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Chocolate Week: Adri’s Festive Wasatch Tart

by Adrianna Pachelli on November 11, 2015

Caputo’s Chocolate Week comes at the perfect time of year. Our annual Chocolate Fest puts me in the mood and mindset for the holidays and festivities, but it also gives me a chance to start testing desserts for the family dinners and fun holiday parties to come. My family has a knack for making enough food to feed an entire village, but we do our best to minimize the menu as much as we can every year. We always make the usual pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies, and these are also often accompanied by another cream-based or chocolate-based pie.

2img_4877 This year, I wanted to find a way to incorporate a chocolate dessert without making yet another deep-dish pie. Chocolate pies rely heavily on cocoa powder for flavor, but I like having more control of the nuances. Basically, I want a chocolate pie with a third of the volume, no cocoa powder, and to be made exclusively with chocolate bars.

Meet the chocolate tart. Thin, sweet pastry dough holds a thin layer of rich, luxurious chocolate and a dollop of bitters flavored whipped cream. My first attempt was so successful it garnered a happy dance and a phone call to the family. Solstice’s Wasatch Blend bar made an earthy, balanced tart base that was enlivened with a Beehive Bitters spiced orange whipped cream. It was festive, delicious, and a quarter of the size and effort of our usual chocolate pie.

Save this recipe for your upcoming holiday parties. You can also use your favorite chocolate bars and bitters to make this your own.

Wasatch Blend Chocolate Tart
Serves 8-12

Tart Dough

8 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Beehive Spiced Orange bitters
2 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Mix all ingredients with a stand or hand mixer until there are no dry patches. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight until firm. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness or until there is an excess of about 3 inches in diameter to fit an 8-inch tart shell. Press dough into the shell and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool before removing the tart ring from the shell.

Chocolate Ganache Filling

10 ounces heavy cream
7 ounces Solstice Wasatch Blend, or two dark chocolate bars, 70% cacao or higher
Fleur de sel sea salt

Simmer a small pot of water. Set a metal or glass bowl over it, making sure there is air between the bottom of the bowl and the simmering water. Pour cream into bowl and heat until it’s warm enough to melt the chocolate. Add chocolate and stir to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, use an immersion blender or whisk to combine. Whisk until your ganache is fully blended. Stir in fleur de sel in small pinches, to taste. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes, then pour into the tart shell. Chill until ready to serve, but remove about 15-20 minutes before serving

Bitters Whipped Cream

10 ounces heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons Beehive Spiced Orange bitters

In a medium bowl, whisk heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, and bitters until whipped, but still loose. We don’t want stiff peaks, but enough volume to hold cream together when we top our chocolate tart with it. Adjust sweetness and flavoring with bitters before serving.

More from Chocolate Week:

A Primer on Solstice Chocolate

Solstice Drinking Chocolate Recipe

Caputo’s Solstice Chocolate Mini-Tartlets

A Retrospect of Past Chocolate Festivals

Recipe: Adri’s Festive Wasatch Tart

The Menu for Chocolate Fest Featuring Solstice Chocolate

Ask Matt Caputo: What is the Best Process to Taste Fine Chocolate?

Chocolate Week: Solstice Drinking Chocolate Recipe

by Adrianna Pachelli on November 6, 2015

Guys, IT SNOWED! Never mind that it lasted 15 minutes, and never mind that none of it stuck around. The important fact here is that frozen precipitation fell from the sky the first week of November. I began dreaming of all the hot drinks in my near future as I watched those big, fluffy flakes fall gracefully to the wet ground. Cider, hot toddies, tea, but most importantly, drinking chocolate. Not the powdered milk and cocoa with weird dried marshmallows, but real drinking chocolate.

2solstice-drinking-chocolate-recipe-austen-diamond-791x1024 The key to this recipe is high-quality chocolate. Any low quality bars won’t create the right consistency or flavor that you and your loved ones deserve. With so few ingredients, we rely heavily on the flavor of our chocolate to make this drink shine. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Solstice Bolivia bar. Notes of honey, cream, and very subtle warm baking spices are the perfect flavor I want when I’m craving drinking chocolate.

