Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Emeril's Farm to Fork Recipe Roundup


Emeril Lagasse's new book, Farm to Fork, is all about supporting your local farms and farmer's markets. In the introduction, Emeril talks about how he remembers his Dad taking him to farmer's markets as a child and how he continued to do so throughout his life and career as a chef. The book is broken down into fifteen chapters: The Herb Garden; Milk, Eggs, and Cheese; Leafy Greens; The Three Sisters: Corn, Beans, and Squash; Nightshades; Berries, Figs and Melons; The Orchard; Cole Crops: Broccoli, Cabbage, and Cauliflower; Thistles, Stalks and Pods; Roots, Shoots, Tubers, and Bulbs; Winter Fruits; From the Mill; Fresh Off The Dock; Out on the Range; and finally Home Economics: Preserving the Harvest.

Farm to Fork is a gorgeous new book and I love the way it is organized. The very first recipe that really got it's hooks into me was from the Home Economics chapter, Emeril's Peach Freezer Jam. I love, love, love peaches and I couldn't wait to make this one. I made a special trip to the Farmer's Market to get those delicious fresh Georgia Peaches that are brought in each weekend.

The peach freezer jam was flavored with almond extract and vanilla bean and I love that you can see all those gorgeous flecks of vanilla bean running through the jam. The peach jam was delicious on a homemade biscuit and I can't wait to try it over ice cream, pancakes, or anything else for that matter. The recipe made 8 half-pint jars which I will be really happy to have this winter.

For my Dad, who loves hot sauce, I made Emeril's Homemade Hot Sauce, also from the Home Economics chapter. I used a mix of Fresno chiles, Jalapenos and Serrano peppers all grown from my Mom's garden. The chiles are cooked until they blister or blacken and then mixed with garlic, thinly sliced onions, carrots, cilantro and white vinegar. The final product was not a very appealing color, BUT man oh man was it hot! My Dad loved it!

As an appetizer for our Sunday Dinner, I made Emeril's Garden Celery with Homemade Pimento Cheese, from the Thistles, Stalks and Pods Chapter. Holy cow was this stuff good! I think it is my favorite recipe for pimento cheese ever! Sharp cheddar cheese is grated and allowed to come to room temperature. Homemade mayo, minced roasted red pepper, grated red onion, cayenne pepper, and Louisiana hot sauce are mixed into the cheese to create the tastiest cheese dip ever. Nobody wanted to quit eating it. It had a wonderful spicy flavor and paired well with both the celery and crackers. This is going to be my new go-to recipe. I highly recommend it and will list the recipe at the bottom of this post.

Also from the Thistles, Stalks and Pods Chapter, I made Emeril's Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp. The crisp was fragrant with cinnamon and nutmeg and smelled heavenly while baking. It was the perfect dessert to celebrate fresh summer produce and everyone loved it.

With chives from my garden I made Emeril's Chive Oil. This was my first attempt at making any flavored oil and it was a very sensory experience. The scent of chives and the gorgeous green color of the oil....who knew making herb oils was so much fun?

From the Milk, Eggs and Cheese Chapter, I made Emeril's Shirred Eggs. A slice of ham is placed inside a ramekin, topped with two eggs and baked for ten minutes. The eggs are then sprinkled with swiss cheese and herbs and baked again until the desired doneness. I really like that the ramekin remains hot, which keeps the eggs hot while serving. This would be a great breakfast/brunch to serve to company.

I'm not a fan of runny eggs, so I baked mine until the yolks were cooked through. I enjoyed my shirred eggs with a drizzle of the chive oil. Delicious!

This is a wonderful book with lots of great recipes highlighting the use of local and fresh produce.

Recipes still bookmarked are:
Fresh Ricotta
Spiced Zucchini Bread
Watermelon Limeade
Spiced Blackberry Soup with Caramelized Peaches and Candied Almonds
Curry-Scented Roasted Cauliflower
Orange Curd
Orangecello
Fried Chicken and Buttermilk Waffles with Black Pepper Maple Syrup and Whipped Vanilla Butter
..........and Homemade Mustard

If you like cheese at all, please make this Pimento Cheese. Enjoy it with veggies and crackers, make a sandwich with it, or top a burger with it. It is heavenly!!

Garden Celery with Homemade Pimento Cheese
Makes about 1-1/2 cups pimento cheese
6 appetizer servings (can be doubled easily)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated, at room temp (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup Emeril's Homemade Mayo (use any mayo)
1/2 cup minced roasted red bell pepper (about 1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and minced)
2 teaspoons grated red onion
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste (be careful not to add too much salt)
1/4 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce (more or less to taste)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 celery stalks, ends trimmed and any fibrous strings removed, cut into thin batons for dipping, chilled

Combine all the ingredients except the celery in a medium bowl, and stir to blend well. Refrigerate until slightly chilled. (The pimento cheese can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; allow it to warm up slightly before serving).

