Marinated Roasted Red Peppers Classic Roast Leg of Lamb Lemon Orzo Spanokopita Greek Horiatiki Salad with Feta Roasted Beet Salad with Garlic Sauce Melomakarona – Honey Dipped Cookies
Cost:$ 55.00
Also included
A Complete Recipe Packet Enjoy a casual sit-down dinner
Dress casually and/or bring an apron
Payment can be made through paypal or your credit card (call:760-942-9592)
for more information contact : maryplatis@gmail.com
A couple of years ago I learned about a special day after Halloween, when foodies make a raid on their local pumpkin patches. I set out to find my local patch last Saturday to see what was left of their pumpkin inventory. Well, I couldn’t resist all these tiny beautiful pumpkins piled up high ready to be thrown in the trash. I pulled up my car, and packed up as many pumpkins as I could carry. I guess you can say I became obsessed with my purchase, all you can carry for 20 bucks. Since then, I have been passing out my pumpkins to my neighbors and friends who are interested in making breads or pies for the holidays. Fall’s cool weather often brings out the desire to cook up your favorite comfort foods, soups, and warm casseroles. This recipe, Pumpkin Risotto has been in my recipe box for many years, and I hope it warms up your belly like it does ours. I like to use organic arborio rice for my risotto, but if you prefer other grains, they can be substituted in this recipe.
Rich & Creamy: Risotto is an Italian technique for cooking Arborio, but this rich, creamy medium grain is versatile. It also plays well in crowd-pleasing puddings and appetizers.
Non-GMO Project Verified
Certified Gluten-Free
Vegan
Kosher
Grown with earth-preserving practices, our 20+ rice and quinoa varieties are cultivated to maximize the flavor of each tiny grain. Long, short, black, brown, white, red, and blended. Each variety brings something different to the table so you can get creative in the kitchen.
Fresh pumpkin with Italian pancetta come together in this risotto for a warm and creamy Fall dish - don't forget to add a good Parmesan cheese for extra goodness!
Course
Main Dish
Cuisine
California Greek
Keyword
dinner, pancetta, pumpkin, risotto
Servings4
AuthorMary Papoulias-Platis
Ingredients
1/3cupchopped pancetta
2-2 1/2cupschicken stock
2large shallots, chopped
1poundpumpkin or butternut flesh, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. About 4 cups.
3tablespoonsolive oil
1cuprisotto rice, Arborio
½cupdry white wine
2tablespoonsmascarpone
¼cupfreshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Heat a dry skillet and fry the pancetta until browned and crisp. Drain and set aside.
Heat the stock in a deep pan and set on simmer.
In a large saucepan, gently saute the shallots and pumpkin in the oil for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes to toast the grains. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced.
Now pour in ¼ fourth of the stock and stir well. Cook gently until the liquid has been absorbed.
Stir in another ladle of stock. Continue cooking and stirring, gradually adding the stock, until the rice is just tender and the risotto is creamy. It should take a total of 15- 20 minutes.
About 2 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the pancetta, mascarpone, and ½ the parmesan cheese.
Check for seasonings, and then serve in bowls, with the remaining cheese.
Recipe Notes
Make this a vegetarian dish by substituting mushrooms and vegetable broth for the pancetta and chicken broth.
I always start a recipe by gathering all the ingredients in one place.
Using a heavy casserole helps in the cooking process, cooking evenly is important and it prevents burning the bottom of the risotto.
This year I have decided to add several creative new tips to help you through this holiday. Here’s one fun activity I have put together. Hopefully, throughout the day you may actually sit down and enjoy your time with friends and family before and after your festive meal with this silly facts game about Turkeys.
Trivia Turkey Game
Who wanted to make the wild turkey the national bird of the United States?
Where do wild turkeys spend their evenings?
What do they call baby turkeys?
What do they call a group of turkeys?
Turkeys have a keen sense of hearing , how far can they hear?
How fast can a turkey run?
What year did the wild turkey become extinct from over hunting?
What two states are without extensive wild turkey populations?
Wild turkeys were first domesticated in what country?
The wild turkey is the official game bird of what three states?
Answers
Because it is a native bird the wild turkey was Benjamin Franklin’s choice.
In low branches of trees, and yes wild turkeys can fly.
Baby turkeys are called “Poults”.
A group of turkeys are called “Flocks”.Wild turkeys have very powerful legs and can run at speeds up to 25 miles per hour. Their top speed in flight is 55 miles per hour.
Turkeys can hear up to one mile.
