Warm Cast Iron Beer & Cheese Dip
How about some warm cast iron beer & cheese dip for these crisp autumn nights? We spent a magical evening cooking in the woods, underneath the stars in Big Cottonwood Canyon. One of the dishes we made was this lovely warm beer & cheese dip. the cheese dip was awesome with our cast iron flat bread and dutch oven potatoes!
Here’s the recipe..
12 oz Uinta Hefeweizen beer
8 oz pack of Organic cream cheese
16 oz of shredded Gruyère and Swiss cheese (you can use pepper jack and cheddar too)
Pour the room temperature beer into a hot cast iron and heat, then whisk in chunks of cream cheese until smooth. When cream cheese is melted whisk in the shredded cheese.
Finish with Redmond Rea Salt and cracked pepper. Once you’ve made the cheese dip you can put the lid on and top with ashed over charcoals to blister the top of the cheese! When it’s really hot the cheese will be thinner but as it cools to serving temperature it will thicken.
Lovely photo by Evelyn Eslava
Local Summer Cheeseboard
We drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon and set up camp on a beautiful summers eve in July. We used local ingredients from our farmers market to put together this cheeseboard.
You'll Need..
Local Raspberries, local peaches, local white currants, raw local honey, local sourdough bread, Marcona almonds, Midnight Moon Cheese from Cypress Grove and Bijou an aged goat cheese from Vermont Creamery. We finished with some beautiful edible flowers from our garden, purple violas, yellow nasturtiums & amaranth.
Summer Sangria with Sparkling Rosé
THIS SANGRIA IS A LIGHTER VERSION THAN TRADITIONAL SANGRIA. FIRST BECAUSE OF THE USE OF ROSÉ INSTEAD OF RED WINE, SECOND BECAUSE WE OMIT THE ADDITION OF HARD LIQOUR. ALTHOUGH WE LOVE A GOOD STIFF DRINK, IN THIS CASE A LIGHTER VERSION IN TASTE & ALCOHOL CONTENT GOES PERFECT WITH A WARM SUMMER DAY!
SUMMER SANGRIA RECIPE
YOU’LL NEED:
750 ML BOTTLE SPARKLING ROSÉ
1/2 CUP FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
1/2 CUP SIMPLE SYRUP
1 RIPE PEACH, CUT IN 1/2, REMOVE PIT, THEN CUT INTO THIN WEDGES
1/2 LEMON, SLICED
1/2 CUP RASPBERRIES
1/4 CUP WHITE OR RED CURRANTS PICKED OFF OF THE STEMS
ENOUGH ICE TO FILL YOUR PITCHER
HOW TO:
1. PLACE ICE IN PITCHER, THEN FILL WITH CUT/SLICED FRUITS.
2. POUR IN LEMON JUICE, SIMPLE SYRUP, THEN SPARKLING ROSÉ. ALLOWING ROSÉ TO SETTLE BEFORE CONTINUING TO TOP IT OFF UNTIL YOU’VE ADDED THE WHOLE 750 ML BOTTLE.
3. STIR TO COMBINE AND ALLOW FLAVORS TO MERRY AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE DRINKING. CHEERS TO A LOVELY SUMMER!
SIMPLE SYRUP RECIPE
YOU’LL NEED:
1 CUP EVAPORATED CANE JUICE (OR WHITE SUGAR)
3/4 CUP FILTERED WATER
HOW TO:
1. PLACE INGREDIENTS IN POT AND BRING TO A BOIL.
2. COOK UNTIL SUGAR IS DISSOLVED.
TURN OFF THE HEAT AND ALLOW TO COOL.
Squash Blossom Eggs with Sourdough Toast
You'll need..
A pat of butter, we love to use Kerrygold butter
Add a 2 double hands- full of squash blossoms, remove stamen inside of the flower by pinching it off
4 eggs if you don't have your own chickens or a neighbor with some, a great alternative is vital farms` they are pasture-raised chickens & their eggs are have gorgeous rich yolk
As much chèvre as you like to crumble on top (soft goat cheese)
A few basil leaves, torn
A small bundle of chives, roughly chopped
Real salt & fresh cracked black pepper
How to..
Place a medium sized cast iron over medium-high heat
Add large pat of butter, allow to melt
Add squash blossoms, stir with wood spoon to coat in butter
Cook for a minute, then separate blossoms making four wells/spaces for your eggs
Crack your eggs & sprinkle with Real Salt & cracked black pepper
Crumble/Sprinkle with chèvre
When eggs are set to your liking, sprinkle with basil & chives
Serve with real toasted sourdough slathered with good grass-fed butter
WOOD-FIRED LONDON FOG WITH MASON JAR VANILLA CREAM
LONDON FOG TEA
You can make this tea on your next camp trip or at your backyard campfire. We love to use the top of our wood-burning stove to boil water for tea with our morning fires. Of course you can just put a tea pot of water on the stove and give it a boil but if you're able to enjoy the healing properties of a real fire do it! And make this soothing tea to keep you company. You can serve this tea with some shortbread cookies for a light dessert around the campfire. Or with biscotti for a sweet breakfast treat. Get everyone involved in shaking up the Mason Jar Vanilla Cream, by passing it around the campfire. It won't take long, so remember to listen to the cream as you shake it up. Over shaking it will turn the cream to butter.
