how about balsamic wild mushroom ragu' with polenta?

i have written many times about my love of recreating recipes...i adore eating a delicious meal in a restaurant and then trying to make the dish at home. now i never actually request the recipe from the chef...where's the fun in that?...rather i imagine the tastes...textures...flavors and then "make it up". if it turns out excellent...i serve it to family & friends...and then blog about it, of course giving the inspiration credit to the restaurant's chef.

today i want to tell you a bit about bottega, chef michael chiarello's restaurant in yountville here in the napa valley of california. bottega opened last winter but, for unknown reasons, i did not go until a couple of months ago...not sure why except i seem to be spending much more time entertaining at home where i can cook...instead of going out to restaurants. maybe it is because i spent so many years traveling for business. let me tell you something...traveling gets old...especially travelling on business... even very cool hotels and fantastic restaurants can't make up for the fact that you are not home...at least that became my experience. anyway, bottega opened to terrific reviews. i loved michael's first restaurant, tra vigne, when he was chef/owner there....and i am a big fan of his style of italian cooking...so i just had to try his newest restaurant...

first of all, the experience was perfect and the food was amazing. i am not a restaurant critic and rarely write about restaurants...but this was such a perfect evening that i almost decided to write this entire post about bottega. notice i said "almost". here's the deal.... we went to dinner with a couple of good friends. one of them used to work for chef chiarello years ago. he is also a life long napan...knows everyone...so going out with him is always an experience. our friend knew everyone at bottega...the entire wait staff...all the busboys...the cooks...bartenders...you name it...he knew them. so, of course, the service was fantastic... people stopped by our table all night...constantly checking in to ensure we had everything we needed. the food was flawless. now...maybe this is true for everyone...and the restaurant is just that good. but before i actually recommend it to all of you, i think the fair thing to do is go back...with just my husband...and compare the two experiences....if the second time measures up to the first, we really have a winner here...

but...until then....there was one dish that was so amazingly good, i had to try and recreate it at home. it is listed as an appetizer at the restaurant and called "polenta under glass, caramelized wild mushrooms, balsamic game sauce". we ordered a number of dishes to share...this was one of them...and it was love at first sight. dramatic i know, but the dish comes served in a mason jar...and, if you know anything about my company, mason jars are one of my favorite things....i package many of my products in mason jars, so i loved the whole presentation...it was really unexpected. then, the taste....creamy polenta, mushrooms, balsamic....this stuff won rave reviews from all of us....definitely on my list of dishes to recreate...

a couple of weeks later i saw dried porcini mushrooms at a produce stand...and polenta style cornmeal. i always have many types of best quality extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar on hand...so...here goes!

the dish at bottega was really rich...i wanted to lighten it up just a touch....and eliminating the "game" in game sauce seemed like a good place to start. i love mushroom ragu...so i thought ragu with balsamic...and creamy polenta with e.v.o.o. and parmesan...could be really good. you know what? i made it and it was delicious!...made a big platter of my version...which i named balsamic wild mushroom ragu with polenta...served it with grilled steak and a big salad....invited some friends over and they proclaimed it...bloggable!! (the highest compliment you can pay me these days.) so, here it is....please let me know what you think...

balsamic wild mushroom ragu with polenta

8 oz fresh baby bella mushrooms, sliced

3/4 oz pack dried porcini mushrooms

best quality extra virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar di modena

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tsp dried lavender flowers

grey salt

freshly cracked black pepper

best quality extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

best quality aged (min 19 yrs) balsamic vinegar di modena for drizzling (if you can't splurge on this type of balsamic vinegar, no worries...use our recipe for balsamic reduction)

2 small sprigs fresh rosemary

parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated

soft polenta (recipe follows)

place dried mushrooms in a small bowl. cover with 1 cup very hot water and allow to soak for 10 minutes. pour softened mushrooms through cheesecloth lined fine mesh strainer placed over a small bowl, reserving mushroom liquid. rinse mushrooms and rough chop. set aside mushroom liquid for use later in recipe.

add 2 tbsp olive oil to large skillet over med high heat. add the fresh and dried mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are very tender and begin to caramelize...15-20 minutes. add onion and carrot, cook an additional 5 minutes. add garlic, stir well, cook another 5 minutes....mushrooms should be very caramelized..do not let garlic burn. add wine and cook until skillet is almost dry. add balsamic vinegar, reserved mushroom liquid, rosemary and lavender. cook until liquid is thick and reduced by half. taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

to serve: place prepared soft polenta in rimmed serving dish. top with mushroom ragu. generously drizzle with the aged balsamic (or balsamic reduction)...about 1/2 cup total. drizzle with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with a handful of the parmigiano-reggiano. top with the sprigs of rosemary and serve immediately.

soft polenta

6 cups water

1 1/2 cups polenta type cornmeal

2 tbsp best quality extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated

grey salt

bring water to a soft boil in medium saucepan. add 1 tsp. salt. reduce heat to medium and gradually add polenta to pot, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until totally incorporated into the water. continue stirring until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. stir in olive oil and parmigiano reggiano. taste and add additional salt if needed... serve immediately

do you recreate dishes? tell me about your successes...and non-successes in the comments section of this post....and please tell us about any of your new favorite restaurants....

