Citrus Vinaigrette - From the Park 121 Grill

Chef Bruce Riezenman

If you travel up Highway 121 (Arnold Drive) from Route 37 about 6.5 miles, past the Sonoma Raceway, you will find the Park 121 Cafe and Grill, a great cozy restaurant inside Cornerstone Sonoma.

Cornerstone Sonoma has a few wineries, some retail stores, a working garden demonstration area and, of course, the Park 121 Cafe and Grill restaurant.   They have a very nice, fresh menu with many really great lunch items.  Along with their salads and a few other dishes, they serve their signature Citrus Vinaigrette.   London van der Kamp, the restaurant manager, was kind enough to share the recipe.

The recipe is the pride of Executive Chef Bruce Riezenman.

The Cozy Outside Patio (their is inside dining too)

While they have a wonderful and extensive menu, one of my favorite dishes is their Adult Grilled Cheese Sandwich.   The grilled cheese showcases Bellwether Farms Carmody, bacon and quince paste on Penngrove wheat bread toast.  Yum yum.

So, here we go with the Citrus Vinaigrette.  The recipe makes 1 pint of dressing.




Ingredients

• ¼ Cup While Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp, Shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 Lime, zested and squeezed for juice
• 1 Lemon, zested and squeezed for juice
• ¼ Orange, zested and squeezed for juice
• 1 Teas. Brown Sugar
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Teas. Grain Mustard
• ¾ Cup Good Quality Olive Oil
• ½ Cup Canola, Grapeseed or other neutral, clean-tasting oil

Procedure

• Place shallots, zest, white vinegar and juices from the citrus in a non-reacting bowl for 30 minutes.  Strain and discard shallots.
• Combine the olive and other oil.  
• Place the juices, sugar and mustard in a blender and lightly emulsify by addiing the combined oils slowly to the blender.
• Add salt and pepper, as desired, remembering the dressing will taste much lighter when drizzled on a salad.

Chicken Wings with Honey and Hoisin Glaze

Here is a different chicken wing recipe for those who like Asian rather than Buffalo wings.  From Kelsy Nixon's - Kesley's Essentials program on the Cooking Channel.

Ingredients

• 12 chicken wings (wingettes and drumettes)
• 3 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 Teas. Kosher Salt
• 1 Teas. Cracked Black Pepper
• ¼ Cup Rice Vinegar
• 2 Teas. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• ½ Cup Honey
• 2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 2 Scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 2 Teas. Black and White Sesame Seeds, for serving

Procedure

• Arrange an over rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the broiler.
• Toss the chicken with the vegetable and sesame oil and sprinke with salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
• Arrange the chicken on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.  Broil the chicken parts, turning after 10 minutes, until the chicken is golden grown, crisp and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the vinegar and crushed red pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the honey, hoisin and soy sauce.  Pour into an extra-large bowl.
• Add the chicken to the bowl and toss with the honey glaze.  Transfer the chicken wings to a platter and garnish with the scallions and sesame seeds.

Zeke and Linda's Soda Bread

Zeke and Linda, who are friends from the Novato Elks Lodge, provided this recipe. They say it was lifted from the Fireman's Cookbook.  It is a really great recipe.  Please try.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp plus 1 Tbs shortening (Crisco)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 Tbs caraway seeds
• 2+ cups raisins
• 4 cups flour
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• Butter

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 inch heavy iron frying pan with 2 tsp of shortening.
• In a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon or a KitchenAid type stand mixer, blend together 1 Tbs shortening and sugar. Combine buttermilk, baking soda, caraway seeds and raisins and stir into the sugar mixture.
• Sift together or combine and aerate with a whisk, flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add this to the buttermilk mixture in batches and beat well. Turn into the prepared frying pan and smooth the top evenly with a spatula or butter knife.
• Bake for 1 hour 25 minutes to 30 minutes until top is golden brown. Remove from oven, turn out of frying pan and wrap in a clean dish towel. Prop up and stand the bread vertically on its end and cool for 30 minutes before cutting. Slice and serve with butter.

Bon Appétit - June 2015 - Some Nice Recipes to Try

Here are some new recipes from the June 2015 edition of Bon Appétit.

Ralph Lauren's Burger Sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. sweet relish
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped cornichons
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped red onions
• 1 Teas. Worchestershire sauce
• ½ Teas. garlic powder
• ½ Teas. onion powder
• ¼ Teas. hot sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mix all ingredients, cover and chill
• Can be made two day ahead

Spicy Grilled Chicken With Lemon and Parsley

Ingredients

• ¼ cup hot smoked Spanish paprika
• ¼ cup kosher salt
• ¼ cup ground black pepper
• 1-½ Tbsp. Cayenne pepper
• 2 3-4 lb Chicken
• 1 loaf country-style bread, sliced lengthwise 1 inch thick
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olice oil
• 4 lemon, halved
• ½ cup parsley leaves with tender stems

Procedure

• Combine paprika, salt, peppter and cayenne to create rub
• Halve and press chicken flat
• Grill chicken until thighs are 165
• Start with skin side up over high heat until browned 5-8 minutes
• Turn skin side down and cook until browned 8-10 minutes
• Turn over with skin side up and move to indirect heat side of grill
• Finish to temperature
• Drizzle bread on both side with Olive Oil. Grill until lightly charred - about 4 minutes
• Grill lemons, cut side down until lightly charred

Slow-Grilled Leg of Lamb With Mint Yogurt and Salsa Verde

Ingredients

• Mint Yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
• 2 cups while-milk plan Greek yogurt.
• 1 cup chopped mint.
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (salt and pepper).
• Salsa Verde
• 6 oil-packed anchovy fillets.
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped.
• ¾ cup olive oil.
• ¾ cup chopped parsley.
• ½ cup chopped fresh mint.
• 2 Tbsp. drained capers.
• 1 Tbsp. fesh lemon juice.
• Salt and pepper.
• Lamb
• 1 cup rosemary leaves.
• ¾ cup peeled garlic cloves.
• ¼ Cup extra-virgin olive oil.
• 5-6 lbs whole bone-in leg of lamb, shank attached, drenched.
• Salt and pepper.
• 1 cup chopped preseved lemons.
• ½ cup choipped fesh mint.

Procedure

• Mint Yogurt
• Mix ingredients.
• Can be made 1 day ahead, cover and chill.
• Salsa Verde
• Process anchovies, garlic, oil, parsley, mint, capers, and lemon juice in food processor until finely chopped, salt and pepper.
• Can be made 1 day ahead, cover and chill.
• Lamb
• Prepare grill for medium-heat one side of grill (for indirect cooking).
• Blend rosemary, garlic, ¾ cup oil in blender until finely chopped.
• Season leg of lamb with salt and pepper and smear rosemary mixure.
• Grill lamb over direct heat fat side up turning from time to time until browned 15-20 minutes.
• Position lamb over indirect heat  until internal temperature reaches 135 degress (1-½ to 2 hours.
• Transfer to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. 
• Holding bone, thinly slice lamb against grain.
• Top lamb with lemons and mint.
• Serve with mint yogurt and salsa verde.
• Lamb can be marinaded 1 day in advance.
• Lamb can be grilled 2 hours ahead (hold at room temperature) grill over high heat to reheat about 4 minutes before slicinga nd fiishing as directed above.