Recipe: Chicken Curry Salad with Sweet Grapes

Chicken Curry Salad with Sweet Grapes

Courtesy of Sigona’s fan, Carol Evans

The combination of grapes and curry in this salad results in a refreshing, sweet & savory and flavor-packed dish. Using roasted or rotisserie chicken adds another layer of flavor, too!  The amount of curry is light enough to tempt even non-curry fans into serving themselves a spoonful or two!

Try this as a main course on a bed of mixed baby green or as a side dish to accompany any meal.

• 16 oz. box penne pasta, cooked according to box directions
• 1 1/2 c. Natural Thompson Seedless Grapes
• 3/4 c. finely chopped celery
• 3/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds
• 1 1/2 c. meat from roasted chicken, shredded
• 1 c. mayo
• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1 TBL curry powder
• Salt, to taste

In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, yogurt and curry. Blend well and set aside. In a larger, serving bowl, add the cooked pasta and all remaining ingredients. Gently stir and then pour the curry mix over the top. Mix everything together and chill until you’re ready to serve.

Reader Recipe: Summer Minestrone

Summer Minestrone

(aka, summer-in-a-bowl)

Sigona’s Preferred Customer, Linda, says she made this recipe after Carmelo helped her with the key ingredient in our store: cranberry beans! Linda tells us that she discovered that cranberry beans are equivalent to Romano beans, also called Borlotti in Italy.

Carmelo says: Local shell beans (in season now for a short time only) take little time to cook and add a great texture to any soup or stew. They thicken dishes in 20 minutes and add a great amount of protein as compared to dried or canned beans.

• 1 lb fresh cranberry beans, (shelled about 2 cups)
• 3 tbsp [Sigona's Fresh Press] olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 ounces pancetta, chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tbsp fresh)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped (about 8 cups)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• handful of fresh basil, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onion, carrot and pancetta. Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Add the shelled beans, thyme and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add chard and pepper with a good pinch of salt, cover again and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until beans are done (squeeze to test). Turn off heat and add basil; let soup sit for 5-10 minutes. Salt to taste, ladle into bowls.

A nice touch is to drizzle with a very good olive oil and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Reader Recipe: Curry Dip for Fresh Veggies

Reader Recipe

Curry Dip for Fresh Veggies

Sigona’s Preferred Customer, Chris Golde calls this a “Sigona’s Special” as the Wild Thymes’ Plum Currant Ginger chutney (sold at Sigona’s) is what makes it so good! The Goldes were inspired by a dip recipe in Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone and modified it to make it their own.

Chris says, “Think of all of the Sigona’s veggies (carrots, radishes, jicama, lightly blanched green beans, cauliflower, zucchini, snap peas, and more) that would be great” as dippers!

• 1/2 c. chutney — (Chris recommends the Wild Thymes’ Plum Currant Ginger chutney. “It’s utterly stupendous — it makes this a cut above.”)
• 1 c. yogurt
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 4 scallions including some of the greens, finely chopped
• 1 TBL curry powder (or more)
• Juice of 2-3 limes
• [A pinch or so] Cayenne powder [to taste]

Mix, refrigerate for at least an hour. Taste before serving and adjust seasoning (more lime if too sweet, more curry and cayenne if too bland). Keeps very well in the fridge.

Comment from Carmelo: I just love this recipe – dips are great for people who shy away from veggies because dips add the flavor they’re looking for. This dip also has a low calorie count, is low glycemic and has natural carbs. The raw veggies, too, are low in calories and are packed with enzymes. Also, the combination of mayo and yogurt gives this a rich taste with fewer calories than using just mayo.

Reader Recipe: Fava Beans and Crispy Pancetta Salad with a Pea, Pecorino and Mint Dressing

Luisa Ormonde, a Sigona’s Preferred Customer, submitted the following recipe for this really simple yet tasty dish for fava beans (in season now!) that she spices up with peas, almonds, pancetta and more. Luisa, who is also a private chef in San Carlos, likes to use young peas and broad beans/favas when they’re in season; if you can’t find them, she suggests using edamame instead!