We made chocolate cake pops just a few weeks ago with a special focus on ganache. For cake pops, the ganache served as a binder to keep the cake crumb together and on the pop sticks. Here, we’re making what I like to call a “loosey-goosey ganache” that is the perfect consistency for drinking. This is the same process as making a thick ganache, we’re just using more cream than chocolate. The very nature of drinking chocolate is luxuriously
thick, so a little goes a long way here. I only need about 1/4 cup when I make this on special occasions with friends, so let’s not lose our marbles over the use of heavy cream. However, should you feel that your marbles are still in jeopardy of being lost, use whole milk or half and half.

This is a fun, easy, and quick recipe that comes together in less than 10 minutes. Make this with your kids, your friends, or your family. This is my favorite and most decadent way to welcome the cold weather. Blankets, thick socks, and a fire make it the perfect early winter evening.

SOLSTICE DRINKING CHOCOLATE
Serves 4

14 ounces heavy cream
5 ounces or two dark chocolate bars, 70% cacao or higher, preferably Solstice Bolivia
Fleur de sel sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk 4 ounces of heavy cream until whipped, but still loose. We don’t want stiff peaks, but enough volume to hold cream together when we top our chocolate with it. Set aside.

Simmer a small pot of water. Set a metal or glass bowl over it, making sure there is air between the bottom of the bowl and the simmering water. Pour 10 ounces of cream into bowl and heat until it’s warm enough to melt the chocolate. Add 5 ounces of chocolate and stir to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, use and immersion blender or whisk to combine. Whisk until your ganache is fully blended. Stir in vanilla, then add fleur de sel in small pinches, to taste.
Pour into small espresso cups, Mason jars, or other small glasses. Spoon whipped cream on top and serve immediately.

This is an easy recipe to add your own unique twist. Here are a few easy ways to make it your own:

Steep the cream ahead of time with your favorite spices
Add a cinnamon stir stick upon serving
Add a dash of cayenne for a spicy kick
Add booze. Any booze. I’m a personal fan of whiskey or Bailey’s
Mix equal parts drinking chocolate with coffee
Top with marshmallows or whipped cream
Substitute your favorite bitters for half of the vanilla extract

November Cravings: Food to Help the Transition to Winter

by Adrianna Pachelli on November 6, 2015

As I write this, the first light snow is falling from the sky, and it really feels like sweater season. I often dread the beginning of this cold weather. I miss the farmer’s market, the madness of the holidays are looming over my head, and, I’m just plain cold. This year is different. The weather cooled very gently and after nine years of working at Caputo’s for the holidays, I’m feeling shockingly calm—almost zen, if you will.

So as the holidays approach and the snow starts to fall more frequently and in bigger doses, let’s enjoy it with our best friends and family over treats and nibbles. You’ll need a cocktail too, of course. Here’s how we’re enjoying the transition to winter:

CHEESE: Ossau Iraty Reserve

One of the most-celebrated and well-known Basque cheeses is made even more delicious in the hands of Caputo’s own affineuse, Antonia Horne, in the chilly comfort of our Cheese Cave. Ossau Iraty arrives in great condition to eat immediately. It tastes mildly grassy and sweet, and is a great choice for the table when you crave the comfort of a creamy, alpine-style cheese. But this is Caputo’s after all, so, of course, we couldn’t just let you settle for a good cheese. We want you to experience great cheese, and we want everyone to know first hand how our caves affect and improve even the most delicious wheels. Antonia gives the ultimate TLC to Ossau for six months. That sweet, grassy cheese transforms to have a deep, complex, brand new flavor. Ossau Reserve offers newly developed notes of caramel and browned butter with a still-perfect interior and more interesting and aromatic rind.

Enjoy this with your favorite cheese accouterments and wine alone, or get your cheese geek on and try the original Ossau and Ossau Reserve in a side-by-side tasting to see exactly what the differences are. You’ll want to hug Antonia afterwards. I always do.

