Asparagus In Season Now

Bonjour! There is one more spot available in this Friday, May 3, 2024 cooking class! See below for details and/or contact me. Merci! Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Spring is such an exciting time of the year with artichokes, asparagus, citrus, fava beans, peas, spring greens, strawberries and more, now in season. Please join me for this culinary experience with a menu full of delicious flavors to help you celebrate your special spring celebrations.

Menu For Springtime Celebrations

HOSTED AT DOMAINE DE MANION, ENCINITAS, CALIFORNIA

Friday, May 3, 2024, 10am-2pm

$195.00 per person

Class Size is Limited to First 8 Guests

LE MENU

Rhubarb-Sour Cream Snack Cake with Walnut Streusel

French Roast Coffee or Lemon Verbena Tea

Luscious Shrimp Salad Over Bibb Lettuce

Miso-Roasted Asparagus

Farro Salad with Pistou Vinaigrette

Red Rhubarb Amaretto Torte

Domaine de Manion Rosé Wine

CONTACT

To sign up online, please click on Menu For Springtime Celebrations cooking class.

For further details, please contact Bonnie, bonnie@vintagegardengal.com, (tel) (760) 402-7600

Luscious Shrimp Salad

This cooking class is “hands on,” followed by a sit down luncheon, à table, enjoying the recipes we have made together. A minimum of 6 guests is necessary for the cooking class to be held. Recipes are seasonal and may be subject to change.

A portion of your class fee will be donated to José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, a non-governmental organization dedicated to humanitarian relief around the world. World Central Kitchen speeds to places around the globe devastated by natural disaster and human violence with food, water, and more.

I have always been a fan of Chef José Andrés and the organization he founded. The Miso-Roasted Asparagus recipe in this cooking class is lovingly adapted from his Vegetables Unleashed cookbook. I was planning on donating a portion of this cooking class proceeds to World Central Kitchen, even before the tragedy of losing seven of his World Central Kitchen volunteers.

Prepping Fresh Rhubarb From The Garden

Please join me! Merci…Bonnie

Asparagus In Season Now

Spring is such an exciting time of the year with artichokes, asparagus, citrus, fava beans, peas, spring greens, strawberries and more, now in season. Please join me for this culinary experience with a menu full of delicious flavors to help you celebrate your special spring celebrations.

Menu For Springtime Celebrations

HOSTED AT DOMAINE DE MANION, ENCINITAS, CALIFORNIA

Friday, May 3, 2024, 10am-2pm

$195.00 per person

Class Size is Limited to First 8 Guests

LE MENU

Rhubarb-Sour Cream Snack Cake with Walnut Streusel

French Roast Coffee or Lemon Verbena Tea

Luscious Shrimp Salad Over Bibb Lettuce

Miso-Roasted Asparagus

Farro Salad with Pistou Vinaigrette

Red Rhubarb Amaretto Torte

Domaine de Manion Rosé Wine

CONTACT

To sign up online, please click on Menu For Springtime Celebrations cooking class.

For further details, please contact Bonnie, bonnie@vintagegardengal.com, (tel) (760) 402-7600

Luscious Shrimp Salad

This cooking class is “hands on,” followed by a sit down luncheon, à table, enjoying the recipes we have made together. A minimum of 6 guests is necessary for the cooking class to be held. Recipes are seasonal and may be subject to change.

A portion of your class fee will be donated to José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, a non-governmental organization dedicated to humanitarian relief around the world. World Central Kitchen speeds to places around the globe devastated by natural disaster and human violence with food, water, and more.

I have always been a fan of Chef José Andrés and the organization he founded. The Miso-Roasted Asparagus recipe in this cooking class is lovingly adapted from his Vegetables Unleashed cookbook. I was planning on donating a portion of this cooking class proceeds to World Central Kitchen, even before the tragedy of losing seven of his World Central Kitchen volunteers.