YOU'LL NEED:
Per cup of tea you make:
8 oz of filtered water
1 1/2 tablespoons of loose leaf Earl Grey Black Tea
1/4 cup Vanilla Cream (recipe below)
pinch of dried lavender
HOW TO:
1. Bring water to a boil over a campfire, on your wood-burning stove in your home or even just a regular burner.
2. Once boiling remove from hear and pour water over 1 1/2 tablespoon of tea, allow to steep 3-5 minutes.
3. Strain tea or remove tea bag.
4. Top with a large spoonful of vanilla cream and sprinkle with some dried lavender.
VANILLA SUGAR
As you use the vanilla sugar, replace it with more plain sugar and give it a stir. It will keep permeating the new sugar you add for quite a while. You can use vanilla sugar in your coffee, tea, on some berries you cook up that are starting to go squishy, which you can then serve over ice cream or a biscuit with cream. Really anytime you feel you'd like to add a little vanilla flavor when you would just add plain sugar.
YOU'LL NEED:
2 Cups of evaporated cane juice
1 Vanilla Bean
HOW TO:
1. Pour sugar into jar with lid.
2. Cut vanilla bean down the center, scrape out seeds with the tip of your knife.
3. Put all of the vanilla seeds into the sugar and stir until mixed well, use your clean fingers to break up any seed clumps.
4. Place scraped vanilla bean in sugar & put a lid on the jar.
MASON JAR VANILLA CREAM
Makes enough cream for 4-6 teas depending how much cream topping you like. Listen to the cream as you give it a shake. The cream will move around less as it thickens. This will help you judge the cream is thick enough.
YOU'LL NEED:
8 oz of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoon vanilla sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
HOW TO:
1. Place all ingredients in jar with a tight fitted lid.
2. Give it a shake until it thickens to soft cream.
TIP: Don't overshake the cream or you'll end up with butter.
MOUNTAIN ROSE GRANOLA
You and everyone you love is going to LOVE this granola! We are constantly being asked for the recipe, so here it is! Also what we love about this recipe is it is naturally gluten-free, refined sugar free & uses coconut oil which is a healthier fat. You could replace the honey with real maple syrup and make this recipe vegan too!
YOU'LL NEED:
5 cups Old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups dried wild blueberries
1 1/2 cups dried tart cherries
1 vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped
or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon real salt
HOW TO:
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large heavy bottomed pot melt coconut oil, honey and add split vanilla bean & seeds or ground cinnamon.
4. When melted add in Old-fashioned rolled oats, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds & real salt.
5. Mix until everything is nicely coated in the coconut oil/honey mixture.
6. Spread evenly unto parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Bake for 25-35 minutes depending on oven. Stir the granola in the oven every 5-10 minutes, flipping the bottom to the top and the top to the bottom with a wood spoon or spatula to prevent even browning.
8. When just evenly golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool. We like to slide the parchment with the granola off the sheet pan & onto the counter to stop the residual heat from the sheet pan overcooking the granola.
Pro tip:
When you remove most baked goods from the oven they will continue to cook from the residual heat inside the food, so air on the side of caution and take your granola out of the oven when it is just golden brown.
RHUBARB & MEYER LEMON FRENCH TOAST
YOU'LL NEED:
FOR QUICK RHUBARB JAM:
6 stalks of Rhubarb
2 tablespoons butter, we use Kerrygold
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
Zest of 1/2 a Meyer lemon
1/4 teaspoon Real salt
1 tablespoon filtered water
HOW TO:
1. Roughly cut rhubarb stalks into 2-3 inch pieces.
2. Combine rhubarb, sugar, butter, lemon zest, salt and splash of water into a small cast-iron dutch oven.
3. Place into the fire on embers, stir occasionally until soft.
FOR THE EGGY DIP:
1 cup Whole Milk
4 eggs
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Real Salt
1 loaf of Brioche bread
TO FINISH:
vanilla yogurt about 1/4 cup per toast
Meyer lemon zest for garnish
HOW TO:
1. Whisk all custard ingredients together in a flat dish so it will be ready for dipping.
2. Soak each slice of bread in custard, about 30 seconds each side.
3. Place about a tablespoon of light cooking oil in medium-hot cast iron and a pat of butter.
4. Cook each side until golden brown.
5. Top with vanilla yogurt, rhubarb quick jam and lemon zest.