MMM Strawberries

Mmm Strawberries


Driscoll invited us to try their “Seasons Finest” berries, which they say are much juicer and larger than their normal ones (which as we all know are yummy) so of course we jumped on it. I was a bit skeptical that there would be much of any difference that you would see or more important taste going in but wow go take a look at your local store the seasons finest ( which are only available for another week or two )they are very noticeably larger and just very very yummy.




Driscoll gave us several new recipes (you can find a lot of them at driscolls.com) I have listed a few below, but after thinking about it I wanted to try them out on something I know and love, a plain simple strawberry pie, I mean what better way to test a strawberry not only does a strawberry pie just highlight the berries it gave me ample opportunity while slicing them to sample them raw ( darn lucky any made it to the pie). After all is said and done all I can say is YUMM and I would suggest you go grab some at your local King Soopers as quickly as you can 
Strawberry Caprese Pasta Salad
Prep time: 20 minutes
Makes: 4-6 servings

8 ounces Driscoll’s Strawberries
8 ounces shell pasta, cooked, rinsed and cooled
8 ounces fresh mozzarella balls, drained
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
1/4 cup slivered red onion
1/4 cup prepared balsamic vinaigrette

Rinse, hull and quarter strawberries.

Combine strawberries, pasta, mozzarella, basil and onion in a large bowl. (Can be prepared to this point and refrigerated until ready to serve.)

Drizzle with vinaigrette and mix gently until ingredients are well coated.

Nutrition Per Serving: 322 calories, 12.54g total fat, 5.49g saturated fat, 14.73g protein, 37.32g carbohydrate, 29.86mg cholesterol, 2.75g fiber, 355mg sodium



Strawberry Avocado Salsa
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes 3-1/2 cups

1 package (16 ounces) Driscoll’s Strawberries
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits or chunks
1 small avocado, pitted and diced
1/2 to 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon onion salt
Rinse and hull strawberries. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes.
Drain pineapple, reserving juice.
Combine pineapple, 2 tablespoons pineapple juice, strawberries, avocado, jalapeño to taste, balsamic vinegar and onion salt. Let stand 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Serving suggestion: Combine remaining pineapple juice with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Use to marinate halibut steaks or chicken breasts for 20-30 minutes. Grill or broil until done. Serve with Strawberry Avocado Salsa.

Nutrition Per Serving (2 tablespoons): 18 calories, .81g total fat, .10g saturated fat, .24g protein, 2.73g carbohydrate, 0mg cholesterol, .73g fiber, 31mg sodium

Healthy Tip: Strawberries and avocado make a versatile salsa that’s great with chips, fish or chicken. Serve the same day it’s made for the best color and flavor. After working with jalapeño peppers, always wash your hands well with soap and water, being careful not to touch or rub your eyes; the pepper oils can burn!




Goat Cheese and Strawberry Bruschetta
Prep Times: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Makes: 8 servings 2 per serving

1 package (16 ounces) Driscoll’s Strawberries
1 8 ounce French baguette
8 ounces creamy and mild goat cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoon honey

Rinse and hull strawberries.

Slice baguette into 16 thin diagonal slices. Toast slices in a 350°F. oven 6 minutes, turning once or until crisp.

Stir goat cheese and honey in a small bowl until blended; spread 1 tablespoon onto each toasted bread slice.

Slice each strawberry into several thin slices partway through keeping it attached at the stem. Top each bruschetta with a fanned strawberry.

Nutrition Per Serving: 193 calories, 6,49g total fat, 4.27 saturated fat, 9g protein, 24.75g carbohydrate, 13.04mg cholesterol, 1.45g fiber, 288.75mg sodium

VARIATIONS: For a little different flavor try stirring in ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper or ground chipotle chili pepper for that sweet and hot flavor or 1 teaspoon finely chopped crystallized ginger. Also available are herb flavored goat cheese that you might want to substitute for the plain goat cheese. For added flavor a tablespoon finely chopped toasted pecans can be stirred into cheese mixture or prepared chopped Major Grey chutney.

TIP: Some stores carry a honey-flavored goat cheese which can be substituted for the plain goat cheese and honey.



Strawberry Smoothie Recipe (no image available)
4 large Driscoll’s strawberries
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 cup of whole milk
1 cup of ice cubes

Blend strawberries with milk on low speed till well smooth, than add ice cubes and blend on high. Add sugar and blend on high speed for about 1 minute. The texture should be slushy and smooth.



Strawberry Crème Brulee
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings

Crème Brulee:
1 package (16 ounces) Driscoll’s Strawberries, hulled, divided
2 cups half and half
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup light brown sugar, divided

Heat oven to 325°F. Place six 6-ounce ramekins in a roasting pan; set aside.

