Lunch Box: Summer Salads

Ingredients:

· 1 C vegetable or chicken stock
· 1 C brown and/or wild rice mixture
· 1 C dry French green lentils
· 1/4 C Leblanc Almond Oil*
· 1/4 C BR Cohn Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
· 1/4 C BR Cohn Raspberry Vinegar*
· 2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed
· 3/4 C finely diced red onion
· 1 C dried cranberries
· 1 C chopped almonds, toasted
· Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

· Combine 1 cup water and the stock in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover and simmer over medium heat until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.

· Meanwhile, place lentils in a saucepan over medium heat and cover with 11/4 cups water. Simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool. In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked rice and lentils.

· Prepare a vinaigrette by whisking together the walnut oil olive oil, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the lentils and rice. Add the red onion, dried cranberries and slivered almonds. Season with salt and pepper as desired.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

* These products are available for purchase at Datz.

Have some fun while you eat lunch and learn how to cook something new! Sign up for a Lunch Box lesson this week. You can find registration information on our website at www.datzdeli.com.

From Lunch Box Monday July 26: Homage to Jacques Pepin

Ingredients

• 1/3 C Lucero Mission Extra Virgin Olive oil*
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp Les Moulins Mahjoub Harissa*
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• One 5-# seedless watermelon, scooped into balls with a melon baller or cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (10 cups), chilled
• 1/2 # feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
• 1 1/4 C pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 small red onion, cut into slivers
• 1 C mint, coarsely chopped

Method

• In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt, harissa and pepper.
• Add the watermelon, feta, olives and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the mint and serve.

* These products are available at Datz

Cook’s Note: For a fun serving suggestion, reserve the scooped out watermelon rind and use as a bowl for the salad. Great for picnics!

Be sure to sign up for one of our weekday Lunch Box lessons. You can find more information and register on www.datzdeli.com.

by Chef Nikki Bowen

Basic Crepes

Ingredients

· 1 cup all-purpose flour

· Pinch kosher salt

· 2 eggs

· 1/2 cup milk

· 1/2 cup club soda

· 3 tablespoons melted butter, plus 3 tablespoons for cooking the crepes

Batter:

· In a mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and make a well in the center. Add the remaining ingredients, except the melted butter, into the center of the well and whisk together until just combined. The mixture should be like VERY loose pancake batter. If the mixture is a little thick, whisk in a little more milk. Let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes before using.

*Tip: Crepe batter can be made up to 2 days in advance, covered and refrigerated.

Crepes:

· Melt about a 1/2 teaspoon of butter in a small nonstick saute pan. The butter should coat the bottom of the pan.

· Put the pan over medium heat. Fill a 2-ounce ladle, almost to the top, with batter and pour it into the preheated pan, tipping and rolling the pan, as you ladle the batter, to evenly cover the bottom. This will take a little practice, even when you are an experienced crepe maker the first couple always get wasted. Accept it and move on.

· When the edges of the crepe begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and the bottom begins to brown a little, turn the crepe over and cook it for about 1 minute on the other side. Remove the crepe from the pan to a plate and let cool. Stack the crepes as they are cooked between parchment paper squares. Repeat this process, until all the batter is used, wiping the pan with your paper towel or melting a little more butter to the pan, as needed.

Semolina Crepes

Ingredients

· 3 cups warm water

· 2 teaspoons baking powder

· 1 3/4 cups fine semolina (sometimes called extra-fancy durum flour)

· 1/3 cup AP flour

· 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

· 1 teaspoon sugar

· 1 teaspoon salt

· Vegetable oil, for cooking

· 1/3 cup honey, warmed

· 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Method

· In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup warm water with baking powder. In food processor, combine semolina with flour, yeast, sugar, and remaining warm water. Process for 30 seconds, until smooth. Add the salt and baking powder mixture and process for 30 seconds longer. Pour the batter into a large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

· Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet and coat it with a thin layer of vegetable oil. In a small bowl, blend the honey with the butter. Whisk the batter until creamy. Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter into the skillet, tilting the skillet to distribute it evenly. Cook the crepe over moderate heat until bubbles appear all over the surface and the bottom is pale golden, about 2 minutes. Shake the skillet to loosen the creoe, then slide the crepe onto a plate.

· Drizzle with the honey butter and serve right away. Repeat with more oil and remaining batter and honey butter.

by Chef Nikki Bowen

Crepes Suzette (Sweet Crepes)

Ingredients

· 2 large eggs

· 3/4 cup milk

· 1/2 cup water

· 1 cup flour

· 3 tablespoons melted butter

· 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur

· Butter, for coating the pan

Method

· In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.

· Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.

Sauce

Ingredients

· 1/2 pound butter, softened

· 4 tablespoons sugar

· 4 ounces of your favorite liquor

· 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream

Method

· Fold your crepes in half twice, so they are in the shape of a triangle. In a non-stick pan over medium heat, melt half of the butter. When it begins to foam remove from heat and add 2 ounces of the liquor and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Always add alcohol off of the heat to avoid a jumping flame. Use tongs to gently lay crepes into the pan. Turn the crepes to coat. Lay the crepes out on a plate and top with ice cream. Pour remaining sauce over the ice cream. Serve immediately.

Manicotti Crepes

Ingredients

· Extra-virgin olive oil

· 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

· Kosher salt

· Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

· 3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

· 1 pound bulk fennel pork sausage

· 1 pound baby spinach, washed and cut into 1-inch lengths

· 2 cups ricotta cheese

· 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving

· 2 eggs

· Bechamel Sauce, recipe follows

· 1/2 recipe Basic Tomato Sauce, recipe follows

· 1 recipe Basic Crepes, recipe follows

Directions
Filling:

· Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and put the pan over medium heat. Season the onions with salt, to taste, and add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Saute until the onions are translucent and very aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 3 to 4 more minutes. Add the pork sausage and cook until nicely browned. Stir in the spinach, season with salt, to taste, and saute until the spinach is wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. In a large bowl, add the ricotta, 1 cup of grated Parmigiano, the eggs and 1 cup of bechamel and stir to incorporate. Mix in the cooled sausage mixture into the ricotta mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.

To assemble the manicotti:

· Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

· Prepare the baking dish by evenly schmearing 1 cup of bechamel sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

· Put 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling on a crepe just below the halfway mark. Form the filling into an even log and then roll up the crepe to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining filling and crepes. Arrange the crepes in the baking dish, snuggling the crepes together until the dish is filled. Spoon the tomato sauce over the top of the crepes and spread the bechamel in a wide swath down the middle. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmigiano and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top starts to brown a little, about 5 to 10 minutes.

· Remove from the oven and serve topped with a little extra cheese.

Bechamel Sauce:

Ingredients

· 3 tablespoons butter

· 1/2 small white onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

· Kosher salt

· 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour

· 1 quart milk

· Pinch grated nutmeg

· 1 bay leaf

· 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method

· Add the butter and onion to a large saucepan over medium heat. Season the onions with salt, to taste, and cook until they become translucent and very aromatic. Add the flour and cook until the flour and butter resemble wet sand, about 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually, whisk in the milk until incorporated. Add the bay leaf and nutmeg and season with salt, to taste. Slowly bring the milk/flour mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom. Be sure that the milk comes to a boil or the flour will not cook out and you will be left with a very objectionable starchy feeling on your tongue.

· Once the sauce has come to a boil and has thickened, remove it from the heat. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the grated Parmigiano, taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.

· Use right away or refrigerate, covered, until ready to assemble dish.

Marinara Sauce:

Ingredients

· 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

· 1/4 pound diced pancetta

· 2 large Spanish onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice

· Kosher salt

· 4 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

· 4 (28-ounce cans) Italian plum San Marzano tomatoes, crushed

Method

· Coat a large sauce pot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Put the pot over medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt, to taste, and stir to coat with the olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

· Add tomatoes to pot.  Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 1 to 3 hours (to your desired consistency and taste) stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.  

· Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days or it can be frozen.

When I was small, maybe 7 or 8, my mother instituted the rule that every Friday night was New Vegetable Night. The childhood burden of new and strange vegetables did not fare well in our household.

Unfairly blamed on my mother’s cooking, my brother and I took to pouting and temper tantrums to avoid eating anything green. It wasn’t long before New Vegetable Night became Pizza Night instead, and peace was restored in the Lee household.

Twenty years later, no longer so closed-minded, a new vegetable appeared on my plate on Friday night. And strangely, I ate it with wonder and abandon. Well… perhaps not so strangely. This was culinary school, and the lesson at hand was fiddleheads.

Fiddleheads, the tightly furled shoot of the Ostrich Fern first discovered by the Maliseet and Mi’kMaq tribes in Eastern Canada, are a springtime delicacy all the way up the East Coast. Until that night, I don’t recall ever having seen them, but they tasted like I imagined they would – like asparagus. (They smell and taste of the earth in the same way that fresh scallops taste of the ocean.) They were crunchy and earthy and green tasting and paired well with the pappardelle, crispy prosciutto and salty Parmigiano-Reggiano also on my plate.