best,

diane

diane padoven

founder/president

napa farmhouse 1885(tm)

"live a green life of style(tm)

to learn about our company...and receive special offers only available to our private list...please sign up to receive our emails...on the form located on the sidebar of this blog...thank you

can "just a salad" really be dinner?

for me, the answer is yes and...especially in summer...this is a frequent solution to the "what's for dinner when it is hot?" question. last night we had a big taco salad...greens, red onions, extra sharp cheddar cheese, organic kidney beans, chopped peppers, sliced black kalamata olives and corn tortilla chips tossed with a balsamic/chipotle vinaigrette. extra tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole...and, of course, freshly juiced lime margaritas completed the meal. easy, delicious, satisfying...perfect for a lazy saturday.

i was thinking this morning about how often salads have been my go-to option when entertaining...and decided to tell you about my new favorite series of salad recipes.

two weeks ago my friend caitlin phoned to discuss our friend richard's birthday which was later that week. richard had told her that...instead of a big "to-do"...he wanted to celebrate with "family". i believe that, if you are very lucky, you will have friends that you care so much about you consider them part of your family...that is the case here so we quickly organized a birthday bash at the farmhouse.... now it was one of those weeks where i literally had something planned each day and night leading up to the birthday dinner...i had no time to plan...barely time to shop...and needed something easy, but still special enough to qualify as a birthday celebration meal. the answer was inspired by the grilled chicken summer salad from the july issue of gourmet magazine. really, this is a bunch of small salads that, served together on a platter, create the most amazing meal...looks beautiful and tastes fantastic. the recipes include a radish-cucumber salad, a chickpea (garbanzo bean) salad, a green bean salad, a tomato salad, a lettuce salad...and grilled chicken & mushrooms tossed in pesto....how good does that sound?

the brilliant touch is that all the salads, with the exception of the chicken, use the same vinaigrette so that the tastes all kind of meld together in a really fantastic way and the individual salads are separated just enough so that you can take what you like...and skip what you don't.

now, regular readers know that it is impossible for me to follow recipes as written...i just have to edit and tweak...but in this case i did stay pretty true to the original...i added another bean salad using cannellini beans and diced marinated peppers for a bit more protein for the vegetarians, roasted the almonds for the green beans in e.v.o.o. and aglio olio peperoncino (organic italian seasoning) to add a bit of spice...actually, i made a big batch of these roasted almonds and served some as part of the appetizers....and i threw in some feta with the tomato salad just because you can never go wrong with cheese!

dinner was really good...i grilled big slabs of bread...rubbed them with garlic and some of the pesto, drizzled with really good e.v.o.o. and served with the salads... for appetizers we had the aforementioned almonds, pecorino cheese, our cocktail biscuits and prosecco. we continued with more prosecco and some wine with dinner. caitlin brought a delicious birthday cake from abc bakery for dessert...perfect with more wine...and then we, of course!, ended with shots of limoncello....what a memorable meal. richard and caitlin were leaving the next morning for a weekend camping trip...so i packed up the leftovers (trust me, this recipe makes a ton of food)...so they would not need to think about cooking. they said the food was even better the next day....

last week for the 4th of july, we invited our friends mary and terry for dinner and fireworks watching. they are both vegans so i decided the same meal with a few revisions would be perfect. i eliminated the chicken and the green bean salad and substituted roasted asparagus, roasted/marinated red peppers, tweaked the garbanzo bean salad by adding organic cherry tomatoes, chopped green onions, basil, lavender & chives....and i used my balsamic vinaigrette instead of gourmet's version. i served the feta on the side for the non-vegans and eliminated the pesto from the grilled bread....an equally delicious meal...and i love the flexibility!

our garbanzo bean salad

2 15 oz cans garbanzo beans (organic if possible)

1 pint organic cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 bunch green onions, chopped with white and green parts separated

1 bunch chives, chopped

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped chiffonade style

1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

1 tsp organic lavender flowers (optional)

1/2 cup balsamic & mustard vinaigrette

add garbanzo beans, tomatoes and white part of green onions to medium bowl...add 1/4 cup vinaigrette and gently stir together all ingredients. allow to marinate a minimum of 1 hour in refrigerator (can be made up to 24 hours in advance). when ready to serve, add all herbs, the green part of the onions and remaining 1/4 cup vinaigrette...stir again and enjoy!

i plan to make versions of this salad all summer...of course tweaking the recipes all the time...how about serving grilled steak salad or barbecued shrimp in place of the chicken...maybe adding a watermelon, spinach and feta salad? or a vinaigrette based potato salad? i will let you know what works...and what does not. in the interim...what are your favorite salads as meals?....let me know in the comments section of this post....and happy summer everyone!

best,

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885(tm)

