucchini, ends removed and cut into 2 inch julienne
• 2 yellow summer squash, ends removed and cut into 2 inch julienne
• 2 carrots, ends removed and cut into 2 inch julienne
• 4 scallions, julienned (white & green parts) *see not below about scallions
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Cream Slaw Dressing or Sweet and Tart Slaw Dressing (recipes follow)

• Sea Salt and Black Pepper to Taste

Combine the zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, scallions, bell pepper if using, and parsley in a large bowl as you cut them.  Drizzle the vegetables with the dressing, season with salt and pepper, and toss.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a an airtight container.  With the Creamy Slaw Dressing, this slaw holds up nicely for up to 3 days.  With the Sweet and Tart Slaw Dressing, the slaw should be served shortly after it’s tossed with the dressing.

Scallions Tip: The recipe suggests that you put the scallions in a bowl of water and then refridgerate for 15 minutes.  The scallions will curl up and bring a different shape and texture to the dish.

Note About Julienne Veggies: I used my Cuisinart food processor with julienne the veggies.  The recipe suggests using a julienne peeler (like a vegetable peeler) that has a toothed blade like a mandolin.

Creamy Slaw Dressing

Makes about 3/4 cup

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.  Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Sweet and Tart Slaw Dressing

This dressing is also nice with the addition of poppy seeds.

Makes about 1 cup

• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a jar.  Put the lid on tightly and shake the jar until the sugar dissolves.  Use immediately or refridgerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Saturday & Sunday – July 10 & 11, 2010 •  This weekend, today!  Odori Dancing to still happen tonight, Sunday @ 6pm in SJ Japantown.

The Obon Festival in Japantown, San Jose is run by about four thousand volunteers from the community and the San Jose Buddhist Temple.   The Obon festival is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one’s ancestors.  The volunteers work for days preparing the food such as:

• Beef Teriyaki ($1.50 per kabob)
• Chicken Teriyaki (Large Pieces of Chicken $4)
• Nigiri Sushi ($5-6)
• Vegetable Tempura ($5)
• Bubble Tea ($4)
• Imagawa Yaki (dessert) ($2.50 for 2)
• Manju (dessert)
• Also try: Corn on the Cob, Strawberry Shortcake, Chicken Salad w/ Ramen & Cabbage & Sake or Beer (These have become other festival favorites at Obon SJ.)

What I liked about this festival was that the food was affordable and in-tune with the culture.  We walked around sampling many different tasty bites.  I saw lots of folks stopping by and buying large quantities of chicken teriyaki and beef teriyaki to take home for their families.  The take-out told me that the food is known for being good and that people have made it a tradition to stop by and pick it up each year.  After the lunchtime rush, the lines got shorter and there were plenty of places to sit and enjoy your food both inside and outside.  Out in the sun we saw Taiko drummers perform and we could have even taped down our blanket to save a spot for the Bon Odori dancing that started later in the evening.

Get there early and get a parking spot.  Some lots were $2 for all day.  Otherwise you will drive around for an extended period to find a decent place to park.

More information from past: Yelpers

More San Jose Obon Festival Photographs: Flickr

While staying in Los Feliz at a friends for the 4th of July weekend, we hopped about eating famous chicken and waffles, sipping on gourmet coffee, and nibbling on specialty cheeses.   A real hit was Gaam Restaurant & Lounge in Koreatown, LA.

• Pann’s Restaurant & Coffee Shop- “The Pulp Fiction Diner Scene!”
• Intelligentsia Fresh Roasted Coffee – Venice Coffeebar & Silver Lake Coffeebar, Also Serving Cake Monkey Baked Goods
• The Rose Cafe & Market – Venice
• Gaam Restaurant & Lounge - Koreatown
• The Cheese Store of Silver Lake - Silver Lake
• Little Dom’s - Los Feliz

To Read more about each place  ->

Pann’s received the Los Angeles Conservancy Award for the best example of a “Classic 50’s Coffee Shop” and is the spot where they filmed the diner scene in Pulp Fiction.   The fried chicken and waffles for breakfast is what to order. For a healthy choice try the Greek Omelet.  Easy parking but it is over near Englewood and LAX, towards the west side.

