Happy New Year!

I wish everyone the best for this coming new year. Be happy, healthy and have a good time!

We will be closed New Year's Day. Reopening on Friday.

Coupons for in-store and one for online only. Be safe tonight!

Christmas Menu

Sorry, I missed out on individual pictures of everything. But I did get a big group shot of the kitchen in the process.

So, this was the beginning. The ending was everyone passed out on the couch with Christmas in Connecticut on.

Menu:

Turkey, with fresh herbs and Olive Oil Aioli

Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Turnips and Carrots

Roasted Broccoli

Green Bean Casserole

Roasted Butternut Squash

Pumpkin Butternut Soup

Pumpkin Pie

Apple Cranberry Deep Dish Pie

Lemon Butterscotch Snickerdoodles

Rosemary Rolls

Crescent Rolls

Happy Holidays!

Happy Christmas from everyone here at the Olive-N-Grape!

We are open Christmas Eve until 6PM. 

We will be closed Christmas Day. But opening bright and early the day after. 

Have a good holiday!

Jalapeno Pineapple Chicken

This combo of flavors is actually one that a customer put together at the store, she said she was going to use it on fish. But as my husband prefers chicken...

Oh my. This chicken was actually a breeze to make. Don't be worried by roasting a chicken, if you don't have the time or the inclination, buy a rotisserie one, cut it up, brush it with the Jalapeno Olive Oil and bake it for twenty minutes or so while you finish up the rest of this dish. I like the bigger flavor you get when you roast it yourself, but nothing beats a rotisserie chicken when you are in a hurry!

And there are much more authentic and, well, better Sticky Rice recipes out there, but this is something thrown together in a pinch, using regular minute rice. We were in a rush.

Jalapeno Pineapple Chicken

1 fryer chicken, cut up and roasted

2 tbsp Jalapeno Olive Oil

2 tbsp Pineapple Balsamic

1 tsp minced tarragon

Garnish:

1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

Slivered almonds

Whole tarragon leaves

Lime wedges

Preheat the oven to 350.°

Rub the chicken down with the Jalapeno Olive Oil and the tarragon. Roast for 20 minutes, lightly covered. 

Brush with the Pineapple Balsamic. Garnish with slivered almonds, shredded coconut and tarragon leaves.

Pineapple Sticky Rice

2 cups instant rice

1 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk, canned

2 tsp Jalapeno Olive Oil

1/4 cup chopped pineapple

1/2 pineapple juice

1/4 cup Pineapple Balsamic

pinch of Thai Ginger Sea Salt

1 tsp minced tarragon

Bring the water and coconut mixture to a boil in a medium saucepan with the Oil. Add the tarragon leaves and rice. Cook according to the package directions. 

When you remove it from the heat to let it sit, add in the balsamic vinegar the reserved pineapples and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Top with sliced almonds and coconut shreds

Roasted Rosemary Potaotes

I threw these potatoes together to go along with some pork chops the other day. Unfortunately, they got eaten before pictures were taken. I did remember to grab a shot of the potatoes. Yay!

These were nice and easy. The perfect weeknight side. Although, they were so good, I may make a mass of these with a cool dipping sauce and maybe some melted cheese for an appetizer. Or, just as dinner. That works for me.

Switch up the olive oils how you like it. I was making Rosemary Pork Chops, so the Rosemary Olive Oil was perfect for these.

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

2 lbs small potatoes
Marsala Rosemary Sea Salt, good sprinkle
2 tbsp Rosemary Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Dice the potatoes and toss with the olive oil to coat. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and give it all a sprinkle of Marsala Rosemary Sea Salt.

Roast for 30 minutes to an hour. The longer you cook them, the crispier they will get.

It's coming!

Pumpkin Risotto

We have a pumpkin risotto product in store. In the interest of quality control, I naturally had to make some.

Fantastic! The hardest thing about risotto is choosing the right rice. With it prepacked like this, that's taken care of. The next hardest thing is the stirring, and that's all on you. Even if you burn a little bit on the bottom, it's still delicious.

