Hello Friends,
I hope this email finds you well.
I have been trying to get this blog post/email out for a few days now but I’ve been socially paralyzed by what has been taking place in our country. I would like to take a moment to use my voice and this platform to say that I stand with the black & brown community. Their injustice has gone on for far too long and I myself at times have been guilty of silence and complacency regarding the matter. Self reflection this past week made it painfully clear to me that it was/is white privilege that allowed me to take that stance. Luckily I realized it & internalized it. I am only 38 years old and I have never been racist but I have made the decision to end that silence and complacency and take a stance of ANTI-RACIST and I want to encourage my fellow white folks to do the same. Simply "not being racist" just isn't enough. It's uncomfortable, and it should be. I believe we need to sit with this feeling for a little while.
Now, let's talk about food. Good food makes for good community.
THE FOODIE BOX
I have been working on new ideas to keep you cooking different things at home so this month I am bringing you The Foodie Box. Here's the contents explained;
Pork Rillette: this delicious pork spread is made by slow roasting fatty pork bits. After the roast I take them and roll them around in the mixer with some mustard, thyme and vinegar. It's great with toast or on crackers.
Ocotpus: I love octopus. I don't eat it enough but the truth is that once the initial work is done, (which is a bit of work) it's really very easy to cook. So that's what I'm going to do for you; the initial work. You will receive clean, cooked octopus ready for the gill or sauce pan.
Duck Confit: (2) Duck Confit Legs are fully cooked. From there you can either pull the meat off the bone for use in a salad, pasta or vegetable saute OR throw them in the oven whole and get the skin nice and crispy.
Duck Breast: The duck breast are raw. Clean and scored and ready for pan roasting. Cooking duck breast is super easy. Start with the fat side down, in a pan on medium heat. You are going to cook it on this fat side until it's about 50% done. The skin will start to turn brown and get crispy. As that happens it also renders out and creates a nice puddle of duck fat that will cook the other side when you flip it. I like my duck cooked Medium. If it's too rare it's very chewy.
Stuffed Quail: These quail are ranched raised in Texas. I take them and stuff them with wild rice, carrots, onions, celery, garlic and herbs. They will arrive to you Vac Sealed and ready for the oven. Pop them in there at 400 degrees with some vegetables from my CSA bag for about 20 minutes and you'll haave a nice little time.
SAUSAGE
I added two varieties of sausage available for a la carte purchase. The griller and chiller box was pretty popular in May and it was my thought that the sausage was a big part of that so I am making a batch of Italian and a batch of Chorizo.
JERK SAUCE
This Jerk Sauce recipe is my fathers. It is the first recipe that I sought out after his untimely passing in 2011. It's good on everything. Specifically fish, pork and chicken. You also might remember that Jerked Octopus dish from back at Julienne.
XO SAUCE
This Hong Kong condiment is great on a variety of fish and white meats. The version I make is very creamy and emulsified which makes it great for using as a flooring agent in broth.
SALAD DRESSING
I added two new salad dressings too. I added the Mustard Vinaigrette back to the list and I added my Creamy Gorgonzola dressing.
FOURTH OF JULY:
It's June 1st so i am giving you a whole month to plan accordingly with me... I put up two special meat boxes for 4th of July. A box I am calling them "Sausage Party" and "BBQ Box"... Ribs, Pulled Pork, Brisket, Chicken, Wings... Let me help you make this fourth of July great, since we will all be at home this year.
Thanks for reading!
Justin West
805-722-8527
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