Tag: Trader Joe’s

Rachel aka spacegirl1, Dr. LeCover PhD

Celebration time ~ Niece Rachel turns 33! Between rainstorms and flash flooding, the sun shined on this remarkable day at ChezHelvetica. Sunday brunch called for the proverbial Lox, Cream Cheese and Everything Bagels with Dill Pickles and an assortment of sweet Organic Berries. Crustless Quiche , oozing with Unexpected Cheddar Cheese, Carmelized Onions, Sautéed Broccoli and Italian Sausage, added a savory touch.

          

Then, a walk  through the natural beauty of the GGNRA to the Legion of Honor to see the exquisite Mary Cassatt exhibition and amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge, downtown San Francisco and Ocean Beach. Now it was time for Birthday Cake and Champagne!

       

Meet beautiful birthday girl Rachel and boyfriend Jordan! Black Magic Cake,  Haagen Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream and sparkling Korbel Champagne filled the room with Happiest of Birthday Wishes!!!

Honoring Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples Table SettingChezHelvetica hosted the incredible “Cava 5 Tribe” for a luncheon of Indigenous foods and PowWow on the influence of Native Indians on each of our lives. The gathering commenced with Debon Brut Cava and a savory mixture of roasted Peanuts, Walnuts, Pecans and Sesame Seeds.

Heartwarming “Three Sisters” (Corn, Squash and Beans) Soup and Pumpkin Cream Biscuits with Sage Butter followed. The main course featured Smoked and Sweetened Trout in Cornmeal Tortilla wraps and Wild Rice With Root Vegetables Salad. Blended Cranberries, Maple Syrup and Apple Cider Vinegar dressed this delightful salad.  Artisa Chardonnay and Seghesio Zinfandel paired wonderfully with this Indigenous food. The Crescendo: Delectable Indian Pudding Sundaes and Chocolate Obsession Cake, with The Blue Angels soaring in the sky!!!

Bastille Day Niçoise Salad

While this day commemorates the storming of the Bastille, the Trump assassination attempt captured the headlines this year. Still, ChezHelvetica prepared a Classic French Niçoise Salad. Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Ranch Dressing doused Wild Planet Albacore Tuna, VA Farmers Market Green Beans, Tomatoes, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Hard-Boiled Eggs and Olives. Delicious TJ’s Unexpected Cheddar, baked on Pita Bread, accompanied the delectable salad.

Earlier in the week, a healthy Zucchini Potato Frittata made a great dinner, then lunch the following day. Red Potato, Green Onions and sweet Cherry Tomatoes baked with Eggs, Chili Sauce and Goat Cheese. Fresh Dill and Italian Parsley (and, of course, more Olive Oil) topped the savory Frittata.

         

Let us see if the temperature really “cools down” prior to the election!

Rising

ChezHelvetica honored resurrection and family this Easter Sunday with Eggs (of course) and the finest produce from organic vegetable and fruit kingdoms. Crustless Quiche created with Unexpected Cheddar Cheese, carmelized Onion, Mushrooms, Chives and sautéed Broccoli and Italian Sausage, filled a cherished Passiflora Caerilea Portmeirion dish.
Wonderful produce from the VA Farmers Market shared the spotlight on our table showcasing the juiciest Berries, Artichoke Hummus, Italian Caponata and Lemon Pita Chips. Even our dessert, Banana Pie, hailed from this market. Let the World Rise Now in Freedom and Peace!

 

Summer Solstice Tea Party 🌻

Tilting toward the sun, ChezHelvetica celebrated the Summer Solstice with Scandinavian-inspired revelry and best possible friends – the Cava4 (as #5 was in Scotland)! Our tea party started with Crab Toast, a luxurious combination of French Baguette toast slathered with brown butter mayonnaise and sweet Dungeness Crab. Sparkling Breathless Blanc de Noirs paired perfectly with this course. Glazed Fresh Orange Scones with hints of Vanilla and Cardamom, doused with luscious Lemon Curd, and Pineapple cubes followed.

Chives adorn crab toasts on antique platter

Kalamata olives in dish from Tuscany

Antique linens and Patrician China

Rustic wire and floral tape for crowns                     

A traditional symbol in European celebrations are flower crowns so we played musical chairs, moving to the other end of the table with our overflowing blossoms and greens to create our crowns.  Sweet Lemon Iced Tea  energized this very focused multi-step creation.

The sweet send-off were Strawberry Tartlets. Ground Almonds, Walnuts and Pecans cradled a Strawberry, Lemon Verbena and Honey filling (topped with rich Whipped Cream) for a distinctive new taste. SUMMER HAPPINESS!!!

