I must be on a copy cat recipe kit recently because this is my second one in just a matter of weeks. I think it has to do with some confidence that I am gaining in the kitchen recently. I love finding new recipes that I love at restaurants and trying to recreate them. This particular recipe hails from Disney's Animal Kingdom. The Harambe Market in the Africa section of this park has started serving a black eyed pea and corn salad that is just to die for. It hits all the right notes. Here is my take and my version that you can now enjoy from the comfort of your home. 

Ingredients: 

2 cans black eyed peas, rinsed

1 ear corn, cooked 

1/4 cup roma tomato, diced

1/4 cup celery stalk, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons safflower oil

1/2 tsp sugar 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

fresh lemon zest

Directions: mix all ingredients together, chill then serve. 

This can be stored for several days and makes a wonderful make ahead side dish. This salad is refreshing and good for you. It's got a great depth of flavor and a wonderful crunch. 

Enjoy!

This soup is lovely vegan option verses your traditional bacon laced leek and potato soup. You make up for the lack of bacon with the lovely spices, especially the warm taste of turmeric. It's filling due to the potatoes, but the richness in this soup is surprisingly virtually fat free. This is a delicious healthy fall soup that will warm your belly whenever there is a chill in the air. 

Ingredients: 
1 tablespoon butter
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 leek, diced
1.5 tsp lavender herbs de provence (found here) 
1 tsp tumeric
1 large onion diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, chopped
4 red potatoes, cut into 1 inch squares
1 sweet potato, cut into 1 inch squares
2 cans broth
1/3 cup water
Salt and pepper

Directions: 
Saute your onions, garlic, leeks, and celery (with salt and pepper) in your butter until softened (about 4-5 minutes). Then add your turmeric and herbs de provence and stir until mixed. Throw in the rest of your ingredients (carrots, potatoes, broth, water, etc) and season additionally with salt and pepper as needed. When the potatoes are fork tender, use your emersion blender until you reach the desired smooth consistency that you prefer. Serve with bread for dipping. 

Enjoy!

I love making dishes with ingredients that aren't your every day foods. Barley is an inexpensive and relatively easy ingredient to find, yet vastly under utilized in the kitchen. Barley is a wonderfully versatile grain with a rich nutlike flavor and an appealing pasta-like consistency. Tonight my husband made us a rich stew with delicious beef and barley, wonderful compliments to one another. 

Ingredients: 
1.5 lbs stew beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 celery stalks, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
4 carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
3 bay leaves
2 springs thyme
1 cup instant pearled barley 
10 cups beef broth
Salt and Pepper

Heat your oil in a large le creuset pot. Pat your beef dry and add it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook and stir occasionally until brown on all sides. Remove your meat from the pot and then add your onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Cook until soft and golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add your meat back to the pot. Add your thyme and bay leaves, and broth. Season again with about a teaspoon of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 1 hour. Add your barley and cook for another 20-25 minutes until both your barley and meat are tender. Add more salt and pepper if needed. 

This should give you about 4 servings. Its a relatively easy dish with a deep homey flavor. Its a great way to "beef" up your typical stew with a delicious and unexpected ingredient. I hope you enjoy it!

My lovely friend just completed his first deer hunt. His beautiful wife had no idea what to do with all of that venison, so they gifted a bunch of it to us. While deer and elk love to frequent the lavender apple farm, they don't frequent the kitchen. 

When I looked online for a good venison recipe, all I could find was hunting websites. And no offense to all of my hunter friends, but most of the recipes I found just had you brown the meat with a jar of marinara sauce and call it good. We wanted to try something a little bit gourmet. We also thought simmering the meat for 30 minutes removed the gamey-ness of the meat. By the time we were done you could not have guess this was not a beef sauce! 

1 lb venison
1/2 onion
1/2 bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Tyme
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp parsley
Salt pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 stalk celery
3/4 box spaghetti noodles 

Brown your venison in a large saucepan with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Salt and Pepper lightly.  
Once thoroughly browned, remove it from the pan and set aside. Using the left over grease in the pan, cook your onions, celery, and bell pepper until softened. Salt and pepper lightly. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. And 1/2 a cup of white wine and simmer for a few minutes. Add your diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, marinara sauce, oregano, tyme, parsley, and salt and pepper lightly. Simmer for 30 minutes. When you sauce has about 10 minutes left, boil your pasta in salted water. Combine pasta and sauce, top with fresh parmesan. 

This may not be the fancy Parisian dishes you are used to seeing from Peggy, but its the perfect down home farm meal for anyone looking for a great way to utilize your deer meat! 

Enjoy!