Pumpkin Risotto

1 pkg pumpkin risotto
1/4 cup Olive Oil, Porcini
1 qt broth, any kind
1 cup chopped dried mushrooms, optional
1 cup pureed pumpkin, optional

In a large pan, heat the olive oil to a low medium heat. Add in the risotto mixture, mushrooms and enough broth to cover. Let simmer. Stir occasionally, add more broth as needed to keep everything covered. Add the pumpkin in the last 5 minutes or so.

Total cooking time should be around 20-30 minutes. The rice will be tender, but not squishy. Serve with a sprinkle of salt and an optional sprinkle of cheese.

Online Only Coupon!

This coupon only lasts for a week and applies online only.

We have lots of in-store specials that change every day, so if you come in you won't be left out!

Happy Holidays!

December First Friday Recipes!

Pureed Parsnip and Apple Soup

5 Granny smith apples

2lbs Parsnips peeled and cut into large dice

1 large sweet onion

2 Tbs. Cumin olive oil

2 tsp chopped garlic

2tsp ground coriander

2tsp ground cumin

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and Pepper

Peel and core apples, cut apples into large dice. Peel onion and cut into large dice. 

Place soup pot on high heat, add onions and sweat 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add parsnips and apples to onion and garlic.

Add coriander and cumin sweat 2 minutes. Add stock bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer. 

Cook 45 minutes until parsnips are tender. Puree soup and adjust seasoning with salt and cracked pepper.

Serve with a drizzle of the Cumin Olive Oil or the Red Apple Balsamic.

Roasted Tomato and Mozzarella Tart

Dough:

1 ¼ Cups flour

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

2 teaspoons salt

5 teaspoons cold water

In food processor pulse flour and salt to incorporate. Slowly add butter and pulse until looks like fine sand. 

Slowly add water until dough begins to form a ball. Remove dough and flatten into small disk wrap and place in fridge for one hour.

For the Tart Filling:

10 Roma tomatoes

2 tablespoons Tuscan olive oil

1lb fresh mozzarella cheese sliced and halved

Basil leaves for garnish

Salt and Pepper

Thinly slice the tomatoes. Place them on an oiled cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and roast at 400° for 15 minutes.

While tomatoes cool, place dough on lightly floured work surface roll dough to 9x12 rectangle. Place dough on floured cookie sheet overlap roasted tomatoes and cheese on dough.

Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake at 400° for 25 minutes.

Let tart stand 3 minutes before cutting. Garnish each slice with basil and drizzle of Basil olive oil.

Seared Scallop and Arugula Salad

1/2 pound dry sea scallops

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups baby arugula

2 oz White Peach Balsamic vinegar

5 oz Basil olive oil

Salt and pepper

Remove muscle from scallop, dust with salt and pepper

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil. When oil is hot, add scallops and sear until golden (about 3 minutes) turn and repeat on other side.

Place the greens in large bowl. Whisk oil and vinegar together and drizzle over the greens. Serve with warm scallops.

Don't forget!

It's First Friday tonight! We're heating up the cider right now!

Menu:

Seared Scallop and Arugula Salad

Roasted Tomato and Mozzarella Tart

Pureed Parsnip and Apple Soup

Now you know what you're missing!

Pictures and the recipes to follow!

Cyber Week!

This coupon is good ONLINE only. Please visit us in store for other great specials!

And don't forget First Friday this week! I am told that The Playhouse is having it's tree lighting Friday as well. There will be salad and something fish! And cider!

See you then!

Happy Black Friday!

Happy Black Friday all! We will be open until 9 tonight, so come out and get all your shopping done today!

We are offering a couple in store specials and some cookies too!

Hope to see you here!

Blood Orange Pumpkin Butterscotch and Vegan Strawberry Basil!

Happy Thanksgiving and more!

And the rest of the holidays too!

We are swiftly approaching the holiday shopping season, so don't forget to make your lists. What you are giving and what you need for you! Because it is the holiday for cooking as well, and that is something I love to do.

Just around the corner!