"live a green life of style"(tm)

to learn about our company...and receive special offers only available to our private list...sign up to receive our emails....located on the sidebar of this blog

help...i am addicted to extra virgin olive oil!!?? part one

this is not a secret to regular readers...i use excellent quality extra virgin olive oil (e.v.o.o) in almost all of my recipes. i talk about it, blog about it, have dozens of bottles in my pantry...use it on everything...even as a face moisturizer...and try to learn everything i can about this liquid gold. happily, the napa valley is emerging as one of the world's top producers so buying local oil is incredibly easy...you just need to know what to look for.

so it was a highlight of my year when i opened my email a few weeks ago to see i had been invited to attend the artisanal olive oil producer, round pond estate's, "fresh olive oil day". the invitation read as follows:

"Beloved by “Fresh Oil Fanatics”, our fresh oil days offer a complete experience as our knowledgeable guides explain both our sustainable approach to olive cultivation and our time-honored olive oil extraction process. In addition, guests will visit the mill and savor samples of our fresh olive oil before making their personal “by the milliliter” selection."

how cool does that sound? of course, this was an event i could not miss... peter and i...along with our good friend mary...met early saturday morning two weeks ago and drove to rutherford (about 15 minutes from downtown napa) to visit the estate. i blog often about the amazing food and wine produced in the napa valley. last year i shared with you the story of another favorite napa olive oil producer, long meadow ranch, in my story popcorn and olive oil?. today, i thought i would share a little bit about the production of olive oil in addition to telling round pond's story.

i have been crazy about olive oil my entire life but... as a kid..."artisanal extra virgin olive oil" was unheard of here in the united states...we just bought the big tin jugs of "olive oil" at the local italian market. i think it was sometime in the 80's that good e.v.o.o. starting appearing in restaurants...and we learned to dip our bread in the stuff instead of using butter. i was instantly hooked and started learning as much as possible about the production of e.v.o.o...what to look for, how to buy, how to store...and i pretty much eliminated butter in everything but the most delicate of my baked goods. later, i had the good fortune of traveling to europe often for business...and started buying italian, spanish, greek and even french e.v.o.o. from tiny local producers and lugging it back on the plane...(pre-911 i hand carried bottles on the plane and checked my luggage)... my business associate friends were buying cool clothing, shoes and handbags from all over europe...i was stocking up on olive oil...i should have known then that fashion was not the career for me!!)

fast forward to living in san francisco and then napa....suddenly, locally gown olive oil started showing up in restaurants and markets...i started meeting producers at farmer's markets and... slowly but surely...i stopped buying foreign oil (that sounds funny out of context) and developed a passion for e.v.o.o from the napa valley.

i get tons of emails from readers with questions about olive oil. i am so not the expert on the technical side...but i thought i would share a bit about what i have learned in today's post...and then add additional information in future stories...

first of all...the basic question...what is extra virgin olive oil?

there are grades of olive oil...the simplest breakdown is extra virgin, virgin, olive oil and pomace...note, this is not a complete listing of the grades of oil...and i am not getting too technical because...why??

i think the main reason most people ask the question is so they will know what to look for when purchasing... fyi, i use extra virgin...and only extra virgin... in everything. some people use lower quality oil in their cooking...i do not. some people say you can't tell the difference once the oil is heated. i can...but make the decision that is right for you.

the definition of extra virgin olive oil is 100% olive oil that meets the following 4 criteria: a) made from mechanical means, b) the acidity level of the oil (oleic acid) is 0.8 percent or less, c) cold pressed, d) taste must be free of defects....and the label should confirm each of these requirements...

for detailed explanations of each of these terms you can check out the international olive oil council's (IOOC) website http://www.internationaloliveoil.org/ or the website the olive oil source . these sites have been incredibly helpful to me as a self proclaimed olive oil nerd...if you don't need the details...just check the label to ensure your oil meets this standard...

how is olive oil made?

it sounds obvious...but olive oil is made from the oil of olives...it is amazing how often i get asked this question...the easy answer is you smash an olive...remove the solids and the "olive water" and what is left is olive oil....the more complicated answer is the "how" of this process.

for years i have read about olive harvests...and the "press" that leads to olive oil. i had this totally romantic vision of making olive oil the way they do in small towns in italy. it takes a lot of olives to make a small quantity of olive oil...so italians having only a small number of olive trees bring their olives to a community press...old stone presses...and a process is created where the olives are all pressed and then you get to take home the amount of oil your olives have created. neighbors and friends gather around waiting for the olive oil to be finished...and they prepare fabulous meals while they wait...and then finish the dishes with some of the freshly made olive oil...what a party...what an experience.

so it was this image i had in mind the first time i experienced an olive press here in napa. it was a couple of years ago and i was lucky enough to participate in the olive harvest for a local, organic farm. i then went to watch the creation of the oil at a small commercial press...oh man! i needed to lose my romantic imagery really fast....have you ever gone on a winery tour? well, the process is similar...all stainless steel equipment behind loads of glass...sterile and clean...but so not the "historic barn, stone wheels, wooden barrels, fire pit grilling fresh bread to taste the oil" of my dreams.

