RECIPE: Raclette - naturally gluten free

Raclette is similar to fondue except you don't use a pot filled with oil, you use a specialized grill that rests on the table between all the diners.  On top of the grilling coils is a cooking surface (ours is granite) and under the coils are small containers that each diner fills with either cheese (raclette) or mixed vegetables covered with cheese.

8-person Raclette Grill with Granite Top at Amazon.com

While the cheese is melting under the heating coil, the grilling surface is used to cook meat, sausage, potatoes and vegetables.  As each item is cooked to your preference it's transferred to your plate, covered with the melted cheese, and then eaten with the various sauces.

Raclette Grill in use (from Amazon.com)

It's a wonderful way to entertain because most of the prep work can be done the day before.

When we've ordered this in a restaurant, which is how we discovered it, it's been served with three sauces - garlic, mustard, and curry.  You could serve just one of these, if you have a favorite, but we like to serve 5 or 6 so that everyone's tastes preferences are covered.

The sauces are better if they're prepared a day or two ahead to give the flavors time to meld.

The cheese and meat can be sliced the day before and the potatoes and vegetables can be pre-cooked then, too, and brought to room temperature before serving.  We cook the potatoes right before serving, while we're enjoying a cocktail and appetizers.

Some people serve cold cuts - prosciutto, ham, and salame - instead of beef and sausages, and some people prefer shrimp or other seafood.  The suggestions below are what we chose to serve.

Raclette Dinner Suggestions

For the Raclette Grill
Raclette cheese, sliced 3/8" thick
Red and white potatoes, par-boiled and sliced 1" thick
Raw beef tenderloin, sliced 3/8" thick
Chipolata (or any other mild cooked) sausages
Asparagus, lightly steamed
Sauteed shiitake mushrooms
Broccoli and/or cauliflower, roasted
Cayenne peppers, minced

Condiments
La Quercia Ridgetop Prosciutto
Fermented dill pickles
Raw Peruvian olives

Sauces (I've made dozens!  Will add links to the others as I find them)
Curry sauce
Coffee butter
Harissa mayonnaise
Pesto and Chive Blossom Aioli
Horseradish tarragon cream sauce
Roasted red pepper and balsamic butter 
Thai dipping sauce with ginger, garlic, miso and curry paste
My SIL's favorite is this Chimichurri Sauce
Cucumber dill sour cream
Paul Prudhomme's Honey Mango Sauce
Jalapeno jelly cream cheese
Tarragon mustard cream
Garlic ghee


Raclette is generally served with a dry white wine.
Because many of our sauces are spicy, we also serve a Riesling.

Specialized plates are available, with indentations for the sauces, but they aren't necessary to enjoy the meal.  In the photo below you can see one of our sets, with exaggerated wells:

Here's a photo of our raclette grill set up on the island in our kitchen, with a different set of plates:

The sauces are on a lazy-susan so that we each have easy access to them:

Here is the food at the beginning of the meal - meat, veggies and potatoes on the granite slab, cheese and parsnips underneath:

A few minutes later, it's all ready to eat:

My plate, with the melted cheese poured over, the various sauces in the background, and olives, pickles, and hot peppers in the center:

The meat was cooked to perfection!

MENU: Christmas Dinner 2018 - Raclette and GF Buche de Noel

When we host Christmas Dinner, we always serve raclette, which is both festive and easy.  I'm going to post the menu here, and links to all the recipes, so that others can copy it.  It's wonderful for New Year's Eve as well.

Raclette is a wonderful way to entertain because most of the prep work can be done the day before.

We like to start with vegetable-based appetizers since the meal is so rich.

Christmas Dinner 2018

Appetizers
Endive boats with blood orange, almonds, and quark
Carrot coins and green beans with Roasted Cauliflower Dip

Cocktails
Pumpkin Martini (using Sunshine Kabocha puree)
OR Pumpkin Maple Martini (using Sunshine Kabocha puree)
Guava Mimosa (using guava syrup)
Fig and Raspberry Christmas Cocktail (coming soon!)

