Creamy Tomato Summer Chopped Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup crumbled Nicolau Farms Feta Cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill (optional, sub. basil)
1 Tbsp. chopped chives
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Sparrow Lane Champagne Wine Vinegar
kosher salt and pepper, to taste

3 Persian cucumbers, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch radishes, diced
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced

Directions:
1. Whisk mayonnaise, feta, chives, dill, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes, radishes and onion – toss to coat.
2. Enjoy the mixture of cool crunchy vegetables as a BBQ side!

 

 

Adapted from Eating Well | June 2019

Rosemary-Golden Balsamic Peaches with Whipped Ricotta and Honey

Whipping the ricotta for a minute in the processor transforms its texture to a creamy and buttery delight.

Ingredients
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 pitted firm ripe peaches, halved and peeled
1/4 cup Sparrow Lane Golden Balsamic Vinegar
1 sprig fresh rosemary
honey, for drizzling

Instructions
1. In a food processor, pulse ricotta until smooth, about 1 minute. Spread on 4 dessert plates; set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add peach halves with cut side down and cook until browned and slightly softened. Remove peaches and divide among plates on top of whipped ricotta.
3. Back on the skillet, add Golden Balsamic and fresh rosemary sprig. Bring to a low boil, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Boil gently, uncovered until thickened. Remove and discard rosemary.
4. Spoon mixture over peaches. Drizzle each serving with honey.

Optional: use Sparrow Lane California Peach Vinegar.

Sparrow Lane Spring Salad

Ingredients

1 bag mixed baby greens
1/2 bag spinach leaves
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 granny smith apples (chopped with skins)
1/3 cup Sparrow Lane Pear Raspberry Vinegar
1/2 cup Sparrow Lane Extra Virgin Olive Oil
pinch of kosher or sea salt
pinch of peppercorn medley
walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Mix greens and spinach leaves together, top with berry and walnuts, cheese and apples…add a pinch of sea salt & pepper, drizzle with raspberry vinegar, add oil last.

Autumn Pear Salad

Ingredients

1 shallot
1 T Sparrow Lane Cabernet Wine Vinegar
3 T Sparrow Lane Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup crumbled point reyes bleu cheese (optional)
1 warren pear, halved, cored, and cut into thin slices
2 handfuls mixed bitter greens, such as arugula, dandelion and radicchio, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup roasted walnuts
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

1. Mince shallot and submerge in vinegar in a salad bowl. Sprinkle shallot and vinegar with a little salt. Set aside. After five minutes or so, whisk in olive oil until well integrated. Season to taste with more vinegar or oil, if needed. If using cheese, whisk cheese into vinaigrette until smooth.

2. Add pear, greens, and walnuts to the bowl and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

Serves 2

Berry Delicious Coleslaw

Ingredients

2 cups fresh raspberries
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 lb angel hair pasta
2 cups shredded red cabbage
2 cups torn watercress
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup snipped mint
1/4 cup snipped parsley
1/8 cup Sparrow Lane Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar**
1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain.

2. Combine everything except Blackberry Vinegar and mayonnaise in a large salad bowl. Whisk together the Blackberry Vinegar and the mayonnaise till well blended.

3. Gently toss the dressing with the slaw mixture to evenly coat.
** Can easily substitute with Sparrow Lane Pear Raspberry, Golden Balsamic, or Champagne Vinegar

Beet Salad

Ingredients

3-4 medium beets, peeled and halved
Sparrow Lane Golden Balsamic Vinegar
2 cups baby arugula
Sparrow Lane Champagne Vinegar
Sparrow Lane Extra Virgin Olive Oil
crème fraiche
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Instructions

Prep

1. Place beets cut side down in baking dish. Pour the Sparrow Lane Golden Balsamic Vinegar so that the liquid is just touching the beets. Add about 1/2 cup water and a splash or two of the Sparrow Lane Champagne Vinegar. Cover with foil and roast at 200 degrees until fork tender. When beets are done remove and let cool. Reserve the liquid.

2. When beets are cool to touch, cut them into 3/4 inch pieces.  Cover and chill in refrigerator.

3. Place liquid from step 1 into small sauce pan.  Add 1/4 cup of the Blackberry Blasamic Vinegar and reduce over medium heat until it thickens into a syrup.

Assembly

1. Place 1-2 T crème fraiche on a small plate and spread into an even thin layer. Place the chillen beets on top of the creme fraiche.

2. Lightly toss the baby arugula with a splash or two of the Champagne Vinegar and about 2 tsp of olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Garnish the edges of the plate with baby arugula mixture and then drizzle the beets with the syrup reduction.

 

Bacon, Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche

Ingredients

9-inch frozen pie crust
1 package (8 oz) bacon
2 T bacon drippings, reserved from cooked bacon
1 medium yellow onion, minced
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
4 oz Nicolau Farms Fresh chèvre, crumbled
1 can (12 fluid oz) evaporated milk
3 large eggs, beaten
1 T Sparrow Lane Champagne Vinegar
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare pie crust according to package instructions and let cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bacon in a large skillet with drippings and sauté until caramelized.

3. In a large bowl, combine bacon, onion, spinach, goat cheese, evaporated milk, eggs and seasoning. Blend well. Add mixture to pie crust and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until eggs are set and knife comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Apple Smoked Prawns

Ingredients

1 lb large prawns (16-20 count)
1 T old bay seasoning
1 T Sparrow Lane Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Sparrow Lane Quatro Pepe Garlic Vinegar
applewood chips

Instructions

1. Remove outer shell from prawns, be sure and leave tail on. Place cleaned prawns in large bowl and toss with Old Bay Spice.

2. Add the Sparrow Lane Quatro Pepe Garlic Vinegar, Sparrow Lane Extra Virgin Olive Oil and cover.  Marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

3. While prawns are marinating, in another bowl, place one handful of applewood chips and cover with water. Leave them soaking until the one hour is up for the prawns.  During the time the prawns are marinating, prepare your fire in your grill until your coals are glowing red.

4. After the one hour, remove the prawns from the refrigerator and place them on the metal skewers.

5. Prior to placing the skewers on the grill, drain the water from the apple chips and sprinkle them over the glowing coals (be ready for the smoke!) Close the lid of your grill to capture the smoke. Cook them until they are firm on the skewer and a nice red color. Be sure and brush them with the remaining marinade while grilling them and prior to serving.

Bon Appetit!