My collection of recipes from restaurants in and near central California.

This recipe comes from The Vintage Press, a most wonderful restaurant in Visalia, owned by David Vartanian.

WILD MUSHROOMS IN PUFF PASTRY

1/2 pound mixed mushrooms like oyster, chanterelle, shitake or morel
2 tablespoons oil
2 shallots, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup cognac or brandy
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh chives, tarragon or basil
Juice of half a lemon
A package of frozen puff pastry containing six squares

Saute mushrooms in oil with shallots until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add cognac or brandy and reduce slightly; add heavy cream and bring to a boil until cream thickens slightly. Stir in the butter, add herbs and lemon juice and season sauce with salt and pepper. Bake the puff-pastry rounds or squares according to package directions. Split baked pastry shells in half and divide the mushroom mixture between the bottom halves of the shells.
Place pastry tops on mushrooms. Serves 6.

Here's another one from Mr. Vartanian.

MEDITERRANEAN SALAD

Serves 6
Ingredients
6 cups assorted baby greens
1 cucumber, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
4 oz. feta cheese
? cup basil, sliced
18 Calamata olives
1 red onion, sliced ?-inch thick
2 green zucchini, sliced ?-inch thick
2 yellow squash, sliced ?-inch thick
1 eggplant, sliced ?-inch thick
1 red pepper, sliced ?-inch thick
Olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Balsamic vinaigrette
1 shallot, diced
? cup balsamic vinegar
? cup olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper
Prepare the vinaigrette by combining the vinegar with the chopped shallot in a bowl. Slowly add the oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Season the squash, eggplant, peppers and onion with salt and pepper. Brush with olive oil and grill over a hot fire.

In a bowl, combine the salad greens, tomato, cucumber and crumbled feta. Toss with just enough vinaigrette to coat the salad. Divide the salad onto six chilled plates. Arrange the grilled vegetables atop the greens of each plate and garnish with olives.

Two recipes from Harland's, formerly a Fresno favorite, now closed, alas. This dish was one of their summer staples.

HARLAND'S WILD RICE SALAD

2 cups wild rice
1 cup green onion, white & green parts; finely chopped
1 cup julienne sweet peppers (the more colors the better)
1/2 cup red radish, thinly sliced
1/4 cup tarragon, fresh, leaves only
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
A few carefully separated radicchio leaves; optional (romaine leaves may be substituted)


Sesame Dressing:
Whisk together
1/4 cup rice vinegar - Japanese, seasoned
1/4 cup pure sesame seed oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
Bring to a boil 2 quarts lightly salted water and add the wild rice. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until about a third of the grains have burst open, about 45 minutes. Time varies. At this point it should be tender and chewy.

Drain and spread out the rice on a sheet pan and cool in refrigerator.
In a large salad bowl, toss the first 5 ingredients with 3/4 cup of the dressing. Line a serving platter or bowl with radicchio leaves.
Spoon the salad into the center and garnish with the toasted almonds.
Serves 8 as a side dish

HARLAND'S ANGEL HAIR PASTA

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
1 pound cappellini or spaghettini pasta
8 ounces fresh goat cheese
6 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
Julienned basil or Italian parsley
Grated asiago cheese
Freshly ground pepper

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and saute the garlic briefly. Don't allow to brown. Set aside.
In 6 quarts of lightly salted boiling water, cook the pasta, al dente. (Pasta may be cooked ahead, shocked in cold water and reheated just before serving.)
Drain. Toss the pasta in the garlic-oil mixture and divide it among four heated serving plates. Crumble the goat cheese and sprinkle it on the pasta.
Divide sun-dried tomatoes among the plates and garnish with basil or parsley.
A little grated asiago cheese and black pepper completes the dish. Serve immediately. Serves 4.


This recipe was provided by Fernando Madrigal, who was the owner of Don Fernando's Southwestern Cuisine in Fresno.

CORN-CHOWDER SOUP

1/3 Cup corn oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 crushed garlic cloves
5 cups fresh corn
5 cups chicken consomme or broth
1 pinch oregano
1 pinch cumin
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped cilantro and grated Monterey Jack cheese to garnish
Place 1/3 cup oil in a sauce pan, bring it up to heat. Add onions and garlic, saute to golden brown.
Add 3 cups of the corn, spices, chicken consomme and bring it up to boil. Then put everything in a blender. Puree very fine and put through a sieve. Bring it back to a sauce pan, place it on the heat, bring it to a boil. Add remaining corn and heavy cream. Add salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and cheese.