CHOCOLATE: Solstice Chocolate

We give you one, fantastic chocolate almost every month, but this month is special. Here why:

We couldn’t agree on one Solstice bar. We didn’t have time to sell tickets to the WWE-style brawl it would take to select one, because of…
SOLSTICE CHOCOLATE FEST. That’s right. Our 4th annual Chocolate Fest features our first locally-made chocolate. Each bar will be featured in a dish made by a talented local chef in a sweet or savory application, plus all proceeds will be donated to the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Initiative (read more here).
Have you had Solstice? Could you pick one? Of course not, and neither could we.

Solstice is locally-made and has been blowing our minds. We’ve never seen the kind of support for a local chocolate like this. Solstice is on the menu of some of the best restaurants downtown, and it’s being used by Chocolatier Blue for its amazing chocolates. What’s more, Solstice is crafting chocolate with a no-waste and eco-friendly operation.

BAR: Beehive Spiced Orange Bitters

Bitters are the future, friends. Seriously. Local bitters are even more exciting. Imagine, little ol’ Utah making top-tier, high-quality bitters. Yeah, it’s happening.

Beehive Bitters is making a small selection of bitters that belong on the bar cart of any cocktail enthusiast. Not much for cocktails at home yet? You’ll find these bitters behind the best bars in the city, or you can add them to your personal pantry for cooking, baking, and marinading. The Beehive Spiced Orange Bitters is the perfect welcome to the cold weather. I’ll be using this in everything from plays on hot toddies to cranberry sauce. I’m even experimenting with turkey brine recipes that call this. The possibilities aren’t just endless, they’re exciting and, more often than not, quite rewarding.

Cooking with Bitters: Peychaud’s Vinaigrette

by Adrianna Pachelli on September 25, 2015

faro-salad-peychauds-bitters-vinaigrette If my friends have ever been to my house, I’ve likely fed them farro. It’s my go-to for sharing ,and it fits into almost any special dietary need. Plus, it’s delicious.

I may or may not have exhausted the palettes of all my friends with this play on risotto that uses farro instead. This pushed me to find a new way to prepare farro that’s a bit more exciting. And that exciting dash lies in a bottle of Peychaud’s. Adding bitters to my dressings, marinades, and vinaigrettes has opened my eyes to all sorts of new, fun ways to gussy up some old recipes. For this one, I cooked farro like rice rather than risotto, tossed in some pan-roasted zucchini, onion, and eggplant from the farmers market, added some flare with Laziz Toum and artichoke hearts, and then left the whole mess of deliciousness to chill for a few hours.

Once chilled, I added Peychaud’s to my favorite—and incredibly simple—dijon and sherry vinaigrette and drizzled it over the salad. I am so pleased with the results that I made this twice last week for dinner. Sweet and aromatic Peychaud’s adds a floral, almost-feminine component to the dish that matches its lightness and delicate flavors. It can be served hot or cold and loves a fried egg on top for added protein. Go on, you know you want some.

Peychaud’s Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl. Drizzle over salads, greens, or roasted veggies.

Farro Salad
Serves 6

1 1/2 cups farro
1 eggplant, cut into quarters and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 zucchini, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon Laziz Toum
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, sprinkle a generous amount of salt over sliced eggplants. Toss to coat and let sit at least 20 minutes. Squeeze slices to release any excess moisture and lay out on a paper towel.

Cover farro in 4 cups of water in a small saucepan. Add a few pinches of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer 20 minutes.

In a skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil and onions. Cook until onions are browned entirely. Add zucchini and Laziz Toum. Stir occasionally and cook until zucchini is tender. Remove to a bowl. Add eggplant to the skillet and cook until browned. Add eggplant, cooked farro, and any additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or chill at least one hour. Serve with Peychaud’s vinaigrette.

