Derby Day Fun!

Even though the Derby was a few weekends ago, with the Preakness coming up this weekend, I decided it would be a great time to get up a post on how my friend Jill and I rang in the (soggy!) 2010 Kentucky Derby.

I volunteer with Jill downtown every weekend, and given that the Derby is on Saturdays when I am working with her, I wanted to bring us down a little treat to commemorate the special occasion. In an effort to not incriminate ourselves for sneaking in some treats, I will not reveal the actual location of my volunteer work, but rather just say that it is in a beautiful and historic building downtown overlooking the water- a vague description for the Newport area! :-) But I digress…

I had given Jill a heads up that I would be bringing us a little something, and what goes better with Derby day than Mint Juleps? Given that I have been bartending on and off for the past seven years in various capacities, I knew a couple of these traditional beauties would be the perfect fit. I love the freshness of the mint coupled with the bite of bourbon and the sweetness of the simple syrup- it really is the perfect Southern drink! Having made Juleps a few times in my day, I employ a couple of tricks (infusing the simple syrup with mint first, a splash of ginger ale to lighten up the bourbon) to make them refreshing and crisp.

I wanted to couple the Juleps with a little snack that has always screamed “spring” to me, so my natural go to was Deviled Eggs. My mother has always makes these for Memorial Day and throughout the summer season, and as the mercury has slowly been creeping up the thermometer in Newport, I thought it would make a great pairing. I deviated a bit from my standard recipe for the eggs to incorporate fresh herbs from my container garden, and they turned out perfectly- not too heavy, with plenty of brightness from the herbs. Using a fork to “whip” the filling helped to create a lighter texture as well.

Although neither of our horses won (her Sidney’s Candy was 17th and my poor Backtalk came in last!) we had a great treat to enjoy while enjoying the Derby preview and watching the boats in Newport harbor wake up from a long winter.

Running of the Roses Mint Juleps

(enough for 2-4 servings, depending on the size of your cup!)

-½ Cup organic sugar
- ½ Cup water
- Medium bunch of fresh mint leaves
- 10 oz. Kentucky bourbon (Jim Beam is my go to fella)
- 2oz. (or so) Ginger ale
-Crushed ice

Combine water and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Heat well until sugar is fully dissolved and mixture reduces slightly. Remove from heat, tear ½ of mint leaves and stir into syrup and pour into a good sized pitcher (or jar with tight fitting lid if taking to another location to watch the race!). Pour in bourbon and ginger ale and stir well (or shake if in jar) to combine and dissolve sugar. Fill small glasses with crushed ice and top off each with half of the remaining mint leaves torn up. Pour julep mix over ice and stir. Garnish with a sprig of mint, sip & enjoy.

Derby Day Deviled Eggs

(proportions are for 3 people)

- 6 Large fresh organic eggs

- 1 ½ - 2 Tblspns chopped fresh herbs (I used a mix of dill, flat leaf parsley and arugula)

-1 Heaping Tblspn finely minced shallot or sweet onion

- 1 ½ Tbspns English cucumber, seeded & diced small

- 2-3 Tblspns mayonnaise

- Sea salt
- Fresh cracked pepper

Place eggs in the bottom of a sauce pan, cover eggs with water and place on stovetop over medium-high heat. When water reaches a boil, turn off heat and set pan aside for 10-12 minutes. While timing, prepare an ice bath in a bowl large enough to hold eggs. Remove eggs from pan and place in ice bath for a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Peel eggs, slice in half lengthwise, remove yolk and place in a small bowl. Combine yolks with all other ingredients & season to taste with salt & pepper. Using a dinner fork (or small whisk if you have one), whip a little air into yolk mixture for lighter consistency. Spoon mixture back into eggs, dust with smoked paprika (optional) and serve or stash in refrigerator until ready to serve.

The Brights of Spring

My husband has been out to sea for the past ten days or so, and as per usual I try to do my best not to have a ton of food in the house since I hate to see anything go to waste! I have been thrilled to see my container garden take off, and have really enjoyed being able to use some of my hand-grown treats in recent dishes. Now that the rain has (finally!) stopped, and the weather is getting warmer, I tend to lean on fresh, lighter meals such as large salads when I’m making dinner for myself. A big salad is easy to make, has endless possibilities and are extremely filling after a good run or workout (another part of my spring afternoon routine). I’ve got a bit longer before my tomatoes start producing, so I’ve been relying on getting my produce from the local market, and  have been lucky enough to find locally grown organic tomatoes at a decent price. My baby arugula pot has come along beautifully, and I love the peppery bite of it in salads. Keeping in the mindset of using what is on hand, I made this fantastic salad out of what was already in my kitchen, and I will surely be making it many times throughout the warmer months. As noted in a previous post, I adore a good poached egg, and I’ve recently seen them paired with cool salads on seasonal restaurant menus. The creamy texture of the yolk makes an ideal dressing, and the play of warm and cool elements really satisfy. A great salad is a perfect way of combining color, texture, and flavor simply and quickly enough for any weeknight dinner or casual lunch.