oh well, the process is still interesting...and attending the round pond event allowed me to ask a ton of questions....and.... while there is a lot of steel...they do use stone wheels...and no glass!

so briefly...the process is as follows...the olives are harvested in late fall...timing depends on the type of oil you want to make...and how quickly the olives ripen in a given year. the earlier you harvest, the more green olives you will have...the greener the olives the "bigger" the oil. most olive oil aficionados covet really big "burn the back of your throat" oils. the later in season you harvest, the more black olives will be in the mix...this produces a much softer oil. green olives yield much less oil...which makes early harvest oils much more expensive...but so worth the price.

remember when i told you that one of the characteristics of extra virgin olive oil is an oil with zero defects? to accomplish this, many artisanal producers, including round pond, handpick their olives...which makes the process incredibly labor intensive....the olives fall to the ground which has been covered with tarps. the olives are hand gathered and placed into bins which are rushed to the press.

i started to write about the steps in making e.v.o.o...but round pond does a really terrific job on their site. it will be more accurate to quote them..so here is their process...

"These olives are pressed by variety in either a stone mill or hammer mill. Utilizing two different pressing methods allows us to extract contrasting characteristics so that we are able to create singular oils with unique charm, depth and complexity. Traditional stone mill pressing provides less stress to the skins and pits, thereby exuding a smoother, less pungent oil; whereas, the hammer mill perforates the skins and pits of the olives to produce sharper, more robust flavors.

Once the olives are pressed and kneaded, the paste undergoes a separation process to eliminate any residual water so that the resulting oil is pure and concentrated. The oil is then funneled into stainless steel tanks, under nitrogen, until it can further settle.

After a patient resting period, the art of the blend begins. Trained by Italian mill masters, our skilled team meticulously tastes each oil varietal, passionately testing dozens of blending combinations to achieve a perfect master blend that embodies an ideal balance of fruit, aromatics and warmth. Because the oil is precious – with each tree producing only one gallon of olive oil – we blend in extremely small lots and bottle on demand to ensure the richest, most vibrant flavors possible. "

did you know there are thousands of olive varietals? i didn't until i started researching olive oil. round pond handcrafts two different blends of e.v.o.o., an italian blend and a spanish blend. the italian blend is made from early harvest frantoio, leccino, pendolino, morina and coratina olives. it is a big, peppery oil...nice when drizzling over grilled bread, fresh vegetables, and meats. the later harvest spanish blend...made from mission, manzanillo and sevillano olives is good for mixing with other ingredients...like in a vinaigrette.

both blends are really good...but, i must confess, i am much more of a single varietal girl...i like tasting each oil...and fresh olive days gives me that opportunity because the individual oils are offered for taste...and purchase. i sampled all and...true to form...fell in love with the big one...the leccino. i tasted from a small cup...coughed when i swallowed...and knew this was the one for me...(the other people standing around me laughed...did not believe me that the coughing was a good thing...it really is...and they purchased sevillano). the reason for the tasting...buy what you like...or... do what i do...buy a bunch of different types and use them in different ways...

o.k. i told you this was part 1 of the story of my addiction to extra virgin olive oil...we have just scratched the surface of growing, harvesting and pressing olives. part 2 will cover tasting oils, discovering what you like, where to buy and how to use...fresh, in cooking and in baking. my site is full of recipes using e.v.o.o. and, although i usually include a couple of recipes in each post...today i am going to encourage you to use e.v.o.o. in its purest, simplest form. buy the best quality you can afford and drizzle over grilled/toasted bread...sprinkle with a bit of sea salt..and you are good to go. or try rubbing freshly grilled bread with a garlic clove before the e.v.o.o./salt finish....or rub the bread with the cut side of a fresh tomato..drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt....absolutely delicious....enjoy!

oh...and when we were walking around the round pond estate snapping photos we discovered this old, antique fixture...still not the press of my dreams...but pretty cool nonetheless....

do you love e.v.o.o. too? tell me your favorite way to use it in the comments section of this post...and...until next time....remember our motto...buy the best quality organic or sustainably grown ingredients you can...and don't mess them up with overly complicated techniques...

best,

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

to learn about our company..and receive notice of special offers only available to our private list...sign up to receive our emails...located on the sidebar of this blog...

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are you a mangiafagioli?

i am. mangiafagioli means bean eater in italian. this is how most of italy refers to the tuscans because so many traditional dishes in tuscany use beans as a main ingredient. o.k...i live in napa but...since i am half italian...and eat tons of beans....i think the term applies. and it just sounds cool...say it...mangiafagioli.
sounds good, right?

i told you a few posts ago how much i love cooking with beans in the story fresh or canned?...and provided a few ideas along with the recipe for my baked beans which calls for canned beans. i was wandering through the local farmer's market last week and spied fresh, dried pinto beans in a large bushel basket and dried garbanzo beans in another. i bought a bagful of each. now, i know that "fresh, dried" sounds a bit odd. what i mean is beans that have very recently been picked and dried. if you are used to dried beans from the grocery store, this will rock your world. you never know how old the beans are when you purchase them from large chains. i find that the older the beans are the tougher they are...no matter how long you soak them. freshly dried beans are tender and just taste better. they don't require as much soaking time but... since i use the "soak overnight" method...this doesn't really matter to me....the better taste does.

i find beans incredibly versatile...and add them to soups, stews, rice dishes and pasta all the time. so i soaked and cooked the garbanzo beans...then sautéed onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil, added fresh sage leaves and the garbanzos along with grey salt and freshly cracked pepper...tossed the mixture with pasta and served with shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese....delicious.

i decided to make a big pot of pinto beans last saturday because i could use them in a number of recipes this week and.... because i also had bought cavalo nero which is a black italian kale...i decided to create a beans & greens dish.

i served the beans the first night with a green salad and fresh warm tortillas and grilled a steak for peter. what a terrific dinner. a couple of nights later, i created our version of chili mac...heating up a couple of cups of beans...along with plenty of the bean gravy (the liquid that is created with the beans), added some cooked pasta...i used fusilli...and a couple handfuls of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, stirred until the cheese was melted and sprinkled chopped green onions on top....really, really good. last night, i poached a couple of eggs and served them on top of heated up beans...roasted some potatoes...and had brunch for dinner.

see what i mean by versatile?....and i didn't even count making burritos :)

napa farmhouse 1885 beans and greens

4 cups dried pinto beans

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, chopped

1 bunch cavalo nero, stems trimmed and greens chopped into bite sized pieces (if not available, any swiss chard will work)

extra virgin olive oil

8 cups water

1 cup tomato sauce (i use leftover marinara if i have it)

4 tbsp farmhouse organic rub (or 3 tbsp chili powder and 1 tbsp dried oregano)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp dark chocolate cocoa powder

1 canned chipotle pepper, minced

1 tsp-1 tbsp adobo sauce (to taste...amount depends on how spicy you like your food)

sea salt

freshly cracked black pepper

place dry beans in large pot...cover with water to equal 2 x amount of beans. allow to soak overnight.

next day, drain beans and set aside. sauté onion, garlic, carrot and cavalo nero in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil until onion is translucent. add beans and rest of ingredients except the salt & pepper. bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. when boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for approx. 1 hour. add extra water if necessary. beans should mash easily when pressed with the back of a spoon. add salt and pepper to taste. serve as is...or follow one of the suggestions listed above. beans can be kept in refrigerator for a few days...or frozen for up to three months...

do you have favorite recipes for beans? please share them in the comments section of this post...or just tell me your favorite way to eat/prepare..fresh or canned beans...

have a good week!

best,

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter ....and please sign up for our mailing list on the right hand side of the blog...

do you love fava beans?

i am a huge fava bean fan....and eat them as often as possible during season...i fill bags and bags at the weekly farmers' market and collect numerous recipes to prepare. but...here is my confession...i NEVER follow through with the recipes...i prepare them exactly the same three ways every time...as an easy appetizer served fresh with pecorino cheese and terrific wine or a light lunch/dinner first course mashed into a garlicky delicious puree spread on bruschetta...or tossed in a quick pasta...all three are good, but my favorite is the puree spread on bruschetta...

of course i will provide a recipe...but first i want to discuss the preparation. favas seem to scare off many people...even some "foodies" who love to cook. the process sounds complicated and labor intensive...and, to be honest, there are two steps...but i make the preparation part of the fava bean eating experience...trust me on this...you will enjoy everything from purchase to prep to consuming....

if you have never seen a raw fava bean you should know that they come in pods...kind of like a giant pea pod...and you split the pod to remove the beans the same way you do with peas...the difference is the "interior" of the shell. o.k....you are all going to know just how odd i am when i finish this description..but can't help it....i love this...the interior is made up of this spongy, protective "stuff" (have no idea of the technical term) that cradles and protects the beans. it makes me happy just to shell them...you can't help but feel really close to the farm...even if you live in a major city....and having friends and family participate in the shelling really does become a party.

so the process is as follows....

*split each pod down the center seam (just use a fingernail to get started) and open like a book.

* pop out each bean

at this point the prep depends on the season...mid season, you need to peel each bean...very early in the season you do not...and you can eat them raw...straight from the shell...my mother-in-law, who was 100% italian, shared the tradition of inviting friends over...serving early season favas this way...everyone would shell their own beans...and eat with sea salt, pecorino cheese and wine...the shelling, eating, drinking, talking and laughing makes a terrific party.

a fava popping out of the skin

as i said...after the first couple of weeks of fava season, you need to peel the beans because the skin gets tough and a bit bitter...so the next step after removing the beans from their pods is to

*add the favas to a pot of rapidly boiling water for just a minute (do not overcook)

*remove from pot with a slotted spoon and plunge immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

*when the favas are completely cool, drain and remove the outer skin. this is pretty easy as they will have started to pop out themselves...you just need to give a very light squeeze and they will do the work for you. this is easy...but time consuming...so either plan ahead...or solicit help :)

favas with skin, out of skin and one popping out to show the difference

you are now ready to use your favas in your favorite recipes...they need just a quick saute and they are good to go.

