Spring Recipes

Herbed Goat Cheese

Spring brings a freshness to everything we experience... The air smells of earth & new growth; our friends at Rollingstone Chevre in Idaho's Treasure Valley send us ultra-fresh cheese, which we enjoy with our Spring menus.

1 pound fresh chevre/ goatsmilk cheese, such as Rollingstone Chevre
1 8-oz package ‘neufchatel’/ lowfat cream cheese
8 oz (1 cup) nonfat sour cream, Tillamook brand
2 heaping Tbsp. minced fresh chives
¼ cup chopped flatleaf parsley

Place all ingredients in mixer bowl and mix until smooth & uniformly blended. Pack into a crock or glass bowl; cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate and leave overnight (or longer!) for flavors to meld.

Serve goat cheese spread on fresh baked baguette slices, such as homemade bread using Kay’s French Bread recipe (see Chinook Recipe Archive).

Enjoy with Chinook’s current vintage Sauvignon blanc or Yakima Valley White Wine.

Kyle's Vinaigrette

Our friend, Kyle Fulwiler was chef to several of Washington's governors. Her food sense is wonderful, and her vinaigrette is our favorite with Yakima Valley spring asparagus. It's made easily in a blender. This is from Kyle's book, Celebration, A Washington Cookbook.

1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
7 cloves Garlic, peeled
1 Tablespoon Dry Mustard
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper, coarsely ground
1 Tablespoon Salt
3 cups Canola oil

Mix all the ingredients, except the oil, in a blender at high speed. Reduce the speed to medium when the garlic is chopped fine. Pour the oil in slowly. YIELD: 1 quart.

NOTES & TIPS: The speed at which you pour in the oil determines the thickness of the dressing; the more slowly the thicker the dressing. The salt may be eliminated.

Lemon Aioli from Greg Atkinson

Continuing the theme of fresh spring vegetables, we can't imagine flavors more perfect than garlic & fresh Meyer lemon with those seasonal favorites. Our California roots remind us of artichokes -- though asparagus is just as good to accompany this aioli. It's from Greg book, West Coast Cooking.

1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or ground
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup pure olive oil, not extra virgin

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and white pepper for about 1 minute, or until mixture is very thoroughly combined. Keep the whisk in motion and slowly stream in the oil, starting with just a few drops at a time, then building to a slow but steady stream until all the oil is incorporated. The sauce should have the consistency of sour cream.

Kay’s Bread from Chinook

2 cups warm water
2 heaping Tbsp. yeast
1-2 Tbsp. sugar (or honey)

Dissolve yeast in warm water; sprinkle sugar over the top. Without stirring, proof until bubbly. (Approximately 5 minutes).

Add:
1 tsp. salt
5-6 cups unbleached white bread flour

Knead in flour until smooth & elastic. (Kay uses a KitchenAid mixer with dough hook). Raise in oiled bowl, with about 2 tsp. canola or olive oil, until doubled (45 minutes to 1 hour).

Without punching down, cut dough & shape into two loaves or two baguettes. Handle dough gently. Dip bottoms of loaves in cornmeal & place on baking sheets or baguette pans. No further raising time is necessary. Slash tops of loaves with sharp knife. Brush w/ egg white if shiny top is desired.

Place baking sheet into cold oven. Turn oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake loaves 30-35 minutes.