Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Menu Planning: Seasonal Fall Supper

Happy Fall! We celebrated the season with a menu worth sharing. A special thank you for our partners: American Lamb Board, Logan's Sausage, California Figs, Crave Brothers Cheese, Fermin Iberico Pork, Sweet Tango Apples and Ommegang and Boulevard Breweries. It also happened to be my birthday... such a fun way to celebrate!


Menu:


Pulled American Lamb BBQ Sandwiches
Grill for 12 minutes.


California Fig Salad with Melon, Grapes, Fresh Mozzarella, Fermin Iberico Pancetta, and Mint

Cheesy Potatoes


Sicilian Ricotta Cake

Warm Fig and Apple Pudding

California Fig and Sweet Tango Apple Sangria

Recipes:


Pulled Lamb BBQ Sandwiches


2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Mixed herbs (dried oregano, garlic, thyme, etc.)

Add olive oil to the slow cooker. Season the leg with salt and mixed herbs. Turn on the cooker to low and let it go for 10 hours. The results: Tender juicy lamb when you walk in the door from work. Such a treat! Serve the lamb with buns and BBQ sauce.

California Fig Salad with Melon, Fresh Mozzarella, Fermin Iberico Pancetta, and Mint

California Figs

Melon

Grapes

Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella

Fermin Iberico Pancetta, cooked (Available at Wagshal's)

Mint, chiffonade

Fig Balsamic

Quarter Figs, chop melon, halve grapes, and dice mozzarella. Add pancetta and drizzle with Fig Balsamic Vinegar.


Warm Fig and Apple Pudding

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
2 eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups coarsely chopped California Figs
2 cups coarsely chopped Sweet Tango Apples
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Cream the butter, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat until the batter is fluffy. Add the flour, baking soda and cinnamon and mix well; the dough will be crumbly.

Add the figs and apples and mix by hand just until incorporated. Press over the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top and press into the dough mixture. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm and top with vanilla ice cream. Oh so good!!

The Pairings:


Brewery Ommegang and their newest sister brewery in Kansas City, MO, Boulevard Brewing Co., are perfect pairing options for a fall meal.

1 very special vintage beer (2013 Ommegang Adoration).  Spiced with mace, coriander, cardamom, and grains of paradise and; 10%ABV. It goes great with dessert.  Treat it as a Tawny Port due to the interesting complexities. Serve not too cold.

The Ommegang Abbey Ale is also nicely spiced and goes great with Logan's Sausages. Star anise, liicorice root, cumin, orange peel, and coriander are the spices, along with dark malts.  The beer is sturdy and approachable. 8.2%ABV

Next to the beers of Boulevard: 80 Acre is our take on blending the styles of American wheat beers and IPAs. Clean, refreshing, and very appealing to fans of either or both aforementioned styles. This beer is great with the whole meal and especially the fig salad.  5.5%ABV

Lastly is a beer that Boulevard is becoming well known for in all culinary beer circles (my favorite!): Tank 7. A dry-hopped Farmhouse Saison with a beguiling 8.5% ABV, Tank 7 is almost perfect for any meal.  Nice citrus and floral notes, as well as omnipresent Belgian yeasts, but nothing that overpowers a dish or the beer itself.

More information here:




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