Prepping Fresh Rhubarb From The Garden

Please join me! Merci…Bonnie

A Slice of Heaven, Lemon Gingersnap Icebox Pie

Here is a great dessert recipe, perfect for any occasion, Lemon Gingersnap Icebox Pie by Erin French. Erin French is the owner and chef of The Lost Kitchen, a forty seat restaurant in Freedom, Maine, that one has to send in a postcard for a dinner reservation lottery. Her restaurant was recently named Time’s World’s Greatest Places, and Bloomberg includes her in “12 Restaurants Worth Traveling Across the World to Experience.” She has quite a life story which she vividly describes in her bestselling memoir Finding Freedom.

This might be a perfect dessert for your upcoming Easter gathering and celebration for many reasons. It is best to make it the day before, so advance preparation eases up your schedule. You slice it straight from the freezer when ready to serve. Makes one 9” pie, serves 8.

Lemons are in season, and who doesn’t love a bright, cool, and creamy lemony dessert. It is so easy to make, and the citrus-ginger combination is addicting.

This icebox pie just looks like spring. You can have fun and be creative with garnish. I used fresh sliced kiwi, but you could use other fruit such as blueberries, or candied ginger pieces or even dainty edible flowers. Make your whipped cream the day before, and dessert is done.

Lemon gingersnap Icebox Pie

Lovingly Adapted from Erin French’s Big Heart, Little Stove

For The Crust:

1 box gingersnap cookies (about 9 ounces)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For The Filling:

6 large egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Freshly whipped cream, for serving

Make The Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cookies until the crumbs are the consistency of coarse sand. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl, add the sugar, and melted butter, and stir to combine.

Pour the crust mixture into a 9-inch springform pan or pie dish and press evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until just barely golden and puffed, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely before adding the filling.

Make The Filling:

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and salt and whip on high speed until the mixture is light in color, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add the sweetened condensed milk, and then the lemon zest and juice.

Pour the filling into the prepared pan and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

If using a springform pan, unmold the pie. Slice into wedges and serve immediately with freshly whipped cream. Add a garnish of your choice of fruit, dried ginger, or dainty edible flowers.

If you are not serving the entire icebox pie at once, return the remaining pie to the freezer, otherwise it will melt. Enjoy!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Fresh Blackberries and Santa Rosa Plums From the Garden

This time of year is heaven if you have berry bushes and fruit trees in your garden. Pretty as a painting, this fruit was begging to be made into a crisp, or as the French call, crumble. I chose a crisp recipe because blackberries and plums can be quite juicy, which is the best for a crisp.

In Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris cookbook I found her Plum Raspberry Crumble recipe and lovingly adapted, and substituted my fruit selection. Know your fruit, if you feel your fruit is ripe, but not real sweet, add an additional 1/3 cup sugar to your fruit mixture before pouring into your baking pan. If you like your fruit slightly tart, follow the recipe. Yum!

Ready Fruit Mixture in Baking Pan

Rolled Oats and Sliced Almond Topping Baked to Perfection

Serve This Crisp Warm with Generous Dollops of Vanilla Ice Cream

Taking a Summer Break. Enjoy Your Summer!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Strawberries on a Stick at Mercado de La Boqueria, Barcelona, Spain

On a recent trip to Barcelona, Spain, strolling through the famous covered Mercado de La Boqueria, I spotted these “Strawberries on a Stick,” and thought what a clever idea and presentation. A simple variation on chocolate-dipped strawberries. A simple summer dessert when strawberries are in season.

Purchase 12” bamboo skewers. Purchase large sweet whole strawberries, and your chocolates. Melt dark chocolate in a microwave or double boiler, and pour into zip lock bag. Snipe a small corner. Keep the green top on your first strawberry. Add your other strawberries without greens to the skewer. Over parchment paper drizzle the chocolate around each strawberry while rotating the skewer. You might want to enlist a willing helper to hold and rotate the skewer as you drizzle. Place upright to set your chocolate. Repeat with white chocolate.