For the Raclette Grill
Raclette cheese, sliced 3/8" thick
Red and white potatoes, par-boiled and sliced 1" thick
Raw Beef tenderloin, sliced 3/8" thick
Chipolata (or any other mild cooked) sausages, room temperature
Asparagus, lightly steamed
Sauteed shiitake mushrooms
Broccoli, roasted
Cayenne peppers, minced

Condiments
La Quercia Ridgetop Prosciutto
Fermented dill pickles
Raw Peruvian olives

Sauces (these are generally best made the day before)
Curry sauce
Coffee butter
Harissa mayonnaise
Pesto and Chive Blossom Aioli
Horseradish tarragon cream sauce
Roasted red pepper and balsamic butter 
Thai dipping sauce with ginger, garlic, miso and curry paste

White wine:
Tablas Creek Biodynamic Roussanne
J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling

Dessert: Gluten Free Buche de Noel

Buche de Noel
Almond pinecones
Chocolate pinecones
Meringue mushrooms
Dried cranberry 'berries'
Sugared rosemary branches
Sugar plum acorns with hazelnut caps

With all the leftover bits and pieces, I made Fire Cider.

The photo below is the table right before we ate with the sausages, cheese, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, and beef ready to be cooked.  In the center, on the lazy susan, are the sauces.  In the upper left is the dish with the potatoes.

We use specialty plates for this meal with wells for the different sauces.  You don't need these plates to serve or enjoy raclette, but they do make it easier to keep the sauces from running into each other. 

The drinking glasses are all to the left of the plates because most people use their right hands to manage their food on/in the grill.  Don't put the glasses too close to the grill - they'll get hot!

Christmas Dinner 2018 - Raclette

Here's a photo of my plate filled with food:

We always serve more food than we need because we love leftovers.  Here's how I use them:

The leftover vegetables go into salad (the sauces make great dressing)

Potato Raclette strata  (using rosemary instead of thyme) 

Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff, with steamed green beans on the side

Brussels sprouts with prosciutto and balsamic

Parsnips with pesto aioli 

Oven roasted sausage and potatoes 

RECIPE: Cauliflower Gratin

There was TONS of cauliflower in the farm store this year, and I was able to freeze quite a bit of it.  This is my new favorite way to use it.  I combined several recipes so there is no 'original'.  

I thought I had more photos, but this was the only one I could find!  I had transported the cooked gratin to a good-bye party for our interns so it's a bit messy looking! 

Savory GF Cauliflower Gratin with Leeks 

 Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

• One large head of fresh cauliflower or two 1# bags of frozen cauliflower defrosted
  
• 3 T. unsalted butter, divided
• 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 t. dried thyme (or 2 t. fresh) 
• 3 T.  sprouted oat flour
• 1.5 cups cups hot milk
• 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
  
• 1/4 t. grated nutmeg
• 2.5 c. grated raclette cheese, divided
• 1/2 c. grated pecorino or an additional 1/2 cup of raclette

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375F.

If you're using fresh cauliflower, cut the head into large florets and blanch them in boiling salted water for 5 minutes.  Drain.  If you're using frozen, skip this step.

Melt 3 T. butter in a medium saucepan on med-high.  Add the leeks and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add the flour and stir to incorporate it.  Stir constantly for about 2 minutes (you're making a roux).  Reduce the heat to low and add the hot milk slowly, stirring vigorously to prevent it from clumping.  If the milk is hot, it should not clump. Raise heat back to medium and simmer, whisking constantly until thickened. 

Remove from heat and add 1 t. salt, the cayenne, the nutmeg, 1.5 cups of raclette, and the pecorino.  Stir until the cheese melts.

