Sick of Your Cherries Sitting in the Back of the 'Fridge? Of Course You Are

Old cherries make great leftovers: who knew? But leftover what, for goodness sakes?

Rainier cherries make a terrific bruschetta topping–yeah, I wondered what the hell I was reading as well. I’d opened the door to the ‘fridge and saw desiccated cherries that had cost me $3.99 a pound, and thought, I can’t throw these out. Cherry flesh gets dry, but wow, like some crazy tofu fruit, they absorb flavor & burst with life easily with marinating.

I was full of pride as I tucked the results in the ‘fridge so I could reheat the next day. I’d walked into the kitchen this morning and told Curvymama so. She said you gotta photograph that and blog it. So, without further ado…

It turns out that I have been trapped in front of the television watching the Olympics trying to eat my way through the ‘fridge because I’m off to Montreal for a 40th birthday party. The Olympics completely shut me down for two weeks of incredible sport, and my eating tends to get elaborate, because between commercials, I begin reviewing every detail in my larder.

I had some old red spring onions, a little sharp and sticky garlic that was kicking with heat, Meyer lemons from my sister’s tree, and a little of the great American California-based Stonehouse Olive Oil. Well, the stunning result is this cornucopia of subtle flavor. None of the cherry sweetness came out. The purple basil and the other “Italian” flavors make the cherries more pliable.

Purple Basil has its Uses

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There was nuance and fragrance and a simple, delicious eating experience. With some slices of fleshy, pulpy mozzarella, you will completely shock your guests.

This recipe is definitely one of those, “Can you guess what this is made out of” dishes that will get everyone talking.

Cherry Bruschetta

Ingredients

Sliced (1/2″ thick) small baguette-style bread

1 T olive oil, divided

1 1/2 c pitted Northwest fresh sweet cherries, coarsely chopped

2 T finely chopped baby red spring onions

2 T Meyer Lemon juice

1 t grated Meyer Lemon peel

1 t garlic, minced

1/4 t ground black pepper

1/2 t finely ground salt

2 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese

1 T thinly sliced fresh purple basil

Instructions

Drizzle slices with olive oil. Toast one side of baguette slices in your bog-standard, home toaster over to the brown color you most prefer. Combine cherries, pepper, baby red spring onions, lemon juice and peel, salt, and remaining olive oil; mix well.

OK, yes, Pinot Gris Goes Nicely With Them

Top each slice of baguette with a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese or just plate with mozzarella on the sides. Take a heaping tablespoon of cherry mixture and sliced basil and toast for another few moments until warmed through.

It will not matter that the mixture stays overnight in the ‘fridge. It will reheat beautifully the next evening. In fact, I’d argue that all the flavors combine nicely after a night of melding.

Enjoy this peculiar find with gusto!

Gnarly Dudes

2009 Shiraz, Two Hands

Two Hands is becoming “a thing” with me. Back in earlier March I raved about the smokey, cherry taste of TWO HANDS ARES. But with the arrival of the latest series from Mad Men, a fine bottle seemed in order.

2009 Two Hands

Gnarly Dudes

Shiraz, $39.99

93 WS, 14.8%

So, Cynthia broke out a Christmas present given by her sister. The sun was setting in her immaculate garden of wandering vegetation that feels like a true English garden. Her patch sits on the edge of the Four Mile Run park in Arlington County. What a beauty…

…like the wine. The aroma slams you in the schnauz (um…is that how you spell it?). It’s an olafactory sensation full of berries and dirt. I loved how potent the experience was and how completely engrossing. We couldn’t put it down. Frank, Cynthia, and I polished this off with a cheese trio of morbier,

Morbier Cheese

a Trader Joe’s brie which we were all quite impressed with, and then with a Tomme that neither wowwed nor stuck in the mind. But the wine soared. The ashey edge of the morbier that bisects the wheel blends with the odorific nature of this beastly white French cheese and makes it a perfect pair with this powerful red.

Full bodied, yet easy enough to drive as an appetizer driver, Two Hands won us over hands down. The Wine Specatator review made me salivate today, as I reflected on last night’s sipping:

“Glass-staining purple. Rich blackberry and blueberry compote, mocha and licorice on the nose, along with a hint of dried violet. Fleshy and large-scaled but with surprising vivacity to the flavors of dark berries, mocha and floral pastilles. A lush, textbook Australian shiraz that finishes long and juicy, with echoing florality…”

I will now share with you the whole story: we ate the cheese and this expensive wine with Triscuits.

Oh yes, That's Right: Triscuits!

Cynthia had the crappy water crackers from Whole Foods there too, but we completely devoured the Triscuits.

In the end, in spite of their strong flavor, these crackers are woven wheat, salt and oil. There were no preservatives or sugars, so they’re a fairly healthy bite. And the salt really works perfectly with the blander Tomme and the savoury red.

Tell no one, it’ll be our little secret.

- See more at: http://www.alunchboxblog.com/wine-post/?preview=true&preview_id=2796&preview_nonce=102a1350e4#sthash.cQAv9LGp.dpuf

Icelandic Lamb

Icelandic Lamb Like None Other in the World!

MATTHEW0 COMMENTSFROM THE LUNCH BOX, REVOLUTION

Apr 09

 2 0 0 68

Hay Smoked Icelandic Lamb

“Icelanic Lamb, the way that it’s raised, is like none other in the world,” says Blair Gordon of Whole Foods.