Stay tuned for holiday recipes. Ones for sit down dinners and taking to friends houses. I am hosting Christmas in my new kitchen this year, so I've got a whole bunch of menu planning of my own to work on.

To help out with your Thanksgiving menus, we are running a coupon!

We will be open late on the 26th (the day before) until at least 7pm. And our special Black Friday hours will be 10am-9pm. Lots of businesses in town are going to be open as well. 

And don't forget Small Business Saturday! Register your American Express card here to see all the benefits.

New Hope is having a whole bunch of great events this season. From the tree lighting on the 5th to Santa travelling around by horse-drawn carriage to free gift wrapping as it gets closer to Christmas. Please see the full schedule below. The New Hope Small Business Alliance has been working especially hard on it.

Schedule of Events

And it is also time for 1st Friday again. Last of the year. The 5th of December. Come and join us for Chef Terrance Tice's creations and in store specials. The 5th is also the day of the Tree Lighting.

So bundle up warmly and join us for all the fun this season!

Holiday Hours:

Nov. 26th: 11am-7pm
Nov. 27th: Closed
Nov. 28th: 10am-9pm

Monday-Thursday: 11am-6pm
Friday & Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 10am-6pm

Customer Recipe: Chocolate Balsamic Muffins

A big thank you to Jen for this muffin recipe! It's for a small family competition, so I hope it beats you sister's muffins into the ground!


Chocolate Balsamic Muffins

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup Chocolate Balsamic From OLIVE -N- GRAPE
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mix together all the ingredients and divide equally into 6 greased muffin cups.

Bake for 16 minutes.

Thai Coconut Soup

The kitchen is done. Okay, I still need to put on some knobs and put things away...and someday I'll decide on a backsplash... But yeah! Kitchen done.

Lets cook baby.

My favorite soup is Amy's Thai Coconut, Tom Kha Phak. But it's a bit expensive and it's the one they run out of first. Every. Single. Time. And there is no sharing. It's a small can.

So...my grocery store had a sale on mushrooms and this just happened. Omg, I may never have to buy Amy's again. But I probably will.

Thai Coconut Soup

1 lb cubed butternut squash
      or sweet potatoes
3 pints assorted sliced mushrooms, I used white, and baby bella.
1 cup sliced carrots
8 oz spinach
1 large onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 can coconut milk
3 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil with Garlic Ginger
black pepper
red pepper flake

Slice the onion into thin pieces. In a large pan with high sides toss the Persian Lime Olive Oil with the onions on medium heat.

If using frozen squash/potatoes and carrots, add them now. If you are using fresh, Add them to a pan with an inch or two of water and a pinch of salt. Put a lid on it and let boil for about 6-10 minutes, or until fork tender.

Over medium heat, sweat the onions and the garlic for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms and break them up with a spoon. Saute for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until they are reduced to about half their volume. Add the spinach, Sesame Oil and tahini; stir to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the rest of the veggies if you haven't already and the can of coconut milk. Add the black pepper and red pepper flake. I put in almost a teaspoon of black pepper and just a few shakes of red pepper flake.

Let simmer for up to 10 minutes. And serve.

And a peek at the kitchen!

First Friday- Results!

Hello again! Wow. Two posts in a couple days? A recent record!

First Friday was fantastic! We had polenta and soup and some really beautiful vegetables. And mulled cider to ward off the cold. It was very very cold and we thank everyone who came out anyway!

Recipes here!

Pan Seared Polenta

2C Polenta

3C Vegetable Stock

2C Water

1C milk

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons Butter Olive Oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Fresh ground pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

Traditional Balsamic for drizzling

In large pot bring liquids to boil.

Add salt, slowly pour polenta whisking constantly to prevent lumps.

When smooth switch to a wooden spoon and lower heat; stirring frequently. If polenta appears dry add more stock as needed. Cook 35-40 minutes.

 Add cheese, butter olive oil, sage and adjust seasoning.

Turn polenta out on parchment lined baking sheet and cool 2 hours.

When cooled invert pan and turn polenta out on counter, cut into desired shape.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to heavy bottomed pan cook polenta 2 minutes per side until golden brown.

