Blue Barn- A New Neighborhood Deli Phenomenon

I wanted to share my recent visit to Blue Barn, located at Corte Madera's Town Center. I am not one to fill my blog with anything other than recipes and nutrition facts, however, I am so excited that this brand new neighborhood deli phenomenon has landed in Marin County, and couldn't help but share. 

Finally, Marin has a place to eat where people with or without diet and food restrictions can come and eat as one. Not only is Blue Barn committed to improving the way people eat, but they also pursue sustainable and organic ideals. These efforts allow them to partner with many local producers, and they use the harvest of Oak Hill Farm, a small, organic and family-run farm located in Sonoma, to draw inspiration for their tasty seasonal creations.

This pop-in, sit where you like hot spot, not only has a built-in menu of choices, but they also have a build-it yourself salad bar which allows you to pick from over 60 different toppings . The salad menu includes traditional favorites like Chinese Chicken salad and Caesar salad, but they also have innovative salad creations like the "Detox"which is full of veggies, fruits and grains and a 'master cleans' dressing, and the "Winter",  which comes with yummy seasonal roasted veggies. Their menu also has over 10 creative sandwiches that all look mouth watering (sadly I am not a bread eater, but my boyfriend did a little taste testing for himself, and loved his choice the Kickin' Chicken sandwich). I couldn't help but fixate on their fancy grilled cheese menu, but again I sadly won't be indulging in any of these tasty creations, but I will certainly live vicariously through everyone else.

My favorite part of my experience was building my own personalized salad. There is an easy breakdown of how to create my own, which includes a list of different types of toppings: raw, cooked, fruit, cheese, nuts and seeds, crunch, and protein fixings. You get to also choose your favorite type of greens, and with eleven types of dressings, you can try a different salad combination each time.  One of the great things about this place is when you fianlly create a "favorite" salad, Blue Barn will write down and laminate your ingredient card, and keep it on file in-house. This to me is one the most ingenious ideas. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to re-create my favorite combination, but my mind goes blank because I'm starving. Thanks to this gesture, I will always have access to my own salad favorites. I can't wait to go back and try a new round of toppings!

 Open 7-days a week 11am-8pm, you can enjoy Blue Barn's delicious menu everyday of the week.

Brooke Gray- General Manager/Partner
Brooke@bluebarngourmet.com
Barn: (415) 927-1104
335 Corte Madera Town Center
www.bluebarngourmet.com

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Instructions:

-Scrape all pulp and seeds out of a pumpkin into a large bowl.( Seeds will vary, but this recipe was good for 3-4 cups of pumpkin seeds)
- Run cold water into the bowl. As the water fills up the bowl the pumpkin seeds will separate from the pulp, and cover the surface. Slowly scoop out the seeds and place into a clean bowl. Continue to do this trick until all seeds are removed. Once complete, rinse pumpkin seeds and drain until extra water is gone.
-Place on baking tray over night until extra moisture is gone. (do not pat with paper towels, the seeds will stick to it)
-Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Roast seeds in a single layer on oiled baking sheet/sheets for 30 minutes to dry out.
- Scrape from pan
-Add spices: Toss the seeds with olive oil, salt and your choice of spices (see below). Return to the oven in single layer and bake until crisp and golden, about 20 more minutes. ( if seeds are still damp, continue to bake in 5-10 increments)

Ingredients:

Sweet -Toss with cinnamon and sugar (do not use salt in step 4).
Spanish -Toss with smoked paprika; mix with slivered almonds after roasting.
Italian -Toss with grated Parmesan and dried oregano.
Barbecue -Toss with brown sugar, Chipotle chile powder and ground cumin.
Asian- Toss with Tamari or soy sauce, Sriracha, honey, and drizzle of sesame oil.
Bagel chips- Toss with garlic powder and garlic olive oil

Trick to perfect seasoning: Mix oil, salt and spices in a separate bowl first. Taste test. Add extra spices where needed. Then coat pumpkin seeds and lay out on baking sheet.

Chicken Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (gluten-free Tamari)
1 tablespoon hoison sauce (homemade recipe below)
 2 tablespoons clear rice vinegar
1/4-1/2 tsp. Celtic salt
1/2 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons grape seed oil ( or Vegetable oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/3 cup red onion finely chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup canned chestnuts, finely chopped
1 pound ground chicken
cilantro and toasted cashews for garnish
1 Iceberg lettuce. 8-10 Leaves separated, rinsed and dried.

Instructions:

-Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small bowl and mix together until the sugar dissolves.

 -Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 10 seconds. Add the onion, mushrooms, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove the contents of the wok.

-Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Swish the oil around, add the chicken, and brown for 1 minute, or until no longer pink. 

-Add the cooked vegetable mixture back to the wok, decrease the heat, and stir in the sauce mixture. Stir for 1 minute, or until the sauce is heated and the chicken is cooked through.

