It's Spring and Time for a week of at Italian Cooking at John C Campbell Folk School

The welcoming red door on the Keith House is a sure sign that I will be in residence at the John C Campbell Folk School the week of April 28th through May 4th 2013. We will be exploring Rustic Italian Cuisine.

I have a full class of students from all parts of the United States. We will enjoy Classic Rustic Italian recipes, cooking techniques, great food and fellowship. A great way to meet new friends and learn new skills all at the same time.

Morning mist on the meditation garden or warm sunlight at daybreak on the back porch of the Keith House. Two great ways to start the day at JCCFS.

More photos and i.nformation to come as the week unfolds. Check back to see the daily updates

Spring is a great time for a beautiful salad with fresh herbs and flowers

Spring is the time for delicious fresh salads with ingredients that are as colorful as the season. This salad features fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, celery leaves) and flowers (begonia) add sprouted lentils and peas, some radish and tomato and you have a salad that looks like a picture of spring.

Finish your salad off with a freshly made, simple lemon vinaigrette

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
  Combine mustard, lemon zest, and juice in a jar; season with salt and pepper. Add some of the oil, then cover and shake to combine. Continue adding more oil and shaking until all the oil is incorporated and mixture is thickened and uniform in color. Serve immediately.

Sweet my new dessert cookbook is now available on Amazon

 

Sweet: a dessert cookbook

www.amazon.com

Sweet is a collection of 21 or our favorite desserts, from rich chocolate Pots de Crème, to childhood favorite whoopie pies, to the simple elegance of a poached pear. Elegant dinner party to afternoon snack, rich and indulgent to simple and calorie conscious, there’s something for everyone!

Healthy Fresh Spring Salad with Soy Ginger Dressing

Spring is a great time of year to enjoy fresh produce and salad greens. Eating a raw salad loaded with nutrients, vitamins and essential minerals is a healthy way to satisfy any appetite.

Select your favorite salad greens and early spring vegetables (even late winter vegetables are fantastic) and create a colorful, tasty salad that you can enjoy as a whole meal for lunch or dinner. Pair it with some fresh grilled chicken breast of fish and you have a really great feast.

Fresh Asian Salad

Fresh Organic Romaine lettuce

Fresh Organic Mixed Field Greens

Cucumber diced

Radish sliced

Golden Beets Raw Sliced

Sweet Red and Yellow Peppers sliced

Snow Peas sliced julienne (these are crunchy and great, raw of course)

Celery sliced, add some of the fresh leaves as well

Blueberries fresh

Sunflower Seeds raw unsalted

Asian Chow Mien Noodles for garnish and crunch

Soy Ginger Dressing

2 clove Garlic finely diced and mashed (you can use a garlic press)

1 inch piece Ginger peeled and finely diced and mashed

2 TBS Peanut or Olive oil

1 tsp. Sesame Oil

2 TBS Soy Sauce or Tamari Soy Sauce

Sriracha Pepper Sauce to taste, I like alot

4 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar

2 TBS Korean Bulgogi Marinade Sauce (optional) or Teriyaki Sauce will work too

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Pick a large, pretty Asian bowl and arrange the salad ingredients in a colorful feast for the eye. Drizzle a few teaspoons of the dressing over the salad.  I also squirt Sriracha Sauce all over the salad too. I like it hot and spicy. Enjoy!

The Farm-to-table Experience at Buckeye Creek Farm with Chef Tony Pisconeri

Buckeye Creek Farm, Liz Porter and Chef Tony Pisconeri have created a Farm-to-table Experience through cooking demonstrations and workshops to introduce you to the farm to table experience. Enjoy freshly picked, healthy, nutritious, locally sourced foods as they were meant to be prepared and enjoyed. Learn simple, healthy ways to enjoy the produce the farm has to offer, and have fun learning at the same time.

Chef Tony Pisconeri has crafted exciting cooking demonstrations and workshops featuring produce and foods that are grown locally on the farm and in season. Recipes are focused on healthy eating trends and feature Organic, Pasture Raised, Raw, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Heart Healthy, Low Glycemic, Cultured and Probiotic methods in a delicious and easy way to bring the farm to your table.

On Saturday we presented our first cooking workshop featuring Healthy Winter Soups. Using in season vegetables and produce from Buckeye Creek Farm, Rockin S Farm, and Cherokee Fresh Market, we crafted four delicious soups. Featured on the Menu, Crowder Pea with Kale Soup, Tuscan Chickpea with Rosemary Soup, Butternut Squash Soup garnished with Crispy Leeks, and Beet Soup with Freshly prepared Horseradish. The recipes have been posted below.

Liz Porter (Buckeye Creek Farm) did a fantastic job of coordinating the guest list and preparing the farm kitchen for the day’s activities. She also is a GREAT prep chef as well. Cobi Matthews who designed and built the kitchen facility was on hand to serve as Sous Chef for the day.