Wild turkeys have very powerful legs and can run at speeds up to 25 miles per hour. Their top speed in flight is 55 miles per hour.
In 1930 the turkey became extinct, but today we have over 7 million.
Alaska and Hawaii
The turkey is from Mexico, and later brought t0 the U.S. by the Europeans.
The three states are: Alabama, Massachusetts and South Carolina.
Have fun with this, print many copies on colored paper (orange and brown) and hand it out in groups of two per team. It makes a great ice-breaker or activity between the meal and the dessert!
This weekend I joined 30 food bloggers make our way through the Produce Marketing Association show in Anaheim, along with over 18,000 in attendance. A little overwhelming – absolutely! And who knew they had flowers as well! We were invited by The Idaho Potato Commission and were greeted by Don Odiorne, the Vice President of Food Service. In their booth they fed us daily with a lovely buffet, coffee, and lovely potato doughnuts! Must get that recipe- right? A big thank-you to Don and the several potato vendors we met throughout the weekend at the Fresh Summit Show!
We met several authors during the show, these two lovely sisters wrote cookbook, Spork-Fed. Smiling away are Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg.
Author Adrienne Saldivar-Meier of “Lettuce be the Change” shared many of her food samples and advise with us-
We also had a chance to view many pieces of machinery – including washing, sorting, and packaging of produce.
At one point this could have been called a “truck show”. Old vintage trucks were a favorite picture stop for many!
Food Trucks also made an appearance at the show and we ate tacos, mini burgers, and ahi tuna! Melissa‘s Produce booth was buzzing with two great L.A.Chefs, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken running the Border Grill Truck.
Funny and bizarre costumes caught my attention as well, but so did the dried okra they sold!
Movie stars appeared during the show, here Laura and I enjoying a foot rest in the Green Giant booth with Happy Days actor, Don Most.
And my favorite picture in which I had to practically drag Laura to take with me are the Cranberry Guys!
The Watermelon Commission invited us to attend a night of bowling and watermelon appetizers!
Guess what? We actually did go bowling and ate all night long while we bowled two games!
My partner in crime was Laura from Family Spice and we hit the floor hard and didn’t quit until are feet were so sore we couldn’t bowl anymore!
So, where is the produce??
I will write Part II soon, and bring you all the produce you will ever want to see!
Attending the long-awaited Diner en Blanc with 1,000 other guests in San Diego was so magical it took my breath away! Our destination was unknown until we boarded our fully occupied bus. As we exited the dirt parking lot where we all met, we were finally given our destination – the ocean bay park near Tom Ham’s Lighthouse. The food groupies in the bus held on tight to their lap filled with flowers, candles, and tabletop accessories as we traveled. As we arrived to our place of dining we unloaded along with hundreds of other guests and unwrapped our goods; tables, chairs, tablecloths, silverware, food, candles, flowers, all within 15 minutes. We sat closely with new neighbors and finally lit our candles and shared names and small talk. Soon, we became very comfortable with one another aligning with the stars in the beautiful night sky above. We dined together, sipped wine together, and soon danced together as the evening progressed. The song “Nights in White Satin” played over and over again in my head. This was an evening in Paris, I will never forget.
Enjoy the pictures, words cannot describe the fun and laughter we had shared with our new friends!
On the bus with everyone~
Setting up the tables~
Flowers, candles,vase and all!
Dinner at last!
Wonderful new friends ~ Lucas and Rebecca
Stephanie and Marco
Stephanie, Christa, and myself – enjoying our wine
Our rockin group – with thoughtful Brice
The boys …
My first grade student Marco from Flora Vista Elementary sitting right next to me with his lovely wife, Stephanie.
Surprise!
Our amazing view!
Sharing wonderful chocolates with the group!
One happy couple!
The boys…
Later in the evening they passed out candles – a sparkling night!
Here are a few videos from that evening from the local news stations.
Today my guest post ” Discovering the Greek Diet” has been posted on Andrew Wilder’s Eating Rules Blog, for the month of October #Unprocessed. Over 6,000 people have taken this pledge to eat unprocessed, and it’s sweeping the nation with those individuals who want a better eating diet and lifestyle for themselves and their families. It’s not too late to join us on this incredible journey!