Top with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of Traditional Balsamic.

Potato Leek Soup

3 tablespoons Cumin Olive Oil

1 large leek (white and pale green part only)

2 pounds red bliss potatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 bunch chives (for garnish)

1 quart vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and Pepper

Sweat leeks and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes until very tender.

 Add potatoes and cook for 2 minutes longer.  Add stock. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.

Puree soup adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowl and garnish with fresh chives and a drizzle of Olive Oil. (The Black Truffle seemed to be the favorite!)

Roasted Fall Vegetable Antipasto

1 Delicata Squash

2 yellow squash

2 zucchini

1 bunch radicchio

2 bulbs fennel

1 small head cauliflower

1 red pepper

Coratina Olive Oil

Black Walnut Balsamic

Preheat oven to 400°.

Slice squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Slice squash and zucchini lengthwise into long planks. Quarter radicchio and fennel. Break cauliflower into florets.

Working in batches toss veggies with oil, salt and pepper. Roast until fork tender.

Arrange veggies on serving platter. Shave parmesan cheese and drizzle with the Coratina olive oil and a balsamic of your choice. The Black Walnut was the best!

The kitchen is just about done, I have a backlog of recipes that is going to explode soon. I hope I don't flood your blog feeds.

First Friday!

Hello Everyone! It's First Friday Time Again!

Local Chef Terrance Tice is going to be cooking up some great food. And there will be in-store specials going on. So come down and join the party!

7-9pm All over town

Hope to see you there!

Happy Halloween All!

Apple Cranberry Crumble

Hello happy olive oil users! Happy Columbus Day!

We are pleased to announce that this past month's First Friday was a great success. And we are looking forward to next month's event very much. I hope that everyone who attended had a good time and that even more people come next month. Looks like the Next one will happen on the 7th of November. Hope to see you there!

So, onto your coupon.

I also have a recipe for you! I borrowed my sister in law's kitchen and made a little mess. This is very lightly sweetened, so it's great for a lighter dessert, or a really healthy breakfast too. Feel free to substitute another fruit Balsamic for the Cranberry if you don't have it. I recommend the Red Apple, Black Walnut, Honey Date or maybe even the Chocolate...

Apple Cranberry Crumble

6 medium apples

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

2 cups granola

1 cup hot water

3 tbsp Cranberry Balsamic

Flaky sea salt

2 tbsp Blood Orange Olive Oil, plus a little for the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dice the apples and mix in a large bowl with the cranberries and the granola. Toss with the olive oil.

Use the little bit of extra olive oil to grease a 9 or 10in glass or deep sided pie pan. Spread the crumble mix inside. Stir the Balsamic and hot water together and pour evenly over the crumble.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes. Stir it around about halfway through to keep it moist.

Top with whipped cream if you like, or maple syrup is really good too (for breakfasts)!

Cranberry Chickpea Salad

We just started carrying a new product. Soom brand Tahini and Chocolate Tahini. It's the best Tahini I've ever had. So many ideas for it. So I used it to tossed this quick chickpea salad together for lunch the other day. Everything I found was pre-diced, so it was easy enough to assemble even without countertops. Still waiting on that. Soon, I'll have a kitchen soon.

I'm tired of take out. I need to make food again.

Cranberry Chickpea Salad

2 cans chickpeas
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup shelled edamame
4 tbsp chopped parsley
3 tbsp Cranberry Balsamic
1/2 cup Soom Tahini
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Stir everything together in a big bowl and enjoy your meal!

The tahini makes it so creamy. I am starting to see lots of ideas for this!

Guest Recipe: Espresso Balsamic Sauce

Heide is a new employee of ours and we are enjoying working with her very much. She made this sauce the other day and shared it with us. It's great to have another creative cook!

'I made an easy sauce out of espresso balsamic. Hope you like as much as we did!'

Heide King

Espresso Balsamic Sauce

1/2 small can organic tomato paste
1/3 large bottle espresso balsamic
1/4 to 1/2 cup water (depending on desired thickness)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oinion powder
1/4 cup rum
1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (to taste)
Wisk over low heat till hot and combined.  Eat warm or cold. 

