Seared Chicken Breast on a Roasted Tomatillo and Cherry Tomato Sauce
with a Lemon Cucumber Relish and Wilted Green Chard on Garlic Hummus

That's what we just had for dinner.

Emily, my partner, said she was coming home to make dinner. But I was in the mood to create something new in the kitchen. With this week's Full Circle Farm box having tomatillos and lemon cucumbers, my mind went racing. I have been on a Mediterranean kick lately, so I bridged the sweet flavors of the lemon cucumber, tomatillo, and cherry tomatoes (from the last box) to make this explosive flavorful dinner.
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Seared Chicken Breast on Roasted Tomatillo and Cherry Tomato Sauce
with a Lemon Cucumber and Green Onion Relish

2ea chicken breast, cut in half lengthwise
3ea tomatillo
1/4ea onion, yellow large slices
1ea garlic clove
10-15 cherry tomatoes
3T olive oil
tt S&P

1. Heat oven to 375F. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Put seasoned chicken breast side down and sear until a golden crust appears.
2. Flip chicken breast over and put tomatillos, onion, garlic, and cherry tomatoes around the sides and toss pan to coat all vegetables in oil.
3. Put pan in the oven and roast until chicken is done and the veggies have shriveled and are a small golden color. Depending on the thickness of the breasts, this should take 7-10 minutes.
4. In the meantime, you can make the hummus and relish, and saute the chard.
5. When chicken is done, put the breast on a separate plate. Put all the veggies in a Cuisinart or blender and blend until smooth. (There will be moisture in the pan, use it. It has great flavor).
6. Adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper. A little sprinkle of sugar may be needed to blanket some of the acidity.
7. Pour the sauce on the plate and place the chicken on top.
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Hummus

1can Garbanzo beans
2ea clove garlic
1ea lemon, juiced
1/2c-1c olive oil
tt S&P

1. Place beans, garlic, and lemon juice in blender. Blend on high for 4 or 5 seconds.
2. Open top of the lid to pour oil in while its running. Slowly drizzle it in until you have reached a smooth consistency . You might not need all the oil. Season and put aside.
3. You want the the hummus to be a bit on the garlicky/lemony side because we'll be putting plain sauteed chard on top of it.
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Sauteed Chard

4-5 leaves of Chard, chopped medium size
2T olive oil
tt S&P

1. Heat oil in a saute pan. When oil is hot, add chard and saute until al dente. Season with salt and pepper.
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Lemon Cucumber and Green Onion Relish

1ea Lemon cucumber, small diced
3ea green onion, same size as cukes
2ea basil leaves, minced up
1/2tsp rice wine vinegar
tt S&P

1. Mix everything in a bowl, season and place on top of chicken.
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To plate the dinner: Scoop a spoonful of hummus on the plate and place the chard on top. Put a spoonful of the tomatillo sauce next to the hummus, and the chicken on top of the sauce. Drizzle the relish on top the chicken. My favorite was a little bit of everything in one bite.

This weekend is my 3oth birthday. Celebrating it with food and friends is what's going down. I'll talk to you all after the festivities with stories and recipes. Until then eat, drink, and be merry.

Happy Friday everyone! Today I'm going to concentrate on two veggies from the Full Circle Farms box. The first is baby bok choy and the second is romano beans.

First- the baby bok choy. If you haven't already used it, it's time. The choy (we're on a first name basis), especially baby bok choy, is fun. The presentation of its natural state- small and cute- is cool, but it has a neutral flavor and will take on any flavor you match with it. We're going to grill it.

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Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Garlic Butter

1. Get your grill hot. Discard any discolored leaves, and wash well.
2. Cut the baby bok choy in half and coat with a tiny bit of vegetable oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Place face down on the grill. Leave it for about 2-3 minutes. If, after 2-3 minutes, you see that the leaves are charring, move it away from the hot spot in the center to the cooler sides of the grill. The vegetables have already started to cook with the heat, and we want to be careful to not overcook them.
4. After you achieve some nice grill marks, flip and leave them for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the grill.
5. Melt 1-2 Tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of garlic in a saute pan on the stove.
Let it simmer for a few seconds to bring out the flavor of the garlic.
6. Pour the garlic butter on the grilled bok choy and serve.