I chose to write about the Greek Diet only because after many hours of research I realized the original Greek diet prior to 1960, the one I grew up with in my household is the authentic way to cook with this cuisine. My mother, Voula was a simple, clean home cook, very different from today’s Greek cooking. She ate various greens, soaked beans overnight, prepared fresh soups, and whipped up nightly fresh salads. Fish was our main source, with very little meat. This recipe I have chosen can be made as a quick side dish, and is a staple on the Island of Crete. (still today, where one of the oldest population continues to live ). This recipe can be found on Eating Rules.com
I want everyone to know the Greek Diet is not just how we eat, it’ involves a complete lifestyle choice. To read more about how you can “Eat Like a Cretan in America” visit Andrew Wilder’s blog. Many more recipes and authors can be found on his site to help you take this challenge.
Getting out of town and heading to your favorite nursery is exactly how I spent last weekend. Roger’s Gardens in Newport Beach has been on my favorite list for many years. In fact, I make it a full day of gardening and shopping, every season of the year. Roger’s with it’s unique grounds, attracts people from all over the southern California region. Even non-gardeners. Many buildings on the property are themed with beautifully dressed holiday gifts. And at the entrance, a surprise awaits every visitor with a seasonal floral exhibit.
This month at the entrance, stood six-foot tall sunflowers with a large selection of heirloom pumpkins. Unfortunately, I didn’t capture it. But, I did find these overly large heads of Lazy Susan flowers covering the main entrance to the gardens. They were just breathtaking!
The walkway into the gardens is a peek inside the new holiday presentation for the visitors. By now you can guess where this is going, possibly Rustic-European with old doors and window boxes that might treat you to a French countryside, or possibly an Italian villa.
Once inside, another surprise!
Facing you are clusters of worn-out mechanic moving parts, dressing this large over-sized decorative wall.
This complex arrangement keeps you guessing, and wondering what’s ahead .
Just outside the buildings you run into these cleverly displayed Fall collections.
Hundreds of unique heirloom pumpkins displayed so randomly, prompting you to grab one and throw it into your basket.
And believe it not, Spring is still blooming in the magical garden ~ doesn’t surprise me one bit!
It’s fall here in Southern California after all!
Oh! back to the theme inside.
Even though Christmas has arrived here at Rogers, I will be saving those pictures for a later post. ( I can only handle one season at a time ).
All I can say for now is, the theme for this year is still a mystery.
Check in later for my post on Holidays at Roger’s Gardens, when I reveal the total theme.
Trust me , you won’t be disappointed.
So for now, I must get back to planting my fall garden…
What are root vegetables and how do you use them in your weekly meals?
First things first, I’ve compiled my Best Root Vegetables for you and your family. Let’s identify what root vegetables are. Fall is the season root vegetables are available and abundant at the farmer’s markets. Their sizes vary from tiny round radishes to large knobby celery roots.
Beets: they can be eaten or roasted, with an earthy sweet flavor.
Celery root: Once peeled, underneath is a creamy white flesh often tasting sweet like the stalks. Can be shaved for salads or cooked in stews.
Radishes: Can be eaten straight from the garden with a sweet, crisp texture with a zesty juice.
Jicama: peeled with a crunchy texture. Added raw to salads or use as a chip for dips.
Parsnips: A delicate flavor, a cross between a carrot and parsley. So versatile, for soups, roasted, and mashed
Rutabagas: Milder, sweet and creamier than turnips, use in the same dishes as the parsnip.
Fennel bulb: can be eaten raw, shaved in salads, and often called “sweet anise” a licorice taste. When cooked it becomes sweeter.
Techniques for Cooking Root Vegetables
Roasting: Vegetables are cut into pieces, placed on a sheet pan with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Oven pre-heated at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
Baking: Whole vegetables can be baked in the oven at 350 degrees until tender.
Grilled: Vegetables can be placed in a well-oiled basket, with salt and pepper and spices and turned occasionally until tender.
Boiled: In a large pot vegetables can be boil, but not quite the flavor as the above method
The Greek diet has always been represented by the seasonal fruits and vegetables from your family garden. And so is California! I added a twist from the traditional French composed salad to a California Greek Garden Nicoise Salad. This late summer salad is a jubilee of fresh figs, ripe avocados, sun-kissed tomatoes, and my fresh catch from the sea, sardines.
Composed salads, are exactly that, planned ahead and skillfully laid out on a large platter. I can tell you anyone will enjoy selecting from these heart – healthy choices of seasonal fresh foods.
I had more fun with this recipe because of the colorful array of delectable California fruits, vegetables, farmer’s market ranch eggs, and wide selection of seafood available. And eating it… will hit all your pleasures zones all at once. Nothing more needs to be served with this, except for a fresh loaf of bread.
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!
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!
