Radishes: This Week's Market Report "Good Buy"

PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy" 

Radishes!

My sous chef, Reba, makes fun of me for putting radishes on everything. But I can't help it! These beauties offer so much color, bite, and texture in one little package, they are the obvious go-to when my dishes need a bit of pick up. I slice paper-thin discs of radish and tile them on top of crostatas with a showering of sea salt, creating an almost glass-like sheen on top of the other ingredients. And those discs are gorgeous stacked up high, julienned, and tossed like pink glowing matchsticks into micro greens for a stunning garnish. But raw isn't the only way to go with radishes. Try tossing them in brown butter, lemon, and plenty of kosher salt and roasting them until they are slightly blistered. Heat has a way of mellowing out bitey radishes and turning the texture from crispy and raw to soft, sweet, and pleasant. Almost like a roasted parsnip. Of course, whole radishes are also beautiful served as crudités, especially when their leaves and roots are left attached. Try serving them with softened butter, kosher salt, and lots of black pepper. Just make sure they are scrubbed clean!

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Strawberry and Champagne Sorbet

Strawberry and Champagne Sorbet

Strawberries and champagne? Yes. Please. Serve it plain or paired with a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream or a little whipped cream for contrast.

1 lb (4 cups) ripe, flavorful strawberries (I like Florida strawberries this time of year!)

½ cup plus 2 tbs strawberry preserves

Pinch of salt

2 tsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste

¼ cup water

½ cup champagne (I like using dry Brut)

Rinse and hull the berries and put them in a food processor or blender with 1/2 cup of the preserves and the salt. Purée until smooth. Add the lemon juice, water, and champagne and pulse to mix. Taste and add the remaining jam as necessary for sweetness and adjust the lemon juice and salt if necessary. The purée should taste a little bit sweeter than you think it should. Scrape the mixture into a shallow pan, cover, and freeze until hard, 3 to 4 hours. Break the frozen mixture into chunks with a fork and process in the food processor or blender until there are no more frozen pieces. Continue to process, stopping to redistribute the mixture from time to time, until it is smooth and creamy and lightened in color. It may be frozen enough to serve right out of the food processor, or you can return it to the freezer until needed. If the sorbet freezes too hard, let it soften in the fridge for about 15 minutes, or carefully soften it in the microwave on the defrost setting, a few seconds at a time.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Bananas: This Week's Market Report "Good Buy"

PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy" 

Bananas!

Is there anything more comforting than the unassuming banana? We all love them sliced into fruit salad, baked into quick breads, or better yet, mashed onto toast with oozing peanut butter, but this tasty sweet snack contains more culinary potential under that skin than most of us realize. Bananas love to be cooked at a high, even temperature which allows their natural sugars to seep out and caramelized like cracked candy. Try brushing a banana halved lengthwise with a bit of whisky and butter and throwing it cut-side down on a grill until you see hatch marks. It's a perfect smoky-sweet topper for vanilla ice cream. Bananas also work well as a base for condiments. Try switching out Heinz for classic sweet and tangy Pilipino banana ketchup, perfect for fries or even grilled fish. 

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Dry-Fried Sichuan Green Beans

Dry-Fried Sichuan Green Beans

Don't be fooled by the green beans' simple appearance. This dish packs heat and the pleasant fire of mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns!

3/4 lb green beans

2 Fresno chilies, sliced thin 

2 scallions, whites only, sliced

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 inch fresh ginger, sliced

1/2 tsp whole Sichuan pepper

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tbs canola or peanut oil

1.   Trim beans; snap them in half. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add beans and blanch until just tender, then drain.

2.   Put your wok over high heat. Add the canola or peanut oil, then the chiles and the Sichuan pepper. Stir-fry just until the chiles begin to darken, then add the scallion, ginger, and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Then add the beans and stir-fry for a minute or two longer, until coated in the oil and the seasonings. Add salt to taste. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Blood Orange: This Week's Market Report "Good Buy"

PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy" 

Blood Orange!

