Author: bhills61

Farmer’s Market at the Railyard

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A recent Saturday visit to the Farmer’s Market at the Railyard showed the bounty of nature and a farmer’s pride in providing our most basic needs in a responsible and sustainable manner. ENJOY! And, remember to support your local farmers and artisans.

Summer Corn Salad

Combine ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Dress lightly with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette. It says “Summer Corn”, but it’s delicious year round!

(serves 8)

2 ears roasted corn, kernels removed
1 C red quinoa, uncooked measure
6 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
1 pint cherub tomatoes, halved
1 small package of French beans, blanched
1 small container of arugula
1 C walnut pieces, toasted
1 C blue cheese crumbles
1 small red onion, thinly sliced and rinsed
1/2 C fresh basil, thinly sliced

For corn:
Rub corn with olive oil and evenly sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and roast in a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes or so. Using tongs, rotate corn for even roasting. Remove, cool and cut kernels off the cob.

For red quinoa:
Place red quinoa, 2 C of filtered water and 1/2 t of salt in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover. Cook until water evaporates and quinoa “sprouts.” Spread cooked quinoa on a cookie sheet for cooling.

Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

(makes 2 C of dressing)

1 C vegetable oil
1/2 C olive oil

1 T mayonnaise
1 t Dijon mustard
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 t salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
2 t honey
1/4 C white balsamic vinegar
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon

Combine olive oil and vegetable oil in a pourable container.
Place remaining ingredients in a container and use an immersion blender to combine.
Slowly drizzle in oil mixture while blender is running. Continue to process until a smooth emulsion forms.

Ratatouille Soup

(serves 8)

1/4 C olive oil
5 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1 yellow onion, diced

3 T tomato paste
2 T dried basil
1 1/2 t red pepper flakes

1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
2 zucchini, chopped
2 yellow squash, chopped
1 large (or 2 small) eggplant, chopped
1 small container of Cremini mushrooms, stems removed and chopped

1 – 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (San Marzano brand is delicious)
Juice of 3 lemons
8 C chicken or vegetable stock
2 t salt

In a large preheated soup pot, add olive oil. Add onion, garlic and a generous spritz of salt and black pepper. Sauté over medium high heat until garlic is fragrant and onions are translucent. Add tomato paste, basil and red pepper flakes. Continue to sauté until tomato paste darkens in color and begins to stick to the pan. Add a small amount of the stock to “deglaze”.

Add bell peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplant and mushrooms. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, remaining stock and salt. Bring soup to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Serve over orzo pasta and garnish with basil pesto.

Comfort Table Musicale is Monday, July 25th

Alien minstrels landing in a Hill Country Burg spreading their messages of:

Interconnectedness

Home

Reaching out to the other side

What a wonderful world

Cowboy sweethearts

Unspoken assurances

& Simple gifts

Join professional musicians from all over our state as they play and sing their way into your very core. Live updates from Comfort’s own solar-powered radio station will keep you informed of their latest sightings. Your $50 ticket (available at High’s Cafe & Store in Comfort / 830-995-4995) is a 100% donation to the feeding arm of Comfort – The Comfort Table & Pantry. Join us for our 7th annual presentation. Following the concert at Spinelli’s Event Center (formerly Gaddis UMC), a rollicking good time for all will be had at High’s complete with wine,beer, tasty nosh and more music!

**Purchase your tickets today. Limited seating. Checks (made payable to The Comfort Table) or cash accepted. We always sell out. Don’t be left out of this alien invasion.**

Tickets should be purchased in advance at High’s. (7 days, 8am – 4pm)

Goose bumps, laughs, misty eyes…all guaranteed.

Let’s gather and remind ourselves of our shared humanity.

See you JULY 25th, 7 PM.

(cue the weird music)

Sweet Potato Chili

quick | easy | flavorful

serves 4-6 depending on serving size

whole grain | protein | fiber | complex carbohydrate | oh my

1/4 C olive oil

1 large yellow onion, medium dice

6 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2 T chile powder (make sure it is fresh)

2 t ground cumin

2 T tomato paste

1 t red pepper flakes

2 – 15.5 ounce cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 – 14.5 ounce can of kidney beans, rinsed well

1 – 14.5 ounce can of black beans, rinsed well

4 C chicken or vegetable stock

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 fresh jalapeño, chopped (I left seeds and membrane in for spice.)

Juice from 1 lemon

2 t salt

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut chunky style

Cook up 1 cup of quinoa according to package instructions.

Beginning to end, 30 minutes of prep time and cutting boards are clean!

For sweet potatoes:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Coat foil with non-stick pan spray. Place sweet potatoes on cookie sheet and oil them up with about 2 T of olive oil. Make sure the potato pieces are not touching to insure even cooking and crisp edges. Spritz with salt and cracked pepper. Place into the oven. Roast for 10 minutes. Rotate cookie and sheet and roast for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

For soup:

Place 1/4 C of olive oil in a preheated soup pot. Add garlic slices and sauté over medium heat until fragrant. Add onion. Add a spritz of salt and pepper. Sauté until onion starts to become translucent. Add chile powder, cumin and tomato paste. Mix well while continuing to sauté. Spices should become fragrant. Flavors are “blooming”. Add red pepper flakes. Add tomatoes, beans and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Add jalapeño, lemon juice, cilantro and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer as flavors meld.

For service:

Add roasted sweet potatoes to soup pot and warm. Place a scoop of quinoa in each bowl. Ladle chili over quinoa. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, chopped scallion and diced radish.