Why should you care? Because many, many folks here in the states kinda don’t really like lamb as an entrée, and they are seriously missing out. It’s time to break that cycle of misgivings and think “Spring lamb”–it’s not just for middle easterners anymore!

I’m a passionate aficianado of Icelandic lamb. There is really no comparison to New Zealand or Colorado lamb, which is often gamey and/or just dull. I find Colorado lamb mostly miserable. But this Icelandic stuff…mine sat in the freezer for six months before I pulled it out for today’s lunch and voila! Magic on a plate in April.

The Dazzle of Spring Color

That’s something Colorado and New Zealand cannot provide. Pity, really, since I have adored lamb since I was a child watching my mother sprinkle LAWRY’S GARLIC SALT on GEORGE ZLAKET’Slamb after a long shop in his butcher shop on weekends. I can still remember the look of those red/pink loin chops slipping under the broiler on mom’s oven-standard slotted pan and watching her watch the chops.

Sniiiiifffff! Heaven-Scent!

Inevitably, and such was the time, she cooked them to medium well, but every once in a while, they were taken out and were still pink inside. Snifffffff! that salty, garlicky, heaven-scent lamb (Pardon the pun!)

At any rate, now you are all grown up, and you can even eat your lamb rare. There is no equal to this Nordic treat. Be in touch with your local Whole Foods butcher, and find out when the first shipment for 2012 arrives. You need to be there and find out why Icelandic lamb matters.

Lamb: It's What's for Lunch

At the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CULINARY PROFESSIONALS Conference in New York City last week, Icelandic lamb had a stunning presentation when Reykjavik-based chef/entrepreneur of Dill Restaurant Gunnar Karl Gíslason showed off his flair with local lamb:

By Meryle Evans excerpted from FOODARTS.COM:

“With hay ablaze and rye bread crumbs sizzling in bright yellow butter, Gunnar Karl Gíslason, executive chef/co-owner of Dill Restaurant in Reykjavik, Iceland, brought a taste of his country’s version of the New Nordic Cuisine to attendees at the IACP conference in New York City last weekend. “There is no foie gras, only Nordic ingredients on our menu,” Gíslason explained, speaking of his dedication to supporting local products…

“A pioneer in the movement to preserve older methods of food production and forage the land even before Noma became famous, Gíslason bravely opened Dill in 2009 in the midst of Iceland’s economic meltdown…Gíslason prepared…lamb two ways: braised, and smoked with hay, accompanied by pickled cabbage and onions.”

For more, learn about this incredible edible at:

(A video player may not appear immediately below this intro. On some browsers, in the white space below, you may just need to right click on “reload” before the video player appears on your page. then just click and enjoy. For those who still have problems viewing, CLICK HERE.

- See more at: http://www.alunchboxblog.com/icelandic-lamb-at-the-iacp-conference/?preview=true&preview_id=3083&preview_nonce=99a78109c6#sthash.ch15tJTG.dpuf

Best Bagel in Brooklyn

Bagels on Display

Bagels just scream New York, don’t they? And the bagels from La Bagel Delight on Court Street blocks from where my dad and Aunt Ginny grew up in Brooklyn are the borough’s brightest bread.

I cannot recommend them highly enough. I was going to do a review of H&H in Manhattan, but they’ve long since closed and that gold standard hasn’t been replicated yet, or so says the word on the street.

La Bagel Delight

90 Court Street

Brooklyn, NY

11201

(718) 522-0520

WWW.LABAGELDELIGHT.COM

Note the Cab in the Window! Sooooo New Yawk

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Jetsetter Jon had me over for brunch/lunch to both ogle his Thai, Balinese, and the other assorted Asian objects of his affections, and to conduct a thorough testing of La Bagel Delight’s eponymous Neuvo Yorko treats. I’m pleased to report that they really don’t make ‘em better in my book. Now, confession here: I have a very short book from which I read when it comes to bagels in the city, but this is where the lay of the land begins and ends for me.

I welcome proof from my dear readers of better bagels in the city.

The yeasty oozes of bread and egg in the egg bagel was to die for. Smothered in scallion cream cheese as I’m wont to do, the savoury fattiness of egg combined with the yellowy/orange flesh and creamy frisson of green onion made me gleam with satisfaction.

Brunch at Jetsetter Jon's

When I worked at “AMERICA’S MOST WANTED” throughout the ’90s, I was responsible for ordering the “brunch” or effectively the CRAFT SERVICE, as it were, and I would truck over to CHESAPEAKE BAGEL BAKERY, which at the time was the best we Washingtonians could hope for.

The four or five dozen bagels would inevitably conclude with a plateful of seeds, garlic, and onion detritus, as well as a variety of half torn bagels the results of the women in the office who “didn’t want to indulge.” I loved to stock up on what Chesapeake did better than anyone: CHIVE CREAM CHEESE. I’ve yet to find a place that equals the stuff. Certainly, La Bagel Delight didn’t have the goods in the cream cheese department.

Mmmmmmm Delicious

However, the bagels win hands down. So tasty, so delightful. And the best part? The whole wheat, multigrain bagels stole the show. So, even if you simply have to stuff your face with these carb killers, the health side effects of chowing down on multigrain bagels with a schmear for lunch will sate your taste for New Yorky perfection.

Here’s something I never thought I’d end a bagel blog post with, but…here’re goes:

à votre santé!

- See more at: http://www.alunchboxblog.com/the-perfect-bagel-brunch-in-brooklyn/?preview=true&preview_id=3104&preview_nonce=cf428c297c#sthash.Wf8Y6Obr.dpuf