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[/frame] This event just keeps getting better!
A big shout-out to Charee Edwards for coordinating the event, & to the Ojai Rotary Club!
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As always the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Resort hosted Taste of Ojai -2014.
The Indian-Summer conditions were spectacular, as October often presents in our little Nest-
The music was great & the ever-smooth Alquimia Organic Tequila divine!
People danced, laughed, & enjoyed tasty items from; Surf Brewery, Bliss Frozen Yogurt, Suzanne’s Cuisine, Feast Bistro,
& of course the Jelly Gals were serving up Ojai Habanero Apricot Jam over Cheese Cake!
Mark your calendars for Taste of Ojai 2015- it’s well worth attending!
Category: Appetizers & Snacks
Local Artisans Market @William Sonoma
First Saturday
12 noon to 4 pm
Saunter into William Sonoma & Sample our Delightful + Delicious Epicurean Treats!ย
Friendly staff + talented Artisans throughout – Did I mention scrumptious treats?
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- have you tried our new Jam?
OJAI HABANERO APRICOT JAM – heat level 2ย
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- OJAI JALAPENO JELLYย – heat level 3
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- OJAI HABANERO JELLY – heat level 4
Summer Fancy Food Show – New York
Recently the 60th annual Specialty Foods “Summer Fancy Food Show” took place in
New York City.
The Cypress Grove Chevre Group selected Ojai Jalapeรฑo Jelly to pair with their classic
“Herbs de Humboldt“!
“The fresh taste of a hand-mixed blend of Herbs de Provence balance simply, yet perfectly.
All the herbal flavors you love dried at the peak of the season. Clever in name, classic in taste”ย
Thank you Cypress Grovers!
Crab Cake Dipping Sauce
Ojai Jelly
Crab Cake Sauce
3/4 c. safflower mayonnaise (or your favorite)
1/4 c. buttermilk (or plain yogurt)
3 T. Ojai Habanero Jelly (room temperature)
3 T. fresh dill leaves- chopped fine
1 T. fresh parsley leaves- chopped
2 T. lemon zest
1/2 lemon- juiced
1 garlic clove- minced
Combine all ingredients in a bowl & stir well.
Keep refrigerated until just before serving.
Sauce will thicken as it chills-
enjoy!
Ojai Habanero Apricot Jam
MY NEW FAVORITE! โฅโฅโฅ it!
Ripe California Apricots Blended with Habanero Peppers
Decadent on cheesecake or over ice cream-
Remarkable on bagels or waffles-
Jam-Packed with flavor-Big cheese pleaser!
Transformative on chicken-
A perfect addition to nearly everything…
Heal Level 2
Ojai Habanero Apricot Jam
Ojai Habanero Apricot Jam will be on shelves later this month!
โGreat on toast, bagels, waffles
โTasty in your PB&J
โServe as a “SATAY” dipping sauce on chicken;
Mix 1/2 peanut butter & 1/2 Jam
โPerk up your cheese plate!
I’ll post suggestions, recipes & where to purchase-
It’s always available online, but lets get it in your area!
enjoy!
Zaca Mesa 2012 Viognier
Zaca Mesa Winery
2012 Viognier
Serve cool 40โข – 45โข F
Zaca Mesa Winery is one of my all time favorite wineries-
I didn’t like white wines until I discovered their lovely Viognier.
Pairs well with;
โฆThai chicken
โฆRaw oysters
โฆGrilled Ahi
โฆ Chicken Satay
BBQ chicken skewers
Make a dipping sauce of
Ojai Jalapeรฑo Jelly (heat level 3)
or
Ojai Habanero Jelly (heat level 4)
Mix equal parts of Ojai Pepper Jelly
with Fresh Ground Peanut Butter
Makes a quick & easy โsatayโ to dip chicken
skewers in-
โฆ Grilled Ahi
Dip one flat-side of a 1โ thick fresh Ahi steak in
a mixture of horseradish aioli & sour cream,
then dredge the same side in Mediterranean
โDukkahโ or black sesame seeds.
Fry hot & fast for 2-minutes a-side.
Garnish with a fresh lemon wedge & parsley.
Always have a squirt-bottle of
Ojai Pepper Jelly
ready to decorate your plate with a
half-moon shape around edge to compliment
your meal-
enjoy!
Year of the Horse Salad
A special THANK YOU to local Santa Barbara artist; Katie Upton.
I โฅ her work!
Wine Pairing; Zaca Mesa Winery 2011 Viognier
Toss together;
2 c. organic beets, spiralized, then lightly steamed, or microโd ‘al dente’
2 c. organic Granny Smith Apples, spiralized or sliced thin
1/2 c. organic kale, or a handful of fresh parsley- chopped
1/2 c. organic celery root, (anise root, or jicama are also delicious)- chopped
Dressing;
(heat & mix over low heat, do not boil)
1/2 c. olive oil
2-3 t. Ojai Jalapeรฑo Jelly
Once it’s cooled, complete by adding;
1/2 c. “White Apple Balsamic Vinegar“
1/2 c. White Stilton Mango & Ginger Cheese
squeeze of lemon (โฅ Meyers)
At the last moment throw in
a handful of “NutC” Sweet n’ Spicy Walnuts– broken up, irregularly
Toss & serve-
enjoy!