-Spoon the filling in equal amounts into the lettuce cups. Top each lettuce cup with cilantro and sprinkle with chopped cashews. Serve warm.

* If you are vegetarian, instead of chicken use: sliced red pepper, green onions, and diced zucchini

Gluten-free Hoison Sauce

4 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
20 drops Chinese-style hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Coconut Pudding with Mango & Strawberry Puree

This recipe only takes several minutes to prepare and make. The longest part is waiting for this delicious dessert to set and chill in the fridge.

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut milk
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/8 tsp. Celtic salt

Instructions:

Place coconut milk and honey into saucepan. Slowly add in arrowroot powder until all powder is dissolved. Add salt. Heat on medium until mixture thickens. Add to 9 inch. greased pan and chill in fridge.
Drizzle with Mango and Strawberry puree. (recipe below)

Mango and Strawberry Puree:

1 large ripe mango
4 strawberries
Juice of 1 lime
1-2 tablespoons honey

Skin mango and place fruit into blender. Squeeze juice from mango skins into blender. Add strawberries and lime. Blend until smooth. In sauce pan heat puree with honey until thickened. Cool. Ready to serve or store in fridge until needed.

*This mixture can last days until you finish your pudding, however, it is difficult to not eat by itself.

Zucchini and Arugula Salad

Ingredients:
(salad serves 1)

1 medium zucchini
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons roasted pine nuts
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano 

Dressing Ingredients:
(serves 4)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 of lemon juiced (2 tablespoons)
1/8 teaspoon Celtic salt
1 garlic clove, smashed (just to infuse oil)

 Instructions:
1. Halve zucchini length wise, and steam for 7 minutes until soft not mushy. Lay on paper towels to drain. When cool, cut into paper-thin slices. I personally chill in freezer for quicker chilling, and I slice zucchini with a vegetable peeler.
2. Place zucchini slices on a plate and top with arugula. garnish with basil, toasted pine nuts. and drizzle with dressing. Top with Parmigiano-Reggiano

Butternut Squash Creamy Soup

It took me a long time to appreciate the value of a butternut squash. This soup is out of this world, and liked by many non-squash lovers as well. Perfect for the cold months to follow, and an easy way to make a simple soup appear fancy. ( I loved serving this soup for dinner guests)

Ingredients

-1 butternut squash- seeds and skin removed, and chopped into chunks ( I love Costco's already prepared package for a busy work week)
-1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
(squash to carrot ration is 1 part carrot to 3 part squash)
-1 can (5.5 oz.) Coconut milk
-Chicken stock to cover squash and carrots plus and extra 1/4 inch above vegetables
-salt and pepper to taste
-honey ( I use around 1 tablespoon, add more if you like the soup sweeter)
-dried oregano for garnish
-lemon wedges to drizzled over finished soup ( this ingredient is my favorite addition)

Instructions

In a larger stock pot place squash,carrots, salt, pepper, and stock, and bring to a rumbling boil un-covered. Cooking time will vary, but boil until carrots and squash are tender. Take a hand blender and blend mixture until smooth. ( you can put mixture into a blender in batches, but this can get messy, and it is hot.) Remove from heat. Add honey, coconut milk, and any extra salt and pepper if needed, and blend. Place into soup bowl, garnish with a sprinkle of dried oregano, and squeeze lemon juice over the top.

* for non-primal/Paleo eaters, this soup is delicious with garlicky croutons. Also, coconut milk is a great substitute for cream and milk in lots of other soups as well. Try it!

Easy Beef Roast

I wrote a critique for the Marin I.J. and was required to make several recipes to write about. This was my first recipe I tried and I LOVED it! This recipe  is courtesy of Elizabeth Barbone's cookbook "How to Cook Gluten-Free".

Ingredients

Celtic salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons oliv oil
1 boneless chuck roast (3-4 pounds), patted dry
4 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 medium onions, quartered
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juices

Instrcutions

1.       Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Season the roast all over with salt and pepper.

2.       Heat the oil on a large (8 quart) Dutch oven over high heat until it begins to smoke. Brown the roast, undisturbed, for 7 minutes. Turn over with thongs and brown the other side for an additional 7 minutes. Turn off the heat.

3.       Add the carrots, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Cover and place in the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours. The finished roast should be very tender. Test with a fork. If the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, it is ready. If the meat seems tough when you test it, cook the roast longer.

4.       Remove the roast from the Dutch oven and place on a cutting board. Reserve the cooking liquid and skim off any excess fat, if you want to. Allow the roast to stand for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing.

5.       Place the sliced meat and the vegetables on a platter and spoon a little of the cooking liquid over the top. Serve with the cooking liquid alongside.

 *Use leftovers to make Shepard's Pie, and or turn into breakfast hash.