Fava Beans and Crispy Pancetta Salad with a Pea, Pecorino & Mint Dressing

Luisa Ormonde's fava bean creation

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. broad/fava beans, in their pods (makes about 4 cups peeled beans. You can use lima beans or even or edamame instead if you want)
• 2 c. fresh English peas
• 6 slices pancetta, chopped (or you can use 8 slices of applewood-smoked bacon)
• a handful of slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/2 c. mixture of both Pecorino and Parmesan cheese, grated
• a handful of fresh mint, leaves picked
• 8 TBL [Sigona's Fresh Press] extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 or 2 lemons
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions: Bring a boil a pot, half filled with water but with NO SALT as this makes broad beans and peas toughen. Remove the beans from their outer pod and add the beans and cook for around 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how young the beans are. Drain, and place in ice bath to chill.

Place bacon on a baking tray, with the almonds spread out next to it. Place in a 475 degree oven, keeping an eye on the almonds to make sure they don’t color too much. The bacon should crisp in the same amount of time needed to toast the almonds, but simply remove one or the other if it is getting too far ahead.

Drain beans and peas from ice bath and place in salad bowl. Add olive oil and 4-5 TBL of lemon juice, to taste. Add cheese and mint. Toss and season to taste − it should have an amazing flavor of sweet peas, tangy lemon, fragrant mint and a softness and roundness from the cheese. A balance is good, but you should also trust your own personal judgment.

Divide on plates. Sprinkle the bacon over and serve.

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. broad/fava beans, in their pods (makes about 4 cups peeled beans. You can use lima beans or even or edamame instead if you want)
• 2 c. fresh English peas
• 6 slices pancetta, chopped (or you can use 8 slices of applewood-smoked bacon)
• a handful of slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/2 c. mixture of both Pecorino and Parmesan cheese, grated
• a handful of fresh mint, leaves picked
• 8 TBL [Sigona's Fresh Press] extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 or 2 lemons
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions: Bring a boil a pot, half filled with water but with NO SALT as this makes broad beans and peas toughen. Remove the beans from their outer pod and add the beans and cook for around 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how young the beans are. Drain, and place in ice bath to chill.

Place bacon on a baking tray, with the almonds spread out next to it. Place in a 475 degree oven, keeping an eye on the almonds to make sure they don’t color too much. The bacon should crisp in the same amount of time needed to toast the almonds, but simply remove one or the other if it is getting too far ahead.

Drain beans and peas from ice bath and place in salad bowl. Add olive oil and 4-5 TBL of lemon juice, to taste. Add cheese and mint. Toss and season to taste − it should have an amazing flavor of sweet peas, tangy lemon, fragrant mint and a softness and roundness from the cheese. A balance is good, but you should also trust your own personal judgment.

Divide on plates. Sprinkle the bacon over and serve.

Reader Recipe (and story!): Mediterranean Pasta Salad, By Carole Bumpus

Shopping at Sigona’s

Submitted by Carole Bumpus

Wheeling into Sigona’s parking lot, Redwood City, I was on a mission of sorts.  Our week-end cruise-out, which would take us sailing up the Bay toward Treasure Island, required provisions and I was determined to find some specialties—and quickly.   My mind was set on lunch the following day with a cold pasta salad combined with roasted artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, Kalamata olives, cured salami, and chunks of cheese—all mixed up and ready to carry aboard our sailboat for a nice picnic while en route.   Like any picnic, planning ahead is key, but not all recipes take mountains of time.

I raced into the produce aisles and began loading my basket with voluptuous, fresh red, yellow and orange peppers.  Then, I grabbed up four medium-sized artichokes, along with two bulbs of fresh garlic and two Meyer’s lemons, before running into dear Odie.  Odie Reyes, is Sigona’s Customer Relations Specialist and to me, she is the face of Sigona’s.  Perhaps, this is because she is quick to encourage me to try new Sigona’s offerings, but mainly because she has yet to lead me astray.   (Be sure to make a point of meeting her.) She handed me a tube, mind you, of cream cheese (great for a sail or any picnic) and a small jar of Sigona’s brand Sweet Roasted Red Pepper relish.  “Just mix the two together and dollop it on our special flat bread or ‘Everything’ flatbread.   You’ve got yourself an appetizer.”