Labor Day 2014

Happy Labor Day everyone! Hope your summer went wonderfully! We have some great NEW things to tell you about. Some really fantastic aged Parmesan came in a little bit ago. Sometimes we have samples, so be on the lookout. We also got in some seasoned olives and ready to eat Farro dishes that are perfect for lunch or a great side.

For Oils, we got in an Australian oil that is spicy and sharp and bitter in all the best ways. A smoky good Cumin Olive Oil came in as well, I have made a couple things with this already and it's so good! For balsamics, we just got a Plain White Balsamic. And a lovely Lavender Balsamic as well. Don't ask me what to do with that yet, I'm still working on it! (But I think that it would go nicely over a salad with fresh herbs!)

New Hope has started up a First Fridays event! So on the 5th, we will be open from 7-9pm, offering some treats and in store specials. Keep a lookout on our Facebook page for upcoming First Friday events. We anticipate a guest chef in our future! So bring friends!

Recipe below the coupon!

So I'm sorry I've been an absent blogger. I'm moving and cooking in a construction zone is challenging. I did manage to whip up something small with the New Cumin Olive Oil. Just a rice and mushroom dish. I used it to fill some burritos last week!

Cheesy Cumin Tortilla Filler

4 cups chopped kale or spinach
3 cups brown rice, cooked
2 pints chopped mushrooms
3 ounces colby jack cheese
4 tbsp Cumin Olive Oil
Jalapeno Sea Salt
smoked paprika
black pepper

Heat 2 tbsp Cumin Olive Oil in a large saute pan to medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms and stir a little. Sprinkle with a pinch of the sea salt and let cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are reduced in volume.

Add the kale or spinach and toss to coat. Let wilt down and keep stirring. Add in the cooked rice and the cheese.

It's time for the other 2 tbsp of oil. Stir in to prevent sticking. Sprinkle with the black pepper, paprika and more salt to taste.

Use this to fill tortillas or as a side dish. Also makes a good vegetarian entree!

Walnut Oil Pesto Pasta

I made this chunky pesto last week with our very new Roasted Walnut Oil. It's a light flavored oil with a great mouth feel. Somehow both rich and delicate. I know pine nuts are classic for pesto, but if I'm using walnut oil, I just have to use walnuts instead.

Walnut Oil Pesto Pasta

Pesto
3 cups packed baby spinach
1/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup Roasted Walnut Oil
1/4 cup onion pate
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Pasta
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
     or 5-6 plum tomatoes, diced
1 lb small shell shaped pasta, cooked, rinsed and cooled

Add the walnuts and spinach to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Next, put in the onion pate and the cheese and pulse. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

Add the oil in a slow stream while the food processor is running. Stop to scrape the sides often.

Stir the fresh pesto with the cooked pasta and toss with the tomatoes. Enjoy.

Sorry!!

I know there have been no updates for awhile. Sorry! I am moving and will be without a kitchen for another month.

Please please email me your recipes! I'm pretty much only making sandwiches, and wall plaster isn't a great sandwich topping.

We just got in a bunch of new things too, so stay tuned for updates!

Customer Recipe: Zesty Lemon Balsamic Meatloaf

A big Thank You to Jill P. For this meatloaf redux!

So shake up your usual meatloaf with a couple additions. Balsamic inside and out!

I mix the balsamic in with my eggs and fresh herbs (photo) before I add to the meat and vegetables.

The recipe calls for two tablespoons of traditional balsamic but I felt that the zesty lemon works better.  The glaze is one half of a cup of ketchup to one quarter of a cup of balsamic.  Again the lemon is really good here too.

As for the glaze I mix the two and spoon/spread on the shaped loaves then bake.  The glaze darkens to a rich red color and the taste is the best.

Meyer Lemon Peach Cake

I served this today in the store. Hope you like it!

