Are You Feeling Peachy?

I love salads anytime of the year, but summer always provides us with a wonderful bounty of fruits and vegetables. This is a super simple salad utilizing fresh peaches and tomatoes.

Heirloom Tomato and Ripe Peach Salad

Body of Salad:

1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cut in ½ if small or ½ inch wedges if medium or large

3/4 pound fresh peaches, cut into ½ inch wedges

4 medium shallots, emincer

1 tablespoon fresh mint, hacher

8 – 10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

6 ounces Marcona almonds, roasted and salted

6 ounces chévre cheese, crumbled

salt to taste

Dressing:

2 pieces garlic, ciseler

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix the red wine vinegar and garlic in a small bowl, slowly drizzle the olive oil while whisking to emulsify the vinaigrette. 

Combine body of salad in a large bowl and toss with dressing just prior to service.

Serves 4 - 6

One of the greatest contributions the French have given to the culinary world is to codify and formalize what has been done for centuries. The French have extensive terminology, giving a name to a technique as opposed to a description. It is a common language and understanding that exists in professional kitchens throughout the world. For this reason, I am going to start introducing classic French terms in the recipes with the French phonetic pronunciation and definition at the end of each recipe. I will eventually put together a glossary of terms as a reference.

Today’s French lesson includes:

Emincer (AY man say), to cut into thin slices.

Hacher (AH shay), to chop very finely and evenly with a knife

Chiffonade (SHEE foh nad), leafy vegetables or herbs that have been rolled together and then sliced crosswise into thins strips.

Ciseler (SEE zuh lay), to finely chop or mince, a manner of finely cutting onions, shallots, and garlic. 

Be sure to check out the related cooking videos to learn how to hacher and chiffonade. 

Bon Appétit 

What Class Is Your Chicken In?

When buying chicken did you ever wonder why one chicken might be called a fryer, a roaster or have another classification altogether? There are several classes of domestic poultry. Age and maturity determines the different classifications as well as the cooking technique you need to use. Rock Cornish game hens, broilers and fryers are young tender chickens with smooth skin that are suitable for frying, broiling or sautéing. Roasters and capons are larger chickens that can be roasted. Hens and roosters are older chickens with tough flesh that need to be simmered or braised to make them tender.

The following table describes the different classes and characteristics of domestic poultry.

Class	Description	Age	Weight
Rock Cornish game hen	Special breed of young chicken, very tender	5 weeks or less	¾ - 2 pounds
Broiler or fryer	Young chicken, either sex, tender flesh, smooth skin	6 - 12 weeks	Broiler: - 1 ½ - 2 ½ pounds Fryer – 2 ½ - 3 ½ pounds
Roaster	Young chicken, either sex, tender flesh, smooth skin	3 – 5 months	3 ½ - 5 pounds
Capon	Castrated male, tender flesh and well flavored, large breast	8 months or less	5 – 8 pounds
Hen	Mature female, coarse skin, tough flesh	Over 10 months	3 ½ - 6 pounds
Rooster	Mature male, coarse skin, tough, dark meat	Over 10 months	4 – 6 pounds

Happy cooking!