Rich Food - Organic Food - Whole Food

September 2009 my husband and I went up to the Northwest for about 10 tens on the Olympic Peninsula. I was raised in Seattle, and the Peninsula has always been on of my favorite get-away spots. We went from Sequim to Forks to Victoria. We hiked, biked and kayaked our way through some pretty great eats. We stayed at a tiny little motel (no tv, no phone -just beds and baths). The diner at the motel Granny's Cafe served the best blackberry cobbler I have ever had in my entire life. The best culinary experience we had on the trip was in Sequim at Alderwood Bistro (www.alderwoodbistro.com). As we ate in the garden, the head chef kept coming out and snipping herbs, or picking blueberries. Finally, I asked him, "Are you cooking with these ingredients?"

If you are ever in Sequim take a few hours, order an appetizer, a bottle of wine and an entree - you will not regret it.

I thought about the Alderwood as I baked my quiche this weekend. Something about fresh organic ingredients, rich flavorful food makes me feel like I am in a garden cafe. In my imagination, my garden cafe is in the south of France during mid-summer sipping on a dry red wine. Ahhh....okay, so my quiche!

I made two quiche this weekend and I was pretty impressed with the results. I used all organic, all gluten free ingredients. I won't say they were at all low-fat, but I am starting to care more about healthy than "low-fat". Thank you Michael Pollan for giving me permission to cook with cream!

I also made an impromptu chicken and sauce with polenta! :)

Here are the recipes.

Quiche Lorraine (adapted from recipe by Emeril):

1 GF Pie Crust*
Filling:
3 eggs
6 oz bacon or sliced ham
1 1/4 c. heavy cream (organic unsweetened)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/2c. Gruyere Cheese (grated)
2 medium onions thinly sliced
2 TBSP Butter

Preheat Oven 375

In medium skillet, cook bacon or ham according to normal cooking specifications. Remove meat and set aside on paper towel to absorb the fat. In same pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions. The thinner the better. If you have a sharp mandolin, this may be the best method for slicing, especially if you are not extremely comfortable with large knives. Add onions to butter and saute for approximately 5-7 min. The goal is to completely caramelize the onions. They should be caramel in color soft. Meanwhile, in food processor/blender combine cream, eggs, and seasoning (salt, pepper and nutmeg). Process until ingredients are completely combined.

In prepared pie crust create three layers - ham, onions and finish with cheese. Pour egg mixture over the top.

Bake at 375 fro 35-45 min. Filling should be firm, crust and cheese should be golden brown.

Spinach- Bacon Swiss Quiche
Preheat 375

1 GF pie crust*
1 lb organic uncured bacon
2 c. fresh chopped baby spinach
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. grated Swiss cheese (The sharper the better as far as I am concerned.)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook bacon and crumble or chop. In food processor/blender combine eggs, salt, pepper and cream until completely incorporated. Layer spinach, bacon, and cheese (ending with cheese) in pie crust. Pour egg-cream mixture over layers. Bake 45-50 min at 375.

*GF Pie crust can be made from scratch, however I prefer Gluten Free Pantry's crust. Whole Foods brand has a premade frozen crust that is a good substitute if you are short on time. I would give them a B+. Just a note, GF Pantry' crust has had rave reviews every time I've made it. It is better than any flour crust I have ever had - buttery, flaky and cooks up wonderfully! A++ for Gluten Free Pantry! :)


Chicken in Cream Sauce with Polenta and Peas
Last night's dinner was an off the cuff concoction that turned out quite well. Typically, when I cook, I know kind of what I want to make - but then I get started and often end up in a different direction.

2 c. Bob's Red Mill Polenta Mix
6 c. Water
1-2 lbs free range chicken
3 chopped garlic cloves
2 tsp Herbs de Provence
1/4 c. Creme Fraiche
1/2 c. Dry Chardonnay
1 tsp. Corn Starch
1 c. Peas
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt

In large sauce pan, heat water to a rolling boil. Slowly add polenta mix. Return to boil and reduce heat. It will take approx 25-30 min for the polenta to reach the thick heavy consistency necessary. Stir frequently. Spoon polenta into greased bowl. Let cool completely. Slide into 1 gallon zip lock bag and roll into a "log". Refrig overnight. Slice into 1/2" slices and heat in lightly oiled pan over med heat until heated through.

Chicken and Sauce: Rub chicken with herbs, salt, pepper and garlic. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large skillet. Brown chicken and reduce heat. Cook chicken through and remove from pan. In same skillet, using the juices from the chicken, add Chardonnay and creme fraiche. Heat to a simmer and fully incorporate. Reduce by one-third. Make cornstarch slurry by dissolving 1-2tsp cornstarch in ice water. Whisk until completely smooth. Add to boiling liquid, replace chicken to pan and simmer on low-heat for 5-7 min.
Note - if your chicken did not produce enough juice - you may need to add some broth (veg or chicken).

Use the sauce from your chicken to drizzle over the polenta! Serve with fresh peas.

Enjoy!!