Brunch at the Cask & Schooner

The Cask & Schooner is now open for brunch!  And Happy Hour Starts On Monday!  Yes!  And I'll see you there...

Prices range from $7.00 - $20.00 for first rate quality meals!

French Toast anyone?

The Root Cellar...

It's a great feeling to have knowing the root cellar is almost full in October!

The three things onions, garlic and winter squash have in common, is they all need to be cured in the sun for a week or two after picking!  So keeping an eye on the weather is critical, this year was perfect for that...

If your tomatoes are still green they will still ripen.  Just make sure they are dry and in good shape, then cover them paper and store in a cool, dry, dark place.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Awesome Summer Breakfast

Try this Awesome Summer Breakfast, that will leave you feeling full and healthy all day!

Veggie saute with an egg on top, for two

1/2 c red onion, sliced
1/2 c sweet potato, chopped
1/2 c sweet red pepper, sliced
1/2 c eggplant, chopped
1/2 c leftover cooked rice, optional
Handful of greens such as spinach, chard or kale
2 eggs
1 t paprika
1 three finger pinch of chili flakes (if you like it hot)
1 t coconut oil
1 t butter
Salt and pepper
Pinch of Maldon salt for crunch

In a heavy saute pan over medium high heat add the oil and butter.  When the butter foams add the onion, sweet potato, pepper and eggplant and cook.  When almost done add the chili flakes, salt and pepper to season, rice and paprika, turn the heat down to medium low.  Cook for a minute then add the greens and turn the heat down to low to soften the greens.

In another pan, melt a little butter and cook the eggs.

Plate veggies on to warm plates, place an egg on top and sprinkle on a little finishing salt such as Maldon for crunch.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

A rustic dish with a Mediterranean influence!

This is an easy dish once the prep is done.

Roasted cauliflower, tomatoes and garlic with ratatouille plus Dover sole with a white wine lemon butter caper sauce. YUM!

Recipe for 2:
2 fillets of Dover sole (dusted with flour)
Olive oil
2 T capers
1/2 c white wine
1/2 c chicken, fish or veggie stock
Flour for dusting fish

Roasted veggies:
1 small cauliflower, sliced into 3/4" slices
1 head of garlic, separated into cloves (do not remove the skin)
2 tomatoes, halved

Ratatouille:
1 small onion, sliced
1 small eggplant, chopped
1 small red pepper, sliced

First set the oven at 350*  Then slice the cauliflower and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Cut the tomatoes in half and season with salt and pepper and drizzle on a little more olive oil. Place on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and roast for about 45 minutes.  Turn when bottom side is starting to brown (after about 20-30 minutes) and then add the garlic with skins on so they don't burn.

When almost done, heat a saute pan with some olive oil over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot add the veggies and toss.  Turn off the oven and put some plates in the oven to warm.

While they are cooking, heat up a large saute pan over medium high heat.  When the oil is really hot add the floured fish one piece at a time shaking the pan as you go until the fish is in.  You may have to do this in batches depending on how many you're feeding.   Don't forget to toss or stir the ratatouille!

When the presentation side is brown turn the fish.  When done, plate the fish onto warm plates along with all the other veggies.  Now scrape and wipe out the pan and add wine and lemon juice and reduce by two thirds, then add the stock and reduce again by two thirds.  Add the capers and the butter and turn off the heat and shake the pan back and forth until the sauce shines, you will know when that is!

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Harvest time for garlic and then some!

Next time you make a fish burger, try this recipe!

Grilled salmon burger with wasabi mayo, arugula and cilantro!

All you do is mix a little wasabi paste with some good quality mayo to suite your taste!

Cut the buns in half, and brush with olive oil..  Now grill them on both sides.  When done keep them warm in the oven.

Now season the skinless salmon and brush olive oil.  Grill the the fish turning once only!  Place on the bun and load it up sauteed onions, arugula and cilantro...

Grilled New York Steak, roasted sweet potatoes, with a goat cheese salad, and grilled nectarines!

It's stone fruit time of year!  Don't just eat them cook them, they are wonderful grilled, and brings out the
sweetness!

Recipe for four:

2 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
2 new york steaks
3 nectarines
1 cube of goat cheese, crumbled
salad greens
1 advocado, chopped
dill
salt and pepper
olive oil
sherry vinegar

Frist peel and slice up the sweet potato into wedges. Then place on a baking sheet with olive oil, in a oven set at 375* Cook until done...

Grill the seasoned steak until medium rare, and then let it rest for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile grill the nectarines.  When they're done,  then make the salad, using all the ingredients.

