Recipes

Gluten-Free Fennel Ricotta Tomato Tart

Every little bite of this delicious tart screams summertime. The beautiful, bright flavors and buttery crust can be enjoyed either hot or cold. The peppery, gluten-free crust requires no rolling. It comes together easily with parmesan cheese. We filled the tart with a spinach and ricotta mixture, seasoned with our Italian Sausage Mix. Don't let the name mislead you, there's no sausage to be found in this mix but rather kickin' red chile flakes, black pepper, fennel seed, basil, oregano, and other Italian classics.To bejewel the tart, sprinkle some halved heirloom cherry tomatoes and little dollops of goat cheese. Bake this tart until golden brown. Make it extra special by sprinkling some fennel pollen before serving your wedge. Fennel Pollen is delicate, sweet and fragrant and compliments the bursts of tomato perfectly.Fennel Pollen on before baking or if the tart is still very hot — its flavor is heat sensitive! One of our favorite things about fennel pollen is how the fennel flavor is so forward yet somehow light and delicate. It makes for an excellent garnish and an elegant flavor enhancement.

Floral Chia Seed Pudding

This go-to summer breakfast has infinite possibilities. We used chia seeds which are full of protein, antioxidants and fiber. Once they soak overnight in liquid, they plump up and have a tapioca-like texture that is both filling and easy to build on other flavors. Here we brewed some Floral Sonnets tea, adding a touch of honey and some Beet Powder, resulting in the beautiful magenta layer for this parfait. For the royal blue-colored pudding, we used Butterfly Pea Flower with almond milk. The next day build your parfait with the layers by adding seasonal berries and yogurt. This parfait cup will taste of chamomile, ginger and cinnamon, which bring warmth to the tangy yogurt. It's both festive and a great way to start any breakfast!

Madras Curry Potato Salad

30 min

Potato salad is such a ubiquitous summer dish. This recipe really brightens things up and breathes new life into potato salad. Its beautiful yellow color comes from our popular Madras South Indian Curry. The curry gives the salad incredible flavor alongside mustard, black pepper, cumin, and turmeric. Madras is a classic curry that will taste familiar and go great with the beloved potato. Fresh peas and crunchy bell peppers give the salad great texture. We used small Yukon potatoes so no peeling and little chopping is involved. This dish comes together with ease. Our dressing is kept light using half Greek yogurt for tang, rather than just straight mayo. Try making this for a lovely twist on a picnic classic or make it the star of a lettuce wrap!

Abuelo's Rabbit Paella

I had the pleasure of making this paella along with my friend Maria. She immigrated here from Madrid and while making this for me, she was beaming with nostalgia. She told me how her grandpa, Cristobal, took great pride in making paella outdoors in the hot Spanish summers. This Valencia-style paella is made with Saffron, Smoked Sweet Paprika, rabbit, and chicken. One of my favorite parts were the large creamy beans and nutty artichoke pieces. The rabbit gets tender while cooking and is similar in texture and flavor to chicken. We're a long ways from Valencia, but I would like to think this dish tasted like a summer vacation in Spain.Paella is a traditional, one-pan dish from Spain. The meats and vegetables used varies from region to region but all keep the signature saffron infused rice as the base. This type of recipe, Paella Valenciana, is hundreds of years old and comes from the paella birthplace, Valencia.A big thanks to Maria O'Connor who taught me her ways and her grandfather Cristobal Nebot for passing down this wonderful dish.

Tadka Carrot and Cauliflower Salad

Sometimes we crave something hearty and filling, yet light enough to be healthy. This flavorful salad is able to achieve both! Tadka is a South Asian technique, also known as tempering, that uses hot oil or ghee to extract the essential oils out of spices. The result is a rich, flavorful, and aromatic oil — perfect to use as a dressing. For ours we use a base of Brown Mustard Seed, Yellow Mustard Seed, Cumin Seed, Turmeric, India Red Chile Flake and Asafoetida. These spices get lightly sautéed in oil, then a squeeze of lime juice and salt is added. The sauce melds together to coat the salad beautifully. The crunch from the mustard seeds and the umami from the asafoetida really makes this recipe stand out. Making this salad is quick, easy, and the ingredients are completely versatile. Beets, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale — any shreddable veggie would be delicious in this salad!Asafoetida is a great spice to use, especially if following a low-FODMAP diet. The flavor is nearly identical to that of onion and garlic, but it actually comes from the dried giant fennel resin. There is truly no spice like it!

