The Boulder Passport: Riffs
As every single one of my tour guests hear, Riffs is one of my absolute favorite places in Boulder. After one of my cocktail tours, Sean and I got together for our third night (in a row) of Boulder Passport debauchery. Two of my cocktail tour guests had returned there for dinner as well, and they were fellow passport holders, so that essentially means they’re hip and have good taste 🙂
Riffs is offering The Ruby Sipper, a barrel aged cocktail, that is finished with a flamed orange. Nice touch.
Sean, my chef (you all know he’s actually one of the best in town, right..?), was planning on cooking for us that evening as it was his night off from Zeal, so we got a couple appetizers. We ordered their green pea hummus, which I get almost every single time I eat there because it’s one of my favorite bites in Boulder…
We enjoyed a seasonal menu item: Cornmeal Fried Zucchini. I loved this dish last summer, so I’m glad Chef Platt brought it back.
And all of those former menus they place between plates and other dishes had been sliced by one of my favorite servers that afternoon. Reuse, then recycle. I like that, too, about Riffs.
After our snacks we were ready to visit two more places that evening…
Zucchini and Feta Muffins
- At August 2, 2010
- By megan
- In Cornmeal, CSA Challenge, Feta Cheese, muffins, Savory Spice Shop, zucchini
2
Zucchini is in season, which means we’re getting zucchini as part of our CSA vegetables. What’s one to do with so much zucchini? I made some savory muffins.
- 2 cups finely grated zucchini
- 3/4 cup feta cheese
- 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped and sauteed in a little butter for a few minutes to soften
- 1/8 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup walnut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 TB dried minced white onion (from Savory Spice Shop)
- 1 TB dehydrated garlic (also found at my favorite spice shop)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- sea salt (I used Red Algae Hawaiian Kai Sea Salt from Savory Spice Shop)
- Urfa Pepper (again, from Savory Spice Shop)
Preheat the oven to 350.
First, shred or grate the zucchini and wring out most of the extra liquid with either a clean dish cloth, cheesecloth, or fine metal sieve. Next, chop the onion and saute it a little until it softens.
Assemble all of the dry ingredient, except for the sea salt and pepper, and set aside.
In your stand mixer, pour the 1/8 cup of heavy cream, and with the wire whisk attachment on the highest speed, turn it into butter. Then switch to the paddle blade, add the walnut oil and honey, and mix well. Add the eggs next and beat well. Then add the feta cheese and sauteed onion. mix this well before adding the dry ingredients.
Pour the batter into a muffin pan and sprinkle the tops with sea salt and pepper. If you are not using the same sea salt and pepper that I used, substitute with a coarse sea salt and red pepper flakes. Bake for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy.
Green Onion Corn Cakes with Ginger Rhubarb Sauce and Beet Greens
Garden fresh inspiration can lead to a really good meal.
I altered my Blue Corn Cakes recipe and came up with some delicately delicious yellow corn cakes.
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup yellow corn meal
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder (a little less at altitude)
- 1 tsp baking soda (a little less at altitude)
- pinch sea salt
- 1 cup chopped green onion
Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet and green onion in another. Mix the wet ingredients together well and then combine with the dry. Simple. Cook on a griddle like pancakes. They are kind of delicate, so it’s best to make them somewhat small so they flip easily.
I made these for dinner and drizzled them with a ginger rhubarb sauce.
- 3 stalks rhubarb, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp cornstarch (optional)
Bring the rhubarb and water to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and let this simmer. After 10 minutes or so, add the maple syrup and ginger and let it keep cooking. Turn it down if it is boiling. When you are almost ready to serve, add a little cornstarch if you’d like to thicken it.
I bought some local beets, so I chopped the stems separately from the leaves. I sauteed the stems in a little white wine until they got soft. Then I added the leaves and let them wilt. Add a little sea salt and pepper, and all of this can be served together.
The Ginger Rhubarb Sauce pairs well with both the Green Onion Corn Cakes and the sauteed Beet Greens. Enjoy.
Quinoa Pinto Bean Patties
- At February 8, 2010
- By megan
- In Cornmeal, garlic, patties, Peppers, pinto beans, quinoa, side dish
- 0
Patties are fun to make when there isn’t much time to make dinner. This recipe is really simple because I planned to serve these patties with a flavorful cheese and guacamole. If you spice them up more than I did, let me know what you added and how they turned out.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1/4 red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup water
- 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and well drained
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2-3/4 cup yellow corn meal
- sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
Bring the water to a boil and then add a pinch of sea salt, the rinsed quinoa, onion, and garlic. Stir, cover, return to a boil, and then simmer on low until all of the liquid is absorbed- 20 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, prep the other ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the rinsed beans and chopped pepper. When all of the water is absorbed into the quinoa, remove it from heat and fluff it with a fork. Let it sit uncovered for 10 minutes or so to cool a little and then add it to the large mixing bowl. Add some sea salt and pepper and mix until evenly combined. Then add the beaten egg and mix. Next add the cornmeal (a little more or a little less depending on the moisture content of your quinoa) and mix until you have a batter.
Drop 1/4 cup scoops onto a hot lightly oiled griddle or fry pan and pan fry like pancakes for a few minutes on each side. I served mine with a simple guacamole (avocado, mined garlic, squirt of lime, sea salt, pepper) and Tillamook white cheddar cheese. Enjoy.
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