Palette for the Palate opening
The palette of colors that Mother Nature uses to paint the Golden Isles never ceases to amaze. There’s the shimming glow of the sun as it rises on the horizon to its fiery oranges and reds as it disappears for the night. Cotton candy pink and pastel peach shades bring a smile when seen at daybreak. Our cerulean blue skies are almost fairytale-like, especially when contrasted with white fluffy clouds and vibrant green foliage. The magenta and purple shades that we witness especially in fall sunsets have to be seen to be believed. From the foam tipped waves of the ocean to the flowers and the ever changing colors of the grasses in the marsh to the lush greens of the maritime forest, there’s a compelling urge to capture the beauty that constantly surrounds us here, whether on canvas or with photos. Here, we’re using those colors as inspiration for the table, not in a tablescape, but in the food we put on it. A palette for the palate, if you will.
Joe Loehle Photography
Golden Isles beach dunes
We’ll start with gold, of course, because we are the Golden Isles, after all. According to history, the name came from the 1717 writings of Sir Robert Montgomery, a Scottish nobleman who was attempting to entice the support of wealthy Londoners to establish a coastal colony here. While perhaps the name sprang merely from fanciful dreams of early explorers who traveled to reach our far off shores in the hopes of finding vast riches and sparkling treasure, the “golden” moniker indisputably still applies. From our sun-kissed beaches and the color of the marsh grasses in winter to the legacy of the millionaires who made this their playground, these isles are golden indeed.
Southwest Style Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
For salad:
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1-3/4 c. low sodium vegetable broth
1 c. fresh corn kernels, cooked (or used canned, drained)
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro (or parsley) minced
For vinaigrette:
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rinsed quinoa and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heatand cover. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 12-16 minutes. Remove from heat. While quinoa is cooking, prepare vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, add vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until well combined. Transfer cooked quinoa to a large bowl and stir in corn, black beans, chopped avocado, onion, and cilantro or parsley. Add vinaigrette and stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve salad warm or refrigerate and serve cold later. Salad will keep 3-4 days in refrigerator.
Easy Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
1 small onion, sliced
9-10 oz. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into strips
1 tsp. ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground turmeric
3-4 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 c. coconut milk
4-6 Tbsp. chicken stock
Juice from 1/2 medium lime
Juice from 1/2 small orange
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley, chopped baby kale, or crushed cashews to garnish
Preparation:
Cook onion in large skillet until translucent and slightly brown. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, curry, cumin, and more olive oil, if needed. Set aside. Prepare your preferred rice to accompany the curry, following instructions on the package. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then add toskillet with onion, garlic, and spices. Cook chicken on high heat for about 3 minutes on both sides. Stir in coconut milk, stock, lime, and orange juice. Mix well until chicken is covered in sauce. Let simmer a couple of minutes. Serve in bowls over cooked rice and topped with the garnish you desire.
Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients:
1 can (20 oz.) sliced pineapple
1/2 c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped pecans
3 large eggs, separated, room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Maraschino cherries
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°. Melt butter in a 9- or 10-in. ovenproof skillet. Add brown sugar; mix well until sugar is melted. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/3 c. juice. Arrange about 8 pineapple slices in a single layer over sugar (refrigerate remaining slices). Sprinkle pecans over pineapple; set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Blend in vanilla and reserved pineapple juice. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to batter and mix well. In a small bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form, fold into batter. Spoon into skillet. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. If cake browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Let stand 10 minutes before inverting onto serving plate. Place cherries in center of pineapple slices before serving.
Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Ingredients:
12 fresh zucchini blossoms
3/4 c. soft goat cheese (room temperature)
1 egg yolk
1/4 c. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Batter:
1 c. self-rising flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. ice-cold water
vegetable oil as needed
1 tsp. all-purpose flour
Preparation:
Bring pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Prepare large bowl of ice-cold water. Drop squash blossoms into boiling water until slightly wilted, 30 to 45 seconds; transfer immediately into cold water to chill. Remove to paper towels to drain. In medium bowl, mix goat cheese, egg yolk, Gruyere cheese, and pepper; stir until smooth. Spoon filling into a heavy, resealable 1-quart plastic bag, squeeze air out and seal. Cut off a small corner. Gently insert cut corner of bag to the bottom of the open end of a blossom and pipe about 1 Tbsp. of filling inside. Pick up petals and drape them over filling, to cover completely. Fold excess petals over top of the filled blossom. Refrigerate filled blossoms until cheese is set and firm, at least 30 minutes. Combine flour and cornstarch in a mixing bowl; whisk in ice-cold water, a little at a time, until batter is smooth and is about as thick as pancake batter. In heavy or cast iron skillet, pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1” and place over medium heat. Heat oil until a thermometer placed into oil, not touching the bottom, reads 350°F. A drop of batter dripped into oil should sizzle immediately. Remove squash blossoms from refrigerator and dust lightly on all sides with all-purpose flour. Shake off excess flour and dip blossoms in batter. Let excess batter drip off. Gently place coated squash blossoms in hot oil on their sides; cook in 3 batches of 4 at a time until pale golden brown, 1 minute on first side and 30 seconds to 1 minute on remaining sides. Let cool slightly before serving.