Pour one third of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 x 11 x 2 baking dish.  Place the drained cauliflower on top, then spread the rest of the sauce over the cauliflower.  Sprinkle the remaining raclette over all, and sprinkle with salt and cayenne.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is browned and bubbling.

Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

RECIPE: Celeriac Gratin (baked with cheese and onions)

We won't have celeriac in the farm store much longer so I've been taking advantage of the last few roots.  When I found some raclette cheese leftover from New Year's Eve I decided to make Celeriac Gratin.  My husband's reaction was that, "If you don't like celeriac, you could stomach this; if you like celeriac, you'll like this; and if you love celeriac you will LOVE this!"

It reheats well.

Celeriac Gratin

Serves 4 (can be scaled up)

• 3 medium celeriac roots, cleaned and sliced 3/8" thick
• 2 cups melting cheese, chopped or grated (Montasio would be a good replacement for raclette)
• 1 small onion sliced very thin (I used white, you can use red for a little color)
• salt and cayenne to taste

Preheat over to 350F. 

In a saute pan, cover the celeriac slices with water and simmer until soft.

In a small baking dish, make 3 layers, covering each layer with a few onion slices, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/3 of the cheese.

Bake at 350 until the cheese is browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

I reheated it the next day for 30 minutes at 300F and added additional cayenne.

RECIPE: Curry Sauce for Raclette

The original recipe is from Fondues and Hot Pots, by Susan Fuller Slack, and is the best curry sauce I've ever tasted.

Curry Sauce for Raclette

Makes 2 1/4 cups

3 t. curry powder  (preferably China Moon)
1 T. unsalted butter
1 cup spreadable hollandaise or mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
2 T minced chives (or 1 minced green onion)
1 garlic clove grated on a microplane
1/2 c finely minced tart green apple
2 t. Thai green curry paste
1/2 t. himalayan pink salt

Ingredients before mixing: mayo on bottom, everything else on top

Heat curry powder in butter over med heat until fragrant.Cool to room temperature.

Mix remaining ingredients.

When curry butter is cool, stir into mixture, but don't wait until it's hard or it will be difficult to incorporate.

Refrigerate overnight.  You can eat it right away but the flavor is better the following day.

RECIPE: Coffee Butter for Raclette

The original recipe is from Fondues from Around the World, by Eva and Ulrich Klever.  Although it doesn't sound good, it's EXCELLENT with beef.

Coffee Butter for Raclette

Makes 3/4 cup

1/2 c. butter
2 ounces quark
2 T. Dijon Mustard
1 t. instant coffee powder (I used Mt. Hagen Organic)

Mix butter and quark until well blended.  Stir in mustard and coffee.  Shape mixture into a roll and wrap in parchment.  Chill.  Cut into slices and serve cold but not chilled.

Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Cheese, Olives, and Parsley

Oh, my goodness, these were good!  This is another way I used the abundance of cauliflower we got from our CSA this year.  

Original recipe: Cheese Topped Cauliflower Steaks

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Cheese, Olives, and Parsley

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 medium cauliflower heads, cut into 3/4" thick slices (I got 4 slices per head)
• 1/2 cup ghee, melted
• Salt and black pepper
• 8 slices raclette 
• Cayenne pepper
• For serving:
• 8 slices fresh mozzarella
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 1/4 cup parsley chiffonade (very thinly sliced)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat oven to 400F.

Place cauliflower slices on rimmed baking sheet(s), brush both sides with melted ghee, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake, rotating halfway, until fork tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.  

Top each cauliflower steak with a slice of raclette and a sprinkle of cayenne, and bake until golden and bubbly, about another 15 minutes.

Serve, topped with some fresh mozzarella, a few sliced olives, and a sprinkle of parsley.

NOTE: These are good at room temperature, too!

RECIPE: GF Bacon and Onion Mac and Cheese (with optional butternut)

Waiting for the election returns to be finalized, we needed comfort food, so I pulled this together with stuff I had in the fridge.  