It’s one of the few things I miss about living in the northeast – these succulent signs of spring. Asparagus. Ramps. Fiddleheads. <sigh> Desperate for a harbinger, Chef Jason Dame and I ordered them from Sid Wainer, but just the other day, I found them at The Fresh Market. (You’ll have to wait for a new shipment because I bought them all.) Jason and I served them alongside wild mushrooms in a ragout topped with a mammoth diver scallops. Oh! And finger limes. Today, I’m using up what’s left in a spring risotto – asparagus, fiddleheads, meyer lemon and creamy cana de cabra (because that’s what in the fridge). And I’m thinking that maybe my mother was on to something after all.

FIDDLEHEAD FAQ

Want to know more about fiddleheads? Here are the basics on stalking, preparation and storage:

What do they taste like? They taste like asparagus.

How can I tell if a fiddlehead is ready to eat? In the field, you can tell the fiddlehead is still young by how tightly it is furled. If the furl is loosening into a fern, it’s gone by.

How long will a fiddlehead stay fresh? Most chefs like to use them the same day, but you can blanch or steam them for less than a minute, lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze them solid. Then you can keep them in a bag in your freezer.

What’s a simple way to eat a fiddlehead? Steam or blanche the fiddlehead for three minutes, douse them with butter and lemon, and serve as a side dish.

How long is fiddlehead season? Fiddlehead season lasts about three weeks. Since the timing varies from Virginia to Canada, you can usually order them for about six weeks from somewhere.

NOTE: Not all ferns are edible, so stalkers should arm themselves with information or get a knowledgeable partner to go out with. Also, don’t be too greedy. Stalkers ask that people take no more than a third of an outcropping so the crop can be sustained

Calling all beer geeks and Datz foodies! It’s time to hop to it and vote for the name of our new beer created exclusively for us by Cigar City Brewing.

We received nearly 400 entries to name the Datz pumpernickel rye beer, but after making some tough decisions we narrowed it down to the top three.

• Datz Goblin Breeze Pumpernickel Porter by Jen Ryan
• Soggy Loaf Pumpernickel Porter by Logan Rusnak
• Pumper in the Rye Porter by Patti Miller

So vote for your favorite in our web poll. Fifty percent of the vote will come from you and the other 50 percent will be judged by a panel of Datz judges.

The 1st place winner receives:
• Your name on the beer, sketch of you on Datz t-shirts and two free for shirts for you
• Free new beer for one year
• VIP status at cask launch party
• Private beer tasting event for 8
• 20% off all other beer for a year
• Dinner for 4 at a Monday Fun Day Beer dinner
• $100 Datz gift card

The 2nd place winner receives:
• Free new beer for one month
• VIP status at cask launch party
• New beer t-shirt when it arrives
• Private Beer tasting event for 8
• 10% all beer for a year
• Dinner for 2 at Monday Fun Day beer dinner
• $50 Datz gift card

The 3rd place winner receives:
• Free new beer for a week
• VIP status at cask launch party
• New beer t-shirt on arrival
• Private beer tasting for 8
• 10% off all beer for a year
• Dinner for 2 at Monday fun Day beer dinner
• $25 Datz gift card

There is only a slight difference between B.epidermis, the bacteria found on cloistered regions of the human body, and Brevibacterium linens, found on the skin of a washed-rind cheese. At least when it comes to aroma. So why then do we trust and enjoy, a cheese that smells like body odor, but not body odor per se? For enthusiasts of washed-rind cheese, its bodily odor activates our “cheese pheromones.” Indeed, the cheeses with the funkiest smell ((i.e. Epoisses, Taleggio, Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hawk, all of which are available at Datz, by the way) often have the sweetest centers that melt like a dream. Their earthy funk adds flair to mild foods, and as they cook, the silkier ones form a sauce that coats food in a film of smooth, creamy luxury. These are cheeses that inspire cooks.

You can thank the monks for this lovely discovery.

During the Middle Ages, Trappist monks in Europe began rubbing the beer and spirits for which their establishments were celebrated on their cheeses to keep the rinds from cracking. The fact that the practice only made the cheese more delicious was simply fortuitous.

Because washed rinds were traditionally Trappist cheeses, it is not surprising that they pair well with beer. The monks who make these cheeses are also master brewers and would naturally want their two creations to taste good together. I like them best with Trappist beers, but they go well with Belgian beers in general, whose slight sweetness plays off the flavors in the washed rind’s interior.

