 |
| What's in Season? |
 |
So many delicious fruits and vegetables are in season right now, it's hard to know where to start!
Choose among cherries, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, corn, peaches, nectarines, fresh greens, sweet onions, garlic, watercress and snap peas. The "top picks" for July (if you can have just two!) are eggplant and plums. Fresh herbs, particularly basil, are wonderful additions to any summer recipe.
Eggplant is readily available in July. Look for smooth, unblemished fruit that is shiny, not wrinkled. Drizzle it with olive oil and grill it for an antipasto platter, or try it in Efficient Ratatouille.
Plums- we have several recipes for plums on our website. Plums are great for snacking out of hand, but also go quite well in both sweet and savory dishes. Try Plum Tart with Walnuts, topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream for a perfect summer dessert. Or, for a new twist on old barbecue favorites, try the Pork with Ginger Plum Sauce. |
| Featured Classes |
 |
|
|
| What's New? |
 |
Controne pepper
This fiery pepper is a great addition to the spice rack. We love it on vegetables, in caponata, on pasta and in grain salads. It is especially good with chickpeas, as in Chickpea Salad with Three Peppers. The heat of the pepper is slow to kick in, but isn't overpowering at all. It's so good that we even add it to our chocolate soufflés for a subtle punch of flavor.
Tuscia Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This luscious olive oil is of the highest quality. It was featured in the Guide to Italy's Top Extra Virgin Olive Oils 2002-2005 (Source: Ritrovo). The olive oil is produced in Lazio, where the olives undergo same day cold pressing that is carefully supervised. The olive oil has a bold and fruity characteristics, and is a versatile addition to almost any recipe. Try it drizzled over grilled steak, in pasta and as a dipping sauce for bread.
Stove Top Kettle Smoke and Wood Roaster
The adorable red Stove Top Kettle Smoker recently arrived at In Good Taste. This is the perfect solution for Oregon: an easy way to smoke food indoors no matter the weather. The compact, circular kettle resembles a large covered pot, with a place for an easy- to -read thermometer right on top. Creating perfectly smoked food is easy- even I can do it! You can also use it outside on the grill. |
| Salt of the Month |
 |
Bottarga is air-dried fish roe, most commonly from tuna or mullet. It is usually found in Sicily and Sardinia. Traditional uses for it include using it in carpaccio, or on pasta with olive oil. You can use it on any grilled or sautéed seafood, over vegetables, in salads, or even on eggs. It can also be a replacement for anchovy paste in recipes like pasta or Caesar salad. The Bottarga livens up the salt with it's taste of the sea.
For special savings, see coupon below. | |
Greetings,
July is a month of outdoor activities. It's the perfect time of year for picnics, grilling with friends, shopping at the farmers' markets, picking berries, going to the beach and more. Savor summer's bounty with the fresh produce, from juicy berries to succulent eggplant. Make ice cream for a sweet afternoon treat, or help your kids make juice popsicles.
As it's the peak of grilling season, spice up your menu with some tasty additions. Marinate pineapple slices in dark rum, then grill, and serve over ice cream for a quick dessert. Or, grill a platter of lightly oiled bread and serve with a trio of chilled dips for an easy appetizer. Whatever you do, enjoy it and take advantage of all the opportunities for summer entertaining!
For us, July will be a bittersweet month. We are celebrating two graduations: both Willow and Joseph have just graduated from college and we couldn't be more proud of both of them. At the same time, we'll miss Josie's day-to-day presence as she goes to the CIA in Napa to study for an anvanced degree in the culinary arts. She will write for us and our blog as much as time permits, but we will miss her so much. Josie, hurry back! |
|
|
Closed 4th of July
We will be closed on the 4th of July to celebrate Independence Day. |
|
Recipe: Clafoutis
... in honour of Bastille Day 
Bastille Day is the national holiday in France. July 14th marks the anniver-sary of the storming of the Bastille, a prison-fortress in Paris, during the French Revolution.
Clafoutis is a simple, delicious dessert originating in the Limousin region of Southwest France. It is traditionally made with cherries, but any type of fruit can be used. Cherries are in season right now, and their sweet juicy flavor pops in this light custard. Not only are cherries at their peak flavor this month, but the bright red color and creamy white custard are two of the colors on the French flag. Serve this delightful treat on a blue plate, pour some sparkling wine and celebrate with the French.
This is a recipe from Susan Herrmann Loomis' book, "Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin". Susan is an "American in France"; she is a wonderful cooking teacher, author and chef who corresponds from her cooking school, On Rue Tatin.
We are thrilled that Susan will bring her charm and cooking expertise back to In Good Taste at the end of the month. She will be teaching two classes for us featuring traditional French dishes. "Sunday Lunch in the Countryside" will be on Wednesday, July 25th. "French Candlelight Dinner" will be on Thursday, July 26.
And, don't forget to check out all the Bastille Day activities in the Pearl on July 14.
|
Review of Cheese, Glorious Cheese by Paula Lambert  We've been big fans of Paula Lambert and her cheeses for a long time. We love her books too, incuding her new one which Judith has reviewed this month. We can't wait for her cooking class to be held here at In Good Taste in August. Check out the details of her mouth-watering class here.
|
|
Recipe Contest Winner
We are excited to announce the winner of our Recipe Contest! We asked you to submit your favorite recipes, with a photo and a short story of the recipe. All of the entries were wonderful, and the testing and selecting process was difficult (but delicious!). Thank you to everyone who entered!
The winner, Madeleine Douglas, has received a seat in a gourmet cooking class, a copy of Robin Miller's new Book, "Quick and Easy with Robin Miller, as well as a Robin Miller apron. Madeleine shared her recipe for Curried Butternut Squash Bisque. |
|
Lost and Found
Every now and again, someone leaves an item behind after a class. We keep your recipes (with your notes) for up to a week, so call us if you're missing them. Occasionally, someone will leave an apron or a sweater. Usually, it doesn't take long to unite the item with its rightful owner. However, we currently have two coats here that were left after a class and we've been unsuccessful in finding the right owners. If you have lost a coat and think you may have left it here after a class, please contact me directly. |
|
Pix Class  Cheryl Waker-hauser of Pix Patisserie will teach you how to concoct your own dessert in this fun class. Her classes fill up quickly so sign up now!
|
|
Joanne Weir to teach hands-on class 
I am
so excited that
Joanne Weir will be at In Good Taste this month to teach a hands on cooking class. Sign up quickly for this special opportunity to learn from a seasoned cooking instructor, TV personality and cookbook author.
| |
Visit us for the best selection of Pacific Northwest wines, local and imported specialty foods, fabulous cookware, and a cooking experience to remember.
Sincerely,
Barbara Dawson
In Good Taste Cooking School
|
|
|
