Our Basil Pop-Up all started from a phone call from my farmer Joseph from D’Acquisto Farms. He calls when he has special fruits or vegetables I might be interested in, such as his fresh basil this week. I grabbed a box and started planning a pop-up using basil as a theme to my recipes. It’s not that often you can get such a large amount of freshly picked basil from your local farmer. It was a challenge for me to decide how to use this herb, my head was spinning with so many recipes that I could use. But, I kept is simple so everyone could take home their samples. So I decided on basil baking salt with baked potatoes, basil vinaigrette with fresh tomatoes. The event was successful and quite fun as we sat down for a nice melon feta basil salad and basil lemonade. And a take home bag of fresh basil to boot!
I picked up an entire case and I’m happy I did, we had a large group.
Baked salt and fresh basil is a great addition to any roasted vegetable. We used small white and red potatoes.
Everyone grabbed an apron and we got to work with our recipes.
A delicious and refreshing basil lemonade for all!
I just love seeing my interested group and my repeating customers. It’s a great way to exchange ideas and have a few moments to visit with friends.
They enjoyed the tomatoes and were gobbled up before I could take a picture of the basil vinaigrette I dressed them with.
We always take time to relax and enjoy a day together. It was a perfect excuse for a Basil Pop-Up event.
Being a avid gardener and being Greek go hand in hand with our summer cooking! Why? Because everything is around the tomato! We actually wait until summer for the perfect summer dish. A few of my favorite dishes are, Greek Tomato Fritters, Greek Feta Salad, and our Tomato Egg Scramble for breakfast. They can be made and served with other small bites called “Meze”, traditional Greek family favorites. It’s as simple as this, garden tomatoes have a deep rich flavor to enhance the notes in your dish, but of course supermarket tomatoes can be used. When shopping for tomatoes look for heirloom, or organic locally grown varieties, such as the plum tomatoes with a thick flesh.
Besides Greek Tomato Fritters, one other dish we enjoy is the zucchini fritter. A summer favorite of ours as they both give us an abundant of produce from our summer garden. Zucchini is a staple in our diet. It can also be stuffed for a main dish or served also as a fritter.
This recipe comes from The Foods of Greece, by author Aglaia Kremezi. An Athens born cookbook writer and photographer. She has taught in culinary institutions and featured in many publications here in America.
This is one of my favorite summer dishes to whip up with a cool Greek yogurt tzatziki sauce. This can be served alone as an appetizer or side dish, or with BBQ Lamb Ribs, Greek Chicken or Lemony Pork Chops. This is meant to be a summer dish that can be served with several other Greek "Meze" on a hot summer day.
2 -2½cupsseeded and diced tomatoes (about 3-4), drained. I prefer a plum tomato with more flesh.
1 cupfinely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1cup finely chopped parsley
3/4 cupfinely chopped scallions
1/2 cupfinely chopped fresh mint leaves
1tablespoondried oregano
1 ½cupsall purpose flour (1 cup for fritters) 1/2 if more is needed.
1tablespoonbaking powder
extra virgin olive oil for frying
3/4 cupschopped onions
1garlic clove - minced
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large bowl add the fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, scallions, mint and oregano. Stir until combined.
Add 1 cup flour with the baking soda. Stir gently into the batter. Add a little more flour if necessary for a thickened batter.
In a large skillet heat the olive oil on medium heat, add the onions and garlic and saute until softened. Let cool slightly. Add to the tomato batter and stir together.
Place the cleaned skillet on medium heat, and add new olive oil. Form patties with your hands, and place in the oil to fry 2-3 minutes until golden on both sides and cooked thoroughly.
Remove and place on paper towel lined plate.
Cool and serve with Greek Yogurt Tzatziti. My recipe for sauce can be found on my blog.
We are back with another Ethos Market House! We took a small break as family settled here at the house, for their summer vacation. We were busy everyday, from the beach to the zoo, and sometimes just at home visiting with friends.
This month’s focus at Ethos Market House is on tomatoes! Hopefully, many of you grow them in your boxes, garden or pots. They are everyone’s favorite summer vegetable. As always, I will be presenting you with Special Guests, you can learn from and enjoy their company while shopping. Tasty organic bites will also be presented for all to enjoy, including berries, melons, and a pickling demo!
Pickling is a great way to preserve your berries! Drop by and see our demo and grab a recipe to take home! Add them to your salads, drinks or summer cold desserts.
Preserving Herbs has always been a struggle with my garden , but here are a few tips. Swing by Ethos Market House for a fresh basil bite!
Freeze pesto! Chop fresh herbs in a food processor. Gradually add olive oil to form a sauce or thicker pesto. Spoon onto an ice cube tray and freeze. Remove once frozen and place in a freezer bag for storing. Add cubes to soups, pasta, and vegetable dishes.