The Market de la Boqueria is a market, yes, and also a place to grab lunch or a snack for locals and visitors to enjoy. Many of the market vendors have “ready to go” items which are delicious and easy to eat as you stroll around. Next time you are in Barcelona, the Market de la Boqueria in the Las Ramblas neighborhood is a must stop.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Dark Chocolate Tart

Show Mom the love by baking her this “Dark Chocolate Tart” for Mother’s Day! Easy to make, key is using the best bittersweet chocolate you can find. I use Guittard bittersweet chocolate (74% cacao) in bars.

This is Ina Garten’s recipe in her Go-To Dinners, inspired by Erin French’s The Lost Kitchen cookbook. I have lovingly adapted it a bit more. This recipe is a simple graham cracker crust with a chocolate mousse filling and a chocolate ganache topping glaze, lightly sprinkled with flaky sea salt, such as Maldon. For serving, garnish each serving with a sprig of fresh mint or a few raspberries. A truly luxurious chocolate dessert, perfect for Mom on her special day!

The recipe calls for Nabisco chocolate wafers, which are sometimes hard to find. I found at Trader Joe’s a 16-ounce package of cinnamon graham crackers (in their cookie section) that I substitute 9 ounces in for the crust, and it is a lovely addition. These cinnamon graham crackers grind well in a food processor.

Dark Chocolate Tart

• For the crust:

• 1 (9-ounce) box Nabisco chocolate wafers

• ¼ cup sugar

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• For the filling:

• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (6½ ounces) (see note)

• 1¼ cups heavy cream

• 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• For the glaze:

• ½ cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (3 ounces)

• ¼ cup heavy cream

• ¼ teaspoon coffee granules

• ½ teaspoon flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chocolate wafers and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely ground. Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the butter, and mix until well incorporated. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, for the filing, place the 1 cup of chocolate in a medium glass bowl. Heat the cream until it just comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, allow it to sit for 1 minute, then stir gently with a whisk until smooth (see note). Stir the eggs and vanilla into the chocolate until smooth and pour into the tart shell. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the chocolate is set on the edges but still jiggly in the middle. Set aside to cool.

For the glaze, put the ½ cup chocolate and the coffee in a glass bowl. Heat the cream to simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Gently pour over the chocolate filling (not the crust) and spread to the inside edge of the crust with a knife or offset spatula. Sprinkle with the salt and set aside at room temperature until set. Remove the rim of the tart pan and place the tart on a flat serving plate. Cut in wedges (don’t worry if the crust crumbles) and serve at room temperature.

Notes:

If either chocolate & cream mixture doesn’t melt completely, heat in a microwave for 15 seconds.

Bon Appétit, Bon Weekend, and Happy Mother’s Day…Bonnie

Cook, Bake, and Celebrate Spring Flavors

Spring Cooking Class

Hosted at Domaine de Manion, Encinitas, California

Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 11am to 3pm

$195.00 per person

Class Size is Limited to First 8 Guests

Menu de Printemps

Lemon Tarragon Deviled Eggs

Spring Pea Salad with Mint, Chile, and Ricotta Salata

Lamb & Ricotta Meatballs

Rosemary Hummus

Mint Chutney

Carlton Bakery’s Lemon Tart

Carlton Bakery Lemon Tart

Contact

To Sign Up, and for Further Details

Please contact Bonnie, bonnie@vintagegardengal.com, (tel) (760) 402-7600

This cooking class is “hands on,” followed by a sit down luncheon, à table, enjoying the recipes we have made together. A minimum of 6 guests is necessary for the cooking class to be held. Seasonal menu can be subject to change and substitution.

A portion of your class fee will be donated to Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen, a non-governmental organization dedicated to worldwide humanitarian relief through food.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie

Dreamy Dining Room

My husband and I rented a beautiful two bedroom apartment in the historic center of Uzès, South France. This apartment is within walking distance of everything, so convenient, so relaxing, and so inviting. If you ever get a chance to visit this charming town, plan on staying a few days.