We had a great turn out of guests/students for the workshop that enjoyed the day learning how to make delicious, easy to prepare soups. The workshop culminated with a lunch featuring the soups that we prepared in class and Focaccia with garlic and rosemary freshly baked right before the class.

Upcoming Farm-to-table Workshops Scheduled for February 2013 – Register Now

February 9, 2013 10:30 – 2:00 – Healthy Gourmet - $65 per person, includes food and tasting, fruit, drinks, light refreshments.

Are you on a diet, or do you just want to prepare food that is healthy, delicious and gourmet? This workshop brings fresh food from the farm to the table. We will explore exciting and delicious recipes and techniques for preparing health conscious dishes and menus. No more boring and bland diets. You can be eating healthy and still indulge in full flavor, filling and satisfying food. Healthy organic vegetables, meats, fruit, raw food preparation, herbs, spices are more will be featured in this workshop.

February 23, 2013 10:30 – 2:00 – Hand Crafted Pasta - $65 per person, includes food and tasting, fruit, drinks, light refreshments.

This class explores the methods and techniques of making handmade pasta dough and forming that dough into various pasta products to achieve more consistent, artesian/professional results.

Through lecture, demonstration and hands on instruction, you will learn all about the basic ingredients, tools, terminology, techniques and recipes for making artesian style, pasta dough and pasta in your home kitchen. We will explore spaghetti, fettuccini, ravioli, lasagna, tortellini, and tagliatelle to name a few.

Group is limited to 15 persons, register early to secure you place at the table.

To register for these workshops:

Call Chef Tony Pisconeri at 770-737-2699 or 494-525-4829

Email: tonypisconeri@earthlink.net

Liz Porter – Buckeye Creek Farm 

lp1954@gmail.com

678-491-5843

https://www.facebook.com/buckeyecreekfarm

 

Crowder Pea and Kale Soup

Makes 4-6 servings

Soak 2 cups mixed dried crowder peas overnight, then rinse well. (fresh peas omit soak)

Olive oil 1 TBS

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

3 stalks celery chopped

4 carrots chopped

1 tsp. paprika

8 cups vegetable stock

1 bunch kale washed and chopped (you can use collards)

1 large tomato small dice

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes

Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

Sauté the onion, garlic, celery, carrots in olive oil until just soft, add paprika.

Add crowder peas and vegetable stock.

Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until peas are soft (approx. 45 min)

Add Kale and tomato and continue cooking until kale is tender (approx. 15 – 20 min)

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tuscan Chickpea Soup with Rosemary

Makes approximately 6-8 servings

This is an authentic country Italian soup with the taste of pancetta, a wonderful Italian

bacon, and rosemary. Any white bean can be used. Navy, Great Northern, Cannellini beans

all work great.

1 pound chickpeas sorted and washed

6 cups vegetable

1 cup onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup celery, diced

½ cup carrots, diced

1 bay leaf (remove before serving)

¼ pound pancetta (Italian bacon) diced. Bacon can be substituted for pancetta (optional)

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped (about ½ to 1 tsp. to taste)

2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and finely minced rosemary

Procedure:

Soak the chickpeas overnight, or boil for 2 minutes and cover for one hour. Drain.

Place the chickpeas in a large stockpot.  Add stock, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and pancetta (you can brown the diced pancetta first if you like). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low simmer. Cook until the beans are tender (about 2 hours). When the beans are fully cooked add the tomatoes and rosemary.

Simmer for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Leeks

Makes approximately 6 servings

This colorful soup has a rich squash flavor and is a great way to kick off the fall season. Garnish with thinly sliced fried leeks for a beautiful and delicious presentation.

1 (2 to 3 Pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fried Leeks for Garnish

Procedure:

Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In a large soup pot melt butter and sauté onion until translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove squash chunks with a slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree.

Return blended squash to the pot. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg. Serve warm.

Fried Leek Garnish

Very thinly slice leeks (White and some green) long direction. The thinner the better. Fry in hot oil until crisp and browned. Drain on paper towel.

Hearty Beet Soup with Fresh Horseradish

Makes 4-6 servings

1 pound fresh beets (washed, trimmed, peeled, and julienned)

2 carrots medium dice

2 medium potatoes medium dice

6 cups vegetable stock

1 medium onion chopped

2 – 4 cloves fresh garlic minced

1 TBS olive oil

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh Horseradish/Sour Cream for garnish

Procedure:

Sauté onions, garlic, bay leaf in the olive oil until translucent.

Add beets, carrots, potato, stir and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft.

Add vegetable stock, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Remove bay leaf and add salt and pepper to taste.

Service piping hot with horseradish and sour cream as a garnish.

Prepared Horseradish

Grind or grate horseradish fine and add white vinegar to taste.