This Saturday, May 10th, we will be partnering with Green Life Space, Cha Bella, and Structured Green to celebrate Pangea Day. Pangea day is a four hour live broadcast that brings people from all over the world together simultaneously to inspire and connect us. The broadcast features films, speakers, and music and will be viewed and heard by millions through the internet, television, cameras, and mobile phones. We will be gathering at Structured Green, a new store with ''eco-friendly' furniture and accessories, to enjoy delicious local and organic food, yummy drinks, and be a part of this great event.
Event info: http://www.StructuredGreen.com/home.cfm/page/ecoNews/News/11.html
For more info please contact Maria Castro at (912) 844-3184
Learn more about Pangea Day here: www.pangeaday.org
Cha-bella: www.cha-bella.com
Green Lifespace: www.greenlifespace.com
Structured Green: www.structuredgreen.com
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Steph and the Chefs!
Last week Robbie, Patrick, and Seth did a TV cooking demonstration with Stephanie Simoni of WJCL TV at Kitchens on the Square. Here are the recipes featuring organic and local ingredients, including Wild Georgia Shrimp, Sweetgrass Dairy's cheeses, and Walker Organic Farms' produce. You can find links at the bottom. Enjoy!
Mixed Lettuce Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette and Sweetgrass Dairy’s Georgia Gouda
This simple and elegant salad makes a great starter for a summertime grilling party.
3-4 small heads of mixed lettuces-washed and dried and torn into bite sized pieces
1 orange- zested and juiced
1 tangerine- zested and juiced
½ grapefruit- zested and juiced
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup vegetable oil
¼ pound Sweetgrass Dairy’s Georgia Gouda or other semi firm cow’s milk cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Mix lettuces in a mixing bowl. Combine citrus juice and oils and whisk to briefly combine. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Portion onto serving plates and with a vegetable peeler, shave cheese over the top of salad.
Serves 6
Sauteed Jumbo Shrimp with seared Vidalia Onions and Sherry/Honey Pan Sauce
This is a delicious appetizer or add a few more shrimp and some grilled veggies for a light summer entrée.
8 Georgia White Shrimp size 16-20, peeled and deveined, tails on
4 medium Vidalia spring onions with tops- cut in half the long way
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Xerez Sherry
2 Tbsp. Honey
1 Tbsp. Sherry Vinegar
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
Season both sides of shrimp and onions with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a medium sauté pan and heat on medium till the oil shimmers in the pan. Add the Vidalia onions cut side down and sear until nicely browned. 3-4 minutes. Flip the onions and cook on the other side until the onions are browned and soft when pricked with a knife. Remove to paper towel to drain. Add shrimp to pan and sear on one side till pink, approximately 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp, remove pan from the heat and add the sherry. Replace on heat and cook shrimp until cooked through. Remove shrimp and continue to reduce sherry until reduced by about half. Add honey and vinegar and continue to reduce to syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and swirl in butter to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. On four serving plates, place two onion halves in center of plate, top with shrimp and a drizzle of pan sauce. Serve hot.
Serves Four.
Fried Green Tomato and Eggplant Gratin with Fresh Chevre
This is kind of a southern take on eggplant parmesan. It makes a great side-dish or vegetarian entrée
Chevre is a soft, fresh goat’s milk cheese with a tangy flavor. Most gourmet shops carry it.
4 green tomatoes-peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
2 cups AP flour
6 eggs beaten
2 ½ cups panko bread crumbs*
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggplants- peeled and sliced into 1 inch rounds
½ cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion- medium dice
¼ cup assorted chopped herbs (we prefer thyme and parsley)
1 cup fresh chevre
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350. Spread eggplant on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for approximately 15 minutes until soft and creamy. Sweat the onion in 1 Tbsp. of oil for 5-6 minutes until translucent. Add herbs and remove from heat. Bread the tomatoes by dredging first in flour, then egg, then panko. Heat vegetable oil in a deep sauté pan over medium heat. Fry tomatoes in oil until golden brown. Oil should come about halfway up the side of the tomato and be sure not to over-crowd the pan. Remove fried tomatoes to paper towel to drain and season with salt. In a casserole dish layer first eggplant, then the onions with herbs, then fried tomatoes, then dollops of chevre. You should be able to get at least 2 full layers of each. Bake in the oven about 20-25 minutes until heated through and cheese is bubbly. Serve
Serves 8.