Meyer Lemon Peach Cake

This is an alteration of a basic box mix.
You need:

1 box white cake mix
1/4 cup Peach Jam for every egg called for
Meyer Lemon Olive Oil for the vegetable oil called for
2 Peaches, diced
White Peach Balsamic, for topping

My box mix called for 3 eggs, so I used at total of 3/4 cups Peach Jam. I used the water it wanted me to use and then the vegetable oil was subbed out with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil.

I tossed in the peaches at the end, stirred it a bit and turned the batter out into a baking pan.

The jam makes this more moist and sticky than is intended, so mine required about 10 more minutes baking. When a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, it is done.

While it is cooling brush it with the White Peach Balsamic.

Balsamic Fruits

2 pints raspberries
2 peaches, diced
1/2 cup White Peach Balsamic

If your peaches aren't perfectly ripe, start this the night before you want to serve it. Dice the peaches and stir with 1/2 cup White Peach Balsamic. Let sit in the fridge overnight. Add the raspberries, stir and serve.

Can be served along with the cake, or by itself. Or used as the base of a cocktail. Just add club soda or prosecco and you're done!

Happy Birthday to Us!

Happy Birthday to the store!

This Thursday, we are 3! Thank you for making these past 3 years so wonderful. As thanks, Coupon!

There will be a Lemon Peach Cake up tomorrow or so.

Sorry!

Sorry everyone! I've had a cold. The only thing I've been eating is soup.

I am feeling much better, but will get to the cooking again probably on Monday.

Thank you!

Customer Recipe: Balsamic with Peaches

Hope that everyone had a great 4th!

There was a joint effort to get this one to me, so credit to Bruce for making it, and to Andrew for sending it on. Thanks guys!!

The balsamic used was a limited time product, but substituting it with the Black Walnut or the plain Chocolate Balsamics would be just as good!

"New Jersey local peaches and sour cream with honey, curly mint with a chocolate walnut balsamic drizzle! (That's where Olive-n-Grape comes in!)"

Citrus Chicken Salad

I had some leftover grilled chicken from dinner a few nights ago. You know how I love to use up leftovers, so here is the chicken salad I threw together for lunch yesterday!

Citrus Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked chicken, cubes
3 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
Pepper Citrus Sea Salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 white onion, diced
2-4 stalks celery, diced

Whip the mayonnaise and Olive Oil together until smooth. Toss the chicken, onions and celery together with the dressing and add the pepper and citrus sea salt to taste.

Yesterday I had this on a sandwich. Tonight for dinner, I'm topping it with melted cheese on a tortilla. I love leftovers!!

Strawberry Basil Cookies

I know that this may not be the most natural combination in the world for most people, but I can't recommend this enough. Little do my friends know I'll be bringing these cookies to pretty much every event for the forseeable future.

A note on strawberries. If you are serving these right away, fresh strawberries are fine. If you are storing them, even for a little while, dried will be better. The fresh strawberries are so moist if you put them in a closed container, the cookies get soft and soggy. I am also experimenting with freeze dried strawberries. I'll let you know how that works.

Strawberry Basil Cookies

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup diced strawberries
1 bunch basil, chopped
3/4 cup Basil Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Cream together the olive oil and sugars. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk the baking soda, salt and flour together. Add to wet ingredients in batches, making sure that everything is well combined before adding more. Add the strawberries and the basil.

Drop by tablespoonful on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes. The edges should brown, but not all of it.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day 

to my dad and everyone else too.

Solid Potato Salad

This song is a real earworm. For some reason it just sticks. Like glue. So all the time, I'm singing about potato salad. Singing about potatoes is probably a bit odd. It's a good thing that most people already think I'm a bit strange.

Solid (Roasted) Potato Salad

2 lbs potatoes, medium dice
3 tbsp Sun Dried Tomato Parmesan & Garlic Olive Oil
Garlic Sea Salt
1/4 red onion, small dice
2-4 stalks celery, small dice
1 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp White Honey Ginger Balsamic
     or White Jalapeno Lime Balsamic
3 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 small bunch cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped

Preheat the oven to 400°. Toss the potatoes with the oil and salt until well coated and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the balsamic, mayonnaise and mustard together. When the potatoes are cool enough, toss with the dressing and stir in the celery, onion and cilantro. Top with a sprinkle of the Garlic Salt if desired.

