2013 – Page 6 – Well Dined

19
Jul
2013

2941

categories: Reviews

I’ve written about 2941 before (here and here), but not since they revamped their restaurant to be a little more casual and less intimidating. We had been checking their ever changing menu online, but nothing really caught our eye until recently. Then, all of a sudden, the whole menu matched what we were craving and off we went! Be aware that this menu is from a few months ago.

Steak tartare with basil, Parmesan, toasted bread, and micro greens. This is really a 1 per person size, and trust me – you won’t want to share.

Zucchini fritters with a feta and mint dip; salmon carpaccio.

Beet salad (sorry for the fuzzy photo – somebody was impatient to eat it).

Tuna tartare with avocado, crispy shallots, and jalapeno. I was actually I little disappointed because the avocado was more like guacamole, which wasn’t what I was looking for. But by no means was it bad.

Asparagus ravioli with white asparagus, mint, thyme, burrata, and Parmesan.

Duck confit ravioli with tomato jam and fiddlehead ferns.

Yummy steak fritte dish.

Strawberry shortcake with coconut, shredded phyllo, and white tea ice cream.

Overall, everything was as fresh and beautiful as it’s always been and the more relaxed atmosphere was refreshing. I don’t think the remarketing has done any damage to 2941 and I hope it helps to bring in more people.

17
Jul
2013

Mexican Style Quinoa Salad

categories: Recipes

This vegetarian/vegan meal that I made with Melissa of Smells Like Brownies is perfect for summer. It is light and fresh (but still filling), takes advantage of summer produce, and is packed with protein.

All you have to do is combine the ingredients – corn, tomato, avocado, bell pepper, scallions, jalapeno, black beans, cooked quinoa.

Then toss with a dressing of lime, olive oil, honey, and cumin.

Top with some fresh cilantro (or parsley if you, like me, are not a fan) and your perfect summer lunch awaits! You can serve it warm, cold, or room temp – doesn’t matter. The ingredient list is also totally flexible, go with whatever ratio of quinoa to veg you like, take out the stuff you don’t like, add in something you do, make it yours. (more…)

15
Jul
2013

Red, White, and Blue Trifle

categories: Recipes

This is a classic desert that works really well for Independence Day (Anything with berries does, really). It’s quick to put together and very pretty, so keep it in mind for next year!

All you need is sponge cake, pound cake, or lady fingers; canned custard or pudding mix; whipped cream; and fruit. Then layer them up however you want and let it sit together in the fridge for a few hours to meld.

I used lady fingers (brushed with Cointreau), vanilla pudding, whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. The amounts depend on your serving dish and your preferential ratio of fruit to cream. I used 2 packs of lady fingers, 2 boxes of pudding, 1 can of whipped cream, 1 medium container of strawberries, and 1 pint each of blue berries and raspberries. My layers were lady fingers, pudding, strawberries, whipped cream, lady fingers, pudding, whipped cream, blueberries and raspberries. I probably could have used more berries.

12
Jul
2013

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Ravioli

categories: Recipes

I recently bought a pasta roller and learned to start making my own pasta (you can read about my first adventure here). One of the very first things that I made on my own was this gorgeous roasted beet and goat cheese ravioli.

Here is my lovely pasta roller!

This is my ravioli press – lay a sheet of pasta over it, and use a plastic mold to press down and form pockets.

Then place the filling into the pockets – check out the crazy fuschia color of the beet filling! (more…)

08
Jul
2013

Garlic Scapes

categories: Recipes

I saw these guys at the Farmers Market and though, “What the heck are those?” So out came the phone and Google searching commenced. Garlic Scapes, as it turns out, are a shoot that grows out of the top of the garlic plant. They need to be removed so that the plant can focus on growing the bulb instead of flowering. This is fortunate, because the also happen to be insanely delicious. They taste like garlic, but without the bite, and can be used like scallions.

I bought myself a big handful and set about looking up recipes. The most common way to use them is in a pesto, so of course I did not make that… because I’m weird.