If you love BACON, you will LOVE this!  The bacon is served on top, so it's still crisp, and the bacon fat is used to create the white sauce for the pasta.  I sauteed onions in the fat before making the roux, which added umami to the sauce.  I debated whether to stir the onions in, but decided to serve them on top, too.  A few leftover green peppers from yesterday's fried rice cut through the richness and added some color.

The cheese I used was white, not orange, so I added some sunshine kabocha to the sauce.  You can use any orange-flesh winter squash for this - pumpkin, butternut, kabocha, etc...  It will add richness, color, and nutrition without changing the flavor.

GF Bacon and Onion Mac and Cheese

serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound macaroni (I used Tres Omega gluten free elbows)
• 1 pound bacon
• 1.5 cups diced onions
• 1/4 c. minced green peppers
  
• 1/3 - 1/2 c. flour (I used gluten free sweet rice flour)
  
• 4 cups milk (I used whole milk) 
• 1/2 t. dried thyme leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 4 cups of shredded cheese (I used a combination of raclette and cheddar)
• 1 cup fresh ricotta
• 1 c. winter squash puree (I used sunshine kabocha)
  
• 1/4 t. cayenne, or to taste
• 1 t. salt, or to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the pasta according to package directions, for 1 minute less than recommended, so it's a little underdone.  Drain and return to the warm pan.  Cover and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, combine the milk with the thyme and garlic.   Warm it over very low heat until small bubbles appear around the edge.  Do not let it boil.  Keep it warm while you prepare the other components.

In a medium sauce pan, cook the bacon on medium heat until it's light brown and crisp.  Remove to paper towels.  

Add the diced onions to the hot bacon fat and saute on medium until light brown on the edges.  Remove to a bowl leaving as much fat behind as possible..

Make the roux:  Depending on how much fat is left in the pan*, add enough flour to make a thin paste and, stirring constantly, saute it until it's light brown.  (*If your bacon is very fatty, you should measure out 1/3 cup of grease and reserve the rest for another use.) 

Make the sauce: Turn the heat off.  Add the warm milk to the pan 1/2 cup at a time, and stir vigorously after each addition to insure no lumps form.  If there are lumps, use an immersion blender to smooth out the sauce.

Return the sauce to medium low heat and stir until it's warm, thick and creamy.  

Add the cheeses and stir until they've melted.  Add the cayenne.  If you're using it, add the winter squash puree.  Stir well.

Taste the sauce and adjust the salt.  I added 1 teaspoon because the cheese and bacon we use isn't overly salty.

Add the sauce to the reserved pasta. You may not need it all.  I added it one-cup at a time and had a LOT of sauce left over.  I suspect it's because I used GF pasta which doesn't expand as much as wheat pasta does. 

Serve immediately with the reserved bacon, onions, and green peppers sprinkled on top.

If you want to bother, you could mix everything except the bacon together, transfer it to a baking dish,   sprinkle with grated parmesan, and then bake it in a 350 oven until the top browns.  I'll do that tomorrow with the leftovers.  

If you stir the bacon in, it will lose its crispness. 

This was wonderful with Gruner Veltliner, the dry white wine we usually serve with raclette.

RECIPE: Bison Fajitas

We get our ground beef and our stew meat from our CSA farm, but I'm not able to get steaks or roasts from our farm so we have started using bison.  When we serve a chateaubriand roast, or raclette, I always buy the whole tenderloin, remove the chateaubriand, and then use the ends for other things, primarily stroganoff and fajitas. It's much cheaper to do that.

In a restaurant, fajitas are usually made on a grill, which gives them a smoky flavor.  I don't want to mess with charcoal so I make them on the cooktop, and add chipotle pepper powder, which is made from smoked jalapeno.  This can be spicy, so adjust the amount to your tolerance. 

