By Sharon Halkovics, Director of Home Cook Classes

We’re aware that Home Cooks can oftentimes fall into one of two camps: those who follow recipes and those who wing it.  Of course there are cooks who do both, but leaning strongly to one side versus the other is somewhat of a style-thing, but also somewhat dependant on one’s level of cooking experience.  I personally ‘wing it’ most of the time (always have), but I do so especially in summer and fall months when the garden is happily producing and I’m trying to be thrifty to use up every precious item I grow.

Throughout the month of September, I’d like to share some ideas and tales of snacks and meals that spontaneously occur after consulting the garden and cupboards.  They’re usually simple and quick, and allow the vegetables from the garden their chance to tap dance in the limelight.  This upcoming Labor Day weekend, I’d like to suggest trying a grilled garden tomato and basil pizza.  It’s fun and easy, and if you’re looking to simplify things, buy a pre-made pizza dough from Whole Foods or your local market.  Try to source as many local ingredients at their peak ripeness for the toppings.  If you don’t have a garden, swing by the farmers’ market or buy Colorado-grown products from the produce section of the grocery store.  If you want to make the dough yourself, I usually Goolgle a recipe or pull one from my favorite cookbook.

Grilled Garden Pizza

1. Gather tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, mozzarella cheese, and any other toppings you have on hand and slice thinly.
2. Let your dough warm (relax) a bit if it’s been sitting in the refrigerator then stretch it out on the back of a cookie sheet or pizza peel and pinch the edges (I use a little cornmeal on the pan so it slide off onto the grill).
3. Rub the crust with olive oil, garlic, and add other toppings and top with a sprinkling of cheese.
4. Slide the pizza onto an oiled pre-heated grill (medium heat) and bake approximately 10 – 15 minutes.  Keep an eye on your pizza to ensure a golden crust.  I’ve oftentimes put my pizza stone on the grill while pre-heating and bake on top of that.  Pull the pizza off the grill when the crust is slightly browned and the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Let cool a few minutes before taking a big, delicious bite!

Voilà!  In upcoming blog entries I’ll let you know what other projects are on the table.  I’ve recently been making green smoothies with swiss chard from my garden, and plan to slow roast a enormous batch of sungold cherry tomatoes this weekend to put in my freezer.  Check back frequently and drop us comments about your favorite late summer meals that don’t require following a recipe!

Ah, Labor Day, a glorious Monday filled with the last picnics, barbeques, and summer parties of the year. In honor of (most of us) having the day off, we’d like to share one last taste of summer with you: Homemade BBQ Baby Back Ribs. This recipe is so simple, we’d be surprised if your friends and family didn’t chow them down in a few minutes flat. The key to perfectly preparing these ribs is braising them in the oven first before slapping them on the grill, basting them in smoky BBQ sauce, and charring to perfection.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4   cups   Good quality ketchup

2   cups   Water

1   Tbs    Garlic powder

1   Tbs    Onion powder

2   Tbs    Dried oregano

4   Tbs    Molasses

2   Tbs    Liquid smoke

4   Tbs    Dijon mustard

¾  cup    Brown sugar

2   tsp     Celery salt

1   Tbs    Apple cider vinegar

2   Tbs    Lemon juice

1   Tbs    Black pepper

2-3 lb.     Rack of Baby Back pork ribs

Method:

1. Place all ingredients, except ribs, in a sauce pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.  Season to taste.
2. If you like a thicker sauce, use less water or let reduce longer. 
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
4. Split the sauce in half. In a large baking dish, layer the ribs in the dish and cover with sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes or until ribs are tender.
5. Heat a charcoal barbeque until very hot and place ribs on grill brushing with the other half of BBQ sauce set aside in step 4, turning and brushing with sauce on the other side after bout 10 minutes.
6. Continue to cook another 10 minutes once turned or until ribs have a crispness to them and the BBQ sauce caramelizes.
7. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

Exciting news: Top Chef (my favorite foodie reality show) wins an Emmy, Denver Chefs featured in the New York Times, and you can now register for CSR’s Fall Flavors Home Cook Open House online! In addition to that, a nice guide to eating leftovers for breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Check out these articles and let us know what you think. Or, if you have exciting news to share with us, send it our way!

8 Dinner Ideas for Breakfast

Top Chef Wins Emmy!

Denver Chefs are Localicious

 Fall Flavors Open House!

By Randall Mack, Purchasing Manager

People seem to either love them or hate them, there is no in-between.  I tend to agree, as a child tomatoes were most commonly found in my napkin or under my chicken bones.  My mom never understood why this was, as she loves the juicy fruits.  As I got older I questioned this action myself, and as I began to explore new avenues for where my food came from. I discovered that those ‘so called tomatoes’ were nothing more than mushy, watery, impostures.  Tomatoes should be sweet and delicate, not offensive and bland.  When I eat a tomato these days I want to taste their sugars and their elegance, I don’t want to feel like I am eating a soggy cracker.  These days eating a real tomato is a treat, something I put on par with climbing a mountain or sleeping under a redwood.  Their growing season in Colorado greatly depends on how our summers develop, so lately we haven’t been able to enjoy their greatness until now.  Grant Family Farms have beautiful heirloom varieties right now that display the true essence of what the tomato stands for.  Subtle and sweet they are truly a summer time treat.  My days of being fooled are over and I no longer stand for the general atrocities that run rampant in Colorado.  If it’s not the season neither freshly picked, then I revert back to my childhood and use them as pawns; strategically finding their way to the rim of a plate or under my leftovers.