Here is a recipe from the Thai House restaurants in Fresno & formerly in Clovis. It is one of my favorite places in town to eat.

MANGO SALAD

1/2 cup cooked chicken, cut into strips
1 unripe mango, grated (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
1 tablespoon minced green onion
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
Juice of 1/4 to 1/2 lime

Combine ingredients and sprinkle with lime juice. You will need a smaller amount of lime juice for a green mango and more lime juice if mango is ripe.

Most everyone in CA has at least driven past this place - the Harris Ranch - near Coalinga, on I-5 & 198 intersection.

HARRIS RANCH PECAN DROP COOKIES

2/3 cup egg whites
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheet or line cookie pan with parchment and set aside.
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in small bowl of mixer and beat at high speed. Slowly add brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Continue beating 3-5 minutes, or until egg whites stiffen and soft, glossy peaks form.
Fold in pecans. Drop cookie dough in teaspoon-sized mounds onto prepared cookie pans and bake 10-15 minutes. Cool cookies before removing from pan.

This recipe is from Tim Woods, co-owner and chef at the former Echo Restaurant in Fresno. Unfortunately, after they moved and expanded, they simply didn't have enough business and closed in 2006. If you should see Tim's name on a restaurant billing, you can be sure of a great menu.

ASPARAGUS, WHITE CORN AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD

1 lb. asparagus, sliced thinly on the bias
2 ears sweet white corn, cut off the cob
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. white-wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
1 head butter lettuce, washed & cleaned
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
In a medium kettle, bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Blanch asparagus and corn for 1 minute. Remove corn and asparagus from water and plunge immediately into an ice bath. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, vinegar and salt & pepper. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with half of the mixture, coating evenly. Divide lettuce among 4 plates. Toss the drained corn and asparagus in the remaining mixutre. Correct seasoning and top each plate with asparagus, corn and blue cheese.

Here's a recipe for that famous Solvang treat:
AEBLESKIVER

(Note that you will need an aebleskiver pan to cook these properly)
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. melted butter
Separate the eggs and beat the whites stiff. Mix all other ingredients together at one time and beat until smooth; fold in the egg whites last. Put about 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil or shortening in the bottom of each aebleskiver pan cup and heat until hot. Pour in about 2 Tbsp. of the batter into each cup; as soon as they get bubbly around the edge, turn quickly (Danish cooks use a long knitting needle, but a fork will work). Continue cooking, turning the ball to keep it from burning. Serve hot with syrup, jam or powdered sugar. Makes about 30.

To find out where to buy an aebleskiver pan, call the Solvang Visitors Bureau at 805-688-6144 or 800-468-6765.

Dessert from Erna's Elderberry House in Oakhurst. This mousse is so unlike any others I've eaten, it's worth the effort & expense.

BUTTERMILK MOUSSE AND RASPBERRIES UNDER A LACE OF ALMONDS

Mousse:
3 1/2 oz. sugar
1 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1 medium lime
1/3 cup Grand Marnier
2 Tbsp. unflavored powdered gelatin
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Almond lace:
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. very finely ground almonds
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sweet butter, melted
2 Tbsp. orange juice

Raspberry sauce:
10 oz. frozen raspberries
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 oz. Grand Marnier
2 oz. fresh raspberries for garnish
In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and buttermilk until creamy. In a small saucepan, combine the lime juice, Grand Marnier and gelatin powder, stirring until the powder is softened. Place the saucepan over the low heat and keep stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Add the vanilla. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream until stiff. Stir the gelatin mixture into the buttermilk mixture, then gently fold in the whipped cream. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 1 hour).

Mix all of the ingredients for almond lace and set aside, at room temperature, for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Generously butter a baking sheet and, with the back of a spoon, spread thin circles (about 3-1/2 inches) of the almond mixture (well spaced). Bake about 4 to 5 minutes or until they are a light golden color. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and quickly, but carefully, remove the almond lace with a spatula and place on a plate.

Prepare the raspberry sauce by pureeing the frozen berries in a blender. Strain the puree through a fine sieve and return the puree to a bowl. Whisk in the heavy cream and Grand Marnier. (This will lighten the color of the sauce and show off the color of the fresh berries when served.)

For the presentation, divide the mousse into three equal portions. Place a pool of the raspberry sauce on a large plate. Carefully place each portion of mousse in the center of the plate and, using a tablespoon, shape each into a quenelle (dumpling) shape. Crown the trio of mousse dumplings with an almond lace, and decorate with the fresh berries. Dust lightly with confectioner's sugar.
Makes 3 servings

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