Coarsely chop 4 strawberries and evenly divided in bottom of each ramekin. Bring half and half to a boil in a saucepot over medium heat. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl 2 minutes or until golden yellow. Slowly whisk hot half & half into egg mixture. Divide among prepared ramekins. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins.

Bake 35 minutes or until edges of custard are set and center jiggles when ramekin is tapped. Remove from hot water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover each one with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Heat broiler. Press through a sieve 2 teaspoon light brown sugar evenly over the top of each custard. Arrange custards on a baking sheet and place 2 inches from source of heat. Broil until sugar melts and bubbles.

Top each with a strawberry halved.

Nutrition Per Serving: 285 calories, 13.26g total fat, 7.23 saturated fat, 6.33g protein, 31.85g carbohydrate, 284.74mg cholesterol, 1.03g fiber, 51.27mg sodium

Tip: lighten up the recipe by replacing half and half with milk

They call it the Happy Sumo, were not so sure..

Hi all



We tried out the sushi restaurant The Happy Sumo and….















MEH…. I am glad the Sumo is happy because we left not so much, I wont say it was all bad, but at its best it was fair + and at its worst was fair-, no where I would want to go again.



Thanks for stopping by, I know this is a short one but this meal does not deserve a long one. If you have questions or comments drop us a line here or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com

Door to Door Organics

Hi all,

**** I am very sorry I incorectly said you would get a 50 percent discount with the code at the end it is a 40 percent discount *(still a great deal I think)

No new restaurant this week, but next week we will talk about our trip to the Happy Sumo. This week I want to mention a new service we got to try out: Door to Door Organics (http://colorado.doortodoororganics.com). What they do is deliver fresh organic fruit and veggies to your door on a weekly basis.

I must admit for us organic/not organic is not a huge factor. What is a factor, is freshness and everything we received in the box was nice and fresh. Another thing is that you get a nice variety which can encourage you to try a new fruit or veggie you would not normally buy. Of course they do let you swap out a few items just in case something that is going to be delivered is on your own personal no way list.

They come in four different sizes depending on your family size. (For the two of us the bitty was just fine).
The Bitty
Perfect starter box for the single cook, roommates, or a couple.
The Small
A good size for a couple that cooks, and might have a small child.
The Medium
Works for a hearty vegetarian couple, or a family with a couple of veggie and fruit minded children.
The Large
Should satisfy the needs of most any family, and if not you can always order more.

And whets in them changes weekly. Below is an example of what they have going on this week.

Item: Quantity:
Red Tomatoes
2
Red Bell Pepper
1
Red Kale bunch
1
Leaf Lettuce
1
Broccoli bunch
1
Kiwi Fruit
2
Red Bartlett Pears
2
Gala Apples
2
Navel Oranges
2



Now, price here is the meat and potatoes of the issue and you know whether it is worth it for you and your family. The prices range from $24.99 for the bitty up to $51.99 for the large and there are several options in between.

Really, it comes down to how important is it for you to get a nice variety of organic mixed fruit and vegetables (or just fruit or just veggies) delivered hassle free to your house? If you are just not sure if this is for you, or even if you know you like the idea the kind people at Door to Door Organics gave us a code to enter at the order screen (milehigheater) which will give you 40 percent off your first order.

Well, as always thanks for stopping by and if you give Door to Door Organics a try, let us know what you think.

TGIF-Brunch?

We were invited out to TGIFriday's to try their new brunch menu on Saturday. Right now, the brunch menu is only available at the Longmont location. But, if it proves to be successful, it will then get put on the Denver area restaurants menus and from there could go nationally.

I think they have a good shot at that, as we tried five different dishes and filled our tummies with delicious food.

We tried Sharable Sticky Mini Monkey Bread, Happy Hippy Fried Egg Sandwich, Crab Cake & Eggs, Egg, Asparagus and Creamed Spinach Benedict and French Toast Italienne.

Sharable Sticky Mini Monkey Bread
This pull-apart sticky treat of cinnamon and sugar-coated sweet bread is topped with caramel and pecan pieces. Everyone at your table can enjoy this family favorite.



She says: Who doesn't like Monkey Bread? This was a hearty dessert for an early morning brunch. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but think I would like it more later in the day.

He says: It was indeed yummy, but I found it almost to be too heavy for a brunch item.

Happy Hippy Fried Egg Sandwich
The ultimate fried egg sandwich - multigrain bread with melted jalapeno jack and cheddar cheeses, applewood-smoked bacon, fresh tomatoe, and two fried eggs. Serviced with melon wedge, fresh blueberries and strawberries.


She says: I like a good egg sandwich, and this one was good. Great mixture and textures with the egg, bread, bacon and cheeses.

He says: What else can be said about a fried egg sandwich done very well. Ok, I know what else can be said...YUM.