Pairing with wine is simple, too. Aromatic whites are generally the way to go. Off-dry Gewurztraminers, Rieslings and lightly oaked Viogniers work like Belgian beers to highlight the cheese’s sweetness. If the cheese is European, it goes especially well with the wines of the region. Epoisses loves pinot noirs and chardonnays from the Burgundy area where it grew up, for example.

So hold your nose if you must, but try not to judge a cheese by its odor. If it’s too strong for you on its own, try easing into a good washed rind with a recipe that incorporates it into a classic dish. Like grilled cheese, for instance.

In honor of Grilled Cheese Month (April), we present the following recipe: Tallegio Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Arugula. In this sandwich, melted Taleggio makes one of the creamiest grilled cheeses you will ever taste. Offset by the sweetness of the caramelized onions and peppery arugula, the flavors are perfectly balanced. The crunch offered by country wheat and walnut bread only sweetens the deal.

Makes 2 sandwiches
Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized yellow onion sliced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large handful arugula, washed
• 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• Divided 4 slices country walnut bread
• 5 ounces sliced Taleggio
• 1/2 inch thick Pinch of salt

Directions:

• Begin cooking onions in canola oil in a medium-sized saute pan over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Lower heat and cook for 20 minutes, or until onions are caramelized and sweet tasting, stirring occasionally.
• Add up to 2 tablespoons of water to onions when necessary to prevent burning and sticking. Let cool.
• Toss arugula with olive oil in a separate bowl.
• Spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter on one side of each bread slice, using 2 tablespoons total.
• Begin building one sandwich by spreading 1/2 tablespoon of butter on the unbuttered side of one of the bread slices.
• Layer half the arugula on top of the butter, followed by half of the Taleggio and half of the caramelized onions.
• Top with another piece of bread, buttered side up. Repeat steps for the second sandwich.
• In a medium saute pan over low-medium heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and add the sandwiches, arugula side down.
• Resist the urge to flip until the first side is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip, turn heat to low, salt the top slice of bread, and wait until the second side is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

There’s not much I love more than a nice juicy steak, except maybe a nice juicy steak paired with decadent side dishes, a great Napa Valley wine and good company.

Around the Chef’s Table at Datz February 28, a group of diners gathered to enjoy the pleasures of Chefs Heather and Matt Stalker’s classic steakhouse recipes with a contemporary twist.

Like all good meals, it started with a warning – a 7 ½-pound slab of Flintstones-sized meat kind of warning.

As Chef Matt (also a meat cutter at Publix) drew his 6-inch boning knife across his steel, he walked the guests through the break down of a rib section sub-primal. In what seemed like minutes, the hunk of giant beef was deftly portioned into cowboy (bone-in) ribeye steaks, prime rib roast and back ribs.

With guests quite literally licking their chops, Chef Heather stepped in with the first succulent course – blistered tomatoes and whole roasted garlic smeared on crusty crostinis with a wedge of Gabriel Coulet blue cheese. So simple, yet so elegant.

Sommelier Jennifer Bingham from Global Wines Distribution poured a Beaucanon Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay to complement the second course – balsamic glazed sticky ribs.

While most would expect red wine with beef, the gentle heat from the cayenne-infused sweet balsamic glaze needed something a little different.

Carefully crafted with the aromas and flavors of vanilla, lemon, pineapple and coconut, with hints of rosemary and limestone, the medium-bodied chardonnay was the perfect pairing for the ribs and the iceberg wedge salad with warm bacon and blue cheese dressing.

Already groaning with expanding stomachs, one whiff of the juicy Prime Rib Au Poivre and the guests were clamoring for more. Done in a traditional steak au poivre manner, the medium roasted prime rib with served with a decadent brandy cream sauce that Chef Heather made a la minute, and served the 2-inch thick slices against an equal sized portion of creamy two-potato gratin. Jennifer paired this course with a bold Beaucanon Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Franc, whose aromatic bouquet of blackberry, red cherry and dried rose petal lifted the dish to new heights.

And, as if that weren’t enough, the final and possibly most delicious steak was a cowboy ribeye with grilled Meyer lemon and rosemary with creamed rainbow chard, paired with a Bordeaux-inspired Beaucanon Estate Napa Valley Red Wine Trifecta.

After such a carnivorous feast, thoughts of dessert were fleeting, but the scrumptious bananas foster (seventh course) was petite sized, and the parting sip of Marguery Historias dessert wine was, in fact, a fabulous digestif.

Eat this post: Chefs Heather and Matt will recreate Steakhouse Favorites Saturday, March 27 at 7 p.m. ($125 includes a seven-course meal + wine). Click here to register.