Great, I thought.  And, since I’m in the cheese aisle, I’ll scoop up some gruyere, aged goudas, and bries, before swinging back to the wine aisle.  Next, I’ll make a side trip back up to the olive oil counter, purchase another quart of scrumptious oil Picholine/Australian (my favorite) and put together a container of Mediterranean olives and grab some pepperoncini.  Then as I fly to the check out stand, I grab up two frozen bags of excellent Antica Pasteria Tortelloni.  A masterpiece anti-pasta pasta dish coming right up!

Once I arrived at home, I had an hour and a half before I needed to have food prepared, my duffle packed and head back out the door.  The ‘cruisers’ were waiting.  First, I turned on the oven to 375 degrees.  Then I pared the four artichokes down by removing all of the thick leaves, cutting off the points, and trimming the stem.  Dipping them in and out of acidulated water (water with a squeezed lemon added to it to keep them from turning brown), I then quartered them, took out the chokes and returned them to the lemon water.

I combined 1/3 to ½ cup of Sigona’s [Fresh Press]extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup of squeezed Meyer’s lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons of minced garlic, 1+ teaspoons of fresh finely chopped thyme or Tuscan herb mix, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and a large pinch of freshly ground pepper.  Mix well, then add the artichoke hearts (which have been dried off) into a baking dish and braise for about one hour.

While the ‘chokes are braising, start a large pot of salted water for the Antica Pasteria Tortelloni (2-8.8 oz. bags).  Cook according to directions, then drain and set in cold water to cool.   If you have time, grill the three colored peppers on the outside grill.  No, I didn’t have time either.  So then, balance each one of the peppers on the three remaining gas burners and char them directly on the flame.  Turn them constantly (turn on the vent fan so as not to have that annoying fire alarm startle you) and then place the three peppers into a glass bowl and cover with Saran wrap while they cool.  Once they deflate, remove the blackened part of the peppers, rinse them gently, then remove the seeds and stem, then slice them into ¼ inch lengths.

When the artichokes have finished braising, cool them slightly, then add the peppers into the piquant garlicky mixture and pop them into a flat plastic container with a lid.  Place the tortelloni in another plastic container (low flat is best on boats and also to stack for a picnic) and into a cooler or back into the refrigerator.  Several hours before you serve, mix the tortelloni with the artichoke mixture.  Chop up some olives, and if the sauce is not too salty, cube up some chunks of salami.  Garnish with pepperoncini.  This is a salad which keeps well and can be used for a hearty lunch as the full course.  Serves 6.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

• 2 – 8.8 oz. – Antica Pasteria Tortelloni – follow direction; cool.
• 3 – peppers: red, yellow and orange – roasted and sliced into ¼ inch slices
• 4 – large artichokes, pared down
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup of freshly squeezed Meyer’s lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, basil or Tuscan herb mix
• ½ teaspoon – freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Meyer’s lemon
• ½ cup sliced Kalamata olives
• ½ cup pepperoncini peppers

Once you’ve sailed to your destination of choice, dropped anchor or set up camp, open up the cream cheese, mix with the jar of roasted peppers, arrange with crackers and other cheeses and open the wine.  Everyone is more than ready!

From your First Mate,

Carole Bumpus

Wheeling into Sigonas parking lot, Redwood City, I was on a mission of sorts. Our week-end cruise-out, which would take us sailing up the Bay toward Treasure Island, required provisions and I was determined to find some specialties—and quickly. My mind was set on lunch the following day with a cold pasta salad combined with roasted artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, Kalamata olives, cured salami, and chunks of cheese—all mixed up and ready to carry aboard our sailboat for a nice picnic while en route. Like any picnic, planning ahead is key, but not all recipes take mountains of time.