i told you my favorite way to eat favas is pureed into a garlicky spread...easy and delicious...

fava bean spread

3 pounds favas (peeled and skinned following the techniques listed above)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 peeled garlic cloves, smashed

additional extra virgin olive oil

grey salt

freshly cracked black pepper

tiny pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

add favas, 3 tbsp e.v.o.o. and garlic cloves to saute pan...cook until the favas are tender and can be mashed easily when pressed with a spoon (10-15 minutes). stir occasionally during this step and add a bit more of e.v.o.o. if necessary. when favas are cooked, put the entire contents of saute pan...favas, garlic and the olive oil...into a food processor or blender. pulse until you have a chunky paste...i like some texture...but keep going until it is as smooth as you like. add additional olive oil and pulse again. the amount of oil depends on your preference...start with 2 tbsp...add the red pepper flakes...pulse again and season to taste...add additional oil if needed to achieve a smooth, spreadable puree.

serve the fava bean spread with slices of bruschetta and pecorino or parmigiano-reggiano. i spread some puree on a slice of bruschetta, top with a bit of cheese, drizzle additional extra virgin olive oil (best quality is important with this) and sprinkle a bit of grey salt....amazingly good!!

sadly, fava bean season is just about over...i waited way too long to publish this post...so, if you can, get to your farmer's market this week...see if they still have favas..buy them immediately...and try this recipe....you really will thank me..not that you need to...but i would love to hear what you think. also, for fellow fava bean lovers...what are your favorite fava recipes?

have a good week..and happy june!

diane

diane padoven

founder/president

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green live of style"™

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if it's not one thing...oh and a recipe for potato salad?

how's that for a title? but it totally relates to this post. it is friday...the start of the memorial day holiday weekend....and i am frantically cancelling all of our plans. you see...we started a "three week, tops" landscaping remodel 4 weeks ago...stop!...those of you familiar with remodeling projects already know where this story is going...right? we have completed a lot of restoring/remodeling projects since we purchased our farmhouse 6 years ago...and we live by the mantra..."double the time/double the cost" of whatever we are quoted in a contractor's bid....but this time i really thought it was going to be different....and, since i thought i had a week to spare...planned a bunch of get-togethers for the three day weekend...when we purchased our home it came with a pool. surprisingly, because i am originally from southern california, i had never coveted a pool...i was always more of a beach girl...i mean, sure...a wonderful vacation at a posh resort lounging by the pool is one thing...but owning one? was never a goal. but, as i said..the pool was already here and after the first HOT napa summer i quickly appreciated the benefit of jumping in whenever i wanted...and swimming laps beats the gym any day! but the real pool lover in the family is mose, my golden retriever. he pretty much spends the summer sitting on the steps of the pool..and taking a few laps periodically throughout the day...the pool area design was not lovely...and it was always a goal to redo...but the priorities were the inside of the house...and the front and side yards...

mose and allie

fast forward to last summer...the white picket fencing surrounding the pool area was so old and rotted out that the fence started falling down...this is the fence that protects the pool area from the street...and is there for security and privacy. a couple of times when mose would jump on the fence sections actually fell down. we did some quick repairs but knew it would not last another year...so...this year became the "let's redo the pool fence and decking" project.

my husband peter and i collaborate really well regarding home and garden design...and our first set of ideas were presented to the contractor only to receive a bid that was higher than the net worth of some small countries!! o.k., so those plans were scrapped...not in the budget!! but my life keeps proving that problems really do lead to opportunities...because our revised plans ended up being simpler and more beautiful....eco-friendly...and better suited to our not-grand farmhouse.

so we started the project...and the first two weeks went amazingly well...so well that i continued with my plans for this weekend...pretty much a bunch of people coming over every day...swimming, drinking the limoncello, cooking, barbecuing, talking, laughing, dancing....you know, the perfect parties we always imagine hosting...but...delays, delays, delays....some unexpected like finding wood rot in some of the fencing that was staying....some, contractor's error in accurately project scoping...and some our fault because...like many projects...once you see the demo'd space you think of additional items to add. (contractors love this because it equals "materials and labor" costs above the estimate)...and then...once the pool was drained to do the decking, we realized it needed to be replastered....and on and on and on...my twitter friend the food geek (i am not being mean..that is his twitter name) sent me the following tweet when i was complaining about this yesterday "You've just run across Hofstadter's Law. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstadter" ...pretty funny...

now...our "three week project" looks like it will take about 2 months to complete...ha! but i decided to look at all the positives...

1. when it is finished it will be amazing!

2. i am incredibly fortunate to be able to complete a remodel in the first place

3. i am grateful to all the construction workers who are doing a beautiful job..and working really hard.

4. my friend david... the furniture designer for my company...and i are collaborating on a collection of home and garden items...furniture and accessories, crafted from the old white picket fencing...reuse, recycle, repurpose, reimagine!!!

5. because i need to replant a portion of my herb garden, i have the opportunity to experiment with many new herbs...and..since our our bath and body collection is inspired from our farmhouse garden...this gives me an opportunity to expand our product offering while staying authentic to the brand...

o.k...so to ensure this post is not the longest story in history... i have told you many times that being "pithy" is not one of my strengths...i will end the remodel story for now...and provide updates during the balance of construction....but at least now you have the background...and for those of you who have emailed me asking why i haven't been writing much...now you know...even now the sound of the compressor is ringing in my ears...the non-stop buzzing noise it makes drives me batty...but, again i digress...

i decided to experiment with a new potato salad recipe last week (when i was still naive enough to think the holiday parties would occur). i was creating in my mind a recipe that would incorporate the ingredients in a salade niçoise...minus the tuna...and instead become a potato salad. but, in another instance of the "best laid plans" saga, when i was at the farmer's market i pointed at string beans only to find...once i got home...that they bagged up pea pods...so the theme of this post seems to be how problems lead to creative solutions...because i adapted and made an easy breezy potato and peas salad in a honey mustard vinaigrette that we fell in love with...

currently, my entire yard looks like a disaster zone...the pool, deck and back porch...torn up. all the furniture, pots, accessories, construction equipment and supplies are spread out in the side yard and on the front and side porch...the sawdust, concrete and plaster dust seems to permeate the house...no matter how often i dust and sweep...and so the parties have been postponed....keep your fingers crossed that 4th of july can be the new dates....but, until then we have to eat....so potato salad for two?napa farmhouse potato salad

4 medium red skinned potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)

1/2 lb fresh pea pods, washed

3 green onions, chopped

1/4 c diced red onion

18 kalamata olives, pitted

grey salt

freshly cracked black pepper

honey mustard vinaigrette

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp stone ground mustard

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

grey salt

freshly cracked black pepper

cut potatoes into 2 inch pieces. place in a med saucepan add add water to cover by about 2 inches. add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer until fork tender...12-15 minutes....begin checking at 10 minutes and ensure you do not overcook. add pea pods to the potatoes after the first 10-12 minutes...fresh peas only need a minute or two in the simmering water to cook. i like them al dente...not mushy. when the potatoes are done, drain into a colander and set aside. remove the pea pods, shell and add to a large bowl. add the potatoes, green onions, red onions and olives.

make the vinaigrette by adding the vinegar, honey, mustard and olive oil to a mason jar. screw on lid and shake vigorously until thoroughly combined. add salt and pepper to taste.

add a couple of tablespoons of the dressing to the potato salad mixture while the potatoes are still warm and stir gently to combine (you will have extra dressing...delicious on green salads and coleslaw). taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed. you may need to add a bit more dressing because the potatoes will soak up some of the vinaigrette. add enough to ensure the salad is moist...but not so much that it becomes soggy....but , this part is totally your call...

serve warm, room temperature or cold...

hope your holiday weekend is restful, relaxing and a respite from the daily grind...and please take some time to honor those who gave their lives for our country....the true meaning of the holiday...

"...gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime....let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude,--the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan." --General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868

and...if you have a moment...please share your remodeling horror stories...misery loves company...and just to keep the post theme going...your favorite potato salad recipe!

mose as a puppy

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

at long last...the limoncello is finished!!!

so the memorial day holiday weekend begins in 9 days. the weather is supposed to be warm...we have nothing we absolutely have to do...and many of our friends have talked about coming to visit...by now, you know how much i love summer...so i am like a kid waiting for the last day of school. and... guess what?...the limoncello is finished and in the freezer. it just doesn't get better than that.

for first time readers of my blog, here is the limoncello background. i first wrote about my love of this liqueur...and shared my recipe...back in february. my meyer lemon tree gives us tons of fruit each year...and limoncello is one of our favorite ways to use up the bounty. i explained that the recipe requires 80 days of infusing...and invited readers to make a batch with me...kind of a world-wide group lesson. read the first post want some ice cold limoncello this summer? for the complete story and the first step.

the first step involves 40 days of infusing. now, i should say that the recipe is easy...just requires patience...and i was very happy to hear that a large group of people signed up to make the limoncello...some posted in the comments section...many more emailed me to share their recipes...or tweaks to my version. we had a hot debate over using 100 proof vodka (my way) or using everclear...which actually scares me a bit :)... and then, 40 days later, i posted the second set of steps in limoncello, part 2.

limoncello, step 1

the second round of 40 days officially ended last week...and we completed the final steps of straining and bottling...and stashing in the freezer. we ended up with 2 large bottles...and 8 smaller ones...that should last a while...except many of our friends read my blog...and have been not-so-patiently waiting for the limoncello to be finished. why do i have a sneaking suspicion we will have loads of "just happened to be dropping by" visits memorial day weekend? if you know me you know that nothing could make me happier...

limoncello, step 2

so, for all my limoncello making readers...the last set of instructions are as follows...

limoncello, finished product!!

