After spending some quality time at Cowgirl Creamery in the Ferry Building this past Tuesday, I fell in love with Rogue Creamery’s, Crater Lake Blue. The second I tasted this intense and complex cow’s milk blue, in my mind I immediately paired it with my favorite Creme di Balsamico. Walking through the vendors out front, I noticed my favorite green, Chinese mustard lettuce. This is so different from your typical mustard green. The Chinese lettuce gives a burst of robust mustard as you chew. Then I thought, salad. I bought the greens and perfectly ripe strawberries, then threw this together.

It is almost impossible to ignore the aromas and not stop at Acme Bread when you are in the Ferry Building. On that note, I got a fresh baguette to toast up for crostini. I put a little salad on top, drizzled the balsamic reduction and viola!

In a large bowl, toss the meat with the brown sugar, kosher salt, soy sauce, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, and cracked black pepper. 

Lightly oil a metal rack and put it in a foil covered baking sheet. Lay the meat in a single layer covering the rack. Refrigerate the beef uncovered for 24 hours.

After the meat has been sitting in the fridge, preheat the oven to it’s lowest possible temperature. If your oven does not set to 150 degrees F, keep the oven open ajar while cooking. The meat should dry in the oven between 3 to 5 hours. Mine was ready to go in just over 3, just make sure to check if it’s cooked all the way through. 

The original recipe came from Jam it, Pickle it, Cure it, however I changed quite a bit. The book’s recipe came out WAY too salty and I also changed the sugar and spice ratio.

• 1 pound very lean top sirloin, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 Tbsp Soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 3 tsp cracked black pepper

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp Peanut Oil
• 1 3/4 cup Coconut Milk (13.5 fl.oz can)
• 1 3/4 cup Chicken Stock (Low Sodium)
• 2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Red Curry Paste
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Chili Oil
• 1 Medium Yellow Onion (Chopped)
• 3 Zucchini (Chopped quartered)
• 3-4 cups Brown Button Mushrooms (I use extra)
• 3 Chile Peppers (Sliced in thin circles)
• 1 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (julienned) 
• 2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
• 1 Bunch Thai Basil (roll leaves up and slice thin strips)
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Grated Ginger
• 2 Tbsp Crushed Peanuts (optional)
• Pinch Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• 2 cups of Jasmine Rice
• 3 cups of Water

1. Add peanut oil to saute pan on medium heat.
2. Put onions and garlic in pan and let onions sweat. (About 3-4 minutes)
3. Add chicken stock and coconut milk. Mix together and let heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Mix in red curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar
5. Add red bell peppers and green chile peppers to the curry and let simmer.
6. After 5 minutes add about 5 leaves of thai basil, zucchini and mushrooms.
7. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
8. While the curry is simmering, put 3 cups of water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. 
9. Stir in rice, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is fluffy. (Set aside)
10. Add 3-4 more basil leaves and chili oil, pinch of salt and pepper to taste, continue to let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
11. Fill 4 bowls with curry and place the rice on little dishes and serve together.

Here are some steps and pictures to help take you through the process…

           

Black peppercorn has been my favorite flavor ice cream for a while now.  I was googling different recipes for it and came across Chow.com which had a recipe for pink peppercorn ice cream!  I followed the recipe exactly, with the pink peppercorns not black.  The consistency came out wonderful, it was more of a custard base, but the creaminess paired perfectly with the spiciness and sweetness of the berry. Apparently this recipe comes from Chika Tillman of ChikaLicious Dessert Bar in New York City.  Thank you Chika! Her recipe makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

1. Heat the heavy cream, milk, sugar, and pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
2. Remove from heat and let mixture steep for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl and beat well with a wire whisk.
3. Return the cream mixture to medium heat and bring to a simmer again. Remove from heat. Temper the hot mixture into the eggs by slowly pouring the cream into them in a thin stream, while constantly whisking the eggs with a whisk.
4. Strain the egg-and-cream mixture through a fine-mesh strainer back into the saucepan. Return it to the stove and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the custard base has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon.
5. Cool the custard in an ice bath until it is completely cold.
6. Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place in a covered plastic container and store in the freezer overnight.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium yellow onions
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp light olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
• Salt
• 1/4 Tsp cracked black pepper
• Small wheel of brie cheese

This is by far the best way to start a dinner or cocktail party.  It’s always a hit at my house and goes great with almost any wine and many beers.  It also gets your palate thinking and ready for a flavorful dinner ahead.