Shop the market for bitters

Make This: Smothered Cabbage Soup

by Adrianna Pachelli on September 18, 2015

Holy cow, this was such a wet week for us in SLC! I’ve been cozied up in all my favorite sweaters and boots all week, and I’m so surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed the cool weather and rain puddles. I had spent last weekend and the beginning of this week preparing for our Eat Local Cooking Class. Eat Local Week began this past Saturday, and our class was part of the festivities taking place all over the valley in celebration of our fabulous local food farmers and artisans. I had the menu set weeks in advance, local produce purchased, and a hoard of local products from the Caputo’s shelves that I couldn’t wait to share. Then, the rain came, and it changed the whole menu.

One of my favorite recipes comes from one of my favorite women, Marcella Hazan. I don’t think there will ever be another person or collection of recipes that I will admire more than her and hers. Smothered cabbage—it may sound bland or boring, but this is the base to the most comforting soup I’ve ever made. Caramelized onions, browned garlic, shredded cabbage, and light seasoning slowly cook over low heat for hours. This transforms the cabbage into a sweetened, complex, and totally craveable dish. On its own, it is the perfect side for roasted and braised meats. When I’m sick, however, this is the foundation for the soup that has entirely replaced the ol’ standby, chicken noodle.

I make a double batch of smothered cabbage as soon as I begin to feel a cold coming on. The cabbage will last for about two weeks in the refrigerator, and it only takes 25 minutes to make a new bowl of soup to snuggle up to. Cabbage is just beginning to make its fall debut at our local farmers markets, and this is the perfect recipe to add to your wintertime arsenal.

Marcella Hazan’s Smothered Cabbage, Venetian Style
Serves 4-6

• 2 pounds green, red, or Savoy cabbage
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• Salt
• Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar, white or red (I use sherry vinegar)

Detach and discard the first few outer leaves of the cabbage. The remaining head of leaves must be shredded very fine. If you are going to do it by hand, cut the leaves into fine shreds, slicing them off the whole head. Turn the head after you have sliced a section of it until gradually you expose the entire core, which must be discarded. If you want to use the food processor, cut the leaves off from the core in sections, discard the core and process the leaves through a shredding attachment.

Put the onion and olive oil into a large sauté pan, and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it becomes colored a deep gold, then add the garlic. When you have cooked the garlic until it becomes colored a very pale gold, add the shredded cabbage. Turn the cabbage over 2 or 3 times to coat it well, and cook it until it is wilted.

Add salt, pepper, and the vinegar. Turn the cabbage over once completely, lower the heat to minimum, and cover the pan tightly. Cook for at least 1 1/2 hours, or until it is very tender, turning it from time to time. If while it is cooking, the liquid in the pan should become insufficient, add 2 tablespoons water as needed. When done, taste and correct for salt and pepper. Allow it to settle off the heat for a few minutes before serving.

Marcella Hazan’s Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup
Serves 4

3 cups homemade meat broth or 1 cup canned beef broth diluted with 2 cups of water, or 1 1/2 bouillon cubes dissolved in 3 cups of water
2/3 cup Arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Put the cabbage and broth into a soup pot, and turn on the heat to medium. When the broth comes to a boil, add the rice. Cook uncovered, adjusting the heat so that the soup bubbles at a slow but steady boil, stirring from time to time until the rice is done. It must be tender, but firm to the bite, and should take around 20 minutes. If while the rice is cooking, you find the soup becoming too thick, dilute it with a ladleful of homemade broth or water. The soup should be on the dense-ish side when finished.

When the rice is done, before turning off the heat, stir in the butter and the grated cheese. Taste and correct for salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into individual plates and allow it to settle a few minutes before serving.

Note: The smothered cabbage can be prepared 2 or 3 days ahead of the soup, or served as a side dish from here. It also freezes well.

