Well, spring has finally come to the mountains.  I had the first demo of the 2014 season last Saturday.  We had 7 souls enjoy the fare.  I wanted to do something a little different so this is what I came up with.  The dessert dish will be a separate post which I hope I can do in a few more days.  Remember we sell all the products used in my recipes so call me to place a mail order@ 828-586-1600.  Enjoy.

• Bison Stuffed Mini Yukon Potatoes

1 lb. mini Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 lb. Ground Bison Meat
1/2 cup Maxpatch Gourmet Pepper butter ( sweet peppers with mustard seasoning)  Shitake and Portabello Mushrooms
1 Large Leek, sliced
20 leaves fresh spinach, chopped
4 oz. dry red wine
Black Truffle salt
S&P to taste
Bake potatoes in oven @400 deg for 30 minutes. (Do not use the microwave because the skins will be too soft to use as shells.) Allow to cool then hollow out the meat leaving some meat in the skins as shells. Spray the skins with EVO and bake @ 425 for 15-20 minutes until crispy. In a sauté pan add the mushrooms, sliced leeks chopped potatoes along with olive oil. Cook until soft then set aside. Add the bison to the pan with EVO and sauté unit cooked partly through. Add the red wine and reduce until mostly absorbed. Add the chopped spinach and 1/2 cup Pepper butter and cook until spinach is gently wilted. Add back the veggies and mix. Fill potatoes cups with mixture and finish with light sprinkle of truffle salt and serve. This makes a great hot appetizer or use larger potatoes for a main dish. 

• Salmon & Cucumber Bisque

One container of seafood concentrated stock
1 whole cucumber cut into 1/2 in cubes (not peeled)
½ lb. salmon fillet
3/4 cup sour cream
EVOO
3 tbsp. cornstarch
Smoked Spanish paprika
1 pkg cucumber dill dip mix
20 oz water
Add the water and stock to a sauce pan and heat until dissolved. Add the dip mix and cucumbers to the liquid and cook at a low simmer for 20-15 min. Add the sour cream and bring back up to temp. In 3 oz. of water mix the cornstarch and add into the soup stirring until it thickens. In a separate sauté pan add the olive oil and salmon sprinkled with paprika. Break up the fish and add to the soup. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and thinly sliced cucumber.

• Vegetable lettuce wraps

Julienned broccoli stems & carrots 2 cups
1 large leek sliced
Mixed akuna, lentil and pea sprouts ( sold in local store as crunchy sprouts)
1/2 cup Chopped celery                                                                                                 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
20 large lettuce leaves
2 TBS. Roasted pumpkin seed oil
1/2 cup Caramelized onion and balsamic spread
Put the EVOO in a saute pan then add the juliened vegetables, leeks, pumpkin seeds, celery and sprouts and saute until al dente'.  Add the caramelized onion crustini spread.  Put the roasted pumpkin seed oil, stir then place on a lettuce leaf and roll.