Katherine Shotwell Party
Native Offerings
Cactus Custard Savory Tarts
Nopales (Cactus leaves) cooked in a custard mix and Puff Pastry with Prickly Pear Juice swirled in
Pickled Sunchokes
Sliced Sunchokes, Rosehips, Red Clover Blossoms, Juniper Berries, Cider Vinegar, Elderflower Syrup
Salad with Douglas Fir Vinaigrette
Red and White Dandelions, Water Cress, Mint, Strawberries with Douglas Fir Glycerite, Grape Vinegar, Sunflower oil
Acorn Gnocchi with Wild Flower and Pepper Cress Pesto and Hazel nut Hummus
Acorn, Amaranth , AP Whole Wheat Flours, Ricotta Cheese, Eggs, formed to dumpling size
with Hazel Nuts, Garbanzo Beans, Garlic, Mint, Lemon Sauce
Chef John Farais
Old-Fashioned English Custard Tart
- 3 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1 pint (570 ml) single cream
- 2 oz (50 g) caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ whole nutmegs, freshly grated
- 1 level teaspoon softened butter
- 1 cup of Chopped Nopales
- ½ cup Prickly Pear Juice to swirl
Preheat oven to 375.
Place the cream with chopped cactus, in a saucepan and bring it up to a gentle simmer, then whisk the beaten eggs and sugar together in a large heatproof mixing bowl, but not too vigorously because you don’t want to make bubbles. Then pour the hot liquid over the beaten eggs, add the vanilla extract and half the nutmeg and whisk briefly again. Carefully pour the filling into the pastry case (it will be very full) swirl prickly pear over the top and scatter the rest of the nutmeg all over. Dot with the softened butter and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the filling is golden brown, firm in the center and slightly puffed up. Serve either warm or cold.
Nettle Gnocchi
- 3 cups nettles
- 1/2 pound ricotta
- Salt, to taste2 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 3/4 cup AP flour, plus more for dusting
- Grated Parmesan, Pecorino, or Monterey Dry Jack Cheese
Pulse nettles, ricotta, and salt in a food processor to form a homogenous and well-seasoned mix. Add the egg yolks and whole egg; pulse once more to incorporate. Dust a clean work surface with flour. Turn the nettle mixture out onto the surface, and using a bench scraper, cut half of the flour into the mix until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour. Flatten the mix out into a rectangular shape and cut 1-inch wide strips. Roll the strips into logs. Cut the logs into 1-inch gnocchi, keeping the pieces well coated with flour to prevent sticking. Bring a large pot of salted water to a full boil. Cook the gnocchi until they rise to the surface. Drain and then heat in desired sauce (brown butter, olive oil, or broth) for an additional minute. Finish with good quality parmesan, pecorino or Monterey Dry Jack Cheese.
Hazelnut Hummus
- 1 cup toasted hazelnuts (about 4 oz)
- 1 cup Hazelnut butter or 1can (14 ounce) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
- 3 tbs. Sunflower oil or hazelnut oil
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tbs. chopped fresh mint, or coyote mint
- 2 tbs. Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- Coarse Sea salt and pepper
To toast the hazelnuts, bake in a 375° oven until golden under skins (break one to test), 10 to 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, rub in a kitchen towel to remove as many skins as possible. In a food processor, whirl hazelnuts, hazelnut butter until smooth. Add garbanzos, sunflower or hazelnut oil, garlic, mint, and lemon juice, and whirl again until smooth. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with hazelnut oil, if desired.
Makes 2 cups
Pickled Sunchokes
- 1 lb. Sunchokes sliced
- 2 cups Apple Cider, or Muscat or Sweeter Vinegar
- 1 cup Rosehips soaked
- ½ cup Dried Red Clover Blossoms
- 4 Crushed Whole Juniper Berries½ cup Elder flower Syrup
- Ice Bath
Soak Rosehips in water for an hour. Drain, but save water and bring it to a boil. Blanch sliced chokes for a minute in this boiling water and drop into ice bath. Combine rest of ingredients into a pan and heat just below boiling to infuse flavors. Cool down before putting chokes into mixture for an hour. Chill and serve.