Back to School Cravings

by Adrianna Pachelli on September 2, 2015

It’s here: the last moments of summer. As we say goodbye to the sunshine-filled days of summer and welcome a new school year, we want to make sure to savor the flavors of the harvest season with the most delicious, new, and craveable treats from Caputo’s. Take a peek at our latest obsessions here:
CHEESE: Mesa Feta

Mesa Farm in Torrey, Utah, is home to a local artisan very near and dear to our hearts. Randy Ramsley is at the helm of Mesa, which is home to about 40 goats near the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park. Here, Randy raises his small herd along the banks of the Fremont River and creates a small collection of world-class cheeses. Our current favorite is his 100-percent local goat’s milk feta. Aged about four month to achieve optimal flavor, Mesa Feta is tangy, briny, and delicious. This cheese is the perfect pair for our local bounty of fruits and vegetables. Toss it into Greek-inspired salads, over seasoned watermelon or stone fruit, and top your grilled burgers, mushrooms, and other veggies with it. You’ll be glad you did, and we’ll be glad to have you in full support of this fantastic local product.

***In 2023, Randy of Mesa Farm entered his beautifully earned retirement. The farm and its singular cheeses will live on in our hearts and stories for years to come.***

SAVORY: Piquillo Peppers

There are many piquillo copycats out there, and for darn good reason. Piquillo peppers, which translate to ‘little beak’ in Spanish, are a cornerstone of Spanish cooking and tapas culture. Piquillo peppers—grown in Northern Spain, near Lodosa—offer a sweet flavor with no spiciness, and a sturdy, meaty texture. Piquillo peppers are roasted, seeded, and de-stemmed before canning. Your piquillos should be whole when they come out of the jar. Stuff them with high quality Spanish tuna, a mixture of cheese and herbs (cough, like the Mesa feta above, cough, cough), or chop and toss into frittatas, casseroles, stews, and more. Use these instead of other roasted peppers for amplified flavor, and they’ll make your dish even tastier.

BAR: Peychaud’s Bitters

We’ve got another traditional cornerstone for you here. This Craving is one part Creole magic and one part cocktail king. Created by New Orleans apothecary Antoine Amédée Peychaud in the 1830s, this bitters has withstood not just the test of time, but it was one of the only bitters to survive Prohibition. Light, sweet, and floral, this is an absolute must-have for home cocktail enthusiasts and professional mixologists alike. You can’t make a proper Sazerac without it, and you deserve a Sazerac after that first week of getting the kids through school.

CHOCOLATE: Pump Street Hacienda Limon 85%

Pump Street has stormed on to the American market after a publicized mention at the Oscars. It has long had a cult-like following for both its baked goods and chocolate alike. Hailing from the almost-too-cute and quaint town of Orford, Suffolk, Pump Street coaxes Heirloom Cacao Preservation cacao beans into some of the most decadent bars we’ve tasted. These bars are complex, perfectly textured, and truly craveable. Pump Street offers beans from Hacienda Limon in three different cacao percentages to explore the full spectrum of flavor from these heirloom beans. The Guantupi region of Ecuador is home to cacao beans used by many artisan chocolate makers across the country, but we just can’t get enough of Pump Street lately—especially the 85% bar. This is the ultimate gift to give the most important person in your life: yourself! Go on, indulge.

Just Like Nonna Made: Fried Squash Blossoms

by Adrianna Pachelli on August 25, 2015

My favorite resurgent food theme from the last few years is what I like to call “grandma chic.” While food writers, bloggers, chefs, and amateur food enthusiasts will claim to march to beat of their own drum, we all love to follow and comment on the latest foodie trends.

The trends of 2014 included: the Great Kale Revolution, healthy lunches for kids, all local everything, gluten-free foods, and upscale comfort food. So far, 2015 moved further away from molecular gastronomy and embraced things like biscuits, waffles, poutine, and more obscure culinary traditions.

For me, it was “grandma chic” above all else. Everyone believes that their grandma or other kitchen matriarch makes at least one dish better than anyone else in the world. We’re all too happy to pit our sweet, shrinking, and wise elderly relatives against each other in hopes of prevailing with the most authentic and tastiest recipe.