Slice the meat and serve with the salad and grilled nectarines and sweet potatoes.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Back To Work!

Well it's been a fun Fall, Winter and Spring, but now it's time for me to go back to work!  I will post special recipes and garden tips once and a while, but not every day, in the fall I start doing my daily blogs again!

Happy Cooking,  Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Coconut Oil

Many of you have asked, how do I use coconut oil?  Well stand - by!

According to many health and nutrition experts, such as Dr. Mercola, Sally Fallon, and the Weston Price Foundation, coconut oil has huge health benefits and can even help you lose weight!

The three fats I use are, organic coconut oil, olive oil and butter.  The body needs fat and must have it to be healthy.  Low fat diets don't work, they may help you lose weight but they cause other problems, such as joint pain and so on.  There's even speculation that the reason we seem to need hip and knee replacements is that we've been told for years that fat is bad!  Just think about it, the longest living countries in the world have high amounts of fat in their diet, and it's not just fat from fish, but all animal fats!

I like to mix my fats up!  When I cook my breakfast in the morning, I'll use a different fat to cook my lunch and dinner, that way I get the goodness from all of them...

Here's a few ways to use coconut oil.  Saute a little onion in coconut oil, and then scramble some eggs and mix with them.  It goes without saying if you're making an Asian dish use coconut oil.  I eat a lot of greens like kale, chard and spinach, so I'll make them with olive oil or butter one day and coconut the next, just to mix or change the flavors a bit!

The organic coconut oil in the photo is Dr Bronners.  I find it to be full of flavor, and the price is pretty good, and it's packed in a glass jar, so you're not getting any toxins from plastic.

Hope this helps!

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Beans On Toast, a British Breakfast!

Growing up a Cockney in a poor family in the dock region of London's East End certainly was challenging, my Mum always made something wonderful out of nothing!  One of the meals that my Mum made us was beans on toast, sometimes with an egg on top!

For some reason I just had to have it on Sunday, so I made it for Deb and I before we went on the ferry to Sidney.

Simply butter a piece of toast, and then scoop on some of your favorite warmed baked beans like Bush's, grate on a little cheese, then bang a fried egg on top!  Awesome!

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Slow Oven Roasted Tomatoes...

These little babies are the best!  Full of intense flavors from roasting slowly in the oven for about 2 hours.

You can use any type of tomato, I use Roma's for this dish...

Set the oven to 300* then wash and dry the tomatoes.  Cut them in half and place in a roasting dish so they stand up.  Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place on the center rack in the oven for 2 hours, checking once and a while to make sure they're not burning.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Pasta Carbonara...

Truly a Classic!

Recipe for two:
4 slices pancetta or bacon, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 T garlic, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 c parmesan cheese, grated
1 c Italian parsley, washed and chopped
1/2 c white wine
1/2 t chili flakes
olive oil
pasta

First get the salted pasta water going, and while that's happening place some olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat.  When the oil's hot add the pancetta and cook until crispy brown.  When done remove the pancetta from the pan.  Note: If there was a lot of fat produced by the pancetta drain some of it and leave about 3 tablespoons in the pan, then add the onions, cook until soft.

While the onions are cooking, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk.  Set aside.

When the onions are done add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the wine and reduce it down by half.  Turn the heat down to low.  The pasta should be done by now, before draining ladle about a half a cup of the hot water into the eggs and whisk.  This will temper the eggs and stop them from scrambling when you add them to the pan.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot and add some olive oil to coat.  Stir the onions and add the chili flakes, eggs, cheese, pancetta, cook for about a minute then add the parsley.  Pour the mixture over the pasta, stir and serve onto warm plates.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Friday Harbor Seafood, Now Open For The Season!

I just heard from Erick and Brenda down on the fish barge!  They're open for the business for the season. Go check out their selection of fresh and live seafood.  And ask for a sample of Erick's smoked salmon...

378-5779

It's Spring, and It's Time To Turn Your Dirt!

It's time to start turning your soil and add some compost!  It's a really good idea to test your soil to see where the Ph is, and adjust it as necessary, using lime or gypsum.

Here's a few recommended organic soil fertilizers to add to your soil: blood meal, bone meal, fish and kelp emulsion and rock phosphate...

My garlic is about 8" high and the onion and leek sets will be planted this week.  You can direct seed now, if your soil is warm enough, and then protect the bed from frost with a row cover.  In my area tax day is a good rule of thumb for predicting the last frost!

Here's a few things that do well when you direct seed: spinach, chard, kale, beets, carrots, arugula, lettuce, peas, beans, potatoes, turnips and broccoli...

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes