Root Beer Gelee and Vanilla Panna Cotta

Several months ago I saw a program on the Food Channel about Root beer. I have been in love with root beer since I was a kid so naturally the show captured my attention. The show took viewers through different root beer factories, performed taste tests - you know, the typical things that might be experienced on a show about root beer. Two segments on this show caught my attention, the first was an interview with a guy in texas who makes his BBQ sauce with root beer, and the second was a woman who made a gourmet root beer float.

What was the difference between an ordinary root beer float and the one on the show. The difference was that her root beer was gelatine with a vanilla panacotta topping. Served in a dessert glass, it looks simply...well, yummy. The process looked simple enough and I thought it might be a fun thing to teach in one of our cooking classes so I checked the food channel site for the recipe. I followed the recipe to the letter and it worked beautifully.

Next I tried it with grape soda, and orange soda, orange juice (orange juice did not work at all - orange juice does not like to be heated up) The grape soda was horrible (not recommended) but the root beer soda and orange soda was terrific. I also tried it with coffee - sounds gross but it really was not that bad. I poured an ounce of fresh espresso over the top of the panacotta before tasting. I could imagine it with ground chocolate covered coffee beans as a decorative topper.

I highly recommend the root beer float dessert for your summer dinner party or picnic. It tasted great and is impressive enough.

If you want to try it here is the link to the gourmet root beer float recipe. I would love to hear your opinion of this dessert.

No Shortage of Beans

Hi there, it's Farmer Jess here, and boy does my back hurt! My ear itches and I smell like sunscreen and citrus bug spray. Yep, you
guessed it: I've been in the garden for hours this week and I am feeling it all over!

This morning I pulled a tick out of the top fold of my ear. UGH! I can look forward to it itching for at least a week if the last one was any indicator. I just wonder if there are any others lurking about? "Call the exterminator! Spray the yard! Don't let the cats out! Don't go in the garden at all," my husband cries like a broken record.

Sorry, hon, but then it wouldn't be organic! The best part of growing your own, is that you know what goes in it, on it, where it comes from, who picked it and what exactly it is that you're eating! Yep, the only thing that goes in my garden is hard work, sweat, bees, birds and me. The only chemicals on my garden are on the leaves and those things include soap and water, sunshine, the occasional bird droppings and lately, Japanese Beetle procreation parties. (wink, wink).

So, revel in your gardens if you have one and make sure you butter up to me, because I love to share. Yesterday I pulled out my wings and flew around town in my favorite role: the garden fairy. Yesterday it was green beans. Seriously, Holy Green Bean Casserole, Batman! I filled three Culina colanders. They're perfect because they let the dirt and bugs fall through, are easy to clean and in the fun colors, it makes harvesting fun and you look good while doing it!

If someone could invent a baby sling for harvesting, that would be great because the overflow after I filled up my third colander went in my shirt! What a chocker when the neighbor saw me and thought I was expecting. Only thing I was expecting was to be eating beans for several days or weeks!

So don't tell my husband, but I'm heading back out there. I pulled out my broccoli plants yesterday and need to put some seeds in the ground. The first batch of cucumber seeds were unsuccessful thanks to all that early rain and I lost some squash to it, too, along with the squash beetles. I did pull my first straight-neck yellow squash yesterday and the potatoes are just about ready.

If I give you some beans or if we have some for sale at Culina, just remember to be nice to them. After all, they are special beans and wouldn't like to end up in a pot with fat or a hunk of pork and cooked all day with all the nutrients and goodness sucked out of them. Just a short bath in some boiling water or steamed or sauteed would be fine, thank you! These aren't beans meant for cafeteria food or a can, these beans were meant for a special dinner with your family, one that you can feel good about.

If I have to pull ticks off me, the least you can do is respect the vegetable!

Father's Day Grilling Event

Our staff chef Lance Yeatman weathered the soaring heat while searing meat..veggies and fruit for the interested onlookers. Culina gave away marinades and sauces from Wild Thymes and homemade Jouster sauces. The grilling event brought new customers to Culina. We're always happy to see new faces in our store.

Mmmmmmm Cake

Culina recently advertised on our website, newsletters and through our on staff town crier "Jess", that we are offering fresh baked cakes as one of our gourmet food offerings. There must be a shortage of cake in Lynchburg because in the first week, the store received an order for four coconut cakes and one pineapple upside down cake.

The three cakes we specialize in are Coconut, Chocolate Ganache and Red Velvet, all 12 layer torted cakes. The pineapple upside down was a special order for our good customer Cece. I will make this one personally for her.

Jess and I will be making cake all day on Friday before Father's Day. We can always use extra hands for grating and toasting fresh coconut, mixing ganache, separating eggs and so on.