Safeway – Page 2

Cor’onion’a Soup

Surreal times call for inspiration and imagination. At ChezHelvetica, this meant diving deep into cupboards and sacks of produce and staples to create a heartwarming dinner. Behold mouthwatering French Onion Soup accompanied by Brown Rice/ Romaine Salad. Three remaining cubes of Maggi Bouillon de Pot-Au-Feu (best used dates long since gone) became the Beef Broth in which Onions sautéed in Butter and California Olive Ranch Olive Oil simmered with Holland Cooking Sherry, Dried Thyme, Salt and Pepper. Grated Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese, broiled atop pieces of Safeway‘s Signature Oat Nut Bread, crowned the soup. A piquant Caper Vinaigrette dressed the fresh Romaine, a socially-distanced gift from the garden of friend ‘Pataphysician Dr. Jardin. Likewise, the array of Citrus on the table from the Florin Gardens. Bowls of Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough Ice Cream concluded the meal; fun fact – it is even more delicious in self-isolation!

Divine 89

Happy Birthday Mom! ChezHelvetica and Family celebrated a woman of unequalled creativity and style with all of the color and vibrancy befitting this remarkable Mother, Grandmother and Aunt. Mimosas of La Marca Prosecco and TJ Orange Juice kicked off the gathering with toasts, hugs and kisses. Fluffy Carrot Pancakes bathing in luscious Cream Cheese Syrup and Candied Pecans starred in this delicious luncheon. Lox from the House of Bagels and Tory Farms Oro Blanco Grapefruit, Medjool Dates, Organic Blueberries and Tangerines, sprinkled with O Organics Shredded Coconut, accompanied the Pancakes. Lively conversation with news of the latest jobs, homes and events brought more smiles to the birthday table. The finale of Chocolate Chip, Blueberry and Bran Muffins – illuminated with one beautiful candle – brought wishes of happiness and good health to all!

Fare Trade

Q. How to thank a dear friend for an exquisite painting? A. A work of art for a work of art – fare trade! While ChezHelvetica’s centerpiece Cobb Salad doesn’t match the effort taken to create the beautiful canvas, the overture was heartfelt. Robert Cobb’s classic Brown Derby recipe received a new coat of culinary paint with the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market‘s freshly-picked Romaine Hearts, Curly Endive, Rotisserie Chicken and award-winning Point Reyes Farmstead Blue Cheese. Safeway‘s Farmer John thick-sliced Bacon, Open Nature Cage-Free Eggs, Kalamata Olives, and Trader Joe’s Avocado and Pearl Tomatoes completed the platter – all dressed in Stonehouse Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Dijon Mustard and a touch of Organic Cane Sugar. (Sadly, I found the perfect Chives purchased to garnish the Salad untouched in the refrigerator the next day…) Wild Mountain Raw Honey showered Medina Farms Blackberries, Strawberries and Tory Farms Oranges, also sweetening Mighty Leaf Ginger Tea, as confidantes shared exciting secrets in the new chapters of their lives!

Strata

For some Strata defines a level or class, at ChezHelvetica this means a delicious breakfast. Behold Apple French Toast Strata. The evening before serving, preparation for this French toast bake was almost done with the exception of the Sliced Almonds added just before going into the oven. Sautéed Trader Joe’s Organic Honey Crisp Apples and Safeway’s 15-Grain Whole Wheat Bread soaked in Eggs, Milk and Half & Half, then scented by fragrant Spice Ace Organic Ground Nutmeg, Vietnamese Cinnamon and Sonoma Syrup Co’s Madagascar Bourbon Organic Vanilla Extract. Imagine the aroma when baking in the morning along with freshly brewed coffee. Juicy Strawberries and Blackberries from the VA Farmers Market and Dark Amber Maple Syrup from Quebec’s Beauce-Appalache region sent this down-to-earth meal straight into the Stratosphere . . .