Intelligentsia Coffeebar is the best place to check out LA fashions on real folks, I mean local hipsters.  The coffee is pretty great.  A friend in town from New York commented that her Late was so smooth, the barista’s were really friendly, and it was about the best cup of coffee she had ever had.   I personally appreciate the modern-industrial and clean decor as well as their creative baked goods all by Cake Monkey such as the Blackberry Thyme Muffin and the Bacon Sage Scone.  Check out Cake Monkey for other creative baked good ingredient combination inspirations or even order something to be delivered in LA with a 48 hour notice! They seem to be opening Intelligentsia’s from LA, to Chicago, and NYC and they even won this years Barista world championship.

Rose Cafe is a nice casual spot in Venice with an easy-to-park lot.   Order up fresh salads (3 of your choice for $10) at the counter, sit inside or outside and chat with friends, browse their shop (little cactus and succulent planters in glazed pots), pick up a dessert, or just eat sweets and drink coffee.

Gaam Restaurant & Lounge is a seriously great place to go with friends for a night of fun or a special birthday with a large party.  For new experiences in Koreatown, this is the place.  It can be described as a smoky (yes, they let folks smoke inside at their tables) “warehouse lounge.”  Make a reservation because the tables seem to get booked on weekend nights.   People smoke inside and the music is loud, not a family spot folks!  There is a happy hour until 8:30pm such as 1/2 priced soju (Sour apple, Watermelon, Yogurt, Mango, Peach, Watermelon and complimentary Grape flavored soju) and fresh fruit drinks and appetizers.  What is Soju?  You have to have your ID or they won’t let you upstairs.  Or, if you forgot your ID, tell them that you’re so old that you don’t know if you can even have kids anymore – that seemed to work for us when a fellow thirty-something friend forgot her ID.   Order the sample plate to start off with (Sample plate included: pine nuts, garlic, mushrooms, asparagus, beef slices, shrimp, cheese fish, and bacon wrapped scallops) and the tower of sweet potato shoestring fries at the end!  They are covered in powdered sugar or something.  OK, seriously, when is the last time you payed $20 a piece at a dinner party out with friends including as many drinks and as much food to fill you up as you like?  Just get there by at least 7:45pm to have the first 45 minutes of happy hour.  Tip, check your bill at the end!

The Cheese Store of Silver Lake is next door to Intelligentsia Coffee.  We were so overstuffed after eating out at all of the places above that we needed a clean break.  For a quieter evening of cheese, wine, bread, salami, olives, Marcona almonds, grapes, honeycombs, salad, ummmm…. yea, did I say we weren’t that hungry?  Ask one of the many available cheese purveyors for assistance in choosing some cheeses at the cheese store or take a sampling of your options set out to try in order to make some decisions here.  There were five of us and we each purchased a different cheese and extra side to share.

Little Dom’s is a classic, old school, dark and romantic spot serving up Italian pastas, a Fried Oyster Sandwich w/ Crispy Speck, Arugula, Tomato, & Hot Sauce Mayo, or a Wood Grilled Hamburger w/ Burratta, Speck, & Roasted Tomato Mostarda in Los Feliz.   Dom’s reminded me of a NYC neighborhood spot with just enough classy tradition to treat your parents.  Gaam in Koreatown, not the place to treat your parents, that is the place to treat yourself.  We each ordered almost every pasta on the menu and were tempted by all of the amazing cocktails but just couldn’t pull it off after a weekend of overindulging.  I read that their breakfast pizza was featured on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” TV show.  And somebody even yelled out to us to get the breakfast pizza as they sped by in their car!

• Information about Silver Lake Neighborhood, LA
• Information about Los Feliz, LA
• Information about Koreatown