Hitting the Sauce on Cinco de Mayo

Richard Ries, Growing Synergy Intern

            Tucked inside of yet another faceless Florida strip mall – this one in Oviedo anchored by a Home Depot, a Staples, and a McDonald’s – lies a little bit of actual culture. Cavallari’s Gourmet Market, at 1954 W. State Road 426, is one of those independent, European-influenced deli/markets (redolent of Petty’s in Longwood) that features not only prosciutto, pastrami, pepperoni, pastries, and pasta, but breads, cheeses and other delicacies. The market has an interesting wine collection (some good Tuscan and Chianti bargains) – and an equally intriguing sampling of sauces for dipping or cooking: barbeque sauces; curries; hoisins; pestos; chimichurris from Cuba and Argentina – and some creative locally concocted sauces, some of which fall under the brand name “Fat Cat.”

I stopped by Cavallari’s on Cinco de Mayo Sunday for some tacos and taste education from Eyal Goldshmid, who, along with his wife Deborah Moskowitz, creators of Fat Cat Foods.  While the bottles resemble larger Tabasco or soy sauce bottles, they shouldn’t be confused with condiments you might only add to food.  Goldschmid is inherently multicultural, with an Israeli father and a South American mother; sauces from both cultures are used it multifaceted ways: basting, stir-frying, simmering, and dipping.

There are six Fat Cat sauces in all, ranging from a mild Guajillo Ghost sauce to the authoritative Cat in Heat – which is not for the faint of heart. My favorites were the Purry Purry sauce – a South African inspired blend of tomatoes, ginger, onion, garlic, and pequin peppers – and the Papaya Pequin Passion, a Caribbean inspired sauce that, as you might guess, is both sweet and salty. The Cat in Heat could make a simple sloppy Joe’s quite interesting, while the Papaya Pequin Passion could be used for something like changing how you prepare scallops. What I like about the Fat Cat sauces (beyond the fact that they are produced here in Orlando) are their versatility: you could slow roast shredded pork in them, or you could add a few drops to scrambled eggs in the morning – and have something more than your coffee wake you up.

Growing Synergy has Fat Cat Sauces for sale each week on its web store.

Checking Out Chia

Richard Ries, Growing Synergy Intern

Four locals – Chandra Davis, Mark Theisen, Ronni Mendelsohn, and Dr. Gideon Lewis, who serves as the chemist for the product – have concocted a natural energy beverage called Drink Chia. It’s available at Growing Synergy & Whole Foods. The group wanted an alternative to coffee or odd colored energy drinks that rely on chemicals and caffeine.

I am not a “health nut” or the type who believes anything local, natural, or organic is “automatically” better. I don’t accept money to try products. I need convincing. I sat down with Davis and an open mind and tried four flavors of Drink Chia.

Chia – the same word you’ve heard on TV all your life in the famous jingle “Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Pet,” is apparently a seed from Mexico. Who knew? I thought it was a brand. It turns out to be one of those “wonder” foods or “super” foods, rich in omega 3 and 6, and is a natural source of energy and deep hydration. The Aztecs possessed this knowledge thousands of years ago and relied on it in their culture and religion.

The 10 ounce bottles pack a lot: only 8 carbs (a soda might have 37); 2 grams of fiber; lots of B6, B12, selenium and zinc – and no caffeine, no chemicals, and no artificial ingredients. Not shabby for 50 calories.

The chia seeds permeate the beverage, so you have to either be used to such a phenomenon or inure yourself.  I first tried the Strawberry, and it drank like authentic strawberry. Out of four stars, I gave it three.  The next one I sampled was the Honeysuckle Pear. I thought it was tasty and refreshing, but needed more pear flavor. I gave it 2 ½ stars.  My third quaff was the Mango Tangerine. Here was my Chia nirvana, the nectar of the Aztec gods. Here a non-health nut might get converted.  It was beautifully structured, smooth, tantalizing, citrusy and delicious. This was no Sunny-D. It was a natural product for our times: healthy, rejuvenating, and pleasurable. Four stars; two thumbs up.

The last one I tried I felt needed work. “Linda Richman” on SNL used to say “Dr. Pepper is neither a doctor nor a pepper – discuss.” This beverage – Lemon Blueberry – seemed to lack elements of either. Something was cancelling out each fruit’s flavor. Two stars.

When does one drink a Drink Chia? One option is in the morning, particularly if orange juice or grapefruit juice is giving you acid reflux – or if you are trying to cut down on coffee. A more important time, however, would be approximately 45 minutes before a workout. It will provide your body with nutrition and hydration, and not leave you parched or starving after your workout routine.

I recommend stocking up on the Strawberry or Mango Tangerine this summer – try the Honeysuckle Pear for good measure and hold on the Lemon Blueberry. It needs a jump start. The other three, however, will give you one.

Ingredients

• 1 small Lake Meadow Naturals Farm Store red onion, halved & sliced
• 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• 3 cups steamed Harvest Moon sliced beets, 1/2-1 inch thick (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Combine onion, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the onion is tender-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in beets. Transfer to a large bowl and let marinate, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
• Tip: How to Prep & Steam Beets: Trim greens (save for cooking or juicing) and root end; peel the skin with a vegetable peeler.
• Cut beets into 1/2- to 1-inch-thick cubes, wedges or slices.
• To steam on the stovetop: Place in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water in a large pot. Cover and steam over high heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Boeuf Bourguignon Gougere (Beef Mushroom Swiss Puff) – 4-6 servings

From Chef Melissa at The Southern Women's Show (Oct. 14, 2012)

Gougere – makes 30-35 puffs

1 c. water
¾ stick (3 oz or 6 Tbsp.) butter
1 tsp salt
pinch pepper
¾ cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 egg (beaten with pinch of salt for egg wash)
1 c. Gruyere cheese, shredded
½ c chopped arugula (tradition calls for rosemary but for this recipe I wanted the peppery flavor)

1. Preheat oven to 425F

2. Bring water, butter, salt and pepper to a boil until all butter has melted

3.  Add all of the flour at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon and continue mixing to form a smooth paste. Turn the heat down to a medium to medium-high and continue mixing for 1-2 minutes more until mixture leaves the side of the pan and the spoon and forms a mass.  You may see a film developing on the bottom of the pan.

4. Transfer mixture into a mixing bowl.  For this small of an amount it can be done by hand with a wooden spoon, for larger mixtures you may want to use a mixer with a paddle or beater attachment. Add one egg and beat until it is absorbed, then add the next egg repeating until all eggs (except eggs for egg wash) are used.

5. Add the cheese and arugula and stir until completely mixed.

6.  Using either a piping bag or spoons, make drops about 1 ½ inches wide and 1 inch tall onto a parchment lined baking sheet leaving about 2 inches in between.  Brush each puff lightly with egg wash being careful to brush only the top and not let it drip down the sides which will prevent the puff from rising correctly.

7.  Bake at 425F for about 20 minutes until golden brown and “crusty” to the touch.  Turn off the oven and leave the puffs in there for another 10 minutes to dry out in the center.

Boeuf Bourguignon
(to be made the day before and cooked overnight in a slow cooker)

1 c. Onions, diced
1 c. Mushrooms, sliced
½ c. Carrots, diced
3 clv. Garlic, whole cloves
2 ea. Thyme sprigs
1 ea. Bay leaves
1 ½-2 lb. Beef Chuck Roast, fat trimmed
½ tsp. Kosher Salt
¼ tsp. Ground Pepper
Flour for coating
2 c. Red Wine
2 c. Beef Stock
4 Tbsp Butter, softened – for thickening
¾ c. flour – for thickening

Method:
1. Liberally season the roast with the kosher salt and ground pepper, then coat with the flour.

2. Place the roast, onions, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, red wine and beef stock into a crock pot, cover and cook for two hours on high setting.  After that time, place on low overnight for additional 8 to 10 hours.

3. In the morning, the beef should be tender enough to shred with a pair of cooking tongs or two forks.  I do this right in the crock pot to prevent any burns that may be caused by transferring the beef to a cutting board.  Shred all of the beef and mix.

4.  Mix softened butter with the all-purpose flour until a smooth paste.  Stir into mixture and turn the heat back to high for 1 hour.  At this point, you can keep the mixture on warm until ready to use or place in refrigerator to rewarm when needed. Chef note: I think it tastes better the next day

THE BUILD

1 each carrot, shredded
1 c arugula
2-3 tsp olive oil
pinch truffle salt

1.  Toss the arugula, carrot, and olive oil in a bowl

2. Slice the gougere in half.

3. Place 1-2 Tbsp beef mixture on bottom half of gougere.

4. Top with some of the arugula carrot mixture, then sprinkle with truffle salt.

5. Replace top of gougere.

ENJOY!

Here’s a great recipe sent to us by one of our most loyal customers! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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Trish, we made the lamb tonight. It was delicious! I grilled it over hot coals until brown and toasty on all sides, then roasted it until it was done, for about 20 minutes. (I use a big green egg, which makes things easier…)

I served it with salsa verde, white beans, and sauteed chard. Here’s my recipe for salsa verde:

1 tsp capers
a handful of cornichons or green olives, pitted
a bunch of parsley
a bunch of basil
a bunch of mint
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp sherry or red-wine vinegar
a couple anchovy fillets
salt, pepper to taste
enough olive oil and water to make it saucy

Combine all that in a food processor and blend until creamy. Serve spilled over the lamb, with white beans and chard alongside.

-Mad