Here are just a few of my full recipes to whet your appetite...

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The Ultimate Three Bean Soup

Ultimate Three Bean Soup is made with Black Beans cooked in the Cuban Style, Red Beans cooked New Orleans Style, and White Beans cooked Tuscan Style.

“While definitely NOT what we would consider an easy or quick dish, the complexity of its preparation makes this Bean Soup far superior to any more simplistic techniques. It is worth the time. The same recipe can also be used with NO ALTERATIONS as a side dish or hearty Entree. For a vegetarian version simply remove the meats and increase all the other flavoring agents accordingly. It has been done well either way.”

Recipes Included
--Preparing the Black Beans
--Preparing the Red Beans
--Preparing the White Beans
--Combining, Marinating, and Final Presentation.


Preparing the Black Beans
--Use only Dry Black Turtle Beans. Soak one cup of them overnight.
--Dice one yellow onion; three garlic cloves; one each of red, green, and yellow bell peppers; one quarter-pound link of spicy sausage; two jalapenos; and a small bunch of cilantro.
--Cook all with beans and a half teaspoon of cracked black pepper and oregano, covered with only an inch or two of water, until just done (about an hour...varies with altitude,etc.).
--DO NOT salt until the end (this toughens the bean shells). Then, when almost done, add about two teaspoons of salt. Finish and cool.

Preparing the Red Beans
--Use only Dry Red Kidney Beans. Soak one cup of them overnight.
--Dice one yellow onion, two stalks celery, two garlic cloves, one green bell pepper, one quarter-pound link of spicy sausage, four pieces of bacon; tone tomato; and a small bunch of thyme.
--Cook all with beans and one teaspoon each of cracked black pepper, granulated garlic, paprika, and celery salt; as well as a half teaspoon of cayenne, three bay leaves, and several liberal dashes of Tabasco; covered with only an inch or two of water, until just done (about an hour...varies with altitude,etc.).
--DO NOT salt until the end (this toughens the bean shells). Then, when almost done, add two teaspoons of salt. Finish and cool.

Preparing the White Beans
--Use only Dry Colorado White (small Navy) Beans. Soak one cup of them overnight.
--Dice one yellow onion, one stalk of celery, one small leek, one garlic clove, four pieces of bacon, and a small bunch of basil.
--Cook all with beans and a half teaspoon of white pepper and oregano, covered with only an inch or two of water, until just done (about an hour...varies with altitude,etc.).
--DO NOT salt until the end (this toughens the bean shells). Then, when almost done, add about two teaspoons of salt. Finish and cool.

**Notes on Cooking Beans
The reasons for cooking all these beans separately are two, and VERY important. This is what sets this dish so far apart from other bean dishes. First of all, the flavors will infuse the beans and even though they are together in one final dish, the distinctness will still be there, providing a complexity and interest that is hard to come by. Each bite will be a little different combination. Even more importantly, the beans cook at different rates. This is the only way to insure that each bean is just barely done, firm, and not broken up or over-cooked. In general, white beans will finish first, red about five minutes later, and black another ten to fifteen after that. Obviously, if we cooked them all together we would have either crunchy black beans or mushy white.
As was already mentioned, do not salt until the end.
Finally, I have never had any problems finding these beans locally, BUT, if you do have trouble for some reason, simply substitute. Other great Colorado Beans are Pintos (which can be used instead of Red Kidneys), and Calypsos which are beautiful, and could replace Red Kidneys OR White Navies. As long as you take the time to do this recipe right, any Dry Beans will do.

Final Preparation and Presentation
--You now have three cooled and finished pots of beans. Drain them all, reserving liquid.
--Mix the three liquids with three cups of good beef or veal stock. Bring this to a boil and reduce for an hour, making a delicious dark brown broth full of endless flavors. I call this “Bean Jus”.
--Meanwhile, we have soft, cooked beans, much different from the dry form. They will accept a marinade. Mix beans together with two cups red wine vinegar, one cup balsamic vinegar, two cups extra virgin olive oil, a quarter cup of sugar, and a teaspoon each of: cracked black pepper, chopped basil, and chopped thyme.
--The current form of the beans can be used as the most fabulous Three Bean Salad you have ever tasted. But it will also help them last three times as long.
--After a day or two of marinating you can finish the soup by simply combining a ladle of the Bean Jus with a ladle of the Marinated Beans and heating to a boil.
--I garnish with a dollop of homemade Creme Fraiche and a Basil Top.

**Final Note:
I realize that this recipe is not for the faint of heart, BUT, I promise you that it produces the most incredible use of beans that I have ever encountered. I have customers that come several times a week for a large bowl. The advantage to this dish is that it can be done in any quantity and will last a very long time. It is one of my most flexible dishes, being usable as a soup, salad, side dish, or entree; cold or hot, vegetarian or not.. It can’t be beat as an accompaniment to wild game (especially our rich local elk or a nice rabbit).
Enjoy!