Serve the pimento cheese in small bowls, garnished with the celery batons for dipping.

Note: Never eat pimento cheese while it is cold!! It is no good when it still has a chill to it.




I am submitting this to my friend girlichef who is a co-host for the wonderful Two for Tuesdays event.

37 comments:

  1. You know, I've never been a big Emeril fan, but EVERYTHING you made looks delicious and has me salivating! maybe I'll have to give this book a go... I'd love to mow on that pimiento dip right now...I'm starving! Thanks for sharing your beautiful review and food with Two for Tuesdays this week, Kim =)

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  2. Ok, I admit IO'm not a fan of pimento cheese, or of Emeril, for that matter...but one of the very last things you said got me. Black Pepper Maple Syrup? That sounds FUN!

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  3. Great range of recipes.
    You did some serious testing.

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  4. Yowza! You did some serious cooking! Now I've gotta check out this book. The carrot in the hot sauce is such a great idea! Thank you for sharing this at the blog hop at Two for Tuesday.

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  5. Kim,
    Another great cookbook to add to my collection.
    Mimi

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  6. Well, you've certainly sold me!

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  7. I have seen the book in the stores but have not really picked it up and gone through it yet. I may have to change that--everything you made looks delicious. Great review!

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  8. Sounds like a great book!All that food looks delicious.

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  9. I think I need that book. I would love to make that jam! And the oil looks so good too. Everything does!

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  10. Dang you've been busy! I'm so impressed with everything you've made, and now I want to re-set my goals and start listing things out like you did! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  11. Like girlichef I've never been a big fan of Emeril either. But I really love the sound of this book! And everything you made from it looks delicious! It's going on my wish list!

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  12. I have a tolerate-hate relationship with Emeril, but that peach jam does look good. You'll have to let me know about the Spiced Blackberry Soup...that sounds interesting.

    Hope you have fun with the homemade mustard!

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  13. This truly might have to be my next The Good Cook buy... (yes I joined. Yes I have a problem.). I love how Emeril really gets into making things homemade...jams, sauces, condiments - the works! I need to make some peach jam and store it up for winter..the clock is ticking!

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  14. I really like how you do the roundup and review. Finally, this book is at my local library, awaiting me to come get it. Now that I've seen what you have prepapred from this one, I know I'll have fun browing and trying new recipes. Great blog hop post Kim!

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  15. Wow Kimmie! what awesome photographs of all the food from this great book! I am taking your recommendation and I am gonna buy it! Thanks for sharing the real food love on the two for tuesday recipe blog hop! Alex@amoderatelife

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  16. You made a lot of recipes! I think you just about have me sold on this book! I so will check it out! Your recipes look awesome and I'll bet that hot sauce is fantastic! I've never made my own before, thanks!

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  17. Wonderful post, Kim! So much info. I've always been entertained by Emeril but never cooked his recipes. This book speaks to the core of my beingand will definitely check it out today. (My daily excuse to go to a bookstore).

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  18. I've always been a big fan of Emeril Lagasse's and am still really sorry that Food TV Canada no longer shows his show that was just him in his kitchen (I loathed the show with the band and the audience ooohing and awing whenever he said "garlic").

    Is the peach jam sweet? How much sugar to peaches does he call for?

    -Elizabeth

    (Chicken and buttermilk waffles.... I bet that's really good!)

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  19. Kim, it sounds like a wonderful book. I'll try to reserve it at the library. The pimento cheese spread is a thing of beauti. I can imagine how wonderful this is spread on good crackers. I hope the day is treating you well. Blessings... Mary

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  20. That fresh peach jam looks out of this world!

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  21. Thanks for this review. I have only made one recipe from Emeril and I see, I should look into making more.

    Please stop by: http://sweetsav.blogspot.com/2010/07/awards.html

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  22. I LOVE Emeril! Looks like you've been cooking up the storm! Everything looks delicious.

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  23. You've been busy! That peach jam looks awesome. I love the addition of almond extract. That's one of my favorite flavors, ever. This looks like an awesome cookbook!

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  24. I can't believe that you have already made this many recipes from the book. It certainly must be a good one and I am so impressed that you have made so many recipes. They all look delicious.

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  25. oh you did him proud and love the jam hope you get to make the egg curry lol

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  26. Holy cow!! Everything looks wonderful. I love going to the farmers market. I haven't made peach freezer jam in a long time and I love the addition of almond extract and vanilla bean. I would love to have this cookbook :)

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  27. Great job doing a roundup from this book. I will need to put the book on my wishlist.

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  28. Everything you've made looks incredibly delicious! Loved the Shirred Eggs!

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