Separate and spread leaves (sage, basil, or other herbs) on a baking sheet. Set the tray in the freezer. When the leaves are frozen, place them in an airtight container and return to freezer.
For more information on our Ethos Culinary Events, drop me a note below with your email, or head on over to our website at ethosculinary.com and send me a message!
Summer is here and it’s time to get outdoors and start grilling. Weather you grill indoors, on a portable grill, or in your favorite cast iron pan you can get the same results by having a few tips to help with your final results. Of course grilling outside can be exciting by adding hardwood flavor chips, basting sauces or dry rubs that can add wonderful additional flavors. But, there are common steps to take to insure you get the perfect results. Learning to grill takes time to learn. So, if it is your first time grilling, pick something easy as burgers and hot dogs. When you have mastered the skill of grilling, have fun selecting new flavors, fish, meats, and vegetables to add to your BBQ menu.
Basic Grilling Tips
Thoroughly clean and preheat grill or broiler.
Season the grill with a light coating of oil.
Season the main item and marinate or brush it with oil if necessary to prevent it from sticking.
Place the main item on the grill or broiler; use a hand grill for delicate foods such as fish.
Turn the item to 90 degrees to get cross hatch marks.
Turn your food to complete cooking to the desired doneness.
Seasonings
They include salt, pepper, or marinades.
You can add a rub, glaze or BBQ sauce.
Adding compound butter, brown sauces, vegetable coulis or salsas are a good choice for toppings after cooking.
Excess marinades should be wiped off before grilling to prevent flare ups.
Spice Rubs /presalting should be massaged or rub into the food.
Allow it to set overnight and then rinsed thoroughly and dry before grilling.
Additional Flavors
Add items to the grill fire to create an aromatic smoke.
For example: hardwood chips, herb stems such as rosemary, grapevine trimmings.
Steps to Begin Grilling
Turn on the grill or broiler ahead of time to burn away old pieces from the BBQ rods.
Clean the grill with a cloth dipped in oil.
Soak wooden skewers in water to prevent burning. Clean and oil metal skewers before use.
Keep all utensils near-by such as tongs, brushes along with platters, glazes, marinades and BBQ sauce.
A grill brush is necessary for clean up.
How to Grill Foods
Always place the better looking side of your food down for a better presentation.
Place the seasoned food on the preheated grill to start cooking.
Let the food cook undisturbed. (no turning until it can easily be lifted.)
Once ready to lift, turn 90 degrees if marks are desired.
Add sauce when meat is partially cooked, the sauce can burn easily.
Turn the food over and cook, to desired doneness. Most food are done with only one turn. Thicker cuts made more. Thicker cuts can also be finished in the oven.
Tips:
When preparing food all meat, fish, they should be cut in the same thickness.
Butterflying thicker pieces can help with a shorter cooking time.
Meats should be trimmed of all extra fats, silverskin and gristle.
The food itself should be seasoned and in some cases lightly oiled.
Divide you grill in three zones of heat. A high-heat area for fast searing and cooking foods to rare. Moderate heat for cooking foods to medium-well or well. A low heat can also be used for keeping foods warm.
Ideas for Grilling
Meat: Grilled Steak with Mushrooms, Beef Teriyaki, BBQ Steak with Herb Crust, Skewered Beef Kabobs with Scallions, Grilled Lamb Chops with wilted Greens, Pork: Pork Chops with Sherry Vinegar, Pork Kabobs with Peppers Chicken : Chicken Breasts with Fennel, Grilled Pallards with Tarragon, BBQ Chicken with Beans Fish: Fillet of Mahi Mahi with Jicama Salad, Shrimp Kabobs with Rice, Fish Kabobs with Mint Sauce.
Welcome to my new Ethos Market House Event. We are so excited to present to you a new concept for our culinary school. The event started with a few business woman in our local area, gathering for International Women’s Day last year. We discovered we have many talented ladies that would like to showcase their products, art and designs. So I created Ethos Market House. Here, we set up 4-5 new projects for each market. A theme is produced and the market features local foods, kitchen products, cooking tips and small bites.
We offer not only culinary classes, but we provide private events, team building parties, and personalized celebrations. Ethos is a private chef’s home, with a 900 square foot kitchen and outdoor facilities. We can be reached at ethosculinary@gmail.com.
Here is a peek into the first Market House we held in January at Ethos.
NEW for this Month, will be the following talented women!
Katie Stokes Editor of San Diego Edible
Dr. Sonia Gupte – Book Signing
Cindy House – Organic Body Butter
Debra Tadman – Left and Right Brain Art Classes
Ethos Culinary presents our first Greek Afternoon Tea presented in Chef Mary’s Kitchen. We will begin with an appetizer and introduction to the world of teas. Following with basic tea tips and serving ideas.
