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Recipes

By Sharon Alexander 
of Upstairs Downtown

Fall Fruit Relish

by Don Leming of Eddon Orchids

Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta 

Buffet, Party or Tail-Gate Salad

by Mao Lee of Cheng's Asian Produce

Kangkong stir-fry

Opo Soup

Fall Fruit Relish

6 Mandarin Oranges, sectioned

6 Red Chief Mountain Apples &

6 Pink Lady Apples

6 Pears

2 Jicima

One Bunch Seedless Grapess

2 Lemons or Limes plus their zest

Demarara sugar (sugar in the raw) or honey

Crème fraîche

Toasted Walnut or Pecan Pieces

 Wash and peel jicima, section oranges, wash and stem grapes, wash and core apples and pears. (You do not need to peel apples and pears.) Cut jicima apples and pears to same size as the grapes you choose. Zest the lemon or limes and juice.

Put jicima, apples, pears, grapes and mandarin sections in bowl add zest and juice. Sprinkle with demerara sugar or honey if you don’t want the texture of the demarara sugar.  Add Crème fraîche to coat, stir in toasted walnut or pecan pieces and serve. Feel free to be creative and substitute or add anything that may strike your fancy.

From Kitchen of Upstairs Downtown

764 P Street

Fresno, California, 93721 (559) 486-5311

 (the mandarin oranges, Al Pergorsh’s Pink Lady and Red Chief apples, and KMK Farm’s pears can all  be found at the Vineyard Farmers Market)  

Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta by Don Lemming

8 to 10 Red Bell Peppers
(depending on size), roasted and peeled

4 medium sized cloves of garlic, finely chopped

½ cup to 1 cup freshly chopped basil (depending on preference)

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Salt & Pepper to taste

 2 large loaves of  good crusty Italian bread

            Roast, peel and chop (roughly ¼ inch pieces)
and place in a large bowl.

Chop garlic and basil and add to Roasted Peppers.
Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Add vinegar and let set 1-4 hours.
It is best to add the salt just before serving.
More olive oil can be added if you feel it necessary.

Note: Peppers can be prepared a few days in advance.
It is also possible to buy roasted peppers already prepared in most better Grocery Stores.
Avoid peppers packed in vinegar,
it will change the taste of the final product.
For this recipe you would need 12-16 Oz.

Bread should be crusty and a day old.
Slice bread across at an angle and slice in half, leaving roughly 3 inch pieces. At this point the bread can be prepared several ways. Lightly brush bread with olive oil and place on a baking sheet in a 450 Oven until lightly browned and toasted; placed in a broiler turning frequently until browned, or on a barbecue grill.

Presentation: In the middle of a large serving platter place a serving bowl and fill with pepper mixture. Drizzle top with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and freshly chopped Basil for garnish. Arrange the toasted bread around the serving bowl and stack to the edge

 Serves 18-20

Buffet, Party or Tail-Gate Salad

1 lb Mixed baby lettuce greens

Tomatoes (3 Large or 1 Box  cherry variety tomato)

½ Large sweet Red Onion

1 cucumber, sliced

4 Red Bell Peppers (Roasted and Peeled) 8 Oz (Chopped into large chunks)

1 lb Fresh Green Beans

1-2 lbs asparagus (Depending on size)

12-16 oz Marinated Artichoke  Hearts

8 Oz Olives (Kalamata, Dry Sicilian or Italian Olive)

8 Oz Blue Cheese (Stilton or Maytag), crumbled

8 Oz Fresh baby Mozzarella Balls Sliced (Fetta Cheese can be substituted)

Fresh Basil

Vinaigrette Dressing/Marinade 

One very large Pasta or serving platter

Dressing/Marinade:

 2 Cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ Good, Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tbsp Ketchup

3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

¼ of each, Finley Chopped Basil and Parsley

Salt and Pepper to Taste

(I often add 1 Tbsp of the juice from the Marinated Artichokes)

Combine all ingredients and keep cool. This should be made the day before along with the Green Beans and Asparagus.

 Green Beans and Asparagus:

Clean green bean ends, and remove the tough end of the asparagus. It is best to use a fresh pot of boiling water for each. Boil each for 3-5 minutes or until just tender.

Do not overcook. The marinade will continue to cook them. Remove and place in an ice cub and water bath to cool. Dry and place each in their own Zip Lock bag and add ½ cup of the marinade. Refrigerate over night.

When preparing this salad to take to another location (Holiday Dinner, Potluck or Tailgate) I prepare all of the fresh items up to 4 hours ahead and place zip lock bags

in small ice chest, placing a small amount of ice and covering with a dish towel so as not to damage any of the fresh vegetables by freezing. This keeps the presentation time down to about 5 minutes and you look like a hero.

Presentation:

Place mixed greens and evenly distribute over the platter. Starting from the outsides, arrange rows of each of the prepared items, until the platter is full. Drizzle with 1 cup of the dressing and sprinkle with freshly chopped basil.

Serves: 18-24

Opo Soup

Makes 6 servings as a side dish

5 or 6 cups water

1 cup bite size pieces of chicken; breast, thigh and skin

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon sugar

½ stock of lemongrass (about three inch piece)

1 medium opo peeled and cut into small chunks

1 medium Sin qua peeled and sliced

In a large pot, bring the water to boil. Add the chicken, and cook thoroughly.

Add the salt, sugar, lemongrass, opo and Sinqua. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the lemongrass stock before serving. 

Moa Lee – Cheng’s Asian Vegetable.

Kangkong Stir- Fry

3 tablespoons corn or soybean oil

3 garlic cloves peeled and minced

1 cup skinless chicken breast and thigh, cubed

3 thai red chili peppers, each cut into three pieces

½ teaspoon sugar

1-teaspoon soy sauce

1-teaspoon oyster sauce1 bunch Kangkong, sliced

Heat oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add garlic, and stir-fry until garlic turns yellow, but not brown.

Add chicken and continue to cook until golden and crispy.

Stir in Chili pepper, sugar, salt, soy sauce and oyster sauce and then add Kangkong.

Cook for 1 or 2 more minutes or until kangkong is just wilted.

Serve over steamed rice.

 Moa Lee – Cheng’s Asian Vegetable.

Located on the
 Northwest Corner of
Blackstone & Shaw Wednesdays: 3-6PM
Saturdays: 7- Noon
Year Round!

Farm Fresh & 
Locally Grown!