Lemon Cucumber with Saffron Salad

The lemon cucumbers taste different than other cucumbers.Lemon Cumbers also look different….they actually look like lemons. These cucumbers are sweet and sort of fruity with gentle acid. I thought they’d go well with I’itois Onions, Sweet Yellow Bell Peppers and Saffron. I just add a little sugar and a tiny bit of course sea salt. I think that is all this salad needs. I figure if you are able to find lemon cucumbers that you shouldn’t ave trouble finding an I’itiois Onion. It looks like a scallion but has more complex flavors….sort of scallion and sort of shallot.

Ingredients for about 4 servings

5 medium lemon cucumbers – ends trimmed and cut in 1/2 slices

1 yellow bell pepper (stem and core removed) – cut in thin 1/4 slices

1 I’itois onion – sliced

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt

pinch saffron

Directions

Everything but saffron goes in a medium sized bowl. Gently stir bowl. Crumble the saffron well with your fingers and add in.

Chill and serve.

Lemon Cucumber with Saffron Salad

The Forking Truth

Pomegranate Rosemary Chocolate Biscotti

This Biscotti recipe is a tweaked and different flavor version of Giada de Laurentiis’s Recipe (chocolate chip biscotti) that is or used to be on www.FoodNetwork.com . The Biscotti just come out delicious. You and all your guest will be thrilled with these Biscotti. The pomegranate just adds a really neat fruity pop and this interesting texture. The fresh rosemary is just something that aromatic and in the background….a hint that you don’t really know it’s there but it just taste delicious.The cookies are great with or without the chocolate drizzle so that is optional….As for the recipe I only changed up the flavor (anise), regular flour for bread flour from the original …… for more texture. I also added lower degree and lower  baking for a crisper biscotti. This recipe will make around 30 Biscotti. Like for most better results for yummier cookies I made the cookie dough the day before and baked up the Biscotti the next day.

Ingredients for about 30 servings

2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon course sea salt

3/4 cup sugar

4 oz unsalted butter – room temperature

2 large eggs – beaten

1 teaspoon anise seeds

1 pomegranate – all the fruit from the pomegranate

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary – chopped fine

optional 6 oz chocolate chips for drizzling (I used milk chocolate….)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl add the sugar and butter and mix well with a fork. Then add the eggs and mix well. Now dump in the flour, baking powder, salt and anise seeds and mix well. Add the pomegranate and rosemary. Mix well. Cover dough bowl with plastic wrap. Put bowl of dough in the refrigerator and let sit overnight.

Next Day

Set oven to 350 degrees F

Get out a baking sheet and line it with a silicon mat if you have one. If not parchment paper should work almost as well.

Roll the dough into two logs and place on lined baking sheet. It should look something like picture below.

Put it in the oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes it will look something  like this.

The dough will be hot and soft. Let it cool for a couple hours on the counter.

Remove one dough log and slice it slowly in a sawing motion with a serrated knife in about 1/2 inch slices.

Turn down the oven to 300 degrees F.

If you have two silicon mats line two baking sheets with the silicon mats. (parchment is second choice. The Biscotti need to get baked on each side. Lay the biscotti on the side to get baked like picture below.

Bake the biscotti for 20 minutes and take the biscotti out of the oven. (you might have 4 hard small ends that you might need to remove now and set to the side for drizzling or just eat them)

Turn the oven down again to 275 degrees F.

Flip each biscotti over on the other side so the other side can get cooked. Let them cook for another 20 minutes. After 20 minutes I shut the oven off and opened the door and let the biscotti stay in there to crisp up a little more. (maybe another 20 minutes)

If you are adding the chocolate drizzle…….

Line baking sheets with parchment paper

Then line up the biscotti like this.

In a cereal size bowl microwave the chocolate chips for 30 seconds. Mix them up with a spoon and microwave the chips for another 30 seconds and stir well. You might need another 10 seconds.

With a disposable pastry bag……..Fold it down half way over your hand and spoon in the chocolate.

Snip off about an 1/8 inch of the tip and just go from the front to the back over the biscotti about 6 times each row.

You have to leave the biscotti sit out for around 6 hours because it takes that long for the chocolate to harden.

“OMG those Biscotti smell heavenly”

A special Thanks to Giada de Laurentis for her really great Chocolate Chip Biscotti Recipe on Foodnetwork. I feel that recipe taught me how to make biscotti.

ENJOY!

Pomegranate Rosemary Chocolate Biscotti

These Biscotti are Forking Scrumptious!

The Forking Truth

Crispy Cheese Stuffed Red Corn Grit Cakes over Seasoned Spinach & Chestnuts and Topped with Italian Style Sweet Tomatoes

I picked up a bag of Jimmy Red Cornmeal Grits from Nelson’s Seafood and Meat Shop. These Grits are very different than regular grits or even polenta. They have a unique flavor and a very fine texture. On the bag it states that they have a slight chestnut and lavender taste. I tried to pick up on the chestnut taste by adding earthy chestnuts to the spinach. These grits are so different. They have almost no texture and are like creamy soup when you follow the directions on the package. I thought if I cut the liquid by 25% I could make the grits firmer and make a crusted cake out of them. The crust part is very concentrated with corn flavor that is filled with this unique creamy delicate grits. A creamy mild cheese is between two thin layers of crusted grits. Underneath is quickly braised spinach. I heated up a 1/2 cup of water with a Tablespoon of vegetable based (think of it as flavored salt) and thinly sliced onions. As soon as the mixture is hot the spinach gets squeezed into the pot and is done almost instantly. Then the spinach gets drained and seasoned. You will be surprised on how flavorful and delicious the spinach gets. Lastly the grit cakes get topped very very sweet seasoned Italian style tomatoes and a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese if you happen to have any around.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

1 cup Jimmy Red Cornmeal – Geechie Boy Mill Brand (I don’t think any other brand is made the same)

3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

non stick spray – canola or vegetable

1 1/2 lbs fresh spinach

1/2 medium sweet onion – sliced very thin on a mandolin

1 garlic clove – ground to paste

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon vegetable base

3 1/2 oz peel roasted chestnuts – slightly more than rough chopped

fresh ground black pepper to  taste

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup tiny sweet grape tomatoes – cut in quarters

1 garlic clove ground to paste

1 Tablespoon fine chopped basil – packed really tight

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsamic  vinegar

1 1/2 Tablespoons shaved parmesan

fresh ground sea salt – to taste

fresh ground black pepper – to taste

4 oz mild cheese mozzarella, mild provolone would be great, mascarpone would be great too (I used a mild pepadew cheese)

optional – 4 dollops of fresh made ricotta cheese

Directions

Put a sauce pot on to boil with 3 cups of water and a 1/2 teaspoon of course sea salt. When it starts to boil slowly whisk in the grits. Keep whisking. Turn down the heat to a medium simmer.  Add the butter and keep whisking. Whisk as much as you can for at least 20 minutes.

Spray a pie pan with non stick spray.

When the grits are done pour the grits in the pie pan and leave on the counter till about room temperature. Then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool at set.

In a medium bowl combine the tomatoes, 1 clove garlic, basil, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, balsamic, parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Set in the refrigerator.

Now clean out your sauce pot.

Add a 1/2 cup of water to your sauce pot with the sliced onions and bring them to boil on medium high heat. Add the spinach a BIG handful at a time while stirring. (this should be very quick) Now take off heat and place spinach in a colander to drain over a bowl or in sink so it can drain. Stir in the ground garlic, roasted chestnuts, olive oil and black pepper to taste. You will be surprised on how delicious and flavorful the spinach is….

By around now the grits might be chilled and solid.

When the grits are chilled and solid. Dump them out in one piece on a cutting board.

Cut 8 wedges just like a pie.

Get a medium sized fry pan on medium high heat sprayed with non stick spray. When the pan is hot add a couple wedges at a time and they need to brown on both sides. This happened pretty quickly if your pan is hot. They only need about two minutes a side.

I put the mild cheese in-between two grit wedges.

Crispy Cheese Stuffed Red Corn Grit Cakes over Seasoned Spinach & Chestnuts and Topped with Italian Style Sweet Tomatoes

Then over the spinach and spooned on some of the tomato mixture and a spoonful of fresh made ricotta.

The Forking Truth