I raced into the produce aisles and began loading my basket with voluptuous, fresh red, yellow and orange peppers. Then, I grabbed up four medium-sized artichokes, along with two bulbs of fresh garlic and two Meyer’s lemons, before running into dear Odie. Odie Reyes, is Sigonas’ Customer Relations Specialist and to me, she is the face of Sigonas. Perhaps, this is because she is quick to encourage me to try new Sigona’s offerings, but mainly because she has yet to lead me astray. (Be sure to make a point of meeting her.) She handed me a tube, mind you, of cream cheese (great for a sail or any picnic) and a small jar of Sigona’s brand Sweet Roasted Red Pepper relish. “Just mix the two together and dollop it on our special flat bread or ‘Everything’ flatbread. You’ve got yourself an appetizer.”

Great, I thought. And, since I’m in the cheese aisle, I’ll scoop up some gruyere, aged goudas, and bries, before swinging back to the wine aisle. Next, I’ll make a side trip back up to the olive oil counter, purchase another quart of scrumptious oil Picholine/Australian (my favorite) and put together a container of Mediterranean olives and grab some pepperoncini. Then as I fly to the check out stand, I grab up two frozen bags of excellent Antica Pasteria Tortelloni. A masterpiece anti-pasta pasta dish coming right up!

Once I arrived at home, I had an hour and a half before I needed to have food prepared, my duffle packed and head back out the door. The ‘cruisers’ were waiting. First, I turned on the oven to 375 degrees. Then I pared the four artichokes down by removing all of the thick leaves, cutting off the points, and trimming the stem. Dipping them in and out of acidulated water (water with a squeezed lemon added to it to keep them from turning brown), I then quartered them, took out the chokes and returned them to the lemon water.

I combined 1/3 to ½ cup of Sigonas extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup of squeezed Meyer’s lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons of minced garlic, 1+ teaspoons of fresh finely chopped thyme or Tuscan herb mix, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and a large pinch of freshly ground pepper. Mix well, then add the artichoke hearts (which have been dried off) into a baking dish and braise for about one hour.

While the ‘chokes are braising, start a large pot of salted water for the Antica Pasteria Tortelloni (2-8.8 oz. bags). Cook according to directions, then drain and set in cold water to cool. If you have time, grill the three colored peppers on the outside grill. No, I didn’t have time either. So then, balance each one of the peppers on the three remaining gas burners and char them directly on the flame. Turn them constantly (turn on the vent fan so as not to have that annoying fire alarm startle you) and then place the three peppers into a glass bowl and cover with Saran wrap while they cool. Once they deflate, remove the blackened part of the peppers, rinse them gently, then remove the seeds and stem, then slice them into ¼ inch lengths.

When the artichokes have finished braising, cool them slightly, then add the peppers into the piquant garlicky mixture and pop them into a flat plastic container with a lid. Place the tortelloni in another plastic container (low flat is best on boats and also to stack for a picnic) and into a cooler or back into the refrigerator. Several hours before you serve, mix the tortelloni with the artichoke mixture. Chop up some olives, and if the sauce is not too salty, cube up some chunks of salami. Garnish with pepperoncini. This is a salad which keeps well and can be used for a hearty lunch as the full course. Serves 6.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

2 – 8.8 oz. – Antica Pasteria Tortelloni – follow direction; cool.

3 – peppers: red, yellow and orange – roasted and sliced into ¼ inch slices

4 – large artichokes, pared down

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup of freshly squeezed Meyer’s lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

1-1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, basil or Tuscan herb mix

½ teaspoon – freshly ground black pepper

1 Meyer’s lemon

½ cup sliced Kalamata olives

½ cup pepperoncini peppers

Once you’ve sailed to your destination of choice, dropped anchor or set up camp, open up the cream cheese, mix with the jar of roasted peppers, arrange with crackers and other cheeses and open the wine. Everyone is more than ready!

From your First Mate, Carole Bumpus