Chef’s on the road

On “kid-less” days, Molly and I enjoy getting in the car and going to where ever the road leads. Our roadway adventures usually lead us to some small town to what some would call the middle of nowhere. We venture into a local pubs chatting to the locals and discovering the heart’s of their community. One thing that I love about these excursions is not only spending time with my wife (two chefs with three kids in the family does take up a lot of time) is going to the local farmers markets. Seeing what the communities’ farmers and gardeners are bringing in during the dog days of summer is not only fun but meeting the actual people who grow your food is to me, the coolest thing one can do.

One of my favorite summer recipes is one of the first recipes I was taught. Not only does it make a great side dish it can be a light meal on the hot summer nights.

Enjoy,
The Dollarhides

Need help finding a local farmers market? Try the site below
mda.state.mn.us/food/minnesotagrown/farmersmarkets.htm

“Crofut” Ratatouille
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium eggplant, cubed
1 zucchini, cubed
1 medium yellow squash, cubed
1 green bell peppers, seeded and cubed
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
½ cup Frontenac Red (Crofut, of course!)
1/2 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

The “How to”
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Toss in onions and garlic then cook until tender

In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the zukes in batches until slightly browned on all sides. Remove the zucchini and place in the pot with the onions and garlic.

Sauté all the remaining vegetables one batch at a time, adding 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet each time you add a new set of vegetables. Once each batch has been sautéed add them to the large pot as was done in step 2.

Season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf , thyme and WINE! Cover the pot. Cook over medium low heat for 20to 30 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley to the large pot, cook another 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the bay leaf and adjust seasoning.

Pour your self a glass of wine and reap the benefits of living in Minnesota and having local food from great people!

Fun in the Sun!

Yesterday we had a lot of fun in the vineyard. Molly and I had a lot of fun meeting everyone and it is always fun to hear Don talk about his wine. The humidity was a little high but that just made the wine go down better. The day was awesome! We would like to thank all for coming and hope to see you back soon. We promised to get some of the recipes from yesterday. Like we said yesterday, the easier the recipes the better. It leads to more time drinking wine and talking to friends.

- Richard

p.s. If you ever have a cooking question / comments or need a recipe please feel free to contact us at Chefdollarhide@gmail.com


Citrus Shrimp Skewer (4 Servings)
16 larger shrimp (I just love saying large shrimp… anyways..)
1 orange sliced
1 lime sliced
½ cup orange juice concentrate
1T honey (always get your honey locally!)
1tsp. Cayenne pepper

Skewer shrimp w/ lime wedge another shrimp then an orange wedge. Mix together the orange juice concentrate, honey & cayenne. Spray your grill with nonstick spray before placing the skewers on the grill. As you grill the shrimp rub the orange juice mixture on the shrimp. Cook shrimp roughly three to four minutes on each side.


Stuffed Pork

1 pork tenderloin
½ cup of sundried tomatoes
1 clove garlic
¼ cup fennel (shaved thin)
Sat & pepper

Cut the tenderloin down the center being careful not to cut all the way through. Spread the tenderloin open and sprinkle with a little sat & pepper. Place your sundried tomatoes, fennel and garlic in the loin and fold loin. You can tie the loin or use skewers to close.
Grill on medium heat until 150 degrees and let rest for ten minutes before slicing.