Blood orange is just one of those ingredients that makes things special. Whether eaten on its own, squeezed for juice, or segmented into salads, your dining experience will elevate. Blood oranges taste, well, like oranges! But they are more floral and offer a more complex sweetness than naval oranges. They are juicy, sweet, full of unique flavor, and visually stunning to look at. The trick is not doing too much to mask their natural beauty. Blood orange juice works as a beautiful poaching liquid for Sole with a blood orange beaurre blanc, or reduced down into a glaze with habaneros to varnish poultry or fish. They are beautiful as a garnish paired with micro greens, shaved red onion, fennel, olives, and beets.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Sparkling Grapefruit Granita

Sparkling Grapefruit Granita

Whether served as a palate cleanser or a light desert, this granita is a perfect wintery addition to any meal. If you want to spice things up a bit, use half sparkling soda and half champagne.

250 milliliters grapefruit sparkling soda

1 pink grapefruit, juiced

Grapefruit segments for garnish

Pour soda and fresh grapefruit juice into a shallow freezer safe tray. Cover with cling wrap and freeze for 1 hour. Remove from freezer and stir with a fork to break up ice crystals, cover and freeze for another hour or until frozen. To serve, scrape with a fork until fluffy, spoon into glasses and serve with a spoon.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Pomegranate: This Week's Market Report "Good Buy"

PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy" 

Pomegranate!

You know how our food tends to become softer and browner as the seasons get colder and gloomier? Something about stuffing, stews, roasts, and casseroles makes us feel protected against the snow and wind. While I am in full support of soft brown foods (I literally made a mashed potato and stuffing sandwich dipped in gravy after Thanksgiving), winter brings with it beautiful produce items that not only contribute much-needed vibrancy to our dishes, but also important antioxidants and vitamins to stave off seasonal colds and flus. Pomegranates are my all-time favorite way to inject color and texture into wintertime favorites. Try adding crispy, crunchy pomegranate jewels as garnish for tacos, soups, stirfrys, guacamole, and desserts of all kinds. Pomegranates can also be juiced for magenta-tinged drinks, sauce reductions, and salad dressings. 

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Persimmon Salad

Persimmon Salad

I love how persimmons make a guest appearance this time of year, and delight (and sometimes confuse) everyone who gets to eat them. Super-sweet, bloomy, and delicious both raw and cooked, persimmons are a sure-fire way to get a seasonal “wow!” in any dish. This bright salad incorporates raw persimmon which plays well with other crisp flavors such as lime, apple, and onion. Bejeweled pomegranate seeds lend a burst of color and flavor.

For the Salad

3 Hearts of Romaine, chopped

2 Fuji Apples, peeled and sliced into thin squares

2 Fuyu Persimmons, peeled and sliced into thin squares

2 Green Onions, chopped

1 cup Pomegranate Seeds

1 cup toasted pecans

1 cup Gorgonzola or Bleu Cheese – crumbled

For the Dressing

½ cup light olive oil

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar

1 tbs lime juice

1tbs sugar

½ tsp salt

Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Add the green onions, apples and persimmons. Pour on the dressing and gently toss. Add the cheese and nuts last and give the salad a few gentle tosses.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Oranges: This Week's Market Report "Good Buy"

PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy" 

Oranges!

I’ve been based in Chicago for 10 years (eep!), but make no mistake about it, I’m an Arizona desert rat at heart. And this time of year means one thing where I’m from: citrus, which incidentally, is one of the 5 C’s of Arizona. While my home state boasts an array of citrus in the fall and winter, I am partial to oranges in many of my dishes. One of my favorite ways to highlight oranges is by dehydrating very thin, whole slices of them in a low oven with a touch of sugar and salt (pictured here). These orange “chips” are not just a pretty garnish on top of fish poached in orange juice-scented broth, but they can also be ground up in a food processor and dusted over pastries, buttered rice, or incorporated into spice blends like Japanese togarashi. 