For dinner last night, I served the Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Grilled King Salmon drizzled with a Raspberry Beurre Blanc and Steamed Short Grain Rice. Recipe for the Raspberry Beurre Blanc follows.

Raspberry Beurre Blanc (to be served with Grilled King Salmon)

1T veg oil
1/2c Raspberries (Check your backyard. You or your neighbor might have a bush. They are
perfectly ripe now)
1tsp garlic, chopped
1tsp onion, yellow chopped
1/2c white wine or sparkling wine
2T heavy cream
3T butter
tt salt and pepper

1. In a sautee pan, heat the oil on high. When the pan is hot, add the garlic, onion, and the raspberries. Saute for 15-20 seconds.
2. Add the white wine and cream.
3. Reduce the liquids by half. This should take between 3-5 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve over grilled king salmon.

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Now lets play with the Romano Beans. These are cousins of the Haricot Verts and the Green Beans, and are equally delicious steamed, braised, sauted, or roasted. Today we will prepare Braised Romano Beans with Maple Bacon.

Braised Romano Beans with Maple Bacon

As the photos show, cut or pinch off the stem at the end of the bean. Leave the pointy ends on for presentation purposes.

12-14 Romano Beans
2ea Bacon, thick slices chopped
1T onion, chopped
1T garlic, chopped
1/2c chicken stock
tt s&p

1. Heat a saute pan on high on the stove. Put the bacon in the pan and let it render until the fat starts to appear in the pan.
2. Add the garlic and onions.
3. Once you can smell the wonderful aroma, throw in the beans and saute for another minute or so. Turn the heat down to med high.
4. Add the stock and simmer over medium high until the liquid is almost gone. Toss in a teaspoon of butter at the end to coat the beans. Season and serve.

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As a final note, I specialize in Home Interactive Cooking Classes (Also known in the science community as HICC. Just joking.) Perfect for couples or for a group of friends who want to learn how to cook delicious new foods in the comfort of their own home or who just want to have an improptu dinner or appetizer party with a live chef. Email me at akcaterer@gmail.com or call 907.230.7687 . It's a good way to cure those rainy day blues.

Meanwhile....eat, drink, and be merry!

Full Circle Farm came through again with yet another beautiful box. Here are a few quick menu ideas for your freshy fresh....

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Grilled Pork Chops with a Chipotle Peach Relish

2ea Peaches, small dice
1/2ea chipotle, in adobo sauce (can)
1/4c Red Onion, small dice
1/8c garlic, chopped
2T Red Wine Vinegar
1/4c Chicken Stock
tt Salt and Pepper
oil

1. On the stove, heat a small sauce pot on high. Drizzle oil on it until the bottom is coated.
2. When it reaches the smoking point (when smoke appears from the oil), drop in the garlic,
onions, chipotle, and the peaches. Stir frequently and turn the heat down to
medium flame.
3. After a minute or so of stirring, add the liquids and let it simmer down until it is
almost dry. Kill the flame and season. Put spoonfuls on your chops. Mmmmm...

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Yellow Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with a Sherry Vinaigrette on a Bed of Romaine

1ea Yellow Tomato
1ea 3oz Fresh Mozzarella
5ea Basil Leaves, chiffonade (long thin slices)
4ea Romaine Leaves

1. Wedge the tomatoes as little as you can make them. (Remember- presentation is
important!) Start by quartering them.
2. Cut nice thin slices of the mozzarella.
3. Wash and cut the romaine into bite size pieces. Place on a large plate.
4. Layer the tomato and mozzarella together on top of the romaine.
5. Drizzle the vinaigrette from the instructions below on top of the tomato and mozzarella.
Top with the chiffonade of basil.

Vinaigrette:
1/4c Sherry Vinaigrette
1tsp Dijon Mustard
1tsp Garlic, chopped
1tsp Shallot, chopped
1tsp Honey
1/2-3/4c Vegetable oil
tt Salt and Pepper

1. Put all ingredients in blender but the oil. Blend. Drizzle in oil while blending
through the top. Add enough oil until the flavor is perfect. Season
with salt and pepper.

2. Drizzle on top of the tomatoes and mozzarella.

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Roasted Beets and Steamed Carrots with Garlic or Ginger Butter

1ea Beets, large
6ea Carrots, sliced in half length ways
Oil
tt Salt and Pepper
1T Garlic or Ginger, chopped
2T Butter
tt Lemon, zest

1. Put oven at 400f. Cut the beet in half, coat with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place on
sheet pan and roast for half an hour or so.
2. Steam the carrots. If you don't have a steamer, you can make one by placing a grill in a sautee pan and adding a small amount of water to the pan. Bring to boil.
Put cover on top and minutes later (depending on size of carrot) they should be done.
3. When the beet comes out of the oven, let it cool for ten minutes and peel.
4. Melt butter over a low flame with either garlic or ginger. Let it simmer for a few seconds and
kill the heat.
5. Place warm carrots and beets on plate and drizzle the butter on top.

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I'll get back to you all soon with more ideas. But for now, enjoy your box contents, eat, drink, and be merry!

I'm finally back home after the last half of Jack Johnson's tour. It ended wonderfully, and everyone seemed to be pleased with the whole summer's menus. Meeting folks like Ben Stiller, Jimmy Buffet, and Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods), I felt like I was living inside People Magazine. Being able to make menus, get local food from every city, and have a budget where any menu can happen, was a culinary dream come true.

I had a few ideas to end the last couple of dinners with a BANG!!! Having all of Brushfire Records management there, Jack and Kims Family, Pro Surfers, and more, the food and presentation had to be at it's best. Some appetizers were: Sushi/Sashimi, Black Figs with Boursin cheese and prosciutto, Fresh Fava bean spread with Aged Extra Virgin Olive Oil on a baguette, Tuna Tartare on Fried Wonton, and Honey Butter Crostini with Sonoma Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Jelly.
friend of mine in Anchorage wanted a menu idea that would entertain our tongues and bellies, yet have the ability to promote healthy skin and hair. Your skin and hair really enjoy Zinc, Iron, and Vitamins A & B. Liver and Cod Oil are good supplements but there are few people that enjoy a nice helping of Liver and Cod Oil. I've made up a moderately easy menu that should take less than an hour to prepare.

Grilled Flank Steak with a Parsley and Basil oil

Sauteed Rainbow Chard

Roasted Carrot with Ginger puree.

You will need for 2 people:

Steak:
1ea Flank steak
1/4c Parsley
1/4c Basil
3eaGarlic cloves
1T Dijon Mustard
1T Lemon Juice
1/4c White Wine Vinegar
3/4c Canola Oil (any neutral oil will do, safflower, veg, etc)
tt Salt and Pepper

1. Get your grill nice and hot.
2. Season the flank with salt and pepper.
3. Place the flank on the hot grill and start the grilling process.
4. While the flank is on the grill, put all the ingredients but the oil in a blender
and blend.
5. When you have a smooth puree, add the oil and combine. It should have a thick
consistency.
6. Go back to the grill. You should have a nice crust on the side facing down (4-5
minutes).
Flip and grill the other side. After 4-5 minutes it should be medium rare. Take
it off and let sit for 5 minutes to rest. Thin slice it against the grain and
toss in the oil or just drizzle on the flank.

Chard:
1bunch Rainbow Chard
2ea Garlic Cloves, chopped
1/4c Red Onion, diced
2T Apple Cider Vinegar
2T Canola Oil
tt Salt and Pepper

1. Clean and cut the bottom off the stalks of the chard. Cut the chard in thirds,
then in thirds the other direction.
2. Heat a sautee pan on high on your stove top. Add the oil and when you see a
little smoke come from the oil, add the chopped garlic and diced onions. Stir and
when you smell the wonderful aroma, add the chard.
3. Stir for a second or two and then add the vinegar. Let it steam for 15 seconds,
add salt and pepper and enjoy!

Carrots:
8ea Carrots
1T Ginger, chopped
2T Oil
tt Salt and Pepper
1/8c Butter
1/2c Milk

1. When you get the grill going, set the oven at 400F.
2. Cut the carrots in thirds or fourths depending on size. Coat them with oil,
ginger, salt, and Pepper.
3. Roast until they are soft enough to smash.
4. When they come out of the oven, place them in a bowl and proceed like you are
making mashed potatoes. Add the milk a little at a time so you don't make a soupy
mess. Season when you're done.


Today we get another fruitful box from Full Circle Farms. I'll post another menu idea once I receive it. Until next time- Eat, Drink, and Be Merry