Hello! Welcome to the middle of August. We are smack-dab in the center of Colorado Proud month, the corn is great, the peaches are ripe, the melons... are delayed a bit.
Word from the fields is that all the hail destroyed part of the harvest. They are still coming but definitely in short supply. We did find some good ones from the western slope although they are small.
We will be featuring these and others this Friday at the Farmer's Market. In addition to melons, corn, and peaches we are featuring Colorado cheese, jellies and jams, cured sausage, wild mushrooms, and our own bottled honey.
New to the market this year are three different house-bottled vinegars. One is a sweet pepper vinegar, another is a wild, crafted pineapple vinegar, and we have one made from our own house-made mead. We will also be featuring our own house-brewed Cider-- Green Summer, which I have to say is pretty darn good.
Thank you to all who attended the Alzheimer's Association Chef's Table last Wednesday. We had so much fun, and quite a bit of money was raised for a really good cause that is very dear to our hearts. This coming Wednesday, we are having a smaller event on the Commons, as we grill Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs and Duck Sliders for residents and staff.
OK. The Soup this week is Tomato and Dill, very simple flavors, very tasty.
The appetizer is Sliced Palisade Peaches with Stratciatella. Now I don't need to explain our peaches, we all know that Colorado peaches are the best, and I have had a request for peaches and cottage cheese recently. I decided these peaches are too good for cottage cheese. Stratciatella is a soft Italian Cheese, composed of shreds of fresh mozzarella in sweet cream. It is the filling for Burrata cheese, and quite delicious. With a fresh peach it is simply out of this world.
Speaking of cheese, we are featuring Laura Chenel Fresh Goat's cheese this week. Now my favorite Colorado goats' cheese is no longer available, but this one comes in pretty close. It's crumbly and sharp, and will go great with the fresh mint agave syrup and fresh French bread.
At Dinner this week we are serving Almond-Crusted Trout with Amaretto Beurre Blanc. Beurre blanc is a fancy name for a white butter sauce, and this one is flavored with sweet nutty amaretto. We are serving it with Haricots Verts (green beans) and brown rice. Try it with the Washington Riesling, you won't be disappointed.
We have Birch Beer and Fresh Thyme-Glazed Pork Ribs this week. Now Birch beer is similar in flavor to root beer, but not quite as sweet and with a hint of mint. We are adding thyme from our garden to make a tangy barbecue-type sauce.
This is served with sweet Olathe corn, and cowboy beans, which is sort of a hearty pinto and beef stew. A good Colorado beer is a winner with this.
Try the Grilled Rosemary and Garlic-Marinated Chicken Quarters this week, with a tangy red pepper and Gouda sauce. We also have roasted Beech Mushrooms and steamed potatoes tossed with parsley and butter.
As a vegetarian option, check out the Grilled Vegetable and Bean Quesadilla. It's served with fresh salsa, and seasoned sour cream.
For a pasta this week, try the Honey-Smoked Salmon Raviolis. These use Honey- Smoked Salmon as a filling and are made by our friends over at Pappardelle Pasta in Denver-- another Colorado brand. This is "hot smoked" salmon, meaning that it is fully cooked in a smoker and not "cold smoked" or cured salmon that we also know as Lox. We are tossing this with dill-infused olive oil, and topping it with more smoked salmon, fresh mozzarella and toasted pine nuts.
For Dinner specials, check out the Calf's Liver (by request), the Bison Burgers, Monkfish en Croute, Orange Roughy, and definitely the Pork Chops with Granny Smith Applesauce.
On Saturday we are celebrating the bounty of our state with a buffet. Featured items include, Bison Meatloaf, Pork Green Chili, Colorado Lamb, Rocky Mountain Oysters (!!!), and others.
For lunch this week, look for the Steak Frites, London Broil, Bratwurst, and Steamed Lobster Tail.
I hope to see you all at Culinary Corner to discuss all this in person and in better detail. See you then!
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