Fiddlefest a Grand Success! Gorgonzola Cream Dressing for your fresh greens

The Fiddlefest was a wonderful event. Folks were happy and the food delicious. I rubbed elbows- literally at times- with the folks at Vignola/Cinque Terre and Duckfat restaurants. Cinque Terre was cooking up some fiddleheads with vermouth, chives, garlic, parm and gnocchi. Duckfat had deep fried fiddleheads. I did have the chance to share in their delights as the afternoon drew on. There were representatives from Aurora Provisions with some delectable cheeses and at least a half dozen other chefs sharing their spring selections. I would guess there were over 200 attendees enjoying the delicious food and lively music. Slow Food really has their act together. There were volunteers available to assist with every aspect of the day. All were happy and helpful. I was so lucky to be a part of this event. Now to share a recipe that I brought with me yesterday. People LOVED the Spicy 5 Bean Salad (that I posted yesterday). They also devoured the baby greens from Morning Dew Farm with a Gorgonzola Cream Dressing. Here it is for your enjoyment. If you like blue cheese and Gorgonzola- this recipe is just as good to spread on a slice of whole grain bread, serve as a dip or use to dress your salad. A little bit goes a long way.
Gorgonzola Cream Dressing
I'm giving you this in a small batch- feel free to multiply if you need more...
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons light cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black or white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or one small clove minced
4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
Whisk the first 7 ingredients together. Add the vinegar and whisk again. Fold in the cheese. Serve with your choice of vegetables as the vehicle.

Happy Mother's Day with Fresh Fruit Salad

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful Mom's! Sherwood treated me to dinner in Brunswick last night at El Camino- a little Mexican restaurant with incredible ambiance and yummy food. We shared chips and a smoky homemade salsa, a taco salad with marinated steak and nachos with grilled chicken. The salsa was not chunky but a fine-ish puree with a hint of smoky pepper. Both the nachos and taco salad were comprised of diced veggies and meats. Everything was fresh and lively. You can visit them on my space just click here for El Camino Cantina. We've been dancing around the house and most Thursday nights at Great Salt Bay School. I just can't get enough. The more I learn the more I want to dance. The kids made dinner tonight. It was a delicious fruit salad with a lemon pineapple dressing and deviled eggs. If you need to serve brunch for Mother's Day- this is sure to be a hit.
Fresh Fruit Salad with Lemon Pineapple Dressing
3 cups fresh hulled and quartered strawberries
3 cups fresh diced seedless watermelon
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 cup fresh blueberries
Toss all of these together and chill.
for the dressing combine: the juice of a lemon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup fresh pineapple juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (OR 1 to 2 Tablespoons spiced or dark rum- very optional)
Whisk the dressing ingredients to dissolve the sugar. (at this point you can opt to whisk 1/2 cup of sour cream, creme fraiche, mascarpone cheese or plain yogurt into the dressing- if you like your dressings creamier) Pour over the fruit and toss well.
Serve in chilled bowls with a sprinkle of brown sugar on top.
Savor. Linger. Enjoy!
-Cynthia

Lemon- Yogurt Ceasar Dressing

Happy to be home! We spent the last week on the left coast visiting with my brother Todd and his amazing fiance Rebecca. We Love Rebecca! While we were gone there was some interesting weather here in Maine. The National Guard closed Main Street because high winds were blowing bricks off of the buildings downtown. Our county and the entire state of Maine both were in a state of emergency. The airlines were all discombobulated- so we had to delay returning for two days. That gave us time to enjoy even more food!
We had some wonderful meals out in sunny California. Tommy's was fantastic; Home magnificent; DeLessio divine; and San Tung consistently delicious. I'll be sharing information about each place over the next few days. Tonight we are recovering from jet lag and lack of sleep. Dinner was simple and healthy. No more indulgence for a little while (though I admit- I'm having a couple of spoons of chilled chocolate ganache while I write.)
I was in the mood for salad this afternoon- We brought the sun back with us from out west- it was a beautiful spring 70. I couldn't help that sooo-ready-to-get-my-hands-in-the-dirt feeling I always get when the weather turns warm. Rising Tide had some of the first local organic mesclun I've seen this year. Here is a recipe for dressing that is delicious and Caesar-y without all the fat of regular dressing.
Lemon-Yogurt Caesar Dressing
In a small nonreactive bowl place the following ingredients:
the juice and zest of half a lemon
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or your favorite pepper sauce)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic- pressed or finely minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly grated aged provolone or Parmesan cheese
using a microplane- grate 1/2 a granny smith apple- this must be so fine it's almost mushy
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
notice the distinct lack of any oil here...
Whisk all together until completely blended. Place clean washed greens on top of the dressing in the bowl. Use a rubber spatula or two to toss the greens to coat with the dressing. Scrape all of the bits up from the bottom of the bowl. Serve piled high on a chilled plate.
Top with Maine Shrimp (that have been marinated in lemon and garlic) and sauteed in a bit of olive oil until just cooked through.
-Savor. Linger. Enjoy!
-Cynthia