Napoleon of Colorado Lamb

In this "Napoleon" the Fresh Local Lamb is accented by the earthiness of Cumin-Dusted Grilled Tomato and the Aromatic fragrance of Coriander-Infused and Honey-Drizzled Yukon Gold Potato Galettes. The sauce is a wonderful reduction made from local Cottonwood Cellars Claret and Lamb stock.

“Lamb, my favorite of all meats, is well known to Chefs worldwide for its versatility and fabulous flavor. But Colorado Lamb is even more special than that. It has a unique taste that separates it from all other meats, a wonderful earthiness that goes well with flamboyant wines and holds up to bold treatments. The following recipe utilizes all these qualities, giving lamb the attention it so richly deserves.”

Recipes Included
--The Dry Rub Marinade and Preparation of the Fresh Colorado Lamb
--The Preparation of the Coriander Potato Galettes
--The Preparation of the Cumin-Dusted Tomatoes
--Making the Claret Reduction Demi-Glace
--Assembly and Presentation

Preparing the Lamb
--Use only the freshest Loin of Colorado Lamb, trimming carefully, you should be able to cut three 4-5 oz. medallions. If your loin is a bit thin, just butterfly the pieces into larger rounds.
--Dry Marinade the lamb for 15-30 minutes in a mixture of equal parts fresh cracked black pepper, cumin, coriander, and kosher sea salt.
--Grill Lamb to desired temperature. I would suggest medium, though most of my clientele like it slightly more done.
--This step should be completed at the same time as the tomatoes are grilled and the galettes fried.

Preparing the Galettes
--Using a carefully cleaned fresh potato, yukon gold if available, shred or julienne the whole potato with a Mandolin or Food Processor, or my favorite, a knife. Do not rinse these small matchsticks, as the juice and starch will be part of what holds them together.
--Into the potatoes, mix 1 egg and a sprinkle of flour, along with a half teaspoon of coriander, a light pinch of white pepper, and a teaspoon of salt.
--Make several 3-4 inch diameter, quarter inch thick, round potato galettes and fry gently in whole butter, or in the case of mass production, the deep frier will do.
--Two galettes per order should be fried golden crisp and drained carefully on towels. While still hot, drizzle with honey (I prefer Local Colorado Clover Honey). Reserve for presentation.
--Try to finish all of these steps simultaneously.

Preparing the Tomatoes
--Use only the freshest Hothouse Ripe Red Tomatoes. Once again I prefer local Colorado Produce. The flesh should still be firm, or they will break up on the grill.
--Cut two nice third inch slices per order.
--Dust liberally with Cumin and kosher sea salt; spray lightly with a non-stick spray (olive oil flavored is preferred), and grill.
--This process should only take a minute or two per side, depending of course on grill heat. Make pretty crossing grill lines if you can to improve presentation.
--These tomato slices should be complete exactly at plating time, you cannot hold them for long.

**The secret to this step, and in fact the whole recipe, is to use only the freshest products. We want to accent the flavors with the earthiness of the cumin and the flowery aroma of the coriander because these go so well with lamb, BUT we don’t want to overpower the natural flavors of this fabulous combination.

Preparing the Claret Demi-Glace
--In a heavy-bottomed pot, sauté one medium-sized fine-diced yellow (or even better, Vidalia) onion till translucent.
--Add a minced garlic clove and do the same.
--Deglaze with one bottle of Cottonwood Cellars wonderful Colorado Claret and bring to a boil.
--Add three cups of good beef/veal/lamb stock and boil.
--Simmer several hours, reducing all by half.
--Add salt and pepper as necessary (not much), and thicken if necessary with beurre manie or corn starch slurry. Boil 15 more minutes and filter through sieve or chinois.

**A Final Note on Timing.
Every step except the making of the Claret Demi-Glace (which takes a long time and can be made days or weeks in advance) should be done a la minute, when you are ready to serve. The lamb will take the longest to cook, about five to seven minutes (depending on grill heat and desired doneness), while the galette will take just 3 or 4 and the tomatoes a little less. In other words, nothing takes very long.

SO, a few minutes before service:
--Cut your lamb medallions and dry marinate them.
--Shred your potatoes, mix them with the seasonings and egg, and form the galettes.
--Cut your tomato slices and dust them.

Then when you are ready to serve:
--Place your lamb on the grill.
--A couple minutes later, begin frying your galettes.
--As soon as they are sizzling, place your tomato slices on thegrill.
--Finish Galettes and drain while finishing tomatoes and lamb.
--Warm a plate and make sure your sauce is hot and ready.

Final Plate Presentation
--Ladle warm Claret Demi-Glace onto a warm plate and rotate to evenly disperse.
--Place one lamb medallion in the center of the plate, then a galette, then a grilled tomato.
--Repeat, placing a medallion on the top of the tomato, etc.
--Finish by placing the last medallion on top.
--Sauté fine-diced tomato with just a bit of the sauce and drizzle over the lamb. Garnish with fresh, fine-dice of tomato andtiny edible flowers.
--Serve immediately, preferably with a glass of Cottonwood Cellars Claret.


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