Well guess what, both my grandmothers are Kitchen Queens. My paternal grandmother has cornered the market on eggplant parmigiano, lasagna, and peach pie. My maternal grandmother, Nonna, was the authority on fresh pasta, taralli, and seasonal cooking. She left us all too soon, but made a lasting impression on my life and forever changed my perspective in the kitchen.

Rino, of the now-closed Rino’s Italian Ristorante in the Parley’s Canyon area, is my first stop at the Saturday farmers market at Pioneer Park. His produce reminds me of my Nonna’s kitchen table.

A fresh white tablecloth was the base for the summer’s bounty, day in and day out. Tomatoes, peppers, greens, and many other veggies were piled high, tempting us grandchildren with their wafting scents. We’d sneak tomatoes and peppers all summer, but left our favorite veggies alone in hopes they’d be used for our favorite dishes. Mine included fresh orrechiette with veggies from the garden, braised beef with tomato sauce, and fried squash blossoms.

Nonna lightly fried squash blossoms in a big, cast iron pan that filled the kitchen with a sweet scent that tortured me until dinnertime. Our whole family would sit down, and I’d silently pray everyone would help themselves to the main course so I could get my grubby little hands on the blossoms. I loved the crunch at the tip of the blossom that gave way to its tender base filled with deliciousness. Sometimes, she’d fill them with herbed ricotta. Other times, she fried them plain, with no filling. I didn’t care which she chose, so long as there were blossoms to be had.

Rino has had blossoms since the market began this summer. I haven’t missed buying them—not even once. Each one is ready to be used, slightly fragrant, and cut the same way my Nonna cut them from the garden. I fry at least two of the 10 blossoms I buy from him. The others may be fried as well, or sautéed for pasta, added to farro salads, or as a simple topping on fried eggs or a frittata. No matter how they’re used, I silently thank both my Nonna for her delicious, simple way of cooking and Rino for the opportunity to cook her recipes from my childhood.

Make these squash blossoms for the people you love most. Serve them alongside pasta, poultry, or egg dishes, and manipulate this recipe so it becomes your own. Then pass it down as your family grows. Maybe someday, our grandkids will pit our recipes against each other, too.

Fried Squash Blossoms
Makes 10 blossoms

1 10-inch cast iron frying pan
Olive oil, for frying
1 cup ricotta
1 tablespoon fennel pollen
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces beer, lager, or pilsner (I’ve really loved using Squatters Bumper Crop this summer)
10 zucchini blossoms, stamens removed
Fleur de sel sea salt

Add oil to the pan, about 1 to 2 inches deep. Heat on medium-high until oil is fragrant and shimmering. While oil is heating, remove stamens from blossoms. Mix ricotta with fennel pollen and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon or pipe 1-2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture into the center of each blossom. Don’t overfill with ricotta (I know it’s tempting, I still make this mistake. Remember, we want to taste the blossom.) In a medium bowl, whisk beer into flour and salt until only small lumps remain.

Dredge blossoms in batter and shake off any excess before laying them into the oil to fry. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan and fry each side of blossoms for about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate layered with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve immediately.

Tasty Tuesday: Watermelon & Halloumi Salad

by Adrianna Pachelli on August 11, 2015

The Tuesday Farmer’s Market at Pioneer Park is a much anticipated event for many. It signals the beginning of a bountiful harvest and the last weeks of summer. Tuesdays are a smaller, quieter, and food-focused version of the Downtown SLC Farmers Market on Saturdays. I can stroll listlessly through the handful of stalls in the early evening rather than navigating a path, elbows first, through a sea of fellow food lovers in the early hours of Saturday. There’s more time to chat with farmers about different varieties of fruits and vegetables, more time to make a wise choice, and much less traffic or other elbows.

watremelon-halloumi-salad My first Tuesday purchases were huge, heavy heirloom tomatoes, a small basket of cherry tomatoes, a perfectly ripe watermelon, bread, and greens. Greens, bread, and heirloom tomatoes were bought for specific purposes. The cherry tomatoes and watermelon were for halloumi, but I wasn’t quite sure how they’d all come together, or if one would be chosen over the other. Bon Appetit’s recipe inspired me to create an easy, fresh way to incorporate both components with what Evan has dubbed “the cheese that grills.”

