Cool.
Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
1 part water
2 parts sugar
Directions:
Bring water to a boil.
Add and dissolve sugar, stirring constantly; don’t over boil or it will turn gluey.
Remove from heat and allow to thicken.
Cool.
Bottle.
Smooth Cream
Just about anything (white wine, cheeses, even herbs) can be blended with this for a unique taste. Careful, though, if you’re out for “lemony”, because juice can curdle the milk; best use zest. Great on pasta, potatoes, or vegetables.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup melted cream cheese
A dash (1/16 teaspoon) of white pepper
A dash (1/16 teaspoon) of salt
Directions
In a pan on medium heat, melt butter.
Slowly add flour, and stir to form a paste.
Add cream,
Stir until smooth.
Add melted cream cheese.
Stir until smooth.
Turn up heat and bring mixture to a soft boil.
Stir constantly until you have a thick sauce.
Add pepper and salt.
Divide by 4 if you’re cooking for yourself.
Spicy Dried Tomatoes
Not officially served in dollops, unless you, first, purée them with virgin olive oil, these make great garnish for all types of food. Actually, it’s their umami (the scientific term for the taste of glutamates and nucleotides, now widely accepted as the fifth basic taste), that make these so yummy.
Ingredients:
10 Roma tomatoes
A dash (1/16 teaspoon) NapaStyle® gray sea salt
A dash (1/16 teaspoon) of white pepper
2 Tablespoons hot sauce
2 Tablespoons chili powder
Additional “things” needed:
Small drying table for outside.
A screen on which to place tomatoes.
Enough cheesecloth to cover tomatoes without touching them.
Drying screen with legs (squared-3D cover)
Good attitude.
Lots of patience.
Directions:
Slice tomatoes in 8 even slices; soak in hot sauce and chili.
Place on a drying screen.
NOTE: We have made a little 3D box out of screen about 4 inches tall.
Lightly sprinkle with NapaStyle® gray sea salt and spices and place in the hot sun until dry.
Properly ventilate (and keep bugs away) by covering with cheesecloth that doesn’t touch the tomatoes.
Leave in sun every day (don’t forget to bring them in each night) until tomatoes are dry, usually, about one week; although, in humid areas, it will be closer to 2 weeks.
12 fresh tomatoes give about one-ounce of dried.
Sunset Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons roux (See Recipe for Basic Roux)
½ cup juice of one fresh orange
½ cup juice from fresh cherries
½ cup juice from a fresh lemon
½ cup juice from a fresh lime
2 Tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon grated orange zest
¼ teaspoon grated lime zest
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon Riesling wine
Directions:
Combine brown sugar and roux in a saucepan.
Add juice, butter and zest.
Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Add wine.
Sweet Butter
Sweet Butter is just that...SWEET.
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup clarified butter
¼ cup port wine
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
In a bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff.
In separate bowl, whip clarified butter until frothy.
Blend cream, butter, port wine, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
Keep refrigerated.
Tomato Butter
Ingredients:
6 two-inch marigold heads, (Don’t panic, they’ll be dried and ground to a powder per directions)
¼ teaspoon paprika chili powder
¼ teaspoon poblano pepper (dried and ground)
A dash (1/16 teaspoon) of NapaStyle gray sea salt