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Preserved Limes

Preserved Limes

Preserved limes are by far one of my favorite pantry staples. The next time your dishes need a hit of something tart, salty, and funky (which, by the way, is often what’s “missing” from many dishes), reach for a touch of preserved lime and enjoy the moment when your guests can’t figure out what is making everything taste so good.

8 organic limes

Kosher salt

Fresh lime juice (optional)

Preparation

Rinse limes; pat dry. Cut off ends and upend on a cut side. Make 2 perpendicular slits lengthwise into fruit to form an X, cutting only three-fourths of the way down. Pack as much salt into the slits as they can hold, and place limes into jar, pressing to compact and release juices. Seal jar; let limes sit at room temperature 12 hours. Uncover and press firmly again to compact the limes. Repeat once or twice daily until limes are softened and submerged in juices, 2–3 days. (If there is not enough juice to submerge limes after 3 days, add fresh lime juice to cover.) Chill 1 month before using.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Cauliflower Pearls: This Week's Market Report "Good Buy"

PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy" 

Cauliflower Pearls!

Due to its incredible versatility and subtle flavor, cauliflower is one of the hottest menu items around. Taylor Farms Cauliflower Pearls is a phenomenal product because it takes all of the annoying labor out of working with this cruciferous veg, and yields uniform pieces that are endlessly useful. They are especially useful in low carb cooking. Believe it or not, Cauliflower Pearls can be mixed with egg and cheese to form the base of a luxurious, crispy, gluten-free pizza crust. They can also be steamed and fluffed with a fork like low-carb rice. Try processing Cauliflower Pearls together with white beans, roasted garlic, olive oil, and rosemary for an incredible alternative to mashed potatoes!

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Spicy Turkey Bolognese

Spicy Turkey Bolognese

Taylor Farms Mirepoix is a dream product. This combination of finely minced onions, carrots, and celery takes a ton of time out of prepping the three most common ingredients in many French and Italian dishes. I love using it to simplify Bolognese, which already necessitates a lot of time simmering on the stove. This version uses up leftover Thanksgiving turkey (or fresh ground turkey in case you already ate your way through your leftovers.)

Spicy Turkey

1 pound leftover Thanksgiving turkey, chopped or 1lb ground turkey thigh meat

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sweet Paprika

1 1/2teaspoons ground Fennel

1 teaspoon dried Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Salt and pepper

Bolognese Sauce

1 pound Spicy Turkey

5 tablespoons Butter, divided

3 cups Taylor Farms Mirepoix

4 tablespoons Tomato Paste

28 ounces can of Crushed Tomatoes

1 cup Red Wine (optional)

3/4 cup fresh Bread Crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish

1 pound Rigatoni, cooked to package instructions

1. For the turkey, mix all ingredients together and set aside. 
2. Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of the butter. Add Taylor Farms Mirepoix and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until vegetables start to soften. Add the turkey.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour on low, stirring occasionally. 
4. While the sauce simmers, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan. Add the fresh bread crumbs and cook until golden brown. Set aside. 

Once the sauce is done, taste for seasoning--add salt and pepper as necessary. Spoon over sauce over cooked rigatoni, top with buttered breadcrumbs and fresh parmesan. Enjoy!

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Meyer Lemons: This Week's Market Report "Good Buy"

PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy" 

Meyer Lemons!

