Star Fine Foods Dinner ---Get Your Entry In!

Mmm, olives..."olive" them! Stuffed with pimentos, pickled garlic, bleu cheese- I seriously just can't get enough of them. I also won't go into how much olive oil we go through in the kitchen at my house. It'd blow your mind. Needless to say, we keep those olive farmers busy! Anyhow, next Thursday (September 8th) myself and several other local Sacramento food bloggers get the pleasure of attending a special tasting dinner at the Greek Village Inn showcasing Star Fine Food's newest olive oil.

Interested in winning a place at the dinner table for two on September 8th? Leave a comment below naming a Star Fine foods product you currently have in your kitchen or one you would like to purchase. Also, please include a way to reach you. A winner will be announced Monday, September 5th. (This contest is being run by a few blogs, so odds are dependent on the final number of entries from all blogs.)

~MENU~

Appetizers

Grilled Artichoke, rubbed with Star Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil,

served with Star Capers and Lemon Thyme Remoulade

Spicy Imported Dodonis Greek Feta dip with Star Garlic Extra

Virgin Olive Oil served with grilled Pita Bread

Imported Kefalograviera Cheese Saganaki sauteed in Star California Extra
Olive Oil, flambeed table side

Salad

Traditional Horiatiki Salata with Heirloom Tomatoes and Imported

Dodonis Feta Cheese, Kalamata Olives tossed with Star California Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Main

New Zealand Roasted Lamb Shank basted with Star California Extra Virgin

Olive Oil and Roasted Lemon Potatoes

Dessert

Grilled Fresh Fruit, marinated in Star California Extra Virgin Olive Oil

and Brandy, served in a Meringue Cup

Daytrip: Locke, CA

Mr. S. and I woke up Saturday morning and it was such a beautiful sunshiny day that we decided to take a leisurely drive down to the Delta and explore the small town of Locke. I've heard about Locke often from several of my history buff friends but have never actually been there. [Located near Walnut Grove, it was founded in 1915 and considered unique because it's the only town in the US built exclusively by the Chinese for the Chinese.] We had a nice time poking our noses in the small gambling halls, school houses and various shops. The kitchen in one of the museums caught my eye with the big wood burning pit stoves to accommodate the multiple woks and also the farmhouse style sinks for cleaning up after large groups. I wonder what kind of meals were served back then?

Anyhow, we had such a lovely time on our drive that we decided that we should do some more day trips. If you have any suggestions of places to check out, I'd love to hear them. :)

Upcoming Food Events

(print by PragyaK)

August 26th- Sacramento Wine & Dine  

http://www.jlsac.org/?nd=winedine

August 27th- Davis Farm to School's Village Feast

http://www.davisfarmtoschool.org/index.php/events/

September 11th, Sac Chefs Forum Dinner

http://www.sacchefsforum.com/

Sept 15-18, Lodi Grape Festival

http://www.grapefestival.com/LodiGrapeFestival/

Sept 17, Fair Oaks Chicken Festival

http://fairoakspark.org/events/chicken-festival/

September 29th, Southern Foodways

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/195414

Finger Food For Your Next Fiesta : Mexican Wontons

Need a tasty vegetarian appetizer for an upcoming party or potluck? Look no further! Mexican Wontons to the rescue! This weekend I had some pull double duty for me. Saturday afternoon, I made one batch of the filling then refrigerated half of it. I then whipped up a batch of wontons for a fun filled ladies night I was attending on Saturday night and then another platter for a double-birthday party/get-together on Sunday evening. They're easy to put together, healthy (baked, not fried) and the ingredients aren't expensive.

[*Note try and pop them in the oven right before you plan to serve them, if they sit around too long and get cold they get kind of gummy.]

Mexican Wontons (from Leslie Sarna)

Ingredients

1 package of wonton wrappers

8 oz. black beans, rinsed

8 oz. can or 1 ear corn, cooked and zipped

1 tomato, diced and de-seeded

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

a handful of cilantro, chopped

a handful Mexican blend cheese, shredded

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt


Instructions

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

- Mix all the ingredients (minus the wrappers) in a bowl.

