Mixed Leaf Salad with Parmesan Wafers and an Organic Poached Egg

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon/10 g Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove
1/3 cup/85 ml white wine vinegar
½ cup/45 g grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup/105 ml grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Parmesan wafers:

¾ cup/55 g shredded Parmesan cheese

For the salad:

2 tablespoons/30 ml white wine vinegar
4 large organic eggs
1 head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1 head butter lettuce, roughly chopped
¼ bunch fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped (about ½ cup/15 g)

Method:

To make the dressing:

In a blender, place the egg yolks, mustard and garlic and blend until the garlic is minced. Blend in the vinegar, then the grated Parmesan cheese. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin constant stream until the dressing is nice and creamy. 

Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the dressing from the blender and reserve.

To make the Parmesan wafers:

Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C. Place a nonstick silicon mat (such as Silpat) on a heavy large baking sheet.  Evenly sprinkle the shredded Parmesan cheese over the mat, forming a thin 13x9-inch/33x23-cm rectangle of cheese on the mat. 

Bake for about 7 minutes or until the cheese is lacy and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Break the Parmesan wafer into large pieces.

To poach the eggs:

Bring a large skillet of water to a simmer over high heat. Stir the water and add the vinegar. Crack one egg into a coffee cup or small bowl and then gently transfer the egg to the simmering acidulated water. Repeat with remaining eggs.

Allow the eggs to poach for about 3 minutes or until the whites are set but the yolks are still creamy. Using a slotted spoon, gently the remove eggs from the simmering water and set them on a paper towel to absorb the excess water.

To make the salad:

Toss the lettuces and parsley in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the salad among 4 serving bowls. Place the Parmesan wafers over the salad. Top each salad with a poached egg. Sprinkle the eggs with black pepper and serve.

Cheese Fondue

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Fondue:

6 tablespoons/80 g butter
3 tablespoons/30 g all purpose flour
¼ cup/50 ml Kirshwasser
1 cup/275 ml whole milk
3 ounces/90 g Emmenthaler cheese or any type of Swiss, cubed
3 ounces/90 g Gruyère cheese, cubed
3 ounces/90 g Raclette cheese, cubed
3 ounces/90 g creamy blue cheese or Fontina cheese, cubed (use the Fontina cheese if a more mild flavor is desired)
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Accompaniments:

1 loaf crusty French bread, torn into bite-size pieces
3 cups/175 g broccoli florets
1 yellow squash, cut into sticks
1 zucchini, cut into sticks
12 small white mushrooms, halved
½ English cucumber, cut into sticks
4 green onions, quartered crosswise

Method:

Melt the butter in a heavy large sauce pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour. Constantly whisk for 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth and begins to bubble. Slowly whisk in the Kirshwasser. Whisk in the milk. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.

Slowly add the cheese, stirring until all the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth (you may need to add a little more milk if the mixture becomes too thick). Season the fondue to taste with the nutmeg.

Transfer the fondue to a fondue pot and place it over a canned heat burner to keep it warm.  Arrange the bread, broccoli florets, yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, cucumber and green onions on a platter and serve with the fondue, allowing diners to skewer the bread and vegetables with a fork and dip them into the cheese fondue.

Chocolate Fondue

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Fondue:

2 cups/473 ml heavy whipping cream
10 ounces/300 g good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped

Accompaniments:

One 1-pound/454-g basket fresh strawberries with stems, halved lengthwise
One 6-ounce/170-g basket fresh blackberries
2 bananas, peeled and cut crosswise into thick rounds
2 nectarines, pitted, cut into wedges
2 apricots, pitted, cut into wedges
4 almond biscotti

Method:

Heat the cream in a heavy medium sauce pan over medium heat until it simmers. Decrease the heat to low.  Add the chocolate to the cream and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

Once the mixture is smooth, pour it into a fondue pot and place it over a canned heat burner to keep it warm. Arrange the fruit and biscotti on a platter and serve with the fondue, allowing diners to skewer the fruit with a fork and dip the fruit and biscotti into the chocolate fondue.