If you think you found the perfect gift for a loved one this holiday season, think again. Meyer lemons are better than any electronic, designer bag, or piece of jewelry! (Ok, maybe not jewelry.) These beauties are available for only a very short time in the late fall/early winter, and every year it’s a race to see how many of them I can juice, candy, reduce into sauces as possible. Meyer lemons are like super tart oranges, or super sweet lemons, depending on your perspective. Their skin is very thin and devoid of the bitter pithy stuff on regular lemons, and is the real prize of the fruit in my opinion. Dehydrate the skins and crush them in a food processor for Meyer lemon “dust,” candy them in simple syrup, or just zest them onto everything you can think of. Try reducing Meyer lemon juice down with a touch of butter, a hit of white wine vinegar, and some chili flakes for a seasonal agrodolce for Brussels sprouts or green beans. I love slicing Meyer lemons whole and baking them directly onto tarts, breads, or roasting fish.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Pickled Watermelon Rind

Pickled Watermelon Rind

Watermelons are growing very well right now, and it’s the perfect time to add an unexpected burst of summer into your fall dishes. This recipe makes use of the shamefully under-utilized watermelon rind, which is a beautiful pickled garnish on salads and roasted meat.

4 pounds watermelon

1 serrano chile, thinly sliced, seeds removed if desired

1 1" piece peeled ginger, thinly sliced

2 star anise pods

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 cup sugar

1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

Using a vegetable peeler, remove tough green rind from watermelon; discard. Slice watermelon 1" thick. Cut away all but ¼" flesh from each slice; reserve flesh for another use. Cut rind into 1" pieces. (You should have about 4 cups.) Bring chile, ginger, star anise, salt, peppercorns, sugar, vinegar, and ½ cup water to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Add watermelon rind and return to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, setting a small lid or plate directly on top of rind to keep submerged in brine, if needed.

Transfer rind and liquid to an airtight container; cover and chill at least 12 hours.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Apples: This Week's Market Report "Good Buy"

PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy" 

Apples!

Apples are hitting their peek right now, and adding them to menus is a perfect way to capture That fresh autumn feel we are all after this time of year. Raw apples are of course delicious shredded or chopped into salads, slaws, wraps, and garnishes. One of my favorite garnishes for scallops is simple brunoise apples with shallots and capers. I love adding cored and thinly sliced apple rings right on top of cooking pancake batter for a visually interesting breakfast treat. Because of their high acidity, apples are also great in marinades. Try shredding apples into your favorite pork marinade, and cooking down the marinade with a bit of whiskey and butter for a beautiful sauce. 

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Grilled Cheese with Apples and Sage Leaves

Grilled Cheese with Apples and Sage Leaves

This recipe is deceptively simple. It delivers the kind if savory-meets-sweet buttery flavor you crave on crisp fall days, and takes only minutes to prepare. It's just...perfect. 

2 tablespoons butter

6 sage leaves

2 slices whole wheat bread

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup shredded aged Gouda cheese

1/2 Granny Smith apple, sliced thin

In a medium skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until bubbling and fragrant. Drop in the sage leaves and cook for 30 seconds. Remove to a paper towel to cool.

Add the bread to the skillet, cook for 1 minute, and flip. Add cheese to one of the slices, and cover with the other slice of bread. Cook for 2 minutes, flip, and cook for 2 minutes more.

Remove from pan, open the sandwich, add the apple slices and sage, and put sandwich back together.

Turn heat in skillet to low, place the sandwich back in, cover, and cook for 2 more minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted. Slice into triangles and serve.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Raspberries: This Week's Market Report "Good Buy"

PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy" 

Raspberries!

I’m a total sucker for raspberries. My sous chef makes fun of me for sneaking them into dishes where they don’t obviously belong. But raspberries’ striking color and addictive sweetness offer so much to both sweet and savory dishes. And raspberries are lovely replacements for strawberries in many dishes, which is lucky because of the current strawberry shortage. Currently, one of my most favorite condiments if a throwback to 90s Southwestern cuisine: ancho chili and raspberry jam. It just works. Throw it onto a charcuterie board, glaze a steak with it, or swirl it into vanilla ice cream. Try cooking raspberries down with tamarind, coconut milk, ginger, and lemongrass for a beautiful pink sauce underneath grilled chicken. Raspberries are also beautiful thrown directly into salads; just make sure to do so before plating so the fruit doesn’t bruise or bleed. 

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Dashi-Braised Kabocha Squash

Dashi-Braised Kabocha Squash 

Dashi is a magical ingredient- adding a hint of smoke and umami to any dish. This squash gets lacquered with it, and is great warm or at room temperature.

1 medium kabocha squash

2 tbs canola oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1 cup dashi

1 tbs soy

2 tbs mirin

3 tbs melted butter

½ tsp chili garlic paste (more to taste)

Cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Green onion, thinly sliced, for garnish

Cut kabocha in half, seed and cut into about 8 moon shapes. Mix remaining ingredients except cilantro and green onion. Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add both oils to pan and add squash. Cook a few minutes until slightly brown. Flip and cook a few more minutes. Add liquid mixture and simmer about 20 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with a sharp knife, flipping over about halfway through. Toward the end the liquid will turn syrupy. Shake the pan to coat all pieces and remove to a plate. Garnish with cilantro and green onion.

For the dashi:

1 sheet of kombu

4 cups water

1 large handful of bonito flakes

Steep kombu in water for 10 minutes. Add bonito flakes and steep until they sink. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Jumbo Carrots: This Week's Market Report "Good Buy"

PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy" 

Jumbo Carrots!

Much like the fall squash we are all obsessed with right now, carrots are a great addition to seasonal menu items because of their vibrant orange color, versatility in both sweet and savory dishes, and natural flavor match with warm, earthy spices. Roasted carrots are a popular side dish because this cooking method concentrate sweetness and renders hard carrots soft yet toothsome. I love roasting carrots with miso, tahini, brown butter, and a touch of maple syrup. Carrots are also perfect candidates for pickling. Try an overnight pickle solution with brown mustard seeds, cardamom pods, shaved red onion, and cilantro as a garnish for lamb meatballs or roasted chicken. Jumbo carrots are particularly useful for juicing because of their size and sweetness. Try reducing fresh carrot juice with a touch of sugar, salt, orange juice, and vinegar, and then mounting it with butter for an almost psychedelically-orange sauce that perfectly offsets pearl-colored pan-seared scallops. 

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.

Fresh Artichokes with Lemon & Herbs

Fresh Artichokes with Lemon & Herbs

When it comes to fresh artichokes, simple is best. These beauties need little more than lemon, olive oil or butter, and some salt to come alive. This version incorporates a fresh herb sauce as a garnish that highlights the artichoke’s natural savory qualities. Enjoy!

2 lemons

4 artichokes

½ cup white wine

4 garlic cloves, peeled

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbs fresh dill, chopped

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs walnuts, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

Juice the first lemon and zest 1/2 of it. Place the zest in a bowl, cover and set aside. Pour the juice in a large pot with 1/2 cup of water and the wine. Working with one artichoke at a time, trim the dark end of the stem and peel 3-4 layers of the outer tough leaves. Trim about 1 inch from the top and peel the fibrous green stem and leaf ends using a vegetable peeler. Halve the artichoke lengthwise and scoop the choke with a spoon. Place each cleaned half cut side down in the pot with the lemon/wine mixture. Add 3 of the garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp of salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes turning artichokes half-way through. Meanwhile, place the remaining garlic clove into a bowl with the lemon zest, parsley, dill, the juice of the remaining lemon, 2 tbs olive oil and ¼ tsp of salt. Mix well and set aside. Place the artichokes on a large plate and spoon about one tsp of the marinade on each one, making sure that some of the marinade gets in between the leaves. Heat the remaining one tbsp of olive oil in a heavy bottom or cast iron skillet. Add the artichoke halves cut side down and lower heat to a medium-high. Cook until golden brown. Transfer the artichokes to a large plate. Add the walnuts to the marinade, mix well and spoon about half of the mixture over the artichokes. Serve while still warm with a side of the remaining marinade.

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About the Chef

Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.