Herbed Green Salad with Poached Eggs and Crispy Turkey “Lardons”

Per Person:

-1-2 Large fresh eggs
-1 ½ Cups fresh salad greens (I used a mix of baby spinach & arugula)
- ¼ Cup fresh herbs, chopped (flat leaf parsley, dill, cilantro, etc.)
- ½ Cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ Cup sweet Vidalia onion, sliced thinly
- 2 Slices turkey bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
- 5 Kalamata olives, quartered (optional)
- 1-2 Tblspns toasted pine nuts (optional)
- Sea salt & fresh cracked pepper

Heat skillet over medium high heat and cook turkey bacon until crisp, about 12 minutes, and drain on paper towels. Toss greens, herbs, tomatoes, onion, olives and pine nuts together. Poach eggs (refer to my recommended instructions in previous post, A Little Comfort) and nestle eggs on top of salad. Top with cooked turkey bacon and season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve & enjoy immediately for best texture- goes great with a glass of crisp white wine!

Lazy Sunday Mornings...

This breakfast dish has become an absolute staple in our house and has evolved over the past few years. I’m not sure it’s exact origins, but more than likely it was born out of necessity (living with two very hungry men) and availability of product in the house on any given Sunday morning. My family has a long standing tradition of great bread puddings and I am pleased to offer up my own evolution of a dish that is commonly served as a desert. My grandmother used to make the desert variety in sheet pans for her 11-yes, you read that correctly- children, and is now a staple at our family’s restaurant in Bangor. I brought this to a “Nestie” get together back home in Maine (with some fabulous ladies and awesome homemade treats!) over the holiday, and it seemed to go over well and traveled easily to boot.
I made this on Valentine’s Day morning (we’re not big celebrators of the day, but it did happen to fall on a Sunday this year), and it didn’t fail to satisfy. The making of the pudding actually had less to do with the holiday and more with the abundance of leftover bread from the aforementioned snow day, which worked out beautifully in the final product. It is yet another fantastic way to use up any odds & ends from the week and not feel like you’re skimping on your Sunday brunch with a very wallet friendly dish that it totally suitable for company. It’s also great as a “breakfast for dinner” dish, and reheats well. Any combination of breakfast meat (be it the real McCoy or the veggie variety), veggies and cheese work fabulously in this, so don’t feel confined to this combination, it just happens to be my favorite…

Breakfast Bread Pudding
-½ lb. Bulk breakfast sausage, or links broken up
-3 Cloves garlic, minced finely
- ½ Large sweet onion, sliced thinly
-6-7 Crimini mushrooms, sliced
-7-8 Large fresh eggs
-3 Tbspns ricotta cheese
-2 Tbspns milk
-¼ lb. Smoked Gouda, cubed
-¾- 1 loaf old bread, torn into pieces (I used a combo of white milk bread & herb and garlic rolls, so there was no need to add in extra herbs, bonus!)
- Fresh herbs (flat leaf parsley, dill, thyme, etc), optional
-Couple of tablespoons of olive oil
-Fresh cracked pepper & sea salt

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a good sized oven proof Dutch oven or baking dish over medium heat with a little olive oil and brown sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon into smaller pieces. Add in onions and sauté until slightly softened. Add in garlic and mushrooms & let cook for additional 4-5 minutes until softened and remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk and ricotta cheese with salt & pepper (season to your taste preference) and any herbs used. Add torn bread pieces and cubed cheese to sausage and vegetable mix in Dutch oven and toss to combine. Pour egg/ricotta mixture over all ingredients in pan and stir to coat all bread, pressing down lightly to ensure all of egg mixture is soaked up. Place bread pudding in oven for 35-40 minutes on until eggs are set (may vary depending on oven model- if top browns before eggs are set, cover with a round of tin foil to avoid burning). Serve with a side of breakfast potatoes, Cuban style French press coffee, bloody marys and pajamas.

A Little Comfort

Food for me is always more enjoyable when it has a touch of whimsy to it. A meal that brings a smile to your face, or evokes a warm memory always seems to taste better. I still find it amazing that a seemingly simple food can make you so happy. Recently, my obsession in this genre has been poached eggs. Something about softly poached eggs evokes the feeling of lazy Sundays and brunches with friends, a feeling that is always more than welcome. My husband and I made poached eggs yesterday, and he has certainly jumped on the bandwagon. He had only ever really had poached eggs while out in restaurants and was amazed at the difference it makes when they are done at home. The velvety texture of the yolk begs for toast points, and if done well, I think hollandaise or any other sauce is really unnecessary (not that I don't love hollandaise!). I guess this would be considered more of a technique discussion rather than a recipe, as it's a pretty standard procedure to poach an egg, but it's still worth noting. I usually have about 3-4 inches of water in a shallow sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (I like the flavor it adds to the final egg, in addition to helping the egg remain "together"). Bring this to a boil and turn down heat so the water is just at a simmer. Crack you eggs (the fresher the better!) into a small ramekin or teacup and slide into the water bath one at a time. For me, I usually cook my eggs for about 4 minutes each, as this insures that your whites are set, and the yolk will take on a lovely creamy texture. Remove with a slotted spoon, and enjoy with your favorite additions. Personally I'm a fan of the aforementioned toast points, sauteed asparagus or spinach or as pictured above with a pea, cauliflower and parmesan mash. Poached eggs- they're not just for Benedict anymore!