Memorable Father's Day Martinis

Some of our father figures are known for their no-nonsense attitudes while other times their wit is endless. Either way, we've got a martini for him! For practical, no-nonsense Dad, we polished a classic Gibson martini with savory house-made pickled pearl onions. For sweet & silly Dad, we added fancy to a French martini with vanilla bean-infused vodka. Either way, he'll appreciate the extra touches and the time together to enjoy them. We know a lot of well rounded men who will love both!Infusing your own vodka is an absolute breeze and it is a great way to capture all the flavor from a precious Madagascar 3 Count Vanilla Bean. Once you make it, you'll never go back. We tapped our favorite local spirits for this recipe using Oola Distillery vodka for a smooth, clean finish. The playful froth in this martini comes from the shaken pineapple juice. Enjoy!The Gibson martini is traditional and crisp. We pickled our own pearl onions using our house blend Pickling Spice. We also used Oola's Gin that has been cask aged in old whiskey barrels which gives it a golden hue. Adding a dash of the brine to the martini makes the gin go down even easier and really completes it. At the end, you'll be left with a tasty pickled pearl onion.Now go make your dad a drink and raise a glass!

Nigella Caesar Artichoke Toast

Now that I sling spices instead of hash, it is nostalgic to look at old recipes from my professional chef days. This recipe and I go waaay back and it remains a brunch favorite. Over time, it has evolved into a slightly healthier version. Our vegan Nigella Caesar blend brings all the flavor of a classic Caesar dressing, without the extra egg. Nutty nigella seeds add crunch and bring the umami along with Worcestershire powder and garlic. These bold flavors pair perfectly with the leeks and artichoke hearts in the spread. This makes a delightful topping for toast or flat bread. For added brunch magic, we garnished the toast with a kale Caesar salad and a poached egg. Finish it off with a sprinkle of Pacific Flake Sea Salt for crunch and enjoy!

Tea Picnic

This post is for those of us who like the crusts cut off. The extra effort and attention that goes into making these beautiful tea sandwiches shows in every detail — the sweet shapes, the colorful combinations and, as always, the thoughtful flavor pairings. Make a platter for friends or a plate for yourself and enjoy a lazy summer picnic while the weather is fine. Since we're taking this picnic over the top, we've suggested some tea pairings as well. You can check out easy methods for cold brewing here!A bold curried egg salad is seasoned with our French inspired Vadouvan Curry, served on whole wheat bread and a cherry tomato topper. The flavor is deep and rich in this toasted blend with cumin, cardamom, mustard seeds, black pepper and fenugreek seeds. With a squeeze of lemon juice and watercress, these sandwiches go great with a malty Indian black tea like our Keemun black tea. For a cooling crunch with spectacular flavor, we seasoned the cucumber sandwich with our Orange Tarragon. This blend has chives, shallots, garlic and black pepper, adding many layers of flavor to the cream cheese spread complimenting the cucumbers. These cucumber sandwiches are anything but boring! Pair them with a cup of Rwandan Green Tea which is a vegetal green tea that will cut through the rich cream cheese and compliment the cooling cucumber. Because no picnic is complete without dessert, we made a sweet finish, open-faced mascarpone sandwiches. The creamy mascarpone gets its speckles from Madagascar vanilla beans that not only smell amazing, but go great with berries and a sprinkle of lemon zest. To finish off our tea picnic we paired a bold cup of Earl Grey with this sandwich. This classic tea is scented with bergamot, a perfect combo with the vanilla bean and sweet blackberries.

Cold Brewed Iced Tea

With the heat of summer well on its way, we look to our favorite things to keep us cool. One of the best ways to beat the heat is by sipping on cold brew tea. Cold brewing has several advantages over the traditional hot water steeping. For one, it's incredibly easy to do. The low temperature also prevents tannins from developing and giving unwanted bitterness in the tea. Another benefit is that cold brewing preserves a higher amount of vitamin C while extracting less caffeine — making for a refreshing beverage to give a steady boost of energy without a caffeine crash. We advise steeping black tea leaves overnight or for 4 hours if using a green tea. Here we used Keemun black tea, commonly used to make other favorites like English and Irish Breakfast Teas. This tea is malty and rich, tasty on its own, and strong enough to stand up to additions like lemonade or fruit.