Serve chili with a mango/jicama salad: diced mango, jicama, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt

Serve chili with a mango/jicama salad: diced mango, jicama, jalapeño, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, olive oil and salt.

Shrimp Lettuce Boats

(recipe will make 12 stuffed wraps)

Salad mix:

1 small head Napa cabbage, leaves removed, spines removed, rolled and finely chopped

1 C of grated carrots

1/2 C edamame

1/2 a bunch of finely chopped cilantro, plus additional for garnish

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped

1 small bag of snow peas, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal

Fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

Large romaine leaves for “boats”

Garnish:

Black sesame seeds

Lime wedges

Chopped peanuts

For shrimp:

1 pound large shrimp, deveined and shelled

1 t salt

1/2 t red pepper flakes

several bay leaves

1 whole lemon, halved and juiced into water

Bring a sauce pan of water to a boil. Add salt, red pepper flakes, bay leaves and lemon. Add shrimp and cook until just firm to the touch. Strain off water and cool. Cut each shrimp into three pieces.

For salad mix:

Combine all ingredients, except mint in a large bowl and toss to combine. At this point, the mix will hold for a couple of days in the refrigerator, if you like. For service, add fresh mint (your call, I like it minty), a spritz of salt and pepper, diced shrimp and just enough mango ginger dressing to moisten. Mound mix into Romaine “boats” and garnish with additional chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts and black sesame seeds. Provide lime wedges and additional ramekins of dressing.

Mango Ginger Teriyaki Dressing

(recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups of dressing)

3/4 C HEB Orange Teriyaki Marinade

1/4 C rice wine vinegar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t red pepper flakes

Zest from one orange

1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 a bunch of cilantro sprigs

1 inch piece of fresh ginger

1 1/2 C olive oil (not EVOO)

Place all ingredients (except olive oil) in a blender and puree until smooth. Turn blender on lowest speed and carefully remove the shoot cover. Drizzle in olive oil while blender runs on lowest setting. Puree until smooth and well incorporated.

Mezze Plate

a trio of Mediterranean flavors: quinoa tabbouleh, cucumber yogurt & hummus

For quinoa tabbouleh:

2 C quinoa, rinsed

4 C filtered water

2 t salt

3-4 bay leaves

3 lemons, skin and juice

1 1/2 bunches green onion, finely chopped

3 large bunches of curly parsley, finely chopped

1 pint cherub tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 bag fresh mint, finely chopped

1/3 C EVOO

Additional S & P

Toasted Pine nuts, for garnish

In a large sauce pan, add quinoa, water, salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat. Cook until water is absorbed. Spread cooked quinoa on a cookie sheet for cooling. Once quinoa has cooled, place it in a large bowl. Add zest from lemons and juice, green onion, parsley, cherubs, mint, EVOO and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish tabbouleh with toasted pine nuts. Tabbouleh can be prepped a day ahead. However, leave out lemon juice, cherubs, mint, EVOO, and additional S & P. Add these ingredients about an hour before service.

For cucumber yogurt:

1 – 32 ounce container of Greek yogurt, strained overnight

5 mini cucumbers, quartered and diced, salted and drained

1 T dried mint

1 T dried dill

1 t salt

4-5 radishes, thinly sliced for garnish

Place yogurt in a strainer and place it over a bowl. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. I had almost 1 C of liquid strain off. The resulting yogurt is super thick and creamy. Place the diced cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Cover with plastic and allow them to give off their excess moisture overnight. The next day, combine yogurt, cucumbers, dill, mint and salt. Slice radishes very thinly – a mandolin does a good job – and garnish. This keeps well for 2-3 days only.

For hummus:

see highmade hummus recipe

For service:

Grill up some Naan bread on a panini or skillet. A light brushing of EVOO and nice toasty marks create a perfect “chip” for this salad trio. A few marinated olives topping the hummus is a tasty addition as well as some Green Zataar sprinkled on the yogurt. I served the tabbouleh in romaine “boats”. Thumbs up from my neighbors. Bold flavors. Freshness abounds. SO GOOD FOR YOU!

A weekend in the country…

For 13 years, owners Robert and Laurie Williamson have quietly created their slice of paradise on 300 acres just outside of Valera, Texas. Rancho Loma has been on my radar for some time now. Dear friends Bruce and Jana Colgate and Tom and I finally made the effort to book a two night stay there. We also booked a seating for a wine dinner which was held at their pizzeria in nearby Coleman. Rancho Pizzeria serves very fine pizzas, salads, appetizers, desserts, wine and beer. An old repurposed warehouse makes a great backdrop for this minimally stylish restaurant. Adjacent to the pizza space is El Centro, a retro-vibed coffee shop serving cookies, muffins, scones and sandwiches. Future plans for the ambitious couple include a wine making facility, wine bar and brew pub. Back at the ranch, a short drive from Coleman, are 300 acres, an old rock house (where Laurie serves a fixed price menu Friday and Saturday evenings), six super cool rooms (think Dwell magazine) for lodging and a vineyard (now under construction). Ancha and Rio, brother and sister canines, supervise the ranch overseeing a bevy of chickens, roosters, pigeons, longhorns and more.

Let’s just say our stay there was lovely and warrants a repeat visit when temperatures will be warmer making their soaking pool more inviting.

The wine dinner featured Texas wines including Comfort’s much admired Bending Branch Winery. Chefs Laurie and Cliff served the sold out crowd a well executed palate of flavors.

This is a place to go for reflection, for culinary adventure, and for slowing down a bit. Enjoy the photos. Highly recommended.