So salad probably doesn’t immediately come to mind when thinking of something delicious to prepare your dad on Father’s Day, but as far as salads go this one is pretty manly! A wedge of crisp iceberg lettuce, oven roasted tomatoes, pepper bacon (which of course it makes everything better) and creamy dressing made with our Pendleton Barbeque Sauce will make any dad a happy (and full!) one this Sunday!

Barbeque Wedge Salad With Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Pepper Bacon

Serves 4

1 Head of Iceberg Lettuce, washed and cut into quaters

6-8 Strips of Pepper Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes (recipe below)

Cornbread Croutons (or your favorite croutons)

1/2 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

For the Dressing

1/2 Cup Oregon Growers Pendleton Barbeque Sauce (your choice of Original or Mesquite)

1/2 Sour Cream

1/4 Cup Mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice

Green Onions, chopped with some reserved

Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat 1/2 lbs of cherry tomatoes with salt and pepper and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Cook on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 45 minutes. Let cool.

For the Dressing

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Chill until ready to serve.

To Assemble

Place each wedge of iceberg lettuce on it’s side on a plate and top with crumbled bacon, oven roasted tomatoes & cornbread croutons and drizzle dressing. Finish with shredded cheddar cheese and reserved chopped green onions.

Enjoy Dads!

Mini Barbecue Bites

1 Baguette

Your Favorite Sausage

1/2 an Onion, small diced

Pendleton BBQ Sauce, Original or Mesquite

Slice your baguette into slices about an inch thick and place on a baking sheet. Cook in a preheated oven at 350 degrees,  just until golden, about 5-10minutes.  Using instructions, grill or cook sasauge as follows, let cool and slice sausages about 1/2 inch thick. Top sasauges on slices of bread, diced onions and drizzle your favorite Pendleton BBQ Sauce flavor on top! Enjoy!

Barbecue Onions- An Old Favorite!

Makes 2-3 cups

4-5 large Onions of choice – Peeled and julienned

2-3 Tbls Vegetable Oil

4 Tbls Pendleton Original Barbecue Sauce

1 Tbl Butter

1 shot Pendleton Whisky

Salt and pepper to taste

Place julienned onions in a large sauté pan with the vegetable oil and sauté gently over medium heat for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally  until nicely caramelized (be careful not to burn them).  Off the heat add one shot of Pendleton Whisky to the pan (watch out for flames!) return to heat and deglaze – reduce liquid for one minute.  Add salt, pepper and BBQ sauce – simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Melt in butter and set aside to cool.

Pendleton Barbecue Sauce- Great for dipping!

Thank you to Gluten Free Foodies Blog, for the great pictures and recipe ideas! A great blog for not only the Gluten Free, but for all foodies!

The perfect Party Starter!

Ingredients

3 pounds skinned and boned chicken breasts
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion power

¾ teaspoon dried parsley flakes

½ teaspoon Paprika
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup Pendleton Mesquite Barbecue Sauce
2 large eggs
Vegetable oil

Preparation

Slice each chicken breast into 3 x 1 inch strips, and set aside. Combine flour, salt, pepper and other spices (including dried parsley) in a large shallow dish. Whisk together buttermilk, 3/4 cup Pendleton Mesquite Barbecue Sauce and eggs in a bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, dip in buttermilk mixture, and dredge again in flour mixture. Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches in a deep skillet, heat to 360 degrees (a oil thermometer is helpful). Fry chicken, in batches of 4-6 pieces, 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on wire racks over paper towels, season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Serve with plenty of extra Pendleton Barbecue Sauce for dipping.

Hazelnut Sun Dried Tomato Spread

Hazelnut Pesto Spread
Pulse 2 cups packed fresh basil, 1 cup toasted, hazelnuts (skin removed), 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup each olive oil and lemon juice and 2 cloves garlic in food processor until blended.  Cover and refrigerate.  Makes 12 servings (1 1/2 cups).

Hazelnut Hummus
Puree one can (16oz) garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed), 3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts (skin removed), 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 1/4 cup each lemon juice and olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in food processor until blended. Cover and refrigerate.  Makes 16 servings (2 cups).

Rogue River Blue with Oregon Growers Pear Hazelnut Preserves

Bellwether Farms Crescenza with Oregon Growers Cherry Zinfandel Preserves

River’s Edge, Sunset Bay Chevre with Oregon Growers Cranberry Pear Preserves.

Like many chefs he is dedicated to using locally raised, foraged, or grown food in his restaurant. But he takes this idea on step further – he and his wife grow much of the produce featured on his ever changing menu on his property in Hood River. In the summer months freshly gathered greens, tomatoes, squashes, and herbs are utilized in his food.

A great example of this is their terrific Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb freshly washed Spinach – get the best stuff you can…

2 strips good smoky bacon

1 small shallot ~ 1 tsp

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2  Cup Oregon Growers Wildflower Honey

1/3 cup Good Balsamic

2-3 Radishes

Cooked egg yolk

Salt and Pepper

For the vinaigrette cut bacon into small pieces and render till crisp – remove bacon and reserve. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat – discard the remainder. Finely mince shallot and add to a medium mixing bowl. Add Wildflower Honey,  vinegar, and bacon fat. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a thin stream – season with salt and pepper and set aside. In a large serving bowl add spinach leaves and toss with just enough vinaigrette to coat leaves – season with salt and pepper. To garnish sprinkle with crispy bacon, thinly sliced radishes and chopped egg yolks.

John and Marcy can be found Tuesday – Sunday at Sophie’s Restaurant in Hood River.

Cranberry Pear Puffs

Featuring our Cranberry Pear Spread

Makes 36 Puffs

Ingredients:
8 oz Fromage blanc or mild soft goat cheese
1 Jar of Oregon Growers & Shippers Cranberry Pear Spread
1 Sheet of Puff Pastry
8 oz. Brie Cheese
Flour for work surface

Preparation
Thaw 1 sheet of Puff Pastry for about a half hour, or until able to work with. .

Preheat oven to 400°F.
On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 14 inch square, and cut into 36 equal squares.

Press each pastry square into a lightly greased mini muffin tin.

Cut brie into small pieces (about a tablespoon) and put a piece into each pastry square

Spoon about tablespoon of Cranberry Pear Fruit Spread into each pastry square as well.

Bake for 12- 15 minutes, or until puff pastry is golden brown. Serve Warm.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
8 oz Fromage blanc or mild soft goat cheese
4 tbs Oregon Growers & Shippers Cranberry Pear Spread
to taste salt and pepper
Decoration chopped chives

Preparation:
Take a standard muffin tin. Line one of the cups with plastic food wrap, making sure it is smooth.

In a food processor, puree half of the cheese (until soft) and set aside.
Puree the other half of the cheese with 2 TBS of Oregon Growers & Shippers Cranberry Pear spread

Press the remaining 2 TBS of Oregon Growers & Shippers Cranberry Pear Spread into the bottom of the lined cup
Next, layer the mixed cheese and spread into the cup without disturbing the first layer
Add the last layer of softened cheese on top.
Cover the torta with plastic wrap and chill in the refridgerator for one hour.

To remove the torta, take away the bottom layer of plastic wrap.
Put a service platter over top of the pan and reverse direction so the pan is upsidedown on the platter.
The torta should drop gently from the pan onto the platter.
Carefully remove the plastic wrap from the exterior.

Decorate with chopped chives and serve with crackers or toasted bread

serves 4

This is about as simple as it gets…it’s really assembly not so much actual “cooking” – we’ll get there later…

What you will need:

1. Sliced NW cold smoked salmon (4oz)
2. 1 jar of Oregon Growers and Shippers Apple Fennel Chutney
3. 1 package of Carrs water crackers
4. A few chives for decoration
5. Large serving platter

What to do:

• on your work surface spread out 12 crackers
• spread a thin layer of the chutney on each cracker (1/2 tsp)
• place about 1/3 oz of salmon on each cracker
• put a dollop of the chutney on top of the salmon (1 tsp)
• garnish with several 1 inch pieces of chive

You can make this up to one hour before your guests arrive – enjoy!