Traditional Jamaican Sorrel (Hibiscus) Drink

Jul 16, 2022

Photo Credit: Unsplash

This dish spotlights hibiscus, strawberries and ginger, and was demonstrated by Chef Chantoll Williams, owner of Rasta Mama’s Kitchen in Vacaville, at the Spring 2022 Bounty of the County.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh sorrel (hibiscus) or equivalent dried
5 oz. fresh ginger, thinly sliced
10 whole pimento (allspice) berries
1 cinnamon stick or 3 cinnamon leaves
5 large strawberries, sliced
Optional: 1 cup white rum
About 1 ½ cups sugar (sweetened to taste)
6 cups water

Thoroughly wash the hibiscus and pour the water away.

Place the washed hibiscus in a stainless steel pot along with the ginger, strawberries, pimento berries, cinnamon and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5-10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Leave the mixture to steep overnight or for at least 12 hours.

Strain well and add fresh strawberry slices. Add optional rum. Sweeten to taste with sugar, and enjoy!

Serves 4-6.

Download a printable version of the recipe here.

Melon & Cucumber Salad with Fresh Mint & Crispy Prosciutto

Jul 16, 2022

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This dish spotlights seasonal melons, cucumber and zucchini, and was demonstrated by Chef Lisa Núñez-Hancock of UR What U Eat at the Spring 2022 Bounty of the County.

Ingredients:

1 small ripe cantaloupe melon
1 small ripe honeydew melon
1 small cucumber
1 small zucchini
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup mint leaves
¼ cup basil leaves
5 oz package Proscuitto
2 t. lemon juice
2 t. honey
1 t. Balsamic vinegar
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste

To make the crispy prosciutto bits, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place slices of prosciutto on baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes until a shade darker and crispy. Let cool then break into bits. Set aside.

To toast the pine nuts, reduce oven temperature to 350. Spread pine nuts out on a dry sheet pan and toast in the oven for about 5-7 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn. Or, toast pine nuts in a skillet on the stovetop until golden brown (stir very frequently over medium-low heat).

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together lemon juice, honey, balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Use a melon baller to create 1 ½ cups of cantaloupe balls and 1 cup of honeydew melon balls. With a vegetable peeler, create ribbons of cucumber cutting it lengthwise into long strips. Do the same with the zucchini. If desired, you can grill the zucchini ribbons by drizzling with more olive oil and sprinkling with a little salt and pepper. Wash and chop basil and mint leaves.

Assemble salad by placing cucumber and zucchini ribbons on a plate and drizzling with some vinaigrette. Scatter melon balls on top, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little more vinaigrette.

Scatter prosciutto bits and toasted pine nuts, and top with fresh basil and mint leaves. (This is a wonderful summer salad that goes well with a dry Prosecco or sparkling rosé.)

Serves 4.

Download a printable version of the recipe here.

Green Bean Caesar Salad with Parmesan & Garlic Croutons

Jul 16, 2022

Photo Credit: Unsplash

This dish spotlights green beans, garlic and olive oil, and was demonstrated by SuSol’s Chef Stephanie Oelsligle Jordan at the Spring 2022 Bounty of the County.

Ingredients:

Salad:
1 ½ lbs. green beans
2 oz. Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 oz. baguette, cut into ½-inch pieces
Lockewood Acres garlic salt
2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Dressing:
1 ½ T. lemon juice
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. Dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 anchovy fillets, minced (or about 1 ½ t. anchovy paste)
Salt & pepper
3 T. extra virgin olive oil

Line a baking sheet with a clean dish towel. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add green beans and 1 ½ t. salt, return to a boil and cook until tender, 5-7 minutes. Drain green beans in a colander and spread out on the towel. Let beans cool completely.

For the dressing: whisk lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard, garlic, anchovies, ½ t. pepper and ¼ t. salt in a bowl until combined. Slowly whisk in the 3 T. olive oil until emulsified; set aside.

For the croutons: toss bread cubes, 2 T. olive oil, a little pepper and the garlic salt in a large bowl until bread is coated with oil. Transfer to a sheet pan and roast in a 375 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

Toss together the green beans, dressing, croutons and half of the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Download a printable version of the recipe here.

Crostini with Slow-Roasted Tomato ‘Jam’ and Goat/Vegan Cheese

Jul 16, 2022

Photo Credit: Unsplash

This dish spotlights tomatoes, basil and garlic, and was demonstrated by SuSol’s Lauren Gucik at the Spring 2022 Bounty of the County.

Ingredients:

3 pints cherry tomatoes, or equivalent large tomatoes, chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup (packed) basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
About ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the crostini
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large baguette, sliced thin crosswise
4 oz. goat cheese or other vegan cheese (try Miyoko’s smoked mozzarella!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a roasting pan (or casserole pan) with parchment or foil.

Place tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper into the pan, and mix to coat tomatoes with the oil. Roast in the oven until tomatoes are starting to darken and the juices are nearly evaporated, about 45-60 minutes. Set aside.

For the crostini, lay the bread slices out in an even layer on a sheet pan, brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes.

To assemble, spread some of the tomato “jam” on the crostini and top with a bit of cheese. Garnish with a thin slice of fresh basil. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy!

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer.

Download a printable version of the recipe here.

Vegan Corn Salad with Barley, Tomatoes & Basil Vinaigrette

Jul 16, 2022

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This dish spotlights sweet corn, basil, tomatoes and spring onions and was demonstrated by Chef Veronica Bearce of Veronica’s Veggies at the Spring 2022 Bounty of the County.

Ingredients:

Salad:
2 ½ cups water
1 ¼ cups pearl barley
5 medium ears corn, husks and silk removed
1 small bunch basil (about ½ cup total, chopped)
2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks (or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced)
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Vinaigrette:
¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar*
1 t. salt
¼ t. black pepper
¼ cup olive oil

In 2-quart saucepan, heat water to boiling over high heat. Stir in barley and return to a boil. Reduce
heat to low; cover and simmer 30-35 minutes or until barley is tender.

Meanwhile, cook corn. Option 1: cut kernels from cobs and sauté in a skillet with a little olive oil until
tender (you may need to add a few Tablespoons of water to prevent sticking and keep it moist.) Option 2: microwave corn cobs on high for 4-5 minutes, turning and rearranging corn halfway through. Cool slightly until easy to handle then cut kernels from cobs.

Chop enough basil to equal 1/3 cup; reserve remaining basil for garnish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, pepper and oil. Stir in corn, warm barley, tomatoes,
green onions and chopped basil until combined. If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate.

Garnish with additional basil and serve.

Chef’s note: If using unseasoned rice vinegar, add a few drops of honey to the vinaigrette.

Makes about 10 cups.

Download a printable version of the recipe here.