Recipe (Re)creation: Paleo Strawberry Crisp

Is there anything in life sweeter than fresh strawberries? I mean, maybe? But debatable... My whole family swoons over these bright red berries and they magically disappear in minutes. I was tempted to just eat all of our latest pick from Blue House Farm, but I also knew we were heading out of town and there was no way we could eat all of our berries in a few days without some serious belly aches. So, berry crisp here we come! I always try to make my baking somewhat healthy, so I made a paleo version of one of my favorite crisps from childhood. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For filling-

• 4 cups strawberries, trimmed and halved
• 1 Tbsp. tapioca flour
• 2 Tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 meyer lemon, juiced
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup

For topping-

• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
• 3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. kosher sea salt

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and mix the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl. 

-Transfer the filling to a pie dish and begin mixing the topping ingredients in the bowl. 

-Spread the topping over the strawberry filling and bake for 30 minutes.

-Let stand for 5-10 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Creation: Meyer Lemon + Strawberry Ice Pops

As Indian summer is upon us in San Francisco, the temperature is rising and there is truly nothing more refreshing than an ice cold popsicle.  I have been on a total lemonade kick recently and figured if I liked it cold, I would really like it frozen.  I had some strawberries I'd gotten from the farmer's market a week before and I couldn't let them go to waste, so I threw those in too.  Not only do the strawberries make the ice pops even more beautiful, but they also add some texture and are a nice sweet surprise.  This recipe is definitely on the more tart side, so feel free to add more agave if you like a sweeter treat.  Otherwise, keep the recipe as written and you can enjoy the fact that you are not consuming an ice pop loaded with a bunch of added sugar. Though they are super fast to whip together, you do have to be patient and keep them in the freezer for 4 hours before enjoying, so plan ahead!

Makes about 12 ice pops

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup meyer lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup ripe strawberries, sliced

Directions:

-Pour the lemon juice, water, and agave nectar in a blender.
-Blend for about 30 seconds or until well-mixed.
-Add the strawberry slices to the lemonade and pour the mixture into popsicle molds.
-Make sure to leave about 1/2 inch at the top of each mold to make space for the popsicles to expand as they freeze.
-Put the tops on the molds and freeze for at least 4 hours.
-Enjoy!

Restaurant (Re)creation: Contigo's Seared Goat Cheese, Arugula + Strawberry Salad

I live a block away from Contigo and it is one of my absolute favorite spots.  I love that the menu always changes, but many of the standbys stay the same.  One dish that thankfully rarely leaves the menu is the seared Caña de Cabra goat cheese salad.  I love the creaminess of the seared goat cheese, the crunch of the toasts and hazelnuts, and the tangy and sweet salad that lies beneath.  I was lucky enough to come across Brett Emerson's recipe for this salad in the Wall Street Journal.  Now that I have it, I will be making it on a regular basis.  It looks so impressive topped with crispy seared goat cheese and like it came straight down from heaven.  Enjoy!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. Caña de Cabra (or other mild, young goat cheese)
• 4 small 1/4-inch think slices of rustic bread (I use Judy's Lovesticks)
• 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing toasts
• kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp. Sherry vinegar
• 2 tsp. minced shallot
• 1 1/2 tbsp. hazelnut oil
• 1/2 medium fennel bulb, halved lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise
• 3-4 oz. wild arugula
• 4 oz. strawberries, stemmed and quartered
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 4 basil leaves, roughly torn

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place bread slices on a baking sheet.

-Brush both sides with olive oil and bake in the oven until golden, about 3 minutes per side.

-Remove from oven, set aside and preheat broiler. 

-Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallots and salt.

-Let the shallots macerate for at least 10 minutes.

-Then whisk in the olive oil and hazelnut oil, season with salt, and set aside.

-In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, fennel, strawberries, hazelnuts, and basil.

-Slice the cheese into two rounds and place on top of two toasts each.  

-Place under the broiler and broil until cheese begins to brown, about 2 minutes.

-Toss salad with enough vinaigrette to coat and season with salt.

-Distribute salad onto two plates and place a warm goat cheese toast atop each helping.

Contigo

1320 Castro Street

San Francisco, CA

(415) 285-0250

www.contigosf.com

Restaurant (Re)creation: Wayfare Tavern's Popovers with a Neimen Marcus Twist

This was a very difficult decision for me.  I went back and forth between which popover recipe to use.   Both Wayfare Tavern (Tyler Florence's SF restaurant) and Neimen Marcus are quite famous for their buttery, soft, and crispy popovers.  Their recipes are very similar, the only main difference is that the Wayfare Tavern recipe contains butter (which clearly ups the yum factor).  It was such a close call that I decided to combine both recipes.  I followed the recipe for the Wayfare Tavern Popovers, but decided to pair them with the strawberry butter recipe which make the Neimen Marcus ones so addictive.  The final verdict- a fabulous compromise.  Hope you enjoy them!  Credits go to the cookbooks Tyler Florence Family Meal and The Neimen Marcus Cookbook

Makes 12 popovers

Ingredients:

For popovers:

• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For strawberry butter:

• 1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
• 1 cup good quality strawberry preserves

Directions:

-In a blender or standing mixer, combine eggs, milk, and melted butter.  Blend on high until smooth, about 10 seconds.

-In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add the dry mixture to the wet and blend, until just combined (10-15 seconds).

-Let the batter sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

-Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Place an oven rack in the middle position and place an empty popover or muffin tin on the rack.  Once the pan is hot, remove it and coat evenly with nonstick spray.

-Working quickly, fill the molds almost to the top with batter.  Immediately place back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees F and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until deep and golden brown.

-Do not open the door as the popovers bake, as it could cause them to collapse.  Once golden brown, remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.  To keep the popovers crispier for longer, use a skewer to carefully pierce the sides of the popovers allowing steam to escape.

-Meanwhile, place the butter in the bowl of an electronic mixer and beat on high until fluffy and light.  Add the preserves and beat until well combined.  With an ice cream scooper, scoop the butter into ramekins and serve immediately.

-Serve popovers with generous spoonfuls of strawberry butter.


Wayfare Tavern
558 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 772-9060
www.wayfaretavern.com

Neiman Marcus
150 Stockton Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 362-3900
www.neimenmarcus.com