As previously mentioned this month, Halloumi has the uncanny ability to grill or brown, without ever melting. It always feels strange to lay pieces of cheese down on a fiery hot cast iron pan and see it sizzle and brown rather than melt into a cheesy, goopy mess. The salty, sheep’s milk cheese mingles perfectly with fresh, sweet watermelon and warm, charred tomatoes. A sprinkling of chopped mint and basil elevate the aroma and fresh factor, while a decent dousing of Viola EVOO is the perfect finish, because duhhhhh, Viola. Note: I finish everything with Viola, because it makes everything infinitely more delicious…and because I can.

This a lovely, plated salad for two to four people, but also a lovely addition to a large barbecue. Lay components in clean lines for a fancy-schmancy buffet-worthy dish. Either way, these ingredients are all in season, and you deserve a delicious salad in your life. Go on, enjoy.

Watermelon and Halloumi Salad
Serves 2-4

1/2 pound rindless watermelon slices, cut into triangles
1 tablespoon olive oil, for cooking
8 slices Halloumi Cheese
12-16 cherry tomatoes
Chiffonade of 6 basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Viola olive oil, or another condiment grade olive oil for drizzling
Kosher salt

Heat a small cast iron pan over medium heat. Lay watermelon slices on a plate in a whimsical pattern (or in a uniform one if you like that). Season with kosher salt. Add oil and tomatoes to the cast iron; roll tomatoes around the pan every two minutes or so until sides begin to brown and skins burst. Remove to a small bowl to cool slightly. While tomatoes are cooling, lay 4 slices of Halloumi Cheese on the cast iron pan, letting brown for about one minute before flipping. Remove halloumi, and lay over watermelon slices. Scatter cherry tomatoes across the plate, sprinkle with basil and mint. Add more salt if desired, and finish with a good drizzle of condiment oil. Serve immediately.

Make This: Aglio E Olio with Creminelli Salumi

by Caputo's Online on July 29, 2015

Creminelli Fine Meats are a staple in our meat counter for a reason. These precious pieces of meat gold are made in the Old World Italian style, hand-tied, and cured to perfection. The recipes are produced here in Salt Lake by salumi royalty and use pork from family farms that operate on a small scale and raise their pigs the way pigs should live: with pasture access (pigs are creatures of comfort and like to be warm when it’s cold, cool when it’s hot, so they like shelter), in proper social structures (i.e. with their families and social groups), good vegetarian feed (not industrial detritus); and never ever treated with antibiotics.

These great sticks of joy can be used as a centerpiece on any artisan charcuterie board, tossed quickly on top of Neapolitan style pizza, or diced up in a ten minute pasta like my Aglio E Olio recipe. Truth be told I was going to make pizza, had the dough all beautiful and plump, sauce balling out. Then my oven broke. No lie. Game-changing anger. Two choices boiled in my brainstomach: Eat the salami all sad and alone on a cutting board, or open the pantry doors and dig for a meal. Super simple, easy and affordable.

Aglio E Olio with Creminelli Salumi

1 lb. of pasta (any kind, but longer cut is the classic Campanian approach)
4-6 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil
A grip of parsley (1/4 cup minced up)
1/2-1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper for tasting
1 stick of Creminelli Campania salami (any Creminelli salami will do, I just like the juxtaposition of spice and smoke with this style)
1 cup of grated 2-year Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked al dente, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and transfer to a pasta bowl when ready. While pasta is boiling, combine garlic and olive oil in a skillet. Cook over medium heat to slowly toast garlic for about 10 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low when olive oil begins to bubble. Cook and stir until garlic is slightly brown, about another 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Peel the salami from it’s natural casing and cut into small pieces. Stir the salami, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt into the pasta. Pour in olive oil and garlic, and sprinkle on Italian parsley and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Stir and toss, and stir and toss. Serve pasta topped with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.