Chef Mary will introduce the menu with a cooking demo for all to enjoy. Greek small bites will compliment each serving of tea. The class is limited to 12 people for a small and intimate experience.
The Health Benefits in Chamomile Tea are many, here are a few.
It contains apigenin, an antioxidant that binds to certain receptors in your brain that may promote sleepiness. Reduce insomnia, the chronic inability to sleep.
Chamomile tea may protect against diarrhea, stomach ulcers, nausea and gas, likely due to its anti-inflammatory effects.
Chamomile tea contains the antioxidant apigenin, which may help lower inflammation and reduce the risk of several types of cancer.
The anti-inflammatory effects of chamomile tea may promote blood sugar control, especially when it’s consumed with a meal.
Chamomile is a great source of flavone antioxidants that may play a role in improving heart health.
For more information, see Healthline.
Program
Introduction and Demo of Greek Teas
How -To Brew and Serve Tea
Meze Demonstration
Join us for two classes in February at Ethos Culinary. We are located in North County San Diego. We can be reached at ethosculinary@gmail.com if you have any questions.
It’s continuing to be chilly and warm soup weather, so in our first class I will be introducing you to Three Greek Traditional Soups from my family recipes. These are dishes we make year around, and often in our monthly rotation of meals. We also will be preparing a bone broth that can be used in all soup recipes, using basic cooking techniques for you to follow. An appetizer and drinks are included.
February 8th – Soup’s On with Three Greek Soups – CLOSED Time: Thursday, 6:00-8:00 Place: Ethos Culinary in Carlsbad Menu: Appetizer
Greek Chicken Lemon Soup
Vegetable Lentil Soup
Greek White Bean Soup
Drinks will be served.
A demonstration on making broth.
Our Greek Tea and Luncheon will offer organic teas from Greece, which are the most common teas we make in our home. These teas are very familiar to us growing up as our mothers often served us over the years. They are very medicinal as herbal teas, growing in nature in Greece. We will show you how they are prepared old and new ways, and served with several Greek Meze, which are small bites. An appetizer and drinks are included.
February 24th – A Greek Tea and Meze Luncheon
Time: Saturday, 2:00-4:00 Place: Ethos Culinary in Carlsbad Menu: Appetizer Three Organic Greek Teas served during Luncheon
Meze, Small Bites will be served with Individual Teas and more!
Drinks along with the tea will be served.
A demonstration on making Greek Teas.
We enjoyed a full day of our first “Market House” event last week. I wanted to create a local event which had several local products represented, along with a theme for the event which was an overload of fresh limes from our tree , hence the Lime Harvest.
I was quite surprised by the number of friends and family that arrived during the day. And a big thank you for everyone who attended and supported this new event. No worries, we will repeat the Market House in March so look for my upcoming post.
Here are a few pictures we captured throughout the day, as people arrived to eat, shop and chat at our place. The lime aroma circulated throughout the kitchen, as I prepared my lime products. I included lime curd with fresh strawberries, chamomile lime tea, strawberry lime sangria, limeade, and fresh fish tacos with lime.
Besides the many foods we offered with a lime theme, I invited vendors to present their products. A big thank you to Madeline Gere, Tamara Bloom, and Sandy White. Along with the many friends that attended, and all the conversations we all engaged in, I truly appreciate the support the community has embraced us with at Ethos.
I’m opening the New Year, with a unique new event series called the Market House, which will be launched on January 21st. You are all welcome to attend, just drop by if you’re in the San Diego area. Every month we will feature a theme, this month being the welcoming of the lime harvest from our property. This is a free event.
Ethos believes in supporting local companies, so you will be able to shop for unique items, and enjoy an afternoon of lime treats, recipes and foods. Baked goods will be available to purchase, and local foods made here in town. Pick up a copy of San Diego Edible and sip on several lime drinks.
One goal of Ethos Culinary is to bring people together in our kitchen to meet our neighbors, community and foodies. The event is free of cost, so bring a friend to share in this new experience in a comforting and safe environment.
I hope to see you, so we can kick off the New Year with new acquaintances and a calendar of new classes.
Many of our events are demonstration style or hands on. We welcome private events, classes and team building evenings.
Best in Health,
Chef Mary
Visit our website at Ethos Culinary for more information on our company.
Hello from California Greek Girl. I’m the owner of Ethos Culinary located in the beautiful city of Carlsbad. Join me as we explore California’s bounty of foods, farmlands, and culinary experts. I’m looking forward to bringing you Greek, Mediterranean and Plant-Forward Cuisines. OPA!
Stay in touch with all my cooking classes and events.