*Panko is a course ground Asian bread crumb that can be found in any Asian food store.
Seared Black Grouper with Apple-Mint Salad and Sweet pea butter sauce
The flavors and colors of this dish are bright and vibrant. The key is to use the freshest ingredients possible.
4 4-5oz. Black Grouper fillets, skin off
2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 apples (we prefer Fuji or gala for this recipe but feel free to use your favorite.)
½ small red onion
½ lemon- juiced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh mint leaves- rough chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen sweet peas
½ yellow onion-medium dice
½ cup good quality Riesling
1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter cut into 1 Tbsp. cubes
salt and pepper to taste
If your peas are fresh as opposed to frozen you must first blanch them in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, until tender, and then transfer them to an ice water bath to stop the cooking and set the color. They should be bright green. If frozen just thaw. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes until translucent then add the Riesling and reduce by ½. Add the broth and again reduce by ½. Add the peas until just warmed through and, working quickly so as not to over cook the peas, process in a blender with enough cooking liquid to achieve a bright green sauce consistency. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a sauce pot and reserve. Slice the apples and red onion as thinly as possible and toss with lemon juice, olive oil, mint salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat oil in sauté pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot and shimmering add Grouper fillets and sear on one side until golden brown. Flip the fish and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side, then add 2 Tbsp. butter and baste the fish with melted butter until just cooked through. Finally, over low heat whisk the remaining butter into the pea sauce. On four serving plates, place a small pile of the apple salad, topped with the cooked Grouper and then the pea sauce.
Serves 4.
Sweetgrass Dairy: http://www.sweetgrassdairy.com/
Walker Farms: http://www.walkerorganicfarm.com/
Kitchens on the Square: http://www.kitchensonthesquare.com/
Steph's blog: http://stephandthechefs.blogspot.com/
Mixed Lettuce Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette and Sweetgrass Dairy’s Georgia Gouda
This simple and elegant salad makes a great starter for a summertime grilling party.
3-4 small heads of mixed lettuces-washed and dried and torn into bite sized pieces
1 orange- zested and juiced
1 tangerine- zested and juiced
½ grapefruit- zested and juiced
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup vegetable oil
¼ pound Sweetgrass Dairy’s Georgia Gouda or other semi firm cow’s milk cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Mix lettuces in a mixing bowl. Combine citrus juice and oils and whisk to briefly combine. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Portion onto serving plates and with a vegetable peeler, shave cheese over the top of salad.
Serves 6
Sauteed Jumbo Shrimp with seared Vidalia Onions and Sherry/Honey Pan Sauce
This is a delicious appetizer or add a few more shrimp and some grilled veggies for a light summer entrée.
8 Georgia White Shrimp size 16-20, peeled and deveined, tails on
4 medium Vidalia spring onions with tops- cut in half the long way
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Xerez Sherry
2 Tbsp. Honey
1 Tbsp. Sherry Vinegar
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
Season both sides of shrimp and onions with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a medium sauté pan and heat on medium till the oil shimmers in the pan. Add the Vidalia onions cut side down and sear until nicely browned. 3-4 minutes. Flip the onions and cook on the other side until the onions are browned and soft when pricked with a knife. Remove to paper towel to drain. Add shrimp to pan and sear on one side till pink, approximately 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp, remove pan from the heat and add the sherry. Replace on heat and cook shrimp until cooked through. Remove shrimp and continue to reduce sherry until reduced by about half. Add honey and vinegar and continue to reduce to syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and swirl in butter to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. On four serving plates, place two onion halves in center of plate, top with shrimp and a drizzle of pan sauce. Serve hot.
Serves Four.
Fried Green Tomato and Eggplant Gratin with Fresh Chevre
This is kind of a southern take on eggplant parmesan. It makes a great side-dish or vegetarian entrée
Chevre is a soft, fresh goat’s milk cheese with a tangy flavor. Most gourmet shops carry it.