Bison Fajitas

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound bison, cut from either end of the tenderloin, or inside skirt steak
  
• 2 large onions, halved and sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 poblano pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 yellow bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 hungarian banana pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1-2 jalapeno, serrano, cayenne or other hot pepper, depending on your heat tolerance, minced or thinly sliced
  
• 1/4 c. ghee, lard or tallow
• 2 t. ground cumin
• 1 t. ground coriander
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. paprika
• 1 t. chipotle powder (this can be hot, use less if your heat tolerance is low)
  
• 1 t. Mexican oregano (use marjoram if you don't have this)
  
• 1/2 t. himalayan pink salt 
• additional salt and pepper to taste
  
• For Serving:
• guacamole
• grated cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• chopped scallions
• cilantro
  

Note: We make fajitas often; so, when peppers are in season, I slice them and then freeze them to use until the next harvest:

Multicolored peppers ready to be vacuum sealed

INSTRUCTIONS:

You will be slicing the bison against the grain into thin strips.  This is easiest when the meat is partially frozen. 

Cut the bison into 2" wide batons and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes to facilitate slicing thin.

While you're waiting for the bison to firm up, slice the onions and peppers.

Mix the herbs, spices and 1/2 t. salt in a small bowl.

When the bison is firm, slice the batons against the grain into strips about 2" long, 1/2" wide, and 1/8" thick. It's important that the meat is sliced against the grain or it will be chewy.  Combine the bison strips with the spice mixture and massage the spices into the meat.  Set aside.

Melt 2T. fat in a large saute pan on high heat.  Add the onion and sear, stirring frequently,  until it's starting to caramelize.  The reason you want to use high heat is to sear the onion without cooking it through - it should be translucent but not mush.  Push the onions to the side of the pan.

Add the peppers and stir until they are caramelized, too.  Again, you don't want them to loose their crunch or their skin.  If the onions are in danger of burning, mix them into the peppers. 

Reduce the heat to low, season the vegetables with salt and pepper, and remove them to a bowl.  Cover and keep warm while you fry the meat.

Bring the heat up to medium-high and add the remaining 2T. fat to the pan.  Add the bison to the pan in a single layer and allow one side to sear.  Stir and barely cook the other side.  It should be medium or medium-rare.  

Add the vegetables back to the pan.  Stir briefly to reheat them.  By the time the vegetables are hot, the meat should be just cooked through.  Serve!

My husband eats these on tortillas, I prefer them 'neat', with guacamole, grated cheese, sour cream, cilantro and chopped scallions.

 

Bison fajitas with guacamole, grated cheddar, and cilantro lime sour cream.

RECIPE: Spicy Curried Egg Salad

I just made the BEST egg salad! Although our favorite mayonnaise flavor is harissa, our second favorite is curry so we often have a jar in the fridge.  In the past, I've used the curry sauce we serve with raclette, but it's a bit too runny so I made some adjustments for egg salad.

Spicy Curried Egg Salad

Makes 4 cups

• 8 large-ish eggs, hard boiled and cooled (the eggs we buy aren't graded)
• 1/2 c mayonnaise (see recipe notes below)
• 2 t. curry powder (I've been using Pure Indian Foods organic)
• 1 T. ghee
• 1 t. Thai curry paste
• 1/2 granny smith apple, peeled and minced
• 1/2 small red onion, minced 
• Opt: 1/4 c. minced jalapeno
• Opt: 1 T. minced cilantro leaves
• 1/2 t. salt

Make one recipe of homemade mayonnaise but use 1 cup of oil rather than 3/4.  This will yield a stiff mayonnaise that will stand up to the moisture the eggs exude.  (You can use regular mayo if you plan to eat it right away, but if it sits, moisture from the whites will make it too loose to use in a sandwich.  As you can see from the photo - I eat it in lettuce leaves.)

On medium heat, saute 2 t. curry powder in 1 T. ghee until fragrant - about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (don't let it solidify!).  Stir into mayonnaise.  Stir curry paste into mayo.

Peel eggs and cut by hand into 1/4" pieces.  (I've found it's less messy to peel all the eggs, then chop all the eggs.) I make 4 lengthwise cuts on one side creating slices, then three lengthwise cuts on the other side to make batons, then as many cuts as needed across all these batons.  Yes, you can use an egg slicer but we prefer the slightly larger cubes created by hand. 

Mix eggs with everything except the mayonnaise.

Stir in enough mayonnaise to lightly coat.  I use about 1/2 c. 

2018 - The Perfect New Years Eve

I really wanted to ring in the new year with a clean and tidy house, an organized basement, and all my chores done; but, that didn't happen.  There are still piles of 'basement debris' everywhere, the dog prevents the house from ever being clean for more than a day, and the chores are never ending.

Nonetheless, this was one of the best New Year's Eve I can remember, because we were home alone, in the warmth and safety of the house we love, doing whatever we each felt like doing - we were NOT worrying about the weather and if we'd make it home safely, nor whether our guests would make home safely.

Don't get me wrong - we love to entertain, and we love visiting our friends, but not on New Year's Eve!

We got a lot accomplished during the day, and we had low-stress leftovers for dinner (endive salad, raclette, and chocolate roulade).

After dinner, we waited for midnight while reading in front of the fire with the dog at our feet.  I don't remember ever being happier!  At midnight, we toasted our good fortune with our favorite Champagne (mine with the blood orange juice left over from the endive salad).  Half an hour later, we were in bed!

The following day, New Year's Day, we again slept in!  We had a productive day because we weren't hung over, having had only one glass of champagne.

As a result, some of the piles of 'basement debris' have been dispatched, a month's worth of laundry has been washed and put away, all the water jars are full, walnuts have been soaked and dehydrated, there are 6 jars of guava-habanero jam cooling in the kitchen (another 6 jars of guava jelly waiting to be processed), and my 2018 email has been filed which is a HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT!

I am ready to face 2019!

Holiday menus 2025

In case you are wondering about all the unusual recipes I posted during this "holiday season" ... For me ... this was one of the BEST HOLIDAY SEASONS EVER!  It was unusual, low stress, and full of friendship.

I have recently become disillusioned with the intense commercialization of all holidays, especially those celebrated in winter: the lies we've been told about the US government's treatment of Native Americans and their participation in our "first Thanksgiving", the pressure to conform ("traditional" menus), and the pressure to decorate.   This year, I decided not to participate. 

At the end of November, we did not celebrate Thanksgiving, we celebrated FRIENDSGIVING, and we didn't serve turkey, ham or any of the foods associated with the traditional holiday, we served RACLETTE.  For appetizers, we served three unusual dips with a selection of vegetable dippers:

• Vadouvan Carrot Raita
• Pea Guacamole
• Coddled Leek, Garlic, and Fennel Dip

and we ended the meal with a yule log (which we will be calling a "cloud log" from now on because it's like eating a cloud! 

For dinner on December 24th, we served INDIAN food, from all over the Indian subcontinent:

• North Indian Baked Fenugreek Crackers (Mathri)
  
• North Indian Tamarind chutney and cream cheese dip
• Pakistani Curried Beef Brisket
• Keralan Masoor Dal cooked in Coconut Milk
• Bangalorean Curried Cabbage
• (Afghan) Sela Basmati Rice
• North Indian Coriander Chutney
• Punjabi Spiced Mango Lassi

We didn't serve dessert because we're trying to cut down on our sugar consumption.  

For me ... it's much easier to pull together a big dinner when the rest of the country is NOT also trying to pull together a big dinner!   

RECIPE: Nasturtium Butter

Our nasturtium plants are outdoing themselves this year, and I want to preserve their wonderfulness, so here's another way I save them.  Nasturtium plants are in the same family as horseradish, and have a similar bite.  Therefore...we like this over grilled beef...

 

Make this during summer, when the nasturtiums are prolific, and freeze it to use over winter. 

 

There are two ways to freeze it: one is shown below - in ice cube trays.  Once frozen, I wrap them individually in parchment, then in foil before returning to the freezer.  I made a double recipe for the ice cube tray shown below.

The other way is shown at the bottom of this post: I form the butter into a log, roll it in parchment; then roll it in plastic wrap to hold the shape; then roll it in tin foil to protect it from freezer burn.  The log can be sliced into coins.

 

 Nasturtium Butter

 

Makes about 3/4 cup

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup finely chopped nasturtium leaves

1 or 2 nasturtium flowers for every tbsp of butter 

1/2  tsp salt or to taste

1/2 tsp lemon zest

Optional:

1 t. garlic, micro-planed

1 t. lemon juice

 
INSTRUCTIONS:

Remove the petals from the flowers and slice them 1/16".  Add the rest of the flower to the nasturtium leaves.

Chop the nasturtiums leaves in a food processor. 

Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt and pulse to blend.  If you're using the garlic and lemon juice, add it now.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Stir in the sliced flower petals by hand.

Chill or freeze. 

*In the photo above, the flowers were all very light yellow and didn't show up well.  Since then, the bush with the dark red flowers has blossomed so I made another batch with them, and I think it will be nice to serve it with our holiday raclette meal - butter with green and red flecks!  

How I wrap a roll of seasoned butter (I made a half recipe for the roll shown below, and used 8 red flowers):

(1) Roll the butter in parchment.

(2) Roll the parchment in cling wrap.

(3) Roll the cling wrap in foil.

I forgot to take a photo of the finished roll.  I labeled it, slipped into a small zipper bag, and froze it.

Here's how to use nasturtium butter:

Beyond steak and dip, it could be terrific in places where you'd normally use a finishing butter:

• Fish or shellfish — melt a slice over scallops, shrimp, cod or wild salmon. The pepperiness should be especially good with scallops.
• Eggs — fry/scramble eggs in it, melt onto poached eggs, or use it in deviled-egg filling.
• Green vegetables — green beans, asparagus, broccoli, peas. Melt it over green beans after cooking rather than cooking the butter hard.
• Cauliflower — roasted cauliflower finished with nasturtium butter 
• Winter squash — the peppery butter against sweet squash could be fabulous.
• Pasta — butter + pasta water + Pecorino/Parmigiano for an extremely simple nasturtium pasta.
• Risotto — beat a little in at the end instead of plain butter.
• Beans — melt it into white beans or white-bean purée. This might be one of the best uses.
• Chicken — tuck it under the skin of a breast before roasting, or melt it over a simply browned breast afterward.
• Bison burgers — a little coin melting over a smash burgers.
• Bread/croissants — particularly the flower version, where you can actually see the petals. It could also make very interesting croissant croutons.
• Sauce starter — shallot + wine/stock reduction, then whisk in cold nasturtium butter off heat. Essentially a nasturtium beurre blanc/pan sauce.

 

 

RECIPE: Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic, and Balsamic Butter

This 'sauce' was voted the best of the bunch at our Christmas Raclette Dinner 2018  (in 2016, the best one was the Curry Sauce).

Original recipe: Roasted red pepper, garlic, and balsamic butter 

Roasted Red Pepper and Balsamic Butter

Makes 2 cups

1 c. sweet butter
6 cloves roasted garlic
2 T. minced roasted red peppers
1 T. balsamic vinegar*
1 T. chopped fresh parsley (I used frozen)
1 T. honey
1/4 - 1/2 t. himalayan pink salt

Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process until blended, scraping sides as needed.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

* I use Guerzoni balsamic which is fine for salad but isn't as thick as I would like for recipes like this one so I reduce it (over medium heat) by 50% .  I buy the vinegar by the case and reduce one bottle.