Instead, I made carbonara – with guanciale (cuz I’m legit) and peas (which put an end to my legit-ness, but I don’t care cuz I love peas). You are probably wondering what the heck I am talking about, I don’t blame you. Here is a link to a great article about the do’s and dont’s of real carbonara. TLDR (too long, didn’t read for all you non-techies) – while bacon and pancetta are acceptable, guanciale is the best; peas are a definite don’t.

I also made biscuits – with garlic scapes, Gruyere, and goat butter (another new obsession of mine). (more…)

05
Jul
2013

Roasted Radish Flatbread with Honey

categories: Recipes

So this little beauty came about due to inspiration from Bev Cooks and the need to get rid of a lot of leftover ingredients from other meals. Sort of a clean-out-the-fridge-in-the-most-delicious-way-possible sort of thing.

I had leftover ricotta from this recipe, with you may recall from last week. Well, not really leftover since I purposefully made double the amount I needed.

And I had little nubs of radish left over from this Spring salad I made inspired by this Martha Stewart recipe. I didn’t post about it but it had butter lettuce, shaved radish and fennel, blanched peas and asparagus, and fresh mozzarella in a lemon juice and sour cream dressing. (more…)

27
Jun
2013

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Seared Scallops

categories: Recipes

You guys know how much I love homemade ricotta. In case you don’t – it’s A LOT. I’ve also been kind of obsessed with peas lately. So I was super excited to try out this recipe.

I had never made scallops at home before, so I was pretty nervous. But as it turns out, it’s pretty easy! Just make sure that you buy them no more than 1 day before you want to cook them, keep them on ice if you aren’t going straight home, and store them in the coldest part of the fridge. Also, be warned that your house will smell like seafood after you cook them.

As for the pasta – whole wheat linguine, lemon, peas, thyme, and of course – fresh ricotta. Fresh and light and creamy deliciousness!

Here’s one more shot to tide you over… (more…)

25
Jun
2013

Peas and Carrots

categories: Recipes

You know that Forrest Gump quote, “Jenny and me was like peas and carrots.”? I could not stop saying that while making and eating this dinner. The classic duo of peas and carrots, back together again in the form of soup and risotto.

This pea soup has a base of English peas, sugar snap peas, and leeks. So much green!

But more importantly, it has bacon. You start by crisping the bacon and removing it. Then, in the same pan, you cook celery, onion, and leek in the bacon fat before adding chicken stock and rosemary. Meanwhile, blanch the peas. (more…)

20
Jun
2013

Cheesy Brown Butter Grits with Ramps and Fiddleheads

categories: Recipes

It’s another vegetarian lunch brought to you by Sarah and Melissa! Unfortunately I am posting this a bit late and you probably can’t get some of the ingredients anymore, sorry! There’s always next year. There are a lot of delicious components in this dish – Gruyere, brown butter, delicate ramps, and the very weird but very cool fiddlehead ferns.

These guys are kinda funky looking, huh? They have a short season in Spring and taste a lot like asparagus. You need to wash them well when you get them, and it can be a little tricky to tell what is dirt and what is their little gripper feet – so I recommend soaking them in a bowl of cold water then rinsing them off one at a time. Time consuming, but worth it.

Another short season, Spring item – ramps. Most commonly found in Appalachia, these little guys are a wild onion variety that have a pronounced garlic flavor. And they are just so pretty, too! (more…)

18
Jun
2013

Asparagus Custard Tart

categories: Recipes

We are coming to the end of asparagus season, but you may be able to get one more use in – and I recommend this one. An asparagus flavored custard with goat cheese and Gruyere, tucked inside a flaky puff pastry shell? Yes, please!

This Martha Stewart recipe uses the stalks and tips separately. The stalks get pureed into the custard, and the tips decorate the top of the tart.

The custard is made with asparagus, eggs, cream, and flour (I altered the recipe based on comments – adding more flour to help it set up).

The custard goes into a pre-baked shell, then the cheeses are sprinkled on top, followed by the asparagus tips.

The texture is gorgeous and the asparagus is definitely the star of the show. Yum, yum, yum – get out there and grab the last of the asparagus! (more…)

Year: 2013