Ojai Habanero Jelly + Mango Fruit Roll-Ups
Delicious & easy to make!
I throw it together & toss it in the oven when I have a few hours of paperwork to catch up on at home-
2 ripe mangos (about 2.5 c. pureed mango)
1/3 c. Ojai Habanero Jelly (play around with this & add the heat/sweet level you prefer, could be 1 T. or 1/3 c.)
1/4 t. xantham gum (gingerly sprinkle into blender so it doesn’t lump)
1 T. Canola oil
Score mango in fourths. Peel. Using a serrated knife, scrape inside of peel for every last bit of juicy content.
Cut chunks directly into blender, then use your hands to extract remaining pulp & juice from pit.
Blend; chop, pulse, puree.
Pour onto silpat or parchment paper & spread thin, & as even as you can (about 1/16″)0.
Bake for 2-3 hours @ 170โข
Lay on racks to cool.
Peel fruit leather off silpat (or parchment paper), & lay on wax paper, then cover with another piece of wax paper.
Roll it up & cut with kitchen shears, into single portions. Store in snack bags. I keep them in the refrigerator.
Warning; they don’t last long because they’re tastier (& healthier) than candy!
enjoy!
Vegan Sushi Roll
served with a Savory Peanut Sauce
Ingredients;
10โ12 Spring Roll Skins
1 small Red or Yellow Bell Pepper
7 Asparagus spears
1/3 of a Fennel Root
3 small Carrots
1 medium Haas Avocado. cubed
about 1 c. Wild (or brown) rice, cooked
1-3 T. Robbins Family Farm Lemon Balsamic
Squeeze of fresh lemon
I add a little lemon zest occasionally
Cilantro
Nasturtium Flowers
1-3 T. Black sesame seeds
fresh rosemary
Instructions;
Gently wash & air dry;
Cilantro
Nasturtium flowers (separate petals) for color & a little spice to the roll. Set aside.
Itโs only fair to WARN you that it would be best if you practice with the rice wraps a few times. Theyโre a bit temperamental, but worth the trouble. ONLY rinse ONE AT A TIME- & DO NOT lay them together. Iโm convinced that laying them together inadvertently created the โsuper ballโ. :/
Chop, grate, mince & julienne vegetables of your choice, considering size, texture & variety.
Place all vegetables, cooked rice & vinegar in a bowl-
Toss & set aside. Cilantro & Nasturtiums are not in the mix.
Next, run the rice paper under warm tap water until it changes from hard to malleable & use right away.
One at a time, lay on a very thin (NOT fuzzy) kitchen cloth.
Lightly dab off excess water.ย Lightly spray โPamโ olive oil on an olive serving dish. The indentation of the dish will assist you in forming the โcavityโ needed for the rolls.ย Lay the damp rice paper across the olive oil tray & push in the center to fill.
For flavor & a splash of color, lay a few nasturtium flower petals, &/or a cilantro leaf or two on the center of your rice paper. If you serve your rolls whole they will be seen first.
Next add about 3 T. of the โsaladโ like mixture to the rice paper.โจPull up ends at the 6 oโclock & 12 oโclock position of your rice paper, then left to right. As you continue it will be more uniform to create sushi-looking rolls.
Aim for rolls that are about 1.5โณ x 5โณ
Lightly sprinkle sesame seeds on top of each roll.
These wraps are translucent & make very attractive finger-food.
Savory Dipping Sauce
Ingredients;
3/4 c. Peanut Butter (I like fresh ground, organic)
3/4 c. Ojai Jalapeรฑo Jelly or Ojai Habanero Jelly
Instructions;
Mix the peanut butter with Ojai Pepper Jelly.
Serve sauce in individual ramekins &/or with a small serving spoon- guests like to add sauce as they eat their roll.
Serve on a plain platter, so you & your guests can enjoy the natural colors of the ingredients. Garnish serving dish with a few Cilantro leaves & Nasturtium Flowers.
enjoy!
Asparagus Spears wrapped in Prosciutto, drizzled with Habanero-Balsamic Reduction
This is a delicious appetizer- & the first way I tried prosciutto-
One bunch of organic asparagus spears- ends cut off, washed
About 10 thinly shaved pieces of prosciutto-
Cut each strip into 3 long strips, about 1″ wide
Boil a pot of water then turn off the heat.
Add asparagus & let sit for 2-3 minutes.
Drain & immediately cover with ice to preserve color.
Drain & gently pat dry. Set aside.
In a saucepan over low to medium heat add;
3 T. Ojai Habanero Jelly
1/2 c. Balsamic Vinegar
handful of craisins
Whisk together & stir until thickened, then remove from heat.
Wrap towel-dried asparagus with strips of prosciutto by twisting the asparagus as you hold the prosciutto.
