Temecula Night Out presents our 2nd installment of Temecula Home Night In...We are pleased to offer a contribution by Corie Maue. This delightful dinner recipe is perfectly made for those hot lazy days of Summer and would be great for a 4th of July menu as well. It features a wonderfully refreshing Shrimp Ceviche as a starter and makes use of local Blueberries and Peaches! Enjoy and don't get too HOT!

Summertime Is Here...Temecula Home Night In

By Corie Maue... Life Half Full

Since becoming involved with the folks like Why Local Matters, Slow Food Temecula Valley, Harvest 2U and others, we are beginning to realize that shopping and cooking organic, local, fresh ingredients is not as difficult as we once thought. In fact, with Farmer's Markets in Temecula (twice a week), Murrieta, Menifee and more, the options are almost limitless. The wonderful side effect is that we are learning to cook seasonally which not only inspires creativity, but just flat out tastes better. Here is a quick summer supper inspired by the fruits of the season:

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Shrimp Ceviche

 

1/2 lb cooked bay shrimp or larger shrimp cut into bite sized pieces

1 lime, juiced

1 small tomato, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 - 1 jalapeno, diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

1 avocado, diced

Salt and pepper

 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let stand 15 minutes before serving with your favorite tortilla chips.

 

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Talapia with Berry Salsa

 

Prepare the Talapia by seasoning and grilling or pan frying for 3 - 4 minutes on a side. You will want to execute this step last as the fish will cook quickly.

 

Berry Salsa

 

Ingredients

 

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely diced

1/2 red onion

2 scallions, chopped

1 tomato, finely diced

1 small yellow pepper, seeded & finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon Oak Mountain Cherry Balsamic Vinegar (or traditional raspberry vinegar)

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon Temecula Valley Honey Company honey

1 tablespoon Temecula Olive Oil Company olive oil

1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled & diced

1 1/2 cups blueberries (Temecula Berry Company)

1 cup raspberries

salt & pepper to taste

 

Combine vinegar, orange juice, honey, olive oil, salt & pepper in a bowl and wisk thoroughly. Combine all other ingredients in a larger bowl and mix dressing in gently. Chill for 3 hours before serving over Talapia or grilled chicken.

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Roasted Corn Polenta

 

Brush 2 ears of corn with Temecula Olive Oil Company olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook in a 450 degree oven or on the grill for about 10 minutes, turning frequently with tongs. Cut corn off the cob & set aside.

 

While the corn is roasting, melt in a saucepan over medium heat:

 

3 tablespoons of butter

 

Add and cook until translucent, 1/2 cup finely chopped onions

 

Stir in and bring to a boil:

 

3 cups water or chicken stock (the stock with make it richer in flavor, so guess which one I choose)

 

Stir together 1 cup water and 1 cup yellow corn meal, then gradually stir the mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until cornmeal is very thick. (Cook's tip: There are several excellent quick polenta options at stores like Trader Joe's, etc. if this step seems to daunting).

 

Stir in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and salt & pepper to taste. Top with roasted corn.

 

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Baked Peaches with Raspberry Sauce

 

Ingredients

 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup Temecula Valley Honey Company honey

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup ground almonds

6 ripe peaches

 

For the raspberry sauce

 

1 cup raspberries

1 tablespoon TVHC honey

1 tablespoon fruit-flavored brandy

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter with the honey until soft. Beat in the egg. Add the ground almonds and beat until well blended.

 

Halve the peaches and remove pits. With a spoon, scrape out some of the flesh from each peach half to slightly enlarge the hollow. Reserve extra peach flesh for the raspberry sauce.

 

Place peach halves in a baking dish. (Cook's tip: if they are wobbly, surround them with crumpled up tin foil to hold them steady). Fill the hollows with the almond mixture and bake for 30 minutes.

 

 

For the sauce, combine reserved peach flesh, raspberries, honey and brandy in the food processor and process until smooth. Press through a strainer set over a bowl to remove seeds.

 

Let peaches cool slightly and serve with sauce.

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This berry wonderful summer meal pairs beautifully with the Hart Blanc de Franc. A full bodied Rose with depth of flavor, it stands up well to the spice in the salsa and harmonizes with just about every other flavor in the menu. As with all things, this meal is best enjoyed surrounded by the ones you love, so invite some friends and family over to share in the riches of the season.

 

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