From the Land of Don Quixote

Miguel de Cervantes beloved literary tale “Man from La Mancha” revealed new significance, and romance, on this summer evening at ChezHelvetica. With Spain as the exciting accent of this anniversary celebration, we toasted with Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs along with Green and Manzanillo Olives, Almonds and Salmon Ahumado con Queso Fresco Montaditos (Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese) and Honey Truffle bites. Tyler Florence’s warm Roasted Tomato Soup opened the meal with rich, savory flavors – Early Girl and Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, Onion and Basil. The soup was accompanied by delicious Manchego, so named for Spain’s famed cheese made from the milk of sheep grazing the country’s La Mancha region. Pearl white corn kernels had fallen weightlessly into a bundt pan when making the featured entrée, a Salad of Grilled Chicken and Corn, Avocado and Baby Spinach, dressed with a Garlic and Rosemary-infused Vinaigrette (from Real Simple), paired with velvety Etude Pinot Noir. Like windmills spinning bliss, Neiman Marcus Delicate Lemon Squares, made with Meyer Lemons and crowned with Yellow Raspberries, created the perfect conclusion for “Life Happily Ever After, not an Impossible Dream!” (Muchas Gracias to the Fillmore and VA Farmers Markets, Trader Joe’s and Safeway as the food and beverage sources for this meal.)

In The Limelight

Fog-filtered super moonlight illuminated the beautiful round citrus center stage at ChezHelvetica on this Saturday evening. Limes originated in India or Malaysia, and then were grown on large scale in southern Iraq and Persia. The path of this variety proceeded to Sicily, Andalusia and the West Indies including the Florida Keys. West Indian, Mexican or bartender Limes garnered the Key Lime name in their association with the Florida Keys. A Saveur recipe for Grilled Prawns (posted on Facebook by my friend Phyllis) called for Finger Limes but aromatic Key Limes were a delicious understudy. Basil accented Lemon and Lime Juices drizzled the Gulf Prawns (from Safeway), delightfully spilling over the Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes and Organic Broccoli (from Nunez Farm). Rich Kunde Chardonnay from Sonoma Valley accompanied our entree and also dessert of Tory Farms incredible Peaches and Roasted Inzana Ranch Walnuts. Spilling over – definitely the key words for this evening!

Fish Tail

On an almost tropical evening,”the tail wagged the fish” at ChezHelvetica. Indeed, the deciding factor for our choice of entree was an alluring bottle of Donovan Parke Chardonnay. Mining the Epicurious archive, I unearthed the perfect Grilled Tuna Niçoise recipe – customized to the house pantry. Ingredients included emerald green haricot vert and fingerling potatoes from the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market, Campari tomatoes, arugula, hard boiled eggs, capers and Kalamata olives. Wild, coho salmon from Alaska (purchased at Safeway) replaced the tuna. The salad’s delectable herb dressing – roused by garlic and anchovies – doubled as a dip for the rustic artisan baguette. Gelato – the quintessential warm weather dessert – topped with pomegranate seeds and balsamic vinegar – concluded our special night.

Honored Guest #3

ChezHelvetica Hostel opened for summer season with a flurry of reservations from family members. Our honored guest this evening was my Mom. Mouth-watering Shenson’s corned beef, oven-roasted rather boiled, was the featured entree served with Stonewall Kitchen Horseradish Cream Sauce and Grey Poupon Country Dijon Mustard. Crudites and a piquant Danish potato salad completed the main course. A delicious Ficklin Port satisfied my Mother’s preference for sweet wine while we also served a smooth Renwood Old Vine Zin. What better to have for a summer dessert than a Fruit Tart? Apricots, blackberries and walnuts crowned puff pastry, embellished with Safeway‘s Homestyle Vanilla Ice Cream. Welcome to this season of warmth and long days!

Is the Fish Fresh?

The answer to my husband’s perpetual question in this case is a resounding YES, in fact the fish is Wild. A Martha Stewart Living recipe with the magic words “you make the main and side dish all in one pan” got me going! The succulent halibut from Alaska (purchased at Safeway) roasted alongside the baby zucchini while I made the luscious butter sauce, substituting shallots for the onion. Why cut into a whole onion for such a small amount? Whole wheat couscous from Trader Joe’s, studded with delicate shiitake mushrooms from the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market, completed the meal. A Pacific Rim Dry Reisling helped the celebration of warm weather – finally – and beginning of the Memorial Day Weekend. Halleluyah!

Snap Judgements

The intended fish course for this meal was to be salmon, but one look at the beautiful, fresh red snapper at Safeway, that was it – I was off in a new direction. Quickly looking online for some cooking instructions since I hadn’t made snapper in a while, I found a recipe on Epicurious for a Roasted Red Snapper, Lemon and Artichoke dish. The original intention for the glorious artichokes from Castroville (found at Pezzini’s) was to simply steam them. Yet once again, finding I could roast them under the snapper, this lead to one more change in direction. Yam fries completed our meal with everything getting a dollop of garlicky basil aioli. Sometimes, things just fall into place!