Savoring the Mediterranean 👄

Greek inspiration|Israeli ingenuity|Italian saporoso ChezHelvetica delighted this weekend in serving Baked Feta With Tomatoes and Roasted Asparagus. The Israeli Feta in brine (discovered at Trader Joe‘s) is an outstanding, luxuriant rendition of sheep’s milk cheese. Freshly cut Oregano from the garden and rich Olive Oil doused the Feta, Cherry Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives. Safeway‘s Multigrain Harvest Bread soaked up the delicious flavors. Asparagus from the VA Farmers’ Market, tossed with Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Parmesan Reggiano Cheese and Lemon Juice accompanied, along with vibrant Edna Valley Chardonnay. Then the next day O Organics Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Snow Peas from the VA Farmer’s Market bathed in roasted Shallots, Tomatoes and Tarragon, finished with Basil Chiffonade and Parmesan Cheese. Our Dolce ending ~ Really?Good homemade Mixed Berry Pie á la Mode!

    

“The Perfect 36” Twice

OSUs Scarlet & Gray, emblazoned with an “O Stealie”, brought magical vibes to the celebration at ChezHelvetica – from Grateful Dead to Grateful Alive. A luscious Ina Garten Roasted Vegetable Lasagna layered with roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, four different Cheeses, Rao’s Marinara Sauce, O Organics Lasagna Noodles, Garlic, fresh Oregano and Basil absolutely delighted the party. A Spinach and Arugula Salad with Avocado, Red Onion, Walnuts and wonderful Poppyseed Dressing accompanied. Italbrand Parmigiano Reggiano (Thin Torinesi Grissini) Breadsticks from Andronico’s and Trader Joe’s Organic Olives completed this star set. For the finale – sister Barbara brought a wonderfully rich Chocolate Mousse Torte from renowned Schubert’s Bakery. A leftover Chanukah candle ignited, granting heartfelt wishes to the birthday honoree. Happiest of Birthdays Freddy! Really?! 

New Year | New Decade

New beginnings at ChezHelvetica! This day started with delicious deli at Toy Boats on Clement Street, fueling our search for the perfect locally sourced fresh fish to star in a “Sheet-Pan Harissa, Fish with Potatoes and Citrus” recipe, adapted from the New York Times. Our discovery at last – Monkfish from the Seafood Center. The fish roasted in Stonehouse Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Pepper, Ginger, Garlic, Moroccan Harissa Spice and juicy Tangerines and Oranges from Tory Farms and Meyer Lemons from my sister’s tree. Organic Green Beans, Tomatoes and Red Onion from Trader Joe’s with Brussel Sprouts and Red Potatoes accompanied. Delectable! We toasted the special night with Zonin Prosecco and Reed’s Ginger Beer. A gift of Gudrun Fine Belgian Chocolates concluded this wonderful New Year’s Eve, the last night of 2019. The first chapter of the Roaring 20’s, a Holy Roller on Ocean Beach – a huge cylinder stamped with symbols of many religions leaving marks in the sand, ushering in spirituality, creativity and peace for the new decade! Click to view short iMovie HolyRoller!

 

    

 

 

 

After Burn

From Black Rock City, Nevada to ChezHelvetica at Land’s End, a Burner returned to Welcome Back feasts and Tide. (Lots of Tide/three loads). The day’s first repast, a collaboration, featured an Organic Arugula Salad with homemade Apricot Salad Dressing, Marin Gourmet‘s delicious Aubergine Dip with Lemon Crackers and Black Bean-Vidalia Onion-Cheddar Cheese Wraps punctuated with stories of incredible art, desert challenges and dust. Dinner included Oven-Roasted BBQ Chicken Breasts smothered with Cremini Mushrooms, Onion, Garlic and TJ’s Organic Kansas City Style Barbecue Sauce, accompanied by Veggie Sauté. Farmers Market Zucchini, Early Girl Tomatoes, Garlic and Onion sizzled in Stonehouse Extra Virgin Olive Oil, then accented with fresh Basil. Husked Sweet Corn wrapped in damp paper towels, microwaved for just five minutes, then dipped in butter and salt. Mouthwatering delight! This year on Saturday the Burning Man, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of colorful mutant vehicles and fireworks, incinerated in a huge flash and fell over almost as quickly as the corn cooked – about seven minutes. Yet there are more beautiful Temples to burn, with Sorrow and with Joy! 🧨🔥

 

Grand Slam

Pride, Independence and Victory describe ChezHelvetica on this auspicious occasion. Jubilant Pride Parades and the 4th of July inspired the table setting and menu for this family welcome, with Food & Wine Magazine providing the recipe for a delicious Grilled Squash and Corn Salad with Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette. Using home-grown greens already on hand instead of Kale, and removing Corn Kernels by inserting the cob into a Bundt pan (so that the kernels fall into the pan and not all over the floor) facilitated the creation. Trader Joe’s Moroccan Harissa spiced the piquant dressing. Turkey Soup made from an Empire Turkey Breast, Onion, Garlic, Celery and Carrots accompanied the salad, along with Bakers of Paris Pain Rustique topped by Primo Taglio Soft Goat’s Cheese. Sweet TJ’s Medjool Dates concluded this meal but attending the Oakland A’s/Minnesota Twins baseball game and witnessing Marcus Semien’s Grand Slam homer crowned the day!