Recipe: The Pickleback

For our first Friday Get-Fucked-Up Special, we’re making Picklebacks. This one’s easy. All you need is a jar of Mcclure’s Pickles and a Bottle of your favorite whiskey. And if you’re a badass, do it right and use the Spicy Spears. The acidity from the pickle brine totally kills the burn from the whiskey and it tastes good, too! This is totally not a homeless person thing, I swear.

The Pickleback

 

Ingredients

1.5 oz of McClure’s Pickle Juice (or Brine)

1.5 oz of Whiskey

Directions

Pour each ingredient into a shot glass. Slam the whiskey and chase it with the pickle juice. Repeat.

Tarentaise Grilled Cheese

There's never a bad time to eat a grilled cheese, but I'd argue that autumn is an exceptionally good time. Why? There's something about the chilly air and dark evenings that inspires cravings for the ooey, gooey, and cheesy. And big, creamy bowls of tomato soup.

We did some delicious, pseudoscientific experimenting and found that our Tarentaise, a firm, grassy, and buttery cow's milk cheese, makes an awesome grilled cheese. It melts perfectly, while still maintaining its assertive flavor. We found that the cheese was best complimented with a little sweetness, which is why we like to add a layer of caramelized onions between the cheese and bread.

Here's a quick recipe for an oniony, buttery, cheesy grilled cheese.

Ingredients:

Two slices of sour dough bread, Roberta's butter (softened), caramelized onions, Tarentaise cheese (sliced into thin slivers)

1. Butter the outside of two slices of sourdough.

2. Spread a layer of caramelized onions on one slice. On the other, layer as much cheese as your digestive system can handle.

3. Grill on a panini press, until outside is golden and cheese is super melty.

4. Slice in half, eat with tomato soup or whatever you want. Go jump in a pile of leaves.

Almdudler, Austrian Soda

We're very pleased to once again carry our favorite Austrian soft drink, Almdudler limonade. With a flavor somewhere between an herbal gingerale and lemon-lime soda, Almdudler has fast become our go-to sugar fix. Try it out!!!

The Fine Cheese Co. Chive Crackers & Fromage De Meaux

With the extensive amount of cheese and crackers at The Dep, it's hard to narrow down the pairing options. Because this can sometimes be a little overwhelming, we've started carrying a new line of flavorful English crackers that just so happen to share their expert knowledge right on the box. Yep, that's right. The Fine Cheese Co. not only tells you which cheese to pair with what cracker, but it also gives you a glimpse into what the crackers themselves look like. So next time you're in a rush to get to a dinner party, or just too exhausted and need a little pick me up - check out this new delightfull line.

In the picture above, we did a sampling in the shop and paired our bloomy Fromage De Meaux with some of the crispy and flaky Chive Crackers - it was an absolutely delicious and well-balanced combination.

And if you're looking for something to pair with some hard, nutty, and salty cheese like our Parmigiano-Reggiano or the oh-so-robust Pecorino Toscano Stagionato Dop. Then you'll want to try the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Sea Salt Crackers. Or maybe you're in the mood for some our softer cheeses like a nice little bijou or our triple cream delicacy - the Brilliant Savrarin. If that's the case, then you should try the light and airy Rosemary crackers that are laced with this aromatic herb. And if those aren't doing it for you, and you want something in the middle, like a Comte or Gruyere, then you'll definitely want to try the Basil speckled crackers which pair perfectly with the supple, fruity, and nutty flavors that are present in these raw cow's milk cheeses.

Fancy a Drink?

How about a fancy drink? Here's a recipe for our new favorite gin drink, made with Belvoir Farms Elderflower Cordial: to mix one, combine equal parts Hendrick's (or another floral gin) and elderflower cordial over ice, top with soda water, and garnish with a lemon slice. What better way to start your weekend?

Satur Farms Fingerling Potatoes

Tweet We love the sweet, buttery flavor of Satur Farms fingerling potatoes, and have had a lot of fun coming up with different ways to use them. Below are recipes for some of our favorites. Let us know how it goes (or if you have any brilliant ideas of your own) in the comments!

Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine 1 box of fingerlings with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, tarragon, or lavender (if using dried herbs, only use 1 tablespoon or less), and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roast until tender and fragrant, about 35 minutes.

French-Style (vinegar based) Potato Salad Ingredients: 1 box fingerling potatoes 2 TBS good olive oil 2 TBS white wine vinegar 2 TBS Dijon mustard 2 TBS very finely diced red onion (about 1/2 of a small onion) 2 TBS small capers 1/4 cup cornichons, sliced thin 1/2 cup breakfast radishes, sliced thin Salt and pepper as needed

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork-tender. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, combine equal parts white wine vinegar, Dijon, and olive oil to make the dressing. We use about 2 tablespoons of each per 1 box of potatoes, but you can use more or less depending on your taste. When potatoes have cooled enough to handle, chop roughly and toss with the dressing in a large bowl.  Add other ingredients and stir to combine. Allow the salad to rest for 30 minutes or so before serving, to let the flavors soak into the potatoes.

Provençal Potato Salad

Ingredients: 1 box Satur Farms fingerling potatoes 2 TBS good olive oil 1 TBS champagne or white wine vinegar 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard Salt & pep to taste 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved 1/4 cup small capers, drained 1 package Satur Farms heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved 2 TBS fresh italian parsley, chopped

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork-tender. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, vinegar, and dijon. While the potatoes are still warm, toss with the dressing and a little salt and pepper. Allow to rest for a few minutes so dressing can soak into the warm potatoes. (If you want to, you can halve potatoes before this step.) When potatoes have cooled, toss with the rest of the ingredients. Delicious alongside a thinly sliced steak! Optional add-ins: 2 TBS basil chiffonade or lightly blanched haricots verts.

Prosciutto di San Daniele

The origins of Prosciutto di San Daniele go back to Celtic-Roman times. In the Middle Ages, the town of San Daniele was a dependency of the Patriarchy of Aquileia whose Patriarch and Bishop-Count established his summer residence there and, exercising his feudal powers, demanded the payment of taxes in the form of ham. Prosciutto di San Daniele was served at the dining tables of the Council of Trent and was highly appreciated by princes and sovereigns. There are documents relating how in the seventeenth century a supply was sent to the King of Hungary accompanied by a health certificate drawn up by veterinarians from the Republic of Venice who had joined the Patriarchy of Aquileia. The large-scale production of Prosciutto di San Daniele began early this century. The ham became a favourite delicacy for a number of celebrated historical figures, Gabriele D'Annunzio among them. Prosciutto di San Daniele is an uncooked aged ham. It is distinctively shaped like a guitar and the meat is reddish-pink in colour. It has a pronounced aroma, a sweet and delicate flavour and an unmistakable after-taste. The retention of the end-piece of the hog's leg (the trotter) is another identifying characteristic. The treatment of the meat lasts 12-13 months. The area of production is the town district of San Daniele del Friuli in the province of Udine. The livestock comes exclusively from ten regions in central-north Italy (46 per cent from Lombardy alone). The hogs are bred only on approved farms, and the DOP certification sets out stringent norms regarding the genetic make-up of the animals and precise rules for their feeding. The only ingredient used in the treatment process is sea salt, and that only sparingly (the salt content in a properly aged Prosciutto di San Daniele is less than 6 per cent).

Intelligentsia

This socially responsible, Direct Trade coffee company brings beans—in terms of quality and commitment—to a new level. By cutting out middlemen and traveling to countries where its beans originate, Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee buys directly from farmers, all of whom are well compensated for producing high quality coffee beans.

We carry both the retail size House Blend Coffee and their Black Cat Classic Espresso. Check out their super nerdy video on making espresso:

Espresso, Intelligentsia from The D4D on Vimeo.