Egg, Asparagus and Creamed Spinach Benedict
Crisp panini toast, artichokes, asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes atop a bubbly spinach-artichoke mixture. Topped with two poached eggs and smothered in Hollandaise sauce. Served with a melon wedge, fresh blueberries and strawberries.




She says: I wasn't thrilled to be trying this dish, but like a good sport, gave it a try. I'm glad I did. I was worried that the spinach and asparagus would be overpowering, but all it did was add flavors to the egg. I recommend using all the panini toast to layer your ingredients and dig in.

He Says: I like a good eggs Benedict, but seeing the spinich etc. on this one I was not at all sure I would like it. But on my first bite I was wowed and may prefer this over the traditional type. It is the dish I kept coming back to over and over, and yeah, just keep the plate over here please.

French Toast Italienne
A thick slice of fruit-studded panettone sweet bread dipped in egg batter and cooked until golden brown. Served with strawberry and banana slices and dusted with powdered sugar, with caramel-honey sauce on the side.



She says: This was very filling, and good, but for some reason it doesn't hold a lot of memories for me. I liked it, but didn't think it was anything special, although the presentation was lovely.

He says: Same here, nice fresh fruit and a good french toast but really not something you're going to run out to Fridays because you're craving it.

Crab Cake with Eggs
Two poached eggs atop a flaky crab cake on panini toast, smothered in Hollandaise sauce and accompanied by fresh spring greens and grape tomatoes dressed in a light vinaigrette.




She says: I tried this last, and by then, I was getting pretty full. I like the crab by itself, but didn't feel the egg did anything for it. I think if they made this like the egg sandwich (a crab sandwich), it would have been better for me. It also could have been that we had the Eggs Benedict, which had a lot of the same ingredients, so it felt repeated.

He says: When you get a bit of the egg, bread and crab cake all in one bite its really darn good and I enjoyed it, however it could not pull me away from the benedict .. could you pass that plate back over please. :)

Superfruit Smoothie
Absolut Berri Acai, wild berry puree, pomegranate-agave syrup and a splash of fresh-squeezed orange juice, blended with ice until it's super-smooth and icy-cold.


She says: Since Jonathan and I were both coming off killer colds, we thought a smoothie would be the way to go for something smooth on our throats, and I for one was not dissappointed. It was very berry tasting, but not over-powering.

He says: It was very good and I don't think either one of us were paying alot of attention to the Absolout part until we tasted it. I am not much of one to drink in the morning but if I could have these smoothies, I would have one for brunch daily, it was just plain GOOD.



I think if you're looking for a Brunch Menu, you should give it a try. The flavors are great, the portions are good sized and if you order a few items, you can all share the meal.

There are many more items on the menu, like: Ham, Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Pizza, Smoked Salmon, Granola & Fruit, and more.

Thanks as always for stopping by. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to let us know here or email us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com

Duck Cooking class at Terroir

Hi all,


As you all probably know, Barb and I enjoy good food, no it does not need to be expensive food just plain old good food. That can be a great burger or it can be something incredible coming out a restaurant like Per Se or The Fat Duck. The one place it's not likely to come out of (unless it's my Gran’s chicken pot pie) is my kitchen. No, I am not a bad cook but its not often something I make really is a stand out. So, when I noticed Chef Tim Payne of Terroir (www.terroir-restaurant.com)in Longmont offered cooking classes I vowed to make it to one.


Chef Payne offers one or two classes a month on different items, class size is limited to three and they fill up fast. Barb, Elena, and I managed to get spots for a class on Duck. We all showed up around 9 am on Saturday morning at Terroir Restaurant not really knowing what to expect. We were greeted warmly and we all moved into the kitchen. Chef Payne explained that he was not going to teach us recipes (though he did send us home with a few) as there was already tons of cookbooks out there, but was more going to focus on techniques.



The first thing we did is watch him break down the duck, and then we each got our own and we did the same with his help when needed(so glad he seems to have no end of patience as I had to get a lot of help deboning the legs). From there, he showed us how to make a duck “sausage” which we stuffed into the leg meat and trussed up to cook.







We also cooked the duck breast. He showed us the best way to cook it for it to come out well.(I have cooked duck before and it always seemed very greasy but this did not seem that way at all). And we made a duck “pate”. Over the next couple of hours we spent time talking and learning how to make all these things as well as how to render the fat for use and seemingly an endless amount of great information.

Chef Payne cutting some Black Truffle to add to our dishes yum








After everything was said and done, we all sat down family style and shared the meal together and my, my what a wonderful lunch it was and we all took home leftovers.






The cost of the class was $65.00 and came with a $10.00 gift certificate to the restaurant. I for one plan on going again as soon as we can find a open weekend and class I want to see.

We cooked the duck breast the next day at home, and it came out really good!


Thanks for stopping by, we haven’t made it to a restaurant in a bit as our last three attempts were thwarted by sickness or weather. We are planning on going out tomorrow night but once again snow threatens, so we will see. Once we make it out we will get a new review up as soon as we can. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them here or send them to us at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com


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News bits

Hi all


Here are a few things that we thought were note worthy.
Starting today, all 28 Panera Bread bakery-cafes in Colorado will donate 25 cents of all soup in a bread bowl purchases to Porter Hospice and St. Anthony Hospice as part of its involvement in Soup for the Soul, a unique and heart-warming fundraising event.

In its 11th year, the “Soup for the Soul” fundraiser brings together some of the best restaurants in Denver to showcase a wide array of gourmet soups and appetizers to benefit the two non-profit hospice programs. Porter Hospice and St. Anthony Hospice, which work together through Centura Health at Home, have provided thousands of people with comfort and peace through their end-of-life journey for more than 25 years.

Also for the soup for the soul main event
http://www.soupforthesouldenver.org/





Now we haven’t tried this service yet but it looks great and right now they are helping out the American Heart association

Did you know that February is American Heart Month? Along with getting a yummy box of organic fruits and veggies delivered, you can now add Valentine’s Day goodies to your order, including items from local Colorado companies Beautiful Sweets Organic Bakery and Seth Ellis Chocolatier.
We will donate 10% of the proceeds from the purchase of these special Valentine’s Day items to the American Heart Association. We are proud to support them because of our shared belief that good food makes healthy bodies.
The American Heart Association says that “a healthy diet and lifestyle are your best weapons in the fight against heart disease.” Many of you probably already know this or share the same beliefs about how what we eat affects our bodies. Maybe there is more to that old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” In any case, we strive to make it easy to eat healthfully while feeling good about supporting sustainable food systems.
So we know that eating plenty of fruits and veggies is important for a balanced diet, but even the healthiest of us needs a sweet treat every now and then. So treat your sweetie to some local organic chocolate truffles or sugar cookies and you can feel good that your purchase will help support the American Heart Association. You can place orders online through February 13th, and have your Valentine’s Day goodies delivered directly to your door.

And Beatrice and Woodsleys Valentines menu’s

short but sweet glimpse behind the scenes and into happenings which are typically only shared with our most interested guests...
As long as this Rumors page is this time, rest assured, it's mostly yummy yummy menus!

________________________________________

Provisions...
Happy Valentine's Day -Two Ways!

Inspired by the notion of togetherness, this year we offer two ways to celebrate Valentine's Day. Amidst the aspen trees we'll be serving a six course prix fixe dinner for the many cute couples and double dates. Just below, in the wine cellar, we'll be welcoming the talented Mr. Bryan Baltzell, Beer Baron of Great Divide Brewing for a beer lover's dinner.
We've been working for months with Bryan to create an evening for an alternative celebration of love; The love of beer! Bryan will be hosting a beer-paired dinner for beer lovers with Great Divide's award winning brews!
Six Course Couple's Prix Fixe Valentine's Day Menu:
Begun with a half-bottle of Schramsberg bubbly...
Amuse Course
First Course ~to share~
SUGARCANE GRILLED PRAWNS - With coconut-lemongrass nage
Second Course
SWEET PEPPER and BUTTERMILK BISQUE - With caviar crostini
Intermezzo
ESTATE OLIVE OIL GELATO
Pre-Entrée Course
SEARED FRESH RED SNAPPER - With braised celery fennel-leek jus and fresh oyster
Entrée Course
TOURNEDOS of VEAL "OSCAR" - With fresh asparagus, Dungeness crab and mustard hollandaise
Dessert Course ~to share~
PARIS BREST
• $145 Per Couple; Gratuity and Tax Not Included
• Vegetarian and Celiac Options Available
• Monday February 14, 2011
• Seating for Dinner Service Available Between 5 pm and 9 pm;
• Call for Reservations: 303-777-3505

"I Heart Beer" -Great Divide Tasting Prix Fixe Menu:
First Course ~ Hoss Rye Lager ~
GRILLED CITRUS CURED QUAIL - With cider braised red cabbage
Second Course ~Titan IPA & Hercules Double IPA ~
RED CURRY MONK FISH - With black rice and bok choy
Entrée Course ~ Smoked Baltic Porter ~
ROASTED HANGING TENDER OF BEEF - With buttery sweet potato puree, beet-bacon hash and sunny quail egg
Dessert Course ~ Espresso Oak-aged Yeti ~
TOASTED BARLEY CAKE - Malted milk chocolate ice cream and puffed faro
• $70 Per Person; Gratuity and Tax Included
• Monday February 14, 2011
• Reception in the Wine Cellar Begins at 7 pm; Seating at 7:30 pm
• Call for Reservations: 303-777-3505

Next two or three weeks

Hi all

Well the blog is being put on a minor hold due to flu and family issues but I expect we will be back up and running in 2 or 3 weeks. Thanks for stopping by.

Jonathan