We found this stunning apartment on AirBnB, called C’est la Vie, managed by Dominique and Christophe Cachat. She is American, and he is French. Dominique loves remodel, decorating projects, brocante finds, and it shows. They offer a number of properties to rent in the area which can accommodate a number of guests. Their website is www.uzesvacationrentals.com

Dreamy Kitchen

The kitchen all on one side, and all in white, has everything, even a dishwasher. I must admit we ate out most evenings, at wonderful tiny restaurants, some which were recommended, and some we stumbled across.

Wednesdays and Saturdays are market days in Uzès. We went to the Wednesday morning market which is bustling, located in the town center under beautiful canopy trees called Place aux Herbs. We had fun browsing, and bought some beautiful vibrant red-ribbed tomatoes, olive oil, black olives, Camargue (the wild marshland natural region south of Arles) honey, and more. From the cheesemongers we bought fresh goat cheese medallions and aged Tomme sheep cheese.

Rainbow Swiss Chard at Uzès Wednesday Market

Engaging in conversation with the chatty sheep cheesemonger, Monsieur Cheesemonger gave us this tub of his whipped sheep ricotta cheese as a gift. He wanted us to try it. He suggested it could go with sweet or savory. He said, “Have it for breakfast with fruit and honey, or in the evening with olive oil and herbs on a baguette.” Wow!

A Gift of Whipped Sheep Ricotta Cheese

I thought for a while, what could I make with this whipped sheep ricotta as a dinner. What came to me was a pasta dish inspired by Half Baked Harvest One Pot Recipes, a sort of loose combination of these two recipes,

One Pot Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Burrata Pasta and One Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Whipped Ricotta. I had mades these recipes before, and was inspired to do something similar with the ingredients I had. I didn’t have sun-dried tomatoes, but I had wonderful fresh market tomatoes.

Fresh Spinach Washed, Dried and Cut Up

I prepared the lovely fresh spinach, rinsing, drying, and cutting it up. I added a little Basil Olive Oil to a large pot, and began warming it.

Finely chopped a shallot and sauteed it in the pan. I then added my beautiful market tomatoes ( I wished I had bought more), a couple of tablespoons of rich tomato paste, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, chopped black olives, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. The tomatoes began to break down, and a nice sauce started.

Making Tomato Sauce with Black Olives

When I felt the tomato sauce was ready for the last ingredients, I added 8 ounces of shelled dry pasta, all of the spinach, and about 4 cups of water to the same pot, gently stirring on a medium low heat.

Adding Pasta, Water, and Spinach to the Sauce

Ten minutes or so later, the pasta had absorbed all of the water, and also the beautiful tomato sauce. It was a nice, creamy texture. Since I thought this sheep ricotta cheese was so fresh, and so special, I used it as a topping on the pasta, being very generous with a big dollop, rather than mixing it in with the tomato pasta. I think that was a good idea, because I didn’t want to take away the fresh flavors of the sauce.

One Pot Tomato Pasta with Spinach and Whipped Sheep Ricotta

We had a baguette to serve with our pasta dish, so one could also put the whipped ricotta on the baguette too. My one pot pasta dish turned out beautifully. It was a wonderful relaxing evening in with a delicious dinner and a nice bottle of wine.

I didn’t even mention the wine. Since we are winemakers, we always like to explore the wines of the area when we travel. The wine in this area is very, very good, and quite reasonable. Many of these wines are made with the Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre grape varietals. We befriended the local savvy wine merchant, who suggested a few local bottles for us to try. Chin! Chin!

à Table, Chin Chin, et Bon Appétit!

Not to forget dessert. The French really have some amazing desserts and pastries to tempt you. Earlier in the day, we stopped at our favorite boulangeries/pâtisserie and picked up a Lemon Meringue Tart for dessert. Heaven. I hope you enjoyed, Dreamy Dinner Chez Nous!

Splitting a Lemon Meringue Tart for Dessert

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie