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Tender Greens Whole Animal Program, Whole Lamb

This post is a part of our series spotlighting Tender Greens’ Whole Animal Program. To learn about Tender Greens Whole Animal Program, read the introductory blog post here.

Tender Greens chefs have compiled several recipes using parts of a whole lamb. Below are two recipes from our Irvine location's Chef Craig Mattox using lamb fore and hind legs. Check back for more lamb recipes from chefs at our other locations.

Recipe: Roasted Leg of Lamb, Sugar Snap Peas, Soft Polenta, Kale, Mint Vinaigrette

Cut of Meat: Hind Legs

Chef: Craig Mattox

Lamb Ingredients:

2 legs of lamb, deboned and scored

1 cup sliced garlic

1 cup sliced shallots

1/3 cup Thyme, picked and chopped

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Heavily season the lamb, then add the garlic, shallots and thyme.

Roll it up and tie it.

Roast at 350 convection to internal temp of 115. Rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

Mint Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1 cup of mint leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup golden balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic

1 shallot

1.5 cups olive oil

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon dijon

Polenta Ingredients:

1/2 gallon milk

1/2 gallon water

salt, pepper, chile flake

1 quart polenta

1/2 pound butter

1 cup parmesan

Snap peas were just blanched, tossed in crouton oil, then picked up on the plancha.

Recipe: Lamb Tagine

Cut of Meat: Lamb fore legs

Chef: Craig Mattox

Ingredients:

2 Lamb fore legs

All the rest of the bones from the carcass

2 cups harissa

1 cup crouton oil

1 pound (or 4 sticks) butter

6 sliced onions

1 bug pinch of saffron

1 cup chopped garlic

½ cup chopped ginger

2 cinnamon sticks

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted

3 tablespoons ground ginger

2 cups golden raisins

1 gallon chicken stock

1 gallon tomato puree

1 cup sliced almonds

Chopped cilantro and scallions

Directions:

Marinate the lamb and the bones in the harissa and the crouton oil. Refrigerate overnight.

Lightly roast bones and legs, then place in braising pan.

Sautee onions, garlic and ginger.

Add dry spices, cook until aroma of saffron is strong.

Add chicken stock and Tomato puree.

Add golden Raisins.

Pour over lamb, cover in foil, braise for 2 hours at 275 degrees.

Uncover, and braise an additional 1 hour.

Remove bones and legs, shred meat.

Skim fat off the braising liquid, then reduce to sauce consistency, season.

Return shredded lamb to sauce. Serve over polenta with toasted almonds, cilantro and scallion garnish.

#lamb #whole animal #animal roast #tender greens #irvine #roasted lamb #roasted lamb leg #polenta #craig mattox #california #virtual cookbook

Blood Orange Crème Brulee

By Nicole Torres at Tender Greens Pasadena

At our Pasadena location, I have decided to do a Blood Orange Crème Brulee. Our pastry team was inspired to do this dessert because we are known for our bistro-style menu and our use of local farmers’ markets. We keep our desserts local and fresh by using fruits that are in season to give our guests a great dessert experience.

Blood Orange Crème Brulee

Yield: 6-8 fluted ramekins; 4-6” diameter

Ingredients for the Crème Brulee Batter:

½ cup granulated sugar

7 egg yolks

4 cups of heavy cream

1 cup of blood orange juice

Directions:

Combine the sugar, heavy cream and blood orange juice in a saucepan.

Heat over low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved and the mixture bubbles slightly around the edges.

Beat the egg yolks in a bowl.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat and slowly temper in the egg yolks.

When the mixture is combined, strain through a chinois or strainer.

Pour the batter into a pitcher to make pouring easier.

Place the ramekins in a large roasting pan and pour the crème brulee batter into each ramekin; filling them about ¾ full.

Fill the pan with the hot water about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the crème brulee dishes.

Be careful not to fill with water to high, otherwise water may spill into the brulees.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, making sure to seal it around the edges of the pan so air cannot get in.

Bake the crème brulees at 300 degrees for about 40-60 minutes; or until the crème brulees are just set with a firm giggle.

Cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

Ingredients for the Candied Blood Orange:

1 blood orange

2 ¼ cup of granulated sugar

1 cup of water

Directions:

Thinly slice the blood oranges with a knife or on a mandoline and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water.

Heat over low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved, and the mixture bubbles slightly around the edges.

Add blood oranges and let them simmer gently for about 15 minutes.

When ready, place blood oranges onto a wire rack to dry out at room temperature; 2-3 hours.

To Assemble the Creme Brulees:

Sprinkle the crème brulees wth 1 tablespoon of raw sugar onto each one.

Shake the crème brulee to disperse all of the sugar over the surface.

Lightly torch the sugar with a culinary torch until dark golden brown.

Let cool; 2 minutes.

Top each crème brulee with a candied blood orange slice before serving.

If the crème brulees are being served for the next day, save these assembly steps until just before serving.

#tender greens #dessert #creme brulee #recipe #sweets #blood orange #orange #farmers market #pasadena #cali #california #kitchen #cooking #chef #pastry

Tender Greens Whole Animal Program: Whole Pig, Part 2

This post is a part of our series spotlighting Tender Greens’ Whole Animal Program. To learn about Tender Greens Whole Animal Program, read the introductory blog post here.

The Chefs at Tender Greens Point Loma in San Diego have compiled an assortment of recipes using a whole pig from ReRide Ranch. See the second recipe below using pig's head. The first recipe used pork shoulder and can be found here.

Recipe: ReRide Ranch Pork Headcheese Terrine

Cut of Meat: Pig's Head

Chef: Andrew

Pig’s Head Ingredients:

2 ¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup garlic

1 ¾ teaspoon peppercorns

3 sprigs thyme

¼ cup marjoram

2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/3 teaspoon pink salt

Directions:

First prepare the head for cooking, Rinse well. Scrub the skin until perfectly clean, singe off any hairs, and wash the ears out well.

Put the head in a deep pot with the first set of ingredients, cover well with water and bring to a simmer.

Cook at a fast simmer until the meat can easily be slipped off the bone, but is not overcooked and limp - about 2.5 hours.

Broth Ingredients:

½ cup champagne vinegar

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 cup beer (preferably something lighter without the presence of strong hop character)

¼ cup garlic

3 bay leaves

½ tablespoon clove

¾ tablespoon peppercorns

4 sprigs thyme

¼ cup marjoram

2 cups reduced stock

1 ½ tablespoon Chipotle spice

Salt to taste

Directions:

Remove the head, reserve the stock. Strain the broth back into the saucepan and reduce over medium heat to about 2 cups. Set aside.

When the head is cool enough to handle, carefully remove all the bones, making sure that no little splinters remain. Discard about two thirds of the pure fat, but leave the ear cartilage and the skin in with the rest of the meat.

Cut into roughly 1/2 inch squares. There should be about 7 cups of meat.

Put the meat and the rest of the seasoning ingredients into a pot with the 2 cups of reduced stock.

Heat over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat and taste. Adjust seasoning as necessary. (Remember that cold foods need to be highly seasoned.)

Transfer to terrine mold, put a weight on top and store in refrigerator overnight.

Finished product should have a clear aspic gel transparency, showing off the "profile" of the chopped meat.

Slice and serve on charcuterie plate, in a sandwich or smeared on toast with a light frisee salad.

#tender greens #whole animal #sustainable #california #san diego #chefs #pig #pig's head #headcheese #Head-to-Tail #snout-to-tail #pork #recipe #fresh #point loma #foodie

Orange Shortbread Bar

Yield: ¼ sheet pan or 8”x8” pan

By: Tara Johnson - Tender Greens Irvine

This week, I wanted to highlight some of our amazing citrus that we have been getting from VR Green Farms out of San Clemente, CA. I used some of our minneola tangelos and have created a light and refreshing orange shortbread bar. If you can’t find minneola tangelos, any other orange variety may be substituted.

Ingredients for Crust:

3 sticks of butter

¾ cup granulated sugar

Zest of 3 minneola tangelos

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups of all-purpose flour

Directions:

Cream the butter, sugar and zest together in the mixer with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

Add the salt to the flour and mix into the butter mixture in 3 additions.

Mix until combined.

Prepare a ¼ sheet pan or 8”x 8” pan with pan spray and press the shortbread dough into the pan in an even layer.

Bake at 325 degrees until the crust is golden brown around the edges; about 15-18 minutes.

Set aside and cool completely.

Ingredients for Orange Layer:

2 cups minneola tangelo segments

6 egg yolks

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ cup orange juice

Zest of 2 oranges

Directions:

Put the tangelo segments in a blender or food processor with the orange juice and sugar.

Blend until the pieces are broken up into a pulp.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and zest together.

Add the orange mixture to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until combined.

Strain through a strainer and pour the filling over the cooled crust.

Very carefully, place the pan in the oven and bake at 325 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is set and the center does not wiggle.

Cool the bar to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm.

Leave the bar in the cooler overnight for best results.

To serve, cut into squares or any desired shape and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

Chill any extra portions.

#tender greens #irvine #dessert #recipe #sweet #orange #sugar #shortbread #shortbread bar #virtual cookbook #bake

Tender Greens Whole Animal Program: Whole Pig, Part 1

This post is a part of our series spotlighting Tender Greens’ Whole Animal Program. To learn about Tender Greens Whole Animal Program, read the introductory blog post here.

The Chefs at Tender Greens Point Loma in San Diego have compiled an assortment of recipes using a whole pig from ReRide Ranch. See the first recipe below using pork shoulder, and check back later for recipes using pig's head and pork belly.

Recipe: Roman Style Pork Shoulder

Cut of Meat: Pig Shoulder

Chef: Bradley

Yield: 6 portions

Ingredients:

3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 8 ounce portions

Spice Mixture:

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon clove

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 tablespoon sugar in the raw

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Braising Jus:

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup white wine

Directions:

Toss pork pieces with spice mixture and allow to marinate for 10 minutes.

Grill over medium heat, turning ad needed until nicely browned.

Transfer into an appropriate sized roasting pan with the braising liquid.

Cook at 350 for about 2 hours or until starting to fall apart.

Pour the braising jus into a pot and reduce by 1/2 or until slightly thickened.

Ingredients for Risotto:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic

3 sprigs thyme

2 cup arborio rice

1 cup white wine

6 cups chicken stock

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 ounce (or ¼ stick) butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a wide shallow pot. Add the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until translucent.

Add the rice and continue to stir for another four minutes or until slightly toasted.

Deglaze with the white wine and stir until liquid is almost gone.

Add the stock 1 cup at a time, constantly stirring with the heat on low.

When the rice is properly cooked and all stock is added, remove from heat and finish with Parmesan and butter.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Ingredients for Grilled Asparagus:

2 bunches asparagus, pencil or standard sized

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Toss asparagus spears with oil, salt and pepper.

Grill over direct heat until slightly charred and just tender.

Ingredients for Salad:

1 pound local petite spring greens – mizuna, pea tendrils, arugula, etc.

½ cup spring onions, thinly shaved

Lemon juice and olive oil to taste

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Start by spooning 1 cup of risotto on to each plate.

Then top with a portion of the braised pork.

Next arrange the salad onto the plate.

Finish the plate with grilled asparagus spears.

#tender greens #whole animal #reride ranch #sustainable #pig #whole pig #asparagus #risotto #salad #organic #pork #pork shoulder

Beer Review: Hof ten Dormaal Dark

By: The Dude

You know how sometimes life unsuspectingly throws you a little nugget of something that makes you just pause, breathe and enjoy the moment? Hof ten Dormaal Dark was my latest of these fun little events. I had seen this bottle around but never bought one. Then, one day I was in Valley Bev and he called to me. This time I didn’t ignore him. I brought him straight from the beer store into my beer fridge, where I had all kinds of new friends for DD (Dormaal Dark), to hang out with... for a short while anyway. In other words, DD was not going to be setting up camp in the fridge. Once I made the decision to take it home, the follow up decision to drink it was made much faster. As I sipped, I became so entranced in its entire essence that I had to find out more about the brewery, right then and there. Go figure, a family run brewery on a family run farm that grows their own barley and hops. AND, they run the majority of the brewery’s energy from rapeseed oil that they grow and process themselves! All the spent barley and rapeseed cake then gets fed back to the farm animals. Talk about the circle of life and beer!

Aroma - 4 - Dark yeasty bread dough, earth, light smoke, and dried dark fruits attack your sense of smell so powerfully that they take over your thoughts. This dark, murky beauty dropped me right on to the farm. Considering that I am drinking it in L.A., and it caused me to go on such a transcendental journey, I can only imagine how good this would be on the farm itself. Hmmm… a new roadtrip ahead?

Body - 4.5 - As already stated, it is very dark and murky. Pours with a beautiful two fingered tannish head that finishes with a luxurious, creamy one finger cloud of heaven on top. Nice streaky lacing down the glass. Smooth and decadent, but also deep and layered.

Taste - 4.5 - Mmmmmmm. This is a beer that makes the world go around. Tastes of dark oven hearth bread, dried dark fruit with hints of smoke and leather, some nice yeasty background notes and the slightest hop ethers really make this a well-rounded, all-encompassing beer. Not one note overrides another, and balance in a beer this murky is hard to pull off.

Finish - 4 - Smooth and creamy. It comes out of the bottle a little strong with alcohol heat, but it is only 7.5%. After about 10 minutes of breathing, the alcohol heat dissipates, and everything comes to life. Currants and toasted barley come through mid-palate, followed by a hint of earth and just a little hop note, very little, in a good way.

Overall - 4.5 - A truly excellent beer discovery. This is the kind of random beer that would make anyone a beer geek - not just because it tastes good, but because of its whole being. From family farm, to family brewery, to running the brewery on farm-grown rapeseed oil, all the way back to feeding it to the animals. A complete full circle of life, passion and self-sustainability, all in a little bottle of delicious beer. As life should be.

#the dude #beer review #tender greens #craft beer #LA #Hof ten Dormaal Dark #dark beer #craft brewing

Meyer Lemon Almond Cake with Creme Fraiche Icing

By: Haidee Contreras - Tender Greens Santa Monica

Meyer Lemons are in season right now, and they are a great substitute for regular lemons because of the balance between sweet and sour flavors. The cake is really light and not too sweet. The almond flour gives it a unique texture, the creme fraiche icing adds a little bit of sweetness and the zest on top will be a little pop of freshness. Our Meyer lemons come from Polito farms.

Meyer Lemon Almond Cakes

Yield: 12 square molds 4”x4”

Ingredients:

4 ½ sticks of butter

2 ¼ cups granulated sugar

4 Meyer lemons; zested

¼ cup Meyer lemon juice

8 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups almond flour; blanched or unblanched

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes.

2. Add eggs, zest and juice; scrape down bowl.

3. Mix together the dry ingredients and slowly add to the mixture until combined.

4. Line the molds with foil and spray them with pan spray.

5. Portion the batter among 12 molds.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the middle comes out clean when tested with a knife or toothpick.

7. Cool the cakes completely before adding the icing, and garnish them with lemon zest.

Creme Fraiche Icing

Ingredients:

4 ½ cups powdered sugar

4-6 tablespoons creme fraiche; or as needed

Directions:

1. Whisk the powdered sugar and creme fraiche together until the desired icing consistency is achieved.

2. Pour about 1 heaping tablespoon over the top of each cooled cake.

3. Let the icing run down the sides of the cake or spread on as desired.

4. Zest 2 Meyer lemons and sprinkle over the icing.

5. Serve immediately.

#tender greens #dessert #recipe #virtual cookbook #meyer lemon #lemon #sweets #cake #icing #natural #pastry

Tender Greens Whole Animal Program: Whole Quail

This is the first recipe in our blog series spotlighting Tender Greens' Whole Animal Program. To learn about Tender Greens Whole Animal Program, read the previous blog post here.

"Grilled Quail Under a Brick"

Chef: Chef Marcus and Chef Bradley from Tender Greens Point Loma

Animal: Quail

Cut of Meat: Whole Quail

Romesco sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup crotons

1/2 cup roasted red peppers

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Procedure:

Combine in blender

White beans:

Ingredients:

1 cup white beans soaked overnight

3 cups chicken stock

1 onion cut in 1/2

Procedure:

Combine in pot.

Bring to a boil and simmer until tender.

Remove the onion and drain the beans.

Season to taste with kosher salt.

Pepperonata

Ingredients:

1 cup thin slice onions

1 cup thin slice red peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon chopped oregano

Procedure:

Sauté the onions and peppers in the olive oil over medium high heat until golden brown and very aromatic.

Deglaze with the sugar and vinegar.

Add oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Quail:

Ingredients:

8 semi boneless quail. Remove backbone section and butterfly

2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons butter

1 bunch wild arugula

1 bunch lambs quarters (wild greens)

2 radishes, shaved

1 teaspoon champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Pepperonata from above

White beans from above

Romesco sauce from above

Procedure:

Chop the quail bones and wing tips.

Sauté over high heat in a small amount of olive oil until thoroughly browned.

Add the chicken stock and reduce by 2/3. Stir in the butter and strain through a chinois. Reserve the quail jus for plating.

Lightly oil the quails and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 minutes on each side over very high heat.

Combine the white beans and pepperonata. Arrange as a base on the plate.

Toss the shaved radishes, arugula, and lambs quarters with the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Spread 1 tablespoon of romesco sauce on the plate and place 2 quails on top.

Playfully arrange the greens and radishes onto the plate around the quail and white beans.

Drizzle with quail jus and serve.

#whole animal #tender greens #point loma #san diego #quail #recipe #cooking #grilling #whole quail #salad #chef bradley austin

Beer Review: Logsdon Kili Wit

By: The Dude

My love of Logsdon is well-documented. My love for their Kili Wit, for the moment, has not been documented, though, as the times they are a changin’. Logsdon is quickly becoming a cult favorite, and a testament to that is how hard it is to get some of their limited releases. I’m not just talking about getting them down here in California; I’m talking about how hard they are to get even in the Northwest. When I know they have a new or limited release, I dispatch some of my NW beer geek friends to score me some. Sometimes they are successful and sometimes, not so much. That doesn’t mean I don’t have my own secret ways of scoring such limited releases like Peche ‘n Brett, Oak Aged Seizon Bretta, Far West Vlaming, and the Cerasus. All of these will be reviewed in due time after proper aging. However, the Kili Wit is a drink now kind of beer. As such, it has been drunk (more than once) and is now ready for The Dude’s take.

Aroma - 3.5 - Soft citrus and light notes of hay get you geared up for a traditional style Wit. However, that is where the similarities end. There is a little funkiness floating around in there that isn’t usually found in Wit style beers. The funk brings on essences of wet dog, dank grass and wet, leafy soil. There is some brett in that there beer...

Body - 3.5 - Pours a hazy white-ish yellow color. There is mild carbonation that pours a two finger head and dissipates into a thin layer that clings to the side of the glass. Nice carbonation that blends well with the beer as a whole. This allows for the flavor to come with mild intensity. There is a very nice effervescence on the tongue with real soft bubbles that dance very delicately around the mouth.

Taste - 4 - I really like the flavor on this little, hazy beauty. Logsdon really knows how to tweak a beer just enough to enhance the flavor but still maintain the integrity of the style. The Kili is true to this. Sure, your base Wit flavors are there - hay, clover, hint of light citrus, etc. – but, the additional layering of brett and other ingredients definitely put a modern spin on this beer. Logsdon promotes that it has an African spice, but I have yet to find out what it is despite my best efforts to this point. Whatever that spice is, it sure does bring together all of its parts to achieve a greater sum.

Finish - 4 – Crisp, clean and very lean. A light, easy finish of citrus, honeysuckle, floral tones and a smidge of barnyard funk. Sing the following line - “We got the funk, that yummy barnyard funk”... There’s not much lingering, and it finishes very refreshingly. This is a perfect summer day beer. Fire up the grill and cook up a nice piece of fish and some asparagus and pop a bottle of Kili Wit. A perfect way to wind down a summer day.

Overall - 3.75 - Not the most impactful beer but not every beer needs to be. The Kili is subtle, clean and well balanced. Add that to the fact that proceeds from the purchase of this go to “K2 Adventures Foundation that provides community service, medical and educational enrichment for African Children” (per Logsdon’s website) and you have a winner of a beer. Seeing as summer time is fast approaching, I might suggest getting a few of these and have them ready to go.

#logsdon #beer review #the dude #craft beer #tender greens #beer #kili wit #organic #brew

Beer Review: Mikkeller Invasion Farmhouse Ale IPA

By: The Dude

Mikkeller is an odd bird without his own brewery. He is a traveling brewer who goes to other breweries and brews unusual concoctions - a lot of them. He has been known to brew over 100 different beers in a year while traveling. This one was done at Anchorage Brewing and the essence of Anchorage shows itself right in the heart of this beer. Some follow Mikkeller and his brews with reckless abandon. For me, he is hit or miss, but I will try most of his beers if I can get them at a reasonable price (which is almost never the case). If you are at a good beer bar and they have some Mikkeller on tap, sample judiciously. He uses some really weird ingredients and sometimes they work, other times they don’t. What they never are, however, is boring. For this review we will stick with something that is a little bit middle of the road for Mikkeller, the Invasion Farmhouse Ale IPA.

Aroma - 3.5 - Don’t get in there too quick or you might get knocked on your tuckus. The opening nose is very close to smelling a farmer’s boot. Hay, earth, manure, foot stink, wet funkiness, basically any proper description of what a brett soured beer should smell like. I know it sounds a little nasty but a beer that uses brett should have a nasty sour smell to it. Think of it like a super stinky cheese: the stinkier, the better (for me at least).

Body - 3.5 - Beautiful golden copper color with a big-bubbled one finger head that hangs around nicely. Nice and full on the palate, but not overbearing. A definite mid-level viscosity allows it to be sipped at a nice rate of speed - not too slow, but certainly not a chugger.

Taste - 4 - This is a sneaky brew as it likes to find nooks and crannies and jam flavor in every one of them. There is no searching for the taste of this beer as sour notes of tart citrus and clover are everywhere. Nice caramel malts really provide a much-needed balance to the sourness. Grapefruit, tangelo and tropical fruit flavors blend ever-so-perfectly with the abundance of floral hops that join together to produce flavor levels that just grow with each sip.

Finish - 4 - There is a lot going on here... a lot... The almost overwhelming notes of tropical fruit and sourness somehow bind together with just the right amount of hops to really tie the whole thing together (just like that rug in the Big Lebowski). The finish is long and plentiful and far from one note. It bounces back and forth across your palate. Layers upon layers, upon layers, upon layers...

Overall - 3.75 - This beer was a hit for me, as it was surprisingly really well balanced for a Mikkeller. This is a serious beer that requires some time to really get into it and enjoy its whole being. I recommend having the whole bottle yourself, because it will take at least that long to start to groove with it. Then, when you are done, you’re ready for another. That one I recommend you share.

#beer #beer review #the dude #tender greens #IPA #Mikkeller #brew #craft beer #alcohol #drinks

Tender Greens Whole Animal Program

This is the beginning of a blog series focusing on Tender Greens' commitment to the "farm-to-fork" philosophy and supporting local farmers, artisans and purveyors.

Tender Greens sources Pigs from Re-Ride Ranch

Tender Greens Whole Animal Program

By Erik Oberholtzer, Owner

From the very beginning, we built the Tender Greens menu around a farm. It all started with Scarborough Farms in Oxnard with Ann and Jeff Stein agreeing to grow the best possible lettuces and herbs in Southern California and deliver them each day to the restaurant. Through the years, we have cultivated relationships with many small farms, ranches and artisans who provide us with the very best California has to offer. As we have grown, we have found a need to work in partnership with small emerging farmers to support their efforts and advance our commitment to keeping things local, natural and interesting. This year we are taking it to the next level to advance the spirit of “farm-to-fork” and “nose-to-tail” cooking.

Like many things, working with small family farms with limited resources presents some hurdles. They all work out of passion rather than profit. All take special care with their animals to ensure life is good with the exception of one bad day. Unlike the big commercial ranchers, our local guys raise the animals in hopes that someone will take it when it is ready. If the animal does not find a home the farm begins to lose money quickly. We see an opportunity to help small farms grow with the confidence their animals will be sold. This partnership is a win-win-win-win. The farmers sell their product without the usual drama of uncertain markets. Our chefs get to work with whole animals and challenge their skills and creativity to use everything. Our customers can enjoy luxurious local products prepared with passion and skill at a price they can afford. Tender Greens continues to lead the democratization of good, local, organic food.

The upcoming months consist of an exciting lineup of farms for our chefs to build exciting menus. Jimenez Farms will bring us rabbits, quail, lamb and goat. Lefty at Re-Ride Ranch supplies us with pigs raised on organic almonds. Fallon Ranch in Marin County grows grass fed cattle and lambs. Each week we will share recipes and photos from our chefs as they compete to outdo one another in preparing the best variations of the star ingredient. We will also share comments and insights from our farmers for their take on food and farming. We hope you enjoy this journey with us.

#tender greens #farm to fork #farm #green #whole animal #recipe #scarborough farms #farmers market #food #dishes #california #salad #pigs #animals #restaurants #organic

Grapefruit-Cara Cara Orange Trifle

By: Samantha Esquer from Tender Greens Hollywood

This dessert is an easy way to impress with an elegant look and simple ingredients. My inspiration for this dessert came from the tart and sweet flavor of the grapefruit. This trifle features fruit from Marquez Family Farm, JJ’s Lone Daughter Ranch and Arnett Farms.

Grapefruit-Cara Cara Orange Trifle

Yield: 8 Rock Glasses

Grapefruit Cookie Crumble Ingredients:

4 ounces (or 1 stick) butter, softened

2.5 ounces granulated sugar

½ egg yolk

1 teaspoon fresh grapefruit juice

1 cup all-purpose flour

⅛ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar and zest together until fluffy.

Add yolk and mixed until combined.

Add the flour, grapefruit juice and salt.

Mix until combined.

Press the dough into a sprayed 8”x8” square pan and chill for 15-20 minutes; or until firm.

When firm, bake in a 325 degree oven for 12-15 minutes; or until golden brown around the edges.

Cool.

Grapefruit-Cara Cara Curd Ingredients:

3 eggs

3 yolks

½ cup fresh grapefruit juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 cara cara orange

⅛ teaspoon salt

3 ounces butter; cold

Directions:

Over a double-boiler, combine the eggs, yolks, grapefruit juice, lemon juice and orange juice.

Cook over medium, stirring constantly until thickened; about 15-18 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt and butter until smooth.

Chill for at least 3 hours.

Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small tip.

Mascarpone Cream Ingredients:

1 pound mascarpone

4.5 ounces sugar

½ cup heavy cream

1 vanilla bean; scraped

Directions:

Combined all ingredients and whisk until fluffy and smooth.

Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.

To assemble the trifle:

Crumble the grapefruit shortbread into medium-sized pieces.

Place a layer of the shortbread crumbs in the bottom of each glass.

Pipe a layer of the curd on top of the crumbs.

Pipe a layer of the mascarpone cream on top of the curd layer.

Repeat with another layer of crumbs, curd and cream.

Top off each trifle with a few pieces of diced cara cara orange and grapefruit segments.

Add a few crumbs on top to garnish.

Serve immediately or chill until serving.

*If you don’t have piping bags, the components may be spooned into the glasses.

#dessert #grapefruit #tender greens #cara cara orange #citrus #sweets #southern california #LA #los angeles #hollywood #trifle #farm #sugar

Beer Review: Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

By: The Dude

May I present Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale, from Boulevard Brewing Smokestack Series. Boulevard Brewing is out of Kansas City and has become a little more readily available in SoCal over the past year. This makes beer geeks a pretty happy bunch. I know what you’re thinking, a craft beer from Kansas City? That was my immediate response when I first starting hearing about them. But, as stated in the great little movie Ratatouille, “Not everyone can be a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.” Exactly. In my opinion, beer brewing and cooking are more craft than art but the statement rings true nonetheless.

Aroma - 4 - Earthy, citrusy funk. Notes of hay, clover and freshly plowed field all combine in a way to make you really feel as if you’re sitting on the deck of a farmhouse somewhere in France. Perhaps with a plate of stinky cheese and a fresh baguette. Man, that sounds good doesn’t it? Not to be outdone, the perfect amount of hops creates the final note of balance.

Body - 3.5 - Hazy orange, golden ale with really nice carbonation that pours with about a two finger head and leaves a nice lacing down the glass. If there is one flaw with the consistency of the beer, it’s in this area. Sometimes it’s very cloudy and “chunky” with particles. It doesn’t affect the taste much, but it’s just something I noticed.

Taste - 4 - Effervescent and very rustic with notes of dried grass, Meyer lemon, pineapple and musty melon tied together with a mild malt character. The fruity yeast notes become more prominent as it sits and opens up. For being a KC Brewery, they sure have the essence of a Farmhouse Saison down. While I get there are plenty of farms in that part of the country, this is a true European-style farmhouse ale.

Finish - 3.5 - Crisp with a subtle lemon cleansing of the palette. Just enough hops keeps every nuanced flavor balanced to finish with just a hint of dryness. Not a lingering finish, but it dances around for a few seconds before disappearing, causing you to make yet another upward arm movement to fulfill your yearning taste buds.

Overall - 3.75 - Once Tank 7 opens up and is running on a “full tank”, presenting everything that it is capable of, you will see the what the beer geeks are starting to realize; that Boulevard Brewing has their proverbial cow patty together.

#beer review #tender greens #the dude #beer geek #craft beer #brewery #kansas city #tank 7 farmhouse ale #ale #beer #alcohol

Beer Review: My Bloody Valentine Ale

By: The Dude

Looking for that “special” Valentine’s Day beer for next year? If you are, Alesmith has you covered with a brooding 22 oz. Imperial Red Ale, lovingly called “My Bloody Valentine.” While it may not be the best beer to break out on V-day if your other half isn’t a beer geek, it is still worth drinking at some point. Adding in the fact that the ABV of this red beauty is 6.66%, it lends itself to the darker moments of Saint Valentine when he was beheaded by Claudius the Cruel. Claudius banned marriage throughout Rome, but Valentine continued conducting wedding ceremonies in secret as he detested this notion. Claudius was not too fond of Valentine’s disobedience, hence the beheading. But enough with the history lesson, let’s talk BEER!

Aroma - 3.5 - Sweet and seductive caramel malts hit you dead on the nose. This deep mahogany red ale is no one-trick-pony due to a fair amount of American hops that counterbalance the malt aromas. A really nice balance was achieved with the ratio of malt to hop ethers.

Body - 4 - It is such a deeply hued dark, dark mahogany red that it almost borders on being black. Really nice viscosity falling perfectly in the middle of an average amber and a stout. This balancing act creates very nice mouthfeel and swirlization in your glass. MBV poured with a large bubbled one finger head that slowly turned into a thin, creamy tannish layer.

Taste - 3.5 - Honestly, red ales are not my favorite as I tend to find them a little too sweet for my taste. However, there is an exception to every rule. MBV is definitely an exception. Firm malt character is backed by a generous helping of aromatic and bittering hops that really balance the beer out. Notes of blood orange peel, acai berry, cocoa nibs and a split second of rose petals get swept into a loving embrace with piney hop flavors.

Finish - 3.5 - This is the interesting part. It does a lot of back and forth between malty, sweet and hoppy. For all the other balance in the beer, I find this a little odd, but hey, it keeps the taste buds active. Reasonably dry and nice hops on the back of the palate. The finish lingers nicely, not too short or too long.

Overall - 3.5 - A nice little beer from Alesmith. If your other half is a beer geek also, this is a fun beer to drink on V-Day. Easily drinkable, properly themed, dark red and a devilish amount of alcohol. Ha, as I typed the last sentence the image of Elizabeth Hurley as the devil in the final scene of Bedazzled, entered my mind. I would have no problem finding that devil in a bottle...

#the dude #tender greens #beer review #beer #ale #my bloody valentine #valentine's day #craft beer #alesmith #imerial red ale #st. valentine #v-day #beer geek

Blood Orange Meringue Bars

Pastry Lead Jaime, who works at our Culver City location, has shared his recipe for Blood Orange Meringue Bars. He chose this recipe because blood oranges are in season right now. We love their crimson color and sweet flavor. Jaime says that the white meringue reminds him of the winter season, and this dessert’s striking appearance makes it an appealing choice for our guests.

Blood Orange Meringue Bars

Yield: 1/4 sheet tray or 9”x13”pan

Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

½ cup sugar

6 ounces (or 1 ½ sticks) butter; melted

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until combined.

Press the crust into a sprayed ¼ sheet pan or 9”x13” pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 6-8 minutes; or until light golden brown.

Cool and set aside.

Filling:

4 Egg yolks

2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

1 cup blood orange juice

2 teaspoon blood orange zest

Directions:

Whisk the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk together in a bowl.

Whisk in the blood orange juice and zest; stir until smooth.

Strain the filling to remove the zest.

Pour the filling over the baked and cooled graham cracker crust.

Bake @ 325 degrees until the filling is just set; about 12-15 minutes.

Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm.

Meringue:

3 egg whites; room temperature

3 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

Directions:

In mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until very frothy.

With the mixer still on high speed, slowly add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of it has been added to the egg whites.

Whip until stiff, shiny peaks form; about 2 minutes.

Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix briefly.

Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round or star tip.

To Assemble the Bars:

Pipe rows or shells or any desired design on top of the chilled bars; completely covering the filling layer.

Using a culinary torch, torch the top of the meringue until golden brown.

Use a hot knife when cutting the bars so the meringue holds its shape.

Cut into any desired amount.

Serve immediately and chill any leftovers.

#virtual cookbook #tender greens #dessert #blood orange #meringue #sweets #sweet tooth #sugar #graham cracker #recipe #Culver City #LA #Los Angeles

Beer Review: Deschutes Collage

By: The Dude

Deschutes is one of my favorite “larger” craft breweries. They are the brewers of such great beers as Mirror Pond Pale, Twilight Summer, Obsidian Stout and The Abyss. Hair of the Dog is a smaller brewer out Portland that brew such beers as Ruth, Greg, Little Dog and Blue Dot. Deschutes collaborated with Hair of the Dog to produce the omnipotent essence that is Collage #1. It’s something else, and at $12 for a 12oz bottle, it better be! It is a blend of Deschutes Dissident and Stoic beers and Hair of the Dog’s Fred and Adam beers. The blend then gets aged in seven different barrels which include Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, American Oak and Oregon Oak barrels. Four beers + seven barrels = Ambrosia. But what degree of Ambrosia? Let’s find out...

Aroma - 4.5 - As you would expect, this was a bombshell right out of the bottle. It takes a few minutes to even begin to able to start to decipher its code. After the chill has come off a bit, and it has some time gather itself together, you will start to understand its depth. Dank, formidable aromas of dark and smoky dried fruits, woven with musty wood and backed up with ethers of all the various alcohols. I know this sounds like a lot, and usually I find beers like this too much, but jiminy crickets, this aroma is beautiful. It’s full of rage and elegance at the same time. Amazing.

Body - 4 - “Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed, A poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed, Then one day he was shootin’ at some food, And up through the ground came a bubblin’ crude.” Bubbling crude is the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of the body of this beer. Which then is followed up by the above theme song to “The Beverly Hillbillies.” My mind works in mysterious ways, don’t question, just follow along... Thick, chewy and hardy make this basically a “beal”, that is, a beer-meal. I just made that up, copyrighted!

Taste - 4.5 - As you would assume, there is a lot going on for your taste buds to handle: musty and smoky, rich and smooth, earthy and fruity, bold and timid. Licorice, coffee and dried currants wrap around nuances of Tahitian vanilla bean and grilled meats that follow through with toasty oak. There is a lot in this beer and I could describe nuanced flavors all day long, but it’s best to find the hidden treasures yourself. That is part of the joy of being a beer geek.

Finish - 4 - Smooth and plentiful. The essence of the cognac and bourbon really shine through. This represents a warming finish. I would imagine, as I am not a liquor drinker, that cognac, bourbon, and sherry wouldn’t normally go well together. That is a falsehood in reference to this beer.

Overall - 4.5 - Formidable-Bold-Noble-Elegant-Nuanced-Smooth = Ambrosia. Bestowed upon the highest order of the gods.

*Purchased at K&L wine many months ago and cannot find another bottle in LA. Search hard my friends. I have, but to no avail.

#beer #craft beer #tender greens #the dude #collage #deschutes #portland #hair of the dog #Beer Review #american beer

Brewing School

By: The Dude

Back to school! No, I am not talking about the movie with the all-time great comedian Rodney Dangerfield. What I am referring to is my recent excursion to UC Davis where I took the week-long course, “Intro to Practical Brewing”. Except for a one year stint as a Culinary Instructor years ago, it has been a long time since I had been to any school, let alone as a student. There were many personal questions to be answered: Could I sit all day in a classroom? Would I comprehend all the biochemistry? Will I remember everything when it is all said and done? How will I measure up with the others taking the class as far as brewing experience?

Let me give you a little background before moving forward. I started homebrewing about three years ago as a fun hobby to do in my spare time. The hobby quickly turned into a passion. What I realized was how similar it was to cooking, something I am pretty decent at. So, step by step, I learned more aspects of brewing at home, to a point where I really wanted to take it to the next level. I needed to learn the kind of information that I had to be taught and not something that I could learn on my own. That is where UC Davis comes in handy. They offer a week-long class to give students a base understanding of the brewing world and the chemistry behind beer. The class is taught by Professor Charles Bamforth, a master in the field of brewing and all that is beer, especially lagers.

Day one, and we were off to an auspicious start. First, I woke up with the dreaded sinus cold before heading up there. I was a bit hazy trying to figure out the campus and dreading being late for school. I made it and, like a good student, sat down and got all my little pens and highlighters and notebook ready to go. Professor Charles Bamforth is his name and beer is his game. Man alive, does this whimsical Englishman know a lot about beer! The action was fast and furious, starting promptly at 9 a.m. I can sum up the first day of class with three words: biochemistry, biochemistry, biochemistry. Three straight hours of biochemistry had me yearning for lunch break. Fortunately, it was the only sunny day of the week and I took my break on the backside of the building sitting in the warm sun and looking over the school’s vineyard. This was a much needed refresher. After my one hour bask in the sun, it was back to biochemistry class. Lots of notes were taken that day my friends, lots... At the end of the day, the prudent thing to do would have been to go straight back to the hotel and continue to rest my sinuses, but I don’t always do what I should. So off to the Davis Beer Shoppe I went with some fellow students to talk shop and get to know them a little bit. After two beers, it was study time for Bonzo. One thing I learned was studying is a hard habit to get back into...

Rise and shine! Its day two, and brewing is on my mind. Tuesday was the much anticipated hands-on brew day using commercial style equipment with the school’s brewer, Candy. However, the excitement was quickly tempered. The goal of the day was to brew a batch from start to finish, which was accomplished. How we got there though, could have been a lot tighter and more informative with a little more teaching thrown in with all the down time. While I felt the overall brew day was okay, it could have been great with a tighter class plan. After the brew was done, time for a quick lunch, then back into lecture time. Luckily, I started feeling much better than I had the previous couple of days, so I was a little spry. After a two beer meet-up with classmates, it was one more night of rest to hopefully kick out the last remaining dregs of this cold.

Wednesday, hump day, day three, or as I now call it, the hardest class of the week. This day was all lecture, all day. Even though I was starting to feel close to my normal self, tiredness was my enemy. The days of work, travel, school and sickness culminated into one long slog. With much self-struggle, I pulled through and left the day with copious amounts of notes, theories and chemical equations. This was a one and done beer night for me as a good night sleep beckoned the loudest, and I heeded its calling.

Oh Thursday, lovely Thursday... The first day I felt close to normal all week, well my kind of normal anyway. This was a fun day at school. This day was broken up into three parts: lecture, lab and a field trip to Sudwerks Brewery. The lab was very interesting as we learned about different machines that measured everything throughout the brewing process. This included everything from micro batch worts and foam retention to a bottled beer and everything in between. Seeing some of the instruments in action and how they help to provide a more consistent beer was very cool. We also spent time comparing different hops, grains and yeast cells under a microscope. From there, it was off to Sudwerks Brewery in good old Davis, Calif. Sudwerks Brewer Jay Prahl, was there to greet us and take us on a tour of the brewery. The first stop was the old-school cooper tanks right in the middle of the dining room! They were definitely a showpiece and are actual working brew kettles. Next, it was on to the heart and soul of the brewery, and Jay took us all the way through. Jay was very informative and insightful, during our visit. He even picked up on my joke reference to the movie Beerfest. Nice one, Jay. Since I felt as close to 100% as I had all week that evening, I met with a few classmates for the ubiquitous burger and beer dinner.

Friday, oh so bittersweet... This was the last day of my Brewing school experience. This was only a half day but a real fun day. It was broken up into a morning lecture, beer tasting, then a final lecture. The morning lecture consisted of maintaining the quality of beer consistently, along with the various styles of beer. The final lecture was about the brewing industry and the future of brewing. In between the lectures, it was flavor profile tasting, and this isn’t as good as it may seem... The first part was about learning off flavors and how to detect them. What is the best way to detect off flavors? Well, by tasting them of course! Most were easy enough to deal with but some like the metallic off flavor was not so easy to deal with. The skunked flavored essence beer tasted well, like Heineken... From there, we tried our class brew that had only fermented for all of three days, so it left a lot to be desired, but that was expected so no harm/no foul there. To help erase some of the flavor profile tasting, some of my fellow classmates brought home brews to try out. I wish I could have brought some myself, but I flew and had no way to take any up there. All the homebrews were very good and ranged from a light lager to an aged Barleywine. All the beers were as follows: light lager, IPA, Pliney the Elder clone, rye apricot, rye apricot with brett, cranberry beer, milk stout and a Barleywine. I hope I am not forgetting someone’s homebrew... So, a big thumbs up to my fellow classmates for sharing some really enjoyable beers.

So now about a full week removed from Brewing school, I have a chance to reflect on the whole experience. I was pretty happy with the overall experience. A tighter planned brew day and maybe some touches on advanced home brewing or things that can be done to bridge the gap from basic homebrewing to commercial brewing would really enhance the class. I’m sure the week will be extremely beneficial for me down the road, and it now has me geared up to take my homebrewing to another level. Sir Bamforth is one knowledgeable mofo, and always kept us entertained during the lengthy lectures. Shout outs also go to Candy and Jay for their guidance and for sharing their experiences with us. Last but certainly not least, to all my fellow classmates, it was great to meet each of you and wish you all the best in your endeavors.

Below are photos from the week-long course.