For easy clean up, lay wrapped asparagus side by side on foil, in a baking dish.
Drizzle with balsamic Habanero reduction.
Broil for 5-7 minutes-
Served warm or @ room temperature-
Savory, sweet, salty wonderfulness- & you get your vegetable too!
enjoy!
Cowboy Cookies
This cookie is a bit like an energy barโ
The batter is thick & sticky. This recipe makes a big batch of cookiesโ I use Glad “Press n’ Seal” & it keeps
them fresh & they freeze well.
Ingredients;
2/3 c. butter, melted
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. crunchy peanut butter
6 c. oats (old fashioned Quaker Oats)
2 t. baking soda
1 c. chocolate chips (dark semi sweet)
1 c. butterscotch chips
Melt butter.
In a BIG bowl;
Blend melted butter in with sugars, eggs & peanut butter until fully mixed.
Mix in remaining ingredientsโ & as youโre adding the oats gently sprinkle in the baking
soda & mix well-
Using a teaspoon or a tablespoon, form a ball for each cookie, then place on a parchment paper covered cooking sheet.
Bake at 350*
12โ15 minutes
Theyโll cook faster in a convection oven; 10โ12 minutes.
enjoy!
Baked Camembert with Ojai Habanero Jelly & Cranberries
This is a great holiday crowd pleaser-
Preheat oven to 425
Ingredients:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 8-ounce wheel Camembert cheese
3 T. Ojai Habanero Jelly
1/4 c. frozen cranberries; thawed
1 egg yolk
1 T. water
I like to bake the Camembert in the wood crate it comes in-
be sure to get the wrappers off so you don’t have an oven fire!
What to do:
Let a sheet of puff pastry slightly thaw at room temperature on a cutting board; about 20-30 minutes.
Roll out the dough to approximately a 10โ square-
Put your Camembert on top of the pastry dough & pull the dough up & around the Camembert-
Pleat the pastry dough so it meets at the top center then trim away excess dough-
Put the Ojai Habanero Jelly + cranberries on top of the pastry dough.
Mix egg yolk & water then brush with a pastry brush to coat the dough.
Place on a baking sheet & bake until golden brown; about 25 minutes.
Once out of the oven, let it rest about 10 minutes on a cooling rack-
I like to serve this with bits of slightly toasted bread, as I would fondue-
or you can serve it with your favorite crackers.
enjoy!
Burnt Sage Butter
Instructions;
Place about 1/2 c. butter (salted) into a medium frying pan, over medium heat.
Cook until butter is fully melted & almost golden brown in color-
Into the browning butter, add 10-15 culinary sage leaves (organic, whole sage leaves).
Swirling the mixture often, cook butter and sage leaves for about 4-5 minutes more, until the butter turns an almost deep nut brown color, sage leaves will be quite crisp and irresistible-
Inspired by Dario, Chef Extraordinaire
CaโDario Restaurant
37 East Victoria Street
Santa Barbara, California
805.884.9419
It was by the hand of Dario that I was first graced with
โburnt sage butterโ- now Iโm hooked!
CaโDarioโs is my favorite Italian Restaurant, if not my favorite restaurant overall-
Dario is as sweet as he can be & heโs a hell of a chef-
When you dine at Ca’Dario, be sure to order; “RAVIOLI AL BURRO E SALVIA“ Itโs heaven!
enjoy!
Zucchini Bread
This recipe is being Jelly Blogged today for my sweet “Insight” buddy Marc LaFont– he’s up to his ears in zucchini!
Good use of your abundant crop, but also helps keep it around throughout the year if
you freeze it.
If you friends & neighbors get a whiff of this tasty treat, that wont want your ‘extra’ zucchini anymore, but your zucchini bread instead!
This moist, sweet, nutty bread is very easy to make & it freezes well-
It’s good morning, noon & night!
Stash some in your freezer to last throughout the winter- pull it out in the morning & have in place of toast,
or as a midday snack, or an evening dessert-like treat.
It’s delicious plain, with a dab of butter, or a smear of cream cheese.
Just pop a piece in the toaster & enjoy with coffee or tea-
Preheat oven to 350.ย Grease & lightly flour bread pans.
Ingredients;
3 eggs
1 c. canola oil
2 c. โTurbinadoโ raw sugar (or 1 c. brown & 1 c. white)
2 c. fresh grown, organic zucchini squash
3 c. flour (I use 1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour & 1 1/2 c. โSwanโs Downโ cake flour)
ยฝ t. salt
ยฝ t. baking powder
ยฝ t. baking soda
3 T. cinnamon
1ยฝ c. walnuts (chopped)
ยพ c. raisins
1 t. vanilla extract
In a large bowl;
Beat eggs till foamy, add oil, sugar & zucchini.ย Mix lightly.
Add dry ingredients & mix.
Bake at 350 for about an hour.
This recipe makes a lot-
I always bake using my all time favorite “French” mini-loaf pan.ย After the loaves cool completely, I wrap each loaf individually with “Press ‘n Seal”, then put them all in freezer bags for my Winter Stash!
enjoy!
