Asheville food and wine lovers were treated to a wonderful feast last night at our little store in South Asheville. The comments we received about the food and wine were very positive and more than one person asked that we post the recipes. Here you go folks! Happy cooking and happy drinking from us to you. Special thanks go out to Larry Cowan for making the arugula salad with Humboldt Fog goat cheese, candied walnuts and dried currants. Also, thanks again to George Lowe for providing the recipes for our main course dishes and for being just a great guy in general.
Smoky Beef Stew
Ingredients
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 pounds boneless beef, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 roasted red bell peppers, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons Spanish smoked paprika
2 teaspoons caraway seeds, toasted and ground
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed
6 cups low-sodium beef broth
4 russet potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
4 large carrots cut on a bias
1/2 cup sour cream
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Directions
Place a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the bacon. Fry for about 5 minutes until crisp and remove to a paper towel and reserve. Add the beef to the hot bacon fat and brown it evenly on all sides, turning with tongs; season generously with salt and pepper. While the beef is searing, sprinkle the flour evenly in the pot and continue to stir to dissolve any clumps. Add a little oil if necessary to keep the meat from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Toss in the onions, garlic, roasted peppers, paprika, and caraway; cook and stir for 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the vinegar, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, covered, stirring occasionally.
Add the potatoes and carrots. Crumble the reserved bacon into the stew and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir the sour cream into the goulash just before serving. Garnish with the chopped parsley. This comfortably serves 6 to 8.
Corn Chowder
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
4 slices of bacon chopped finely
1 onion, diced
1cup of celery finely chopped
1 cup of sweet red pepper finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 tbl emerils essence (sams club)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
6 ears corn or 4.5 cups frozen corn
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, red pepper and thyme and Essence and cook until the vegetables are good and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a boil and boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down (this will help to thicken the soup and give it a good texture).
Cut the corn kernels off the cob (or frozen) and add to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until the corn is soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. Take out one cup and puree and add back to soup. Stir in the parsley and give it another little drink of olive oil. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. This will serve 8.