The Untamed Palate

FU Grad and PR Professional. Self titled culinary adventurist, outdoor enthusiast and artistic advocate. Taking a leap forward with an Untamed Palate.

[andrewtrull]

Culinary creation of the day: pan-seared London Broil served over an arugula-radish salad tossed with red onion, bleu cheese and a pepper jelly vinaigrette. Secrets to success: a cast-iron skillet, salt and my grandmother's pepper jelly.

[andrewtrull]

Pickled Okra Relish

Rarely embraced beyond the South, pickled okra is a staple in Bloody Marys and Grandma's relish tray. My adventurous palate thought there was more that I could coax from the pickling jar.

[andrewtrull]

Salted Dark Chocolate Almond-Stuffed Dates

Often overlooked, and frequently misunderstood, dates rarely get the attention they deserve. Oft the fruit, with origins in the Middle East, is relegated to Grandma's Christmas fruit cake -- or worse compared to prunes.

[andrewtrull]

Pan-Roasted Okra, Corn and Tomatoes

Not long ago I had the opportunity to meet Charleston’s native son’s — the Lee Brothers — as they swept through town on a national book tour. Imparting their inspiration and shared experience as products of Charleston’s rich culinary history, the Lee Brothers folded history and food into a rich narrative that gave meaning to the dishes I’ve known and loved.

Rifling through the pages of The Lee Brothers Charleston Kitchen, my attention drifted from one recipe to the next as if I was surveying (and planning my plate) the spread laid forth on my Grandmother’s kitchen table. One particular dish, though, caught my eye and compelled me to give it a try.

Using the Lee Brothers’ recipe as inspiration, I coerced a surprisingly simple twist on a Southern staple from my cast iron skillet.

1 pound fresh spineless okra, halved

2 ears fresh white corn, cut from cob

1 1/2 cups whole cherry tomatoes

1 sweet onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, sliced thinly

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 lemon, juiced

Olive oil

Coarse salt and fresh-cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Slice stems off the okra and cut lengthwise. Arrange cut okra on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes.

While okra is in the oven, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add approximately one tablespoon olive oil and corn kernels. Pan roast the kernels until slightly charred, though keep in mind the kernels have a tendency to pop.

As the corn begins to char, add the chopped onion, whole cherry tomatoes and minced garlic — reducing the heat to medium. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Let cook for about 5 minutes.

Remove the okra from the oven, keeping the oven on. Add the roasted okra and thinly sliced jalapeno to the cast iron skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Place the skillet back into the 400-degree oven, cooking for another 15 minutes or until tomato skins have burst and okra has begun to char. Serve.

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[andrewtrull]

Charting your Journey

This past week has tested the resolve of our nation and its people, hitting not just at the…

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[andrewtrull]

Defending the American Ideal

As a nation, we are inextricably molded by a common – yet deeply personal – ideal. Beyond faith, politics and profession, freedom stands at the crux of our American construct. As demonstrated throughout our history, freedom is what galvanizes our…

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[andrewtrull]

Leaves Houston with plans to bring a new wood-fire restaurant concept to  Greenville within the next two years.

[andrewtrull]

Citrus-Beet Salad

Pushing aside memories of the requisite relish tray, which found a home at many a family…

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[andrewtrull]

Reinventing the veggie plate, putting a fresh twist on a Southern staple. Sliced avocado with roasted corn and sriracha. Pickled cucumbers, radish and red onion. Wilted rainbow chard with a garlic-red wine reduction.

[andrewtrull]

Spread the Word to End the Word.

Today marks a cornerstone in the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign as we take a stand against a term that has entered the vernacular of our mainstream culture. Commonplace in conversation, media, and pop-culture, the “R-word” or “retard(ed)” has become accepted despite its laden and derogatory meaning felt by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For too long, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have had to overcome challenges put forth through stereotypes – and indeed a great societal hurtle is the rhetoric instilled within our culture.

One of our most overlooked and disenfranchised minorities, people with disabilities deserve the same respect and dignity that we each expect. Let us give a voice to the voiceless and as we work to recognize the consequences of our language.

It is my hope that our community will continue to drive much needed change towards inclusion, working to end the use of the R-word.  Help Spread the Word to End the Word and in turn, create a community of acceptance for all people.

For more info on the campaign, visit www.r-word.org. 

[andrewtrull]

We start by accepting that food and shelter are basic human rights. The work we do -- the value we create -- is for the rest of what we want: the stuff that makes life fun, meaningful, and purposeful.

Douglas Rushkoff via CNN

[andrewtrull]

New York-based BrightFarms, which builds rooftop greenhouses, hopes to turn a profit while cutting shoppers' "food miles" down to zero by growing vegetables where people buy them: the supermarket.

[andrewtrull]

Bacon, meet Soup

Green Tomato and Bacon Soup

I've been on a bacon kick recently - bacon vinaigrette, praline bacon, bacon brownies - and have yet to buck the trend.  After indulging in an impulse purchase of crisp green tomatoes at the Tomato Vine, too, I couldn't resist combining the two.

Ingredients:

4 strips thick cut applewood bacon

3 firm green tomatoes diced

1/2 sweet (vidalia) onion chopped

1 garlic clove minced

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 quart chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 bay leaf

cracked black pepper to taste

cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

Place bacon in a large pot on medium heat.  Rendered fat from the bacon will serve as a base for the roux.  When bacon is crisp, remove from the pot and place to the side (will be crumbled into the soup before serving).

Turn the burner down to medium low, stirring flour into the bacon grease. Stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pot until the roux becomes a thick rich golden brown color (approximately 3-4 minutes).

Incorporate diced green tomatoes, chopped onion, and garlic into the roux. Return the burner to a medium heat as the roux coats the vegetables.  Stir occasionally until the onions become translucent.

Pour chicken stock over the vegetable roux mixture, adding seasonings.  Stir occasionally until ingredients begin to simmer.

Stir in cream, allowing soup to simmer for approximately 20 minutes on medium low heat.

Prior to serving, crumble bacon strips and stir into soup. The bacon will become chewy if it is added too early.  

Taste, adding any additional seasoning and serve.

Serving Notes: Makes enough to serve a party of 4-6.  Garnish with either goat cheese crumbles or a small scoop of pimento cheese.

[andrewtrull]

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.

Douglas Adams