Watch Chef Elaine as she prepares this tasty, fresh, and seasonal Thai Cucumber Salad for the Boulder County Farmers’ Market. Culinary School of the Rockies is out at the Boulder and Longmont markets every other week whipping up delicious bites and offering daily cooking inspiration. Did you stop by the market for a taste of this dish? Tell us what you thought!

If you missed out on this sample at the Boulder Farmers’ Market yesterday, here’s the recipe to try at home.

Spicy Thai Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp jalapeno chili (about 1 large) seeded and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 English hothouse cucumbers, halved, seeded and thinly sliced

3/4 cup red onion, sliced

3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

3 Tbsp roasted peanuts, lightly salted and coarsely chopped

Method:

1. Whisk first 5 ingredients together in a medium bowl. 
2. Combine cucumbers, onion and mint in a large bowl
3. Add dressing and toss to coat.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Sprinkle with roasted peanuts and serve.

Don’t forgot to stop by CSR this Saturday, August 28^th from 12-4pm for our semi-annual Bake Sale! Professional Pastry Arts students will be transforming our kitchen into a student-run bakery for the day serving pies, tarts, breads, croissants, cakes, and much, much more! The Bake Sales are some of our most-anticipated community events of the year and give our students the feeling of working in a real bakery for the day. Make sure your calendars are marked for one of the sweetest afternoons of the year. Shop early for the best selection!

Summer is such a yummy season. It’s the perfect time to make jam, yogurt, and this delicious looking Limoncello Trifle. While you’re shopping for your ingredients at the farmers’ market you can decide whether or not you think it will be turning into the next place to stock up on all your essential vitamins and minerals. We’ve got a good roundup today, so don’t miss out on this delicious display.

Make Your Own Yogurt

Bachelor’s Jam

Limoncello Trifle

Is the Farmers’ Market the Next Pharmacy?

Save the date! CSR’s Home Cook free Open House is right around the corner. Join us on Thursday, September 23^rd from 5:30 – 7:30 pm as we celebrate the beginning of a festive Fall season with chef demos, discounts on class registrations, and tastes of terrific seasonal fare. We’ll also be hosting a live band and staff and chefs will be available to answer questions on all things food. Don’t miss out on a great night at Culinary School of the Rockies. Our free Home Cook open houses only happen twice a year, so don’t miss this chance to finally turn over a new leaf in the kitchen. RVSP today.

This weekend stop by our booth at the Boulder County Farmers’ Market. Our fabulous chefs will be out serving up samples of this tasty market-fresh melon salad along with answering questions about classes and programs at Culinary School of the Rockies, handing out recipes, and chatting about all things seasonal and fresh at the market. Visiting us at the farmers’ market is a great way to be added to our weekly enewsletter, or to visit our mascot, Steuben the golden pig, while you do your shopping at the market!

Melon & Thai Basil Salad       

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 spring onions finely mince (white part only)

Juice and zest of 2 limes

1/2-cup cilantro

1/3-cup Thai basil

1/3-cup mint

1 Jalapeño, seeded and finely diced

1 clove garlic finely minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3 cups finely diced melon (a variety of melon works well)

Micro greens

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a small bowl, combine onions, lime juice and zest, cilantro, basil, mint, Jalapeño, garlic and olive oil with 1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt.
2. In a larger bowl combine melon and dressing and mix until thoroughly combined. Adjust seasonings to taste. Chill until ready to serve.

Did you know Sarah, CSR’s Social Media Strategist & Office Manager writes a monthly column for the Daily Camera? Well, if you didn’t make sure to put her latest article on your reading list. Last week, she wrote about cucumbers and eggplant, which she both happens to be growing in her garden this summer. Get the full how-to on seasonal farmers’ market produce each month from Sarah in her ‘At the Market’ articles. Find out how to store, choose, and whip-up whatever’s in season. “At the Market’ is published the second Wednesday of the month in the Daily Camera online and in print in the Lifestyles section.

Last night for dinner Sarah picked, cooked and enjoyed Roasted Eggplant Tamales from her garden. What are you making with the cukes and eggplants that are so abundant right now? Share your recipes with us, here at the blog, or on facebook or twitter.

 Keep reading for Sarah’s Roasted White Eggplant Tamale recipe.

Roasted White Eggplant Tamales

Yields 8 tamales

Ingredients for tamales dough:

½ cup   Milk

1 cup    Masa harina

¾ cup + 2 Tbs   Butter, softened

½ tsp    Salt

1 tsp     Baking powder

Ingredients for filling:

1 White eggplant, roasted, peeled and chopped

1 White onion, chopped

3 Green chiles, roasted and peeled

1 Tomato, chopped

2 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped

2 Cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp. Smoked paprika

1 cup, Green salsa (store bought is fine)

1 cup, Asadero cheese, shredded or crumbled

8 corn husks, soaked until pliable

Salt and pepper to taste

Method for dough:

1. Combine all ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer and blend with paddle attachment until the dough comes together.

2. Turn the speed on the mixer up and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Method for Tamales:

1. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients except salsa and cheese together.
2. Make an assembly line of corn husks, tamale dough, cheese, eggplant mix, and salsa.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a steamer basket sitting atop the pot.
4. Lay a corn husk flat on a clean workspace and place a scoop of dough atop the husk. Press the dough into the husk and spread it around to cover most of it in a thin, even layer. Top with a spoonful of eggplant mixture, salsa, and cheese and roll the tamale up so none of the filling is exposed.
5. Continue in this way until all of the husks and filling are used.
6. Transfer rolled tamales to sit vertically in the steamer basket over boiling water. Cover with aluminum foil so none of the heat escapes.
7. Cook for about 45 minutes or until the dough pulls away by itself from the corn husk.
8. Enjoy warm with rice and beans!