- Place a small amount of mixture on the center of a wrapper. Wet your finger in water and run it along one corner of the wrapper. Fold the corner to the other and press down forming a triangle shape. Pull the two opposite corners together and seal with water. Place on a greased cookie sheet and repeat till the sheet is full.

- Spray the top of the finished wontons with cooking spray and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until they are golden.

- Serve warm with your favorite salsa or dip.

Winner! Winner!

The winner of the 1st ever Girl and Her Fork Giveaway is (drumroll, please...)---Chantel Marie Elder! How exciting! Congrats & I hope you love your Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving! Happy canning! :)

Quelling the Crave : Mexican Corn

The other day someone had asked about corn recipes and I got all excited and suggested, "Mexican Corn," well after that Mexican Corn was stuck in my head and I began craving the sweet fresh kernels of local summer corn. When I ran the idea of making it by Mr. S. I got that arched eyebrow look that he gives me when he's not happy with an idea, turns out he's not a fan of eating corn off the cob like I am---too messy. I know, I know... let's not even start on that topic. But the craving was already in place, eating away at my food soul, so I decided to go with the less tradition "Mexican Corn off the cob" to appease Mr.I-Don't-Like-To-Get-Corn-In-My-Teeth. Nonetheless, corn on the cob, off the cob---it was delish!

Mexican Corn (adapted from Homesick Texan)

Ingredients:

5 cobs of corn

2-3 tablespoons of butter

4 tablespoons of mayonnaise

6 lime wedges

3/4 cup of cotija cheese, crumbled

Cayenne to taste


Ingredients

- In an oven heated at 350, cook corn in husk for 25 minutes.

- After taking corn out of oven, let it cool for 5 minutes, and then pull husk layers off.

-To cut the kernels off a corn cob, put the flat stem end in a bowl and run a sharp chef's knife down the length of the ear using a sawing motion into a bowl.

- Add butter, mayo, cayenne, lime, and cotija cheese to warm corn kernels and mix together. Ingredients should melt into corn.

- Serve while still warm.

"I Can't Believe I Ate The Whole Thing" Noodles in Peanut Sauce Salad

I'll be honest I'm not big on leftovers. They don't excite me. I like to eat a meal when it's fresh, then maybe I can eat it one more time the next day for lunch...after that you've usually lost me and it'll sit in the back of my fridge slowly turning into green sludge, growing a white furry coat, or fermenting (which is why I love cooking for others, no leftovers). But there was no back fridge chemistry going on with this recipe, I made it as a side dish last night and I also ate it for lunch and dinner today (it was that delish!). I ate it until I ran out of it. Additionally, Mr. S. took some to work for lunch today. It's from one of my fav cookbooks, a quirky read called, "In the Small Kitchen" by Eisenpress and Lapine. The peanut sauce is probably one of the best ones I've ever had. I think next time I might make a double batch and set some aside for satays.

Helpful hint: The sauce, in my opinion, tastes better at room temp so when you pull your leftovers out of the fridge let them sit a bit and "warm up" a smidge, the flavors will come out more.

"I Can't Believe I Ate The Whole Thing" Noodles in Peanut Sauce Salad (from In the Small Kitchen)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon diced peeled fresh ginger

1 clove, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon chili paste

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

3/4 lb. spaghetti noodles or fresh udon noodles

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 bunch scallions (green parts only), chopped

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded & julienned

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted


Instructions

- Pulse the ginger, garlic and sugar in a food processor or blender until the mixture resembles a paste.

- Add the chili paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Process until smooth.

- Add 1/3 cup of water, and pulse to combine.

- Taste, and add the salt if needed. Set the sauce aside for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.

- Bring a large part of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles, following the package directions. Then drain, rinse with cold water until chilled and toss with the vegetable oil.

- In a large mixing bowl, toss the noodles with the peanut sauce. Serve in individual portions, topped with scallion, cucumber and toasted sesame seeds.