Your song.

Ella Mae Morse: Solid Potato Salad

Chestnut Street Spare Ribs

I have been trying to post 2 to 3 times a week, but as you may have noticed, it hasn't gone very well. Looks like it's going to be a once a week thing until we stop being busy again. If I get extra up, I'm happy for it.

This is my first entry in a line of food inspired by music. We all know that 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' isn't about baking cakes, but there was a time when some songs about food, really were about food. Many of the songs I'm featuring were written during the Depression and the Second World War. People were hungry and homesick during those times. We sing about what we want. And these songs are about wanting food, and home.

A lot of this recipe will have to do with how you prepare your ribs. I like to slow cook them. The slow cooker also makes the sauce really thick. Feel free to use your favorite cooking method.

Chestnut Street Spare Ribs

4 lbs Spare Ribs
2 tbsp White Truffle Garlic Olive Oil
4 tbsp Prime Rub Seasoning
1/2 cup honey
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup Chocolate Balsamic

Rub down the ribs with the seasonings and olive oil. Broil for 5-6 minutes.

Whisk the honey garlic and balsamic together. Nest the ribs at the bottom of your slow cooker and pour the sauce over top. Close the lid tightly and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 8 hours.

Between 18th &19th and Chestnut Street: Bing Crosby

Happy Father's Day!

Creamy Chicken Salad

One of the simplest recipes I've probably ever made. It's was a great hit anyway!


Creamy Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup cubed mangos
1 tbsp White Pineapple Balsamic
2 tbsp Blood Orange Olive Oil
2-3 tbsp pickled jalapenos

Whisk the yogurt, olive oil and balsamic together in a large bowl. Fold in the rest of the ingredients and serve.

Coconut Curry and a Coupon

I had some small potatoes leftover from the Mint and Lemon Potatoes I made a bit ago. They are potatoes, so they stay good for a long time, but I felt the urge to use them up.

Coconut Curry

1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
1 cup peas
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
2 cups diced potato
1/4 cup thick coconut flake, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
a pinch of allspice
1 tsp black pepper
Spicy Curry Sea Salt to taste
thin toasted coconut for garnish

Add the olive oil to a large shallow pan and heat to medium. Cook the diced onion until it starts to caramelize, 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potato and the coconut milk and stir. Be sure to scrape up anything that has stuck to the pan. Stir in the coconut flake and let simmer for 6-10 minutes. If your potato pieces are small, it shouldn't take very long.

Add the spices, the peas and the tomato, stirring until it is all mixed. Simmer until the peas are tender, 2-5 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of toasted coconut.

Traditional Balsamic

Traditional Balsamic is out of stock temporarily. We hope to have it back in for the weekend. 

Sorry for any inconvenience! 

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there!

Gnocchi with Bacon and Green Beans

Gnocchi with Bacon and Green Beans

1 lb gnocchi
1/2 lb green beans, french cut
3 tbsp Bacon Olive Oil
4 strips precooked, crumbled bacon
1/4 cup slivered almonds
pinch of sea salt

Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil to medium heat in a large saute pan. Add in the green beans and cook, stirring often for a couple minutes. Add in the gnocchi and gently fold everything over to combine. Spread in a single layer and let simmer for 2-3 minutes before stirring. Flip and repeat. Stir in the crumbled bacon bits and the almonds. Garnish with some Smoked Sea Salt, or maybe the Vermont Maple.

Serve warm.

Happy Mother's Day Coupon!

This is for Mother's day - or because I love crispy potatoes. Either or. Love you mom!

Mint and Lemon Roast Potatoes

1 lb small potatoes

3 tbsp Mint and Lemon Sea Salt

1/4 cup Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

a pinch of black pepper

juice of one lemon

Preheat the oven to 375°. 

Halve or quarter your potatoes, if you have any really tiny ones, leave them whole. Toss in a large casserole pan with the olive oil, salt and the black pepper. Spread out in a single layer.

Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring and flipping every 10 minutes.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.