meyer lemon limoncello, part 3

pour limoncello through a cheesecloth covered large pitcher. (if you doubled the recipe like i did, this may require a couple of steps). divide among glass bottles and... because this needs to be stored in the freezer... i use rubber stoppers vs cork...

that's it...for those of you who made the limoncello with me...please let me know what you think of the final result...for first time readers...it is never too late to start...try to find meyer lemons...i think it makes a big difference in the taste...but if they are not available in your area, regular lemons work well also...the hardest part is waiting the 80 days...so start today..and you will have limoncello the first week of august!!!

yeah, summer!!

salute! (cheers! in italian)

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

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do you love asparagus? let's do a recipe roundup

it seems as if i have been eating asparagus non-stop for the past month. i have noticed ...now that i have the opportunity cook almost every day in my "post corporate" life...that seasonal eating just comes naturally. i eat mostly local in-season food and...because once the season is over i have to wait another year...i prepare my favorites over and over again. there appears to be the perfect nature based cut-off...because just as i am starting to get the tiniest bit tired of the fruit or vegetable...the season is over...and it is time for my next favorite!

asparagus is a perfect example. i adore this vegetable and can eat it constantly during the season...then i am perfectly content to wait until the next year because canned or frozen versions are just wrong...and the "flown in from around the world" options just do not taste good...but it is early may...and here in california asparagus are in season...so favorite asparagus recipes...here we come...

asparagus was first planted in california during the 1850's. i like to imagine the original owners of my farmhouse (which was built in 1885) eating the same foods that i enjoy today. did you know that asparagus is a member of the lily family? according to the california asparagus commission, california leads the nation in asparagus production with more than 50,000 metric tons harvested annually.....so we have a lot of asparagus available...and i think i personally put a dent in the 50,000 metric tons statistic...

my favorite way to prepare asparagus is one of the simplest....roasting. roasted asparagus as a side dish is really good...but served on grilled bruschetta, with a wedge of parmigiano-reggiano cheese, a small salad and a glass of wine makes an amazing dinner on a hot day...my trick is salting the asparagus with coarse grey salt prior to roasting in olive oil. something about the crunchy salt, the excellent extra virgin olive oil and perfectly roasted asparagus just rocks...

i also love asparagus with eggs. last year i shared a recipe for poached eggs with asparagus and truffle oil which i make all the time during spring...or pasta with sauteed asparagus, pine nuts, spring onions and garlic..in extra virgin olive oil, white wine and seasonings is out of this world...

i have tried many different versions of asparagus soup throughout the years...but they always called for chicken or vegetable stock. i wanted a really "asparagusy" (totally made up word) soup so this year i developed one which calls for an asparagus stock...this recipe is fast, easy and really good. i named it asparagus, asparagus soup to emphasize the clean asparagus taste...this version is just thickened with a potato..so while it is thick and creamy...no cream...so a really healthy and low cal version...let me know what you think...

roasted asparagus

2 bunches fresh asparagus

extra virgin olive oil

coarse grey salt

preheat oven to 400 degrees. drizzle olive oil over bottom of baking sheet (with sides)...approx 3 tbsp. prepare asparagus by snapping off ends and peeling stalks. roll the asparagus in the oil to coat. sprinkle with grey salt. roast in oven 10-15 minutes (depends on how thick your stalks are) until asparagus has just begun to caramelize. serve immediately.

this soup can be served hot, warm or even cold...so a good versatile choice depending on the unpredictable spring weather...

asparagus, asparagus soup

2 lbs fresh asparagus

6 cups water

2 yellow onions, peeled and diced

2 green onions, diced, green and white parts separated

1 clove garlic peeled and minced

1 russet potato, diced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

sea salt

freshly cracked black pepper

peel the asparagus and snap off the ends. place the asparagus peel and ends, 1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper in a large stockpot and add the water. cook over high heat until water reaches soft boil...boil for 20 minutes. strain asparagus broth into large bowl and discard solids. set aside.

roughly chop the asparagus reserving a few tips for garnish. meanwhile, add approx 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to stockpot and heat over medium flame. add yellow onions, white part of green onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, chopped asparagus and potatoes and saute until onions are just translucent (do not let brown).

pour asparagus broth into very large measuring cup and add water to ensure you have 6 cups. add broth/water mixture to stockpot and bring to soft boil. reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes and asparagus are very soft (20-30 minutes)

at this point you need to puree the soup. you can pour into a blender/food processor to accomplish but i have an aversion to pouring boiling hot liquids into a machine. years ago i bought an immersion blender...one of my favorite tools...and i use this to effortlessly, easily and...safely... puree my soup. i like my soup with a bit of texture so i just puree, but if you want a very smooth soup you can then pour it through a fine sieve into a bowl to strain out the remaining solids. pour back into stockpot and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. serve hot, warm or cold garnished with chopped green onion and asparagus tips.

what are your favorite asparagus recipes? let's do a roundup of terrific ways to prepare asparagus so we can all share...you can either list your recipe here...or link to your blog...please share in the comments section of this post....

happy may!

best,

diane

diane padoven

founder/president

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

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