Korean Gochujang BBQ Sauce 

  

Tomato ketchup                           1 cup

Rice vinegar                                1 cup

Soy sauce                                           1/2 cup

Gochujang                                       1/2 cup

Korean red pepper flake              1 tbsp

Fresh grated ginger root               1 tbsp

Brown sugar                                 1 tbsp

Scallion chopped (not pictured)   1 tbsp     

Add all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue simmering for 20 min. 

$9 Dollar Lunch Special Friday April  18th

Korean Tacos w/ Asian Slaw

Pulled pork from recipe below         8 oz

Korean BBQ sauce                            1/2 cup

Corn tortillas                                     4 ea

Kimchee                                             2 oz

Asian slaw (your favorite)                 4 oz

Heat the pulled pork and BBQ sauce, warm the tortillas on a griddle and place on plate. Add 2 oz of pork in BBQ sauce and top with 1/2 oz of kimchee. Serve with Asian slaw.

Easy Recipe for Pulled Pork

Pork butt cut into four pieces              12 to 14 lb

Orange juice                                          1/2 gal 

Lime juice fresh                                   1 tbsp 

Lemon juice fresh                                1 tbsp

Garlic cloves crushed                          10 ea

Granulated sugar                                  1/4 cup

Yellow onion diced                             1 each

Serrano peppers sliced with seeds      5 ea

Pork stock (can sub chicken stock)      enough to cover the pork

Put all vegetables in an oven pan. Add the pork butt, sugar, orange juice, lime juice, and pork stock to cover. Loosely cover with foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 3 1/2 hours. Cool the pork and pull into shreds with your hands while the pork is still warm.  

One of my all time favorite food is dungeness crab. I love a classic crab cocktail like the kind you get on the wharf in San Francisco. But crab cakes show off the flavor of the crab in a different way. UN-masked from horseradish and other high note flavors in cocktail sauce these crab cakes deliver a great crab flavor which is a bit sweet and briny. Serve with a homemade tartar sauce or remoulade.

Here is my the recipe for the crab cakes

1 lb                Dungeness crab meat picked over for shells
1 cup              Mayonnaise
1/2 cup           Dry plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup           Green onions chopped
1 tsp               Old bay seasoning
1 tsp               Lemon zest    
1 Tbsp            Light olive oil

Pick the crab over with your hands feeling for bits of shell. Put the crab into a piece of cheese cloth and squeeze as much water out as you can. Mix all ingredients except the olive oil. Form into 2 oz cakes and heat the oil in a non stick pan or well seasoned griddle. Cook the crab cakes turning only once, brown each side being careful when turning since this recipe doesn't contain a lot of filler and there is no egg to bind the mixture. These crab cakes are exceptional.  

    

This was local, farm fresh heaven. I made this vegetarian pasta dish at home last night after a visit to the Paso Robles farmers market Tuesday afternoon.

I purchased baby artichokes. So tender and fast cooking. Fresh tomatoes, snap peas, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, onions, garlic, butter and Parmesan. This could be made vegan by eliminating the butter and Parmesan.

 I was just glad to be eating vegetarian. It doesn't happen often enough and when I do I like to keep it fresh and local. This was a really satisfying meal. Here is the recipe:

1. Brussels sprouts cleaned and quartered  12 ea
2. Asparagus stalks cut into 1" pieces         8 ea
3. Fresh tomato diced                                  2 small ea
4. Yellow onion large diced                        1 small
5. Sugar snap peas prepared cut in half       12 ea
6. Prepared baby artichokes                        6 ea
7. Linguine dry                                             8 oz
8. Olive oil                                                  4 oz
9. Butter                                                       2 Tbsp
10. Garlic chopped                                        3 cloves
11. Parmesan wedge                                      1 piece
12. salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the vegetables and start the linguine in a 4 qt pot of boiling salted water and cook for 9 - 12 minutes then drain.  In the mean time add the olive oil to a 10" saute pan and heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and saute for several minutes till the edges start to brown. Add 1/8 cup of water and cover. Cook for 2 minutes the remove the lid and add the onions and toss, saute for 2 minutes and add the garlic, saute for 1 minute then add the asparagus, snap peas, prepared baby artichokes and tomatoes. Saute till the asparagus is crisp tender about 3 minutes. Drain  the pasta when finished add the butter and sauteed vegetables and toss. Plate the dish then finish with fresh grated black pepper and Parmesan cheese.  

Valentines Day Winemakers Dinner

At the Apple Farm Restaurant

Featuring Vines on the Marycrest

and the culinary pairings of 

Chef Steven Smeets and Chef Stephen Walls

This was the table setting outside on our heated patio

We started with champagne and butler passed appetizers of Serrano wrapped pear with blue cheese

 First course: Fried oysters with Meyer lemon aioli

Paired with Viognier

Second course: House-made chicken and basil sausage with pork belly, white bean puree and sauteed exotic mushrooms with mustard greens

Paired with Estate Zinfandel

Third course: Baby vegetable salad with beets, carrot and micro greens

Paired with Heart of Glass a classic GSM  59% Grenache, 29% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre

The main entree 

Medallion of filet Mignon with jumbo prawns

Lemon brown butter Haricot verts

Herb roasted potatoes and sauce Bordelaise    

Paired with Petit Syrah

Dessert was chocolate brownie pudding

Paired with Satin Doll 

A red blend of 62%Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Syrah

It was and an amazing experience