FEATURES

Sorbetto Syrup (Sugar Syrup)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
The sorbetto syrup can be made a few days ahead, covered and chilled in a refrigerator.

For Sorbetto Syrup:
1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water, bring to a boil.
2. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, about three minutes. Remove from heat. Cool completely before using.

For Tomato Water:
1. In a blender or food processor, combine salt and tomatoes, puree until smooth.
2. Pour puree through a fine mesh strainer. You should have about three cups of tomato water, depending on ripeness of tomatoes.

For Heirloom Tomato Sorbetto:
1. Combine and stir 2 1/4 cups tomato water with 3/4 cup sorbetto syrup.
2. Pour the sorbetto base into an ice cream maker and freeze for about 35 minutes. Since this is a savory sorbetto and has a lower sugar content than a dessert sorbetto, be careful not to over-freeze. Look for a compact and dry texture. Freezing too long will make the sorbetto crumbly.
3. Once finished, place the sorbetto in a container (a metal mixing bowl is best) and smooth the surface evenly with a rubber spatula. Place plastic wrap on the surface of the sorbetto, cover container tightly with a lid and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Best used within two days after freezing.

Eggplant Agro Dolce
Chef Steven Geddes, Local 127

4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, diced fine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 pinch red chili or smoked paprika
3 pounds small Japanese eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In saucepan heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil and diced red onion. Sauté over medium heat until onion is soft and translucent. Add vinegar, honey, and red chile or smoked paprika. Simmer until a syrup forms and flavors blend. Always taste while cooking. If too sweet, add a bit more vinegar; if too sour add more honey. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. In separate sauté pan, heat remaining olive oil until almost smoking and add eggplant cut side down. Cook until golden brown; turn and finish cooking until fork tender. Add sauce to eggplant along with basil and additional salt and pepper if needed. Toss to coat. Serve hot or cold.

Chef’s tip: Since vinegar is a dominant flavor of the sauce, Geddes recommends a splurge, since cheap vinegar can be harsh and almost caustic.

Peach Panna Cotta
Pastry Chef Kat Kessler, formerly of Orchids

2 peaches, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
2 Tablespoons cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split
Zest of 1 lemon

Spoon the peaches into the bottom of six martini glasses. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over water. Let the gelatin “bloom” until it looks spongy. Melt over very low heat and set aside. Combine cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest in another saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in the gelatin. Strain. Divide between glasses, pouring carefully over the peaches. Refrigerate until set, at least four hours.

Chef’s tip: Kessler likes to add a few chopped fresh basil leaves to the cream base and let it infuse before she strains the mixture. “It adds a very subtle hint of spice,” she says. Kessler uses a Kuhn Rikon peeler to remove the peach’s skin. “The Y shape of the peeler moves easily over the fruit’s rounded shape, and the blades are always sharp!”

Peach and Tomato Salad
Chef Joanne Drilling, Murphin Ridge Inn

Arugula
Peaches
Tomatoes
Serrano ham
Fresh chives, minced
Goat cheese
Olive oil
Lemon (for juice)
Salt and pepper to taste

To arugula add slivers of fresh peaches, different varieties of heirloom tomatoes, and Serrano ham. Sprinkle with finely minced fresh chives and crumbles of goat cheese. Dress with a nice peppery olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Don't forget to finish with a little salt and pepper.

Chef’s tip: Drilling has been experimenting with smoking peaches over wood chips. “The smoke is a great counterpoint to the sweetness,” she says. “I then stir them into creamy basil risotto.” Another great way to use peaches? “A quick sauté of peaches with fresh corn, shallots, fresh oregano, and extra virgin olive oil is tasty over a bed of creamy grits.”

Barbecued Green Beans
Chef Steven Geddes, Local 127

“My Great Grandfather use to steam green beans and add a little BBQ sauce to them. This is a take on that childhood memory.”

1 pound green beans, washed, trimmed
4 slices of smoked bacon, finely sliced
1 shallot or 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Blanch green beans by dropping them in salted boiling water for one to two minutes. Immediately rinse in ice bath to arrest cooking. In sauté pan, add the bacon and slowly cook until the fat renders and it starts to crisp. Add diced shallot or red onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add barbecue sauce, salt and pepper, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add green beans. Heat through and serve.

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