4 green tomatoes-peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
2 cups AP flour
6 eggs beaten
2 ½ cups panko bread crumbs*
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggplants- peeled and sliced into 1 inch rounds
½ cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion- medium dice
¼ cup assorted chopped herbs (we prefer thyme and parsley)
1 cup fresh chevre
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350. Spread eggplant on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for approximately 15 minutes until soft and creamy. Sweat the onion in 1 Tbsp. of oil for 5-6 minutes until translucent. Add herbs and remove from heat. Bread the tomatoes by dredging first in flour, then egg, then panko. Heat vegetable oil in a deep sauté pan over medium heat. Fry tomatoes in oil until golden brown. Oil should come about halfway up the side of the tomato and be sure not to over-crowd the pan. Remove fried tomatoes to paper towel to drain and season with salt. In a casserole dish layer first eggplant, then the onions with herbs, then fried tomatoes, then dollops of chevre. You should be able to get at least 2 full layers of each. Bake in the oven about 20-25 minutes until heated through and cheese is bubbly. Serve
Serves 8.
*Panko is a course ground Asian bread crumb that can be found in any Asian food store.
Seared Black Grouper with Apple-Mint Salad and Sweet pea butter sauce
The flavors and colors of this dish are bright and vibrant. The key is to use the freshest ingredients possible.
4 4-5oz. Black Grouper fillets, skin off
2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 apples (we prefer Fuji or gala for this recipe but feel free to use your favorite.)
½ small red onion
½ lemon- juiced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh mint leaves- rough chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen sweet peas
½ yellow onion-medium dice
½ cup good quality Riesling
1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter cut into 1 Tbsp. cubes
salt and pepper to taste
If your peas are fresh as opposed to frozen you must first blanch them in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, until tender, and then transfer them to an ice water bath to stop the cooking and set the color. They should be bright green. If frozen just thaw. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes until translucent then add the Riesling and reduce by ½. Add the broth and again reduce by ½. Add the peas until just warmed through and, working quickly so as not to over cook the peas, process in a blender with enough cooking liquid to achieve a bright green sauce consistency. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a sauce pot and reserve. Slice the apples and red onion as thinly as possible and toss with lemon juice, olive oil, mint salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat oil in sauté pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot and shimmering add Grouper fillets and sear on one side until golden brown. Flip the fish and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side, then add 2 Tbsp. butter and baste the fish with melted butter until just cooked through. Finally, over low heat whisk the remaining butter into the pea sauce. On four serving plates, place a small pile of the apple salad, topped with the cooked Grouper and then the pea sauce.
Serves 4.
Sweetgrass Dairy: http://www.sweetgrassdairy.com/
Walker Farms: http://www.walkerorganicfarm.com/
Kitchens on the Square: http://www.kitchensonthesquare.com/
Steph's blog: http://stephandthechefs.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Upcoming Events May 3rd & 4th
Hello sustainable food enthusiasts! We've been very busy here at Green Tomato over the last months as our company grows. This weekend we have a lot of great events going on--
We will be serving a cheese course at Savannah Uncorked Saturday night (www.savannahuncorked.com) as well as having our weekly booth at the Starland Farmers Market Saturday morning (www.starlandfarmersmarket.com).
We are also co-hosting a local food and music street festival with Blowin' Smoke BBQ this Sunday from 2-7. Come meet local farmers, listen to free music, peruse local artisans' designs and eat delicious organic and local food! You can view our flyer here: http://www.greentomatoconcepts.com/events/GTC_bbq_flyer.jpg
We will be serving a cheese course at Savannah Uncorked Saturday night (www.savannahuncorked.com) as well as having our weekly booth at the Starland Farmers Market Saturday morning (www.starlandfarmersmarket.com).
We are also co-hosting a local food and music street festival with Blowin' Smoke BBQ this Sunday from 2-7. Come meet local farmers, listen to free music, peruse local artisans' designs and eat delicious organic and local food! You can view our flyer here: http://www.greentomatoconcepts.com/events/GTC_bbq_flyer.jpg
Friday, March 28, 2008
Facebook Business Group
Green Tomato Concepts now has a Facebook business group for anyone who is interested in joining that online community.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Angela Hopper
Angela Hopper is an incredibly talented locally photographer who has worked with Robbie on several projects. Her work with Green Tomato Concepts brings, among other things, her expertise, enthusiasm, and creativity for the presentation of his diverse efforts, whether catering for two or two hundred. Her photographs highlight the unique culinary talents of our chef, Robert, as well as shows off her own style, presentation, and appreciation of the art of food.
Her website, also linked under our list of links, can be reached at http://www.angelahopperphotography.com
Her latest Blogpost (www.angelahopperphotography.blogspot.com) features photos of recent sushi catering done by Robert.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Our First Blog!
I am happy to open this blog with a brief post including photos from one of Robbie's recent efforts. More to come, I promise!
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