A Fantastic Summer Meal - Fatoosh Salad

We are not ready to let go of summer yet - and are going to spend this weekend enjoying our favorite summer meals, such as Fatoosh Salad!

Fatoosh is a salad indigenous to Levantine cuisine, composed of toasted pita bread, greens and other vegetables. This fun dish encompasses the delicious flavors of some of our favorite summer foods, such as shrimp, which provides a lean source of protein, and those beloved fresh tomatoes that add a burst of sweetness and acidity to every bite. Our new Roasted Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette adds dark and smoky flavors with subtle notes of herbs and spices and pairs well with the essence of the grill and the salty feta. It’s perfect as a main course or a side dish, and as all other summer dishes, it’s best eaten outside!

 Ingredients:

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 romaine lettuce hearts, washed and dried
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 5-inch pita bread rounds
• 1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup fresh tomato, diced
• 1 cup seedless cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1/4 cup pepperoncini, sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Place shrimp on skewers. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat about 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove from skewers and set aside.
2. Cut heads of lettuce lengthwise. Brush with olive oil and grill over medium-high heat cut side down 2-3 minutes total, turning occasionally. Remove and set aside.
3. Grill the pita bread turning occasionally until crisp. Crumble into bite sized pieces. Arrange grilled lettuce on individual plates. Top with shrimp, pita, garbanzo beans, tomato, cucumber, , onion and cheese. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and serve immediately.

 

2014 Battle of the Food Trucks

On August 2^nd, we hosted our first Battle of the Food Trucks event, here at our York, ME headquarters. The event showcased 5 different Food Trucks from the Portland, ME area, each serving up special culinary concoctions, including at least one made with Stonewall Kitchen products. 

Stonewall Special from Fishin' Ships

According to Entrepreneur magazine, the “street-food” industry has grown to be over $1 billion and “has seen an 8.4 percent growth rate from 2007 to 2012.” Being “Foodies” ourselves, Stonewall Kitchen saw this as a perfect opportunity to host a Food Truck event, supporting this great mobile culinary craze. 

The Battle of the Food Truck participants included; MainelyBurgers, Fishin' Ships, Urban Sugar Mobile Cafe, CN Shawarma and Wicked Good Street Kitchen as well as a sampling station from Finest Kind Tea. Each participant was given Stonewall Kitchen ingredients of their choice to help create special recipes to provide as samples during the event along with their regular menu for purchase.

A delicious menu from Wicked Good Street Kitchen

A great crowd of all ages came to try the tasty foods that the trucks had to offer. All attendees were encouraged to test the special from each Food Truck, as well as grab some refreshing samples of Finest Kind Teas. Attendees were asked to cast their vote for the best Food Truck.

Waiting to try the amazing CN Shawarama

Tasty tea samples from Finest Kind Tea

These doughnuts from Urban Sugar Cafe are worth any wait! 

All of the trucks had amazing items to try and purchase, and in the end, Mainely Burgers won the Battle of the Food Trucks! These Burger Gurus started their truck in 2012 and have been serving the Scarborough Beach and Portland, ME areas. To learn more about our Food Truck champion, visit their site at http://www.mainelyburgers.me/#home.

Thanks to all who attended this year’s battle, we look forward to seeing you all again for round two in the Summer of 2015!

What is "Mise en Place" anyway?

Recently in our test kitchen, we prepared chicken and Portobello Mushroom Enchiladas with our Pineapple Chipotle Salsa. With a recipe such as this one that encompasses the colors and flavors of many different ingredients, it really helps us in our kitchen to keep organized.

Mise en Place, as stated in The Food Lover’s Companion book, is a French term that literally means "putting in place", referring to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking. Take a look at how we set up our Mise en Place prior to preparing our enchiladas;

This organized technique helps the cooking process be more fluid, so you’re not looking all over the place for the next ingredient as your current one is burning on the stove!  Dishes such as enchiladas are very easy to create, but often involve several ingredients.
We like to have everything prepped and ready for simple, stress free cooking!

Test out your Mise en Place skills when you try our Portobello Mushroom Enchiladas!

Portobello Mushroom Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 10 soft corn tortillas
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3 cloves garlic, whole
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• 1 - 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, diced
• 3 medium Portobello mushrooms, sliced 1/4” thick and sautéed until tender
• 6 scallions, sliced, plus 2 for garnish
• 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro plus 1/4 cup for garnish
• 1 small can green chilies, diced
• 1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Pineapple Chipotle Salsa
• 1 - 10 oz. can Enchilada Sauce
• 8 oz. Pepper Jack or Cheddar Cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Wrap corn tortillas in foil and warm in the oven.
3. In a large saucepan bring broth to a boil; add chicken breasts, garlic cloves and peppercorns. With cover on bring to a boil then reduce heat.
4. Simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked and will shred easily (approximately 1 hour). Remove chicken from broth and shred with forks.
5. Combine shredded chicken with 1 cup of salsa, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, chilies, scallions, and cilantro.
6. Put 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.
7. Remove tortillas from oven. Increase heat to 350 degrees.
8. Put some filling into each of the tortillas and roll. Place filled tortillas in casserole dish seam side down. Combine remaining salsa and enchilada sauce and spoon over enchiladas, top with cheese and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbling.
9. Garnish with sour cream, chives and cilantro.

I Scream, You Scream.....

The warm temperatures of summer are a perfect excuse to enjoy a nice, cold, refreshing treat at any time of day!  Ice Cream is one of our favorite summer treats - we have so many great little ice cream shops here in Southern Maine, but sometimes, building your own sundae at home is just as fun as going out!

There is no skimping when it comes to our sundaes.  For a base, we always go with a premium ice cream, such as Gifford's Old Fashioned Vanilla.  Next, we warm up a little chocolate sauce such as Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Sauce or Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce and drizzle it over the ice cream.  Occasionally, we'll even add a drizzle of caramel sauce!  A dollop of fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of fresh fruit such as strawberries or a crunchy topping such as chopped nuts finish it off! 

Grab a spoon and dig in!

Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?

One of the most noticeable perks of working at the York corporate headquarters is the beauty of the location itself. Visitors and employees often marvel at the great care and thought put into the planning, building and visual presentation of our offices and facilities. Incorporating colorful gardens and tasteful landscaping, the entire campus seems to fit seamlessly within the natural backdrop of the area.

Right next to the offices is a quiet, open wetland area teeming with native creatures of all sorts. Employees on the second floor get an exceptional view of the comings and goings of Canadian geese, ducks, muskrats and small birds of all types.  The one resident who seems to get the most attention is a very large snapping turtle. He/she is often seen basking in the sun’s rays in the middle of the pond or plowing its way through the forest of cattails that line the edge of the property.

Yesterday, for reasons unknown, Mr./Ms. Snapping Turtle decided to take a stroll and head out toward an adjacent grassy area across the street. Despite the cars coming into or leaving our driveway, the turtle was determined to get to its destination and a few drivers even paused to let the wayward reptile cross in relative safety.

Luckily, some quick thinking members of our Merchandise team saw the events unfolding and “escorted” the turtle from a safe distance and made sure that he/she made it to the other side safely and was out of harm’s way.

Thanks, Guys!