"The Real Dill" Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary

 

A couple of months back I was fortunate to be able to review The Real Dill’s Pickles.  In the package there was a jar of Bloody Mary mix.  Immediately, my partner Craig asked if he could write a guest blog to be featured here. So after much research and testing, here is his post:

~Bob

"The Real Dill" Bloody Mary:

The history and origin of Bloody Mary’s vary, I like to believe it was named after Queen Mary I of England. 

Queen Mary I of England was born February 18, 1516, the daughter of King Henry VIII and his first of six wives, Catherine of Aragon. Mary was the only child from that union to survive infancy. She reigned as Queen of England from July 19, 1553 until her death on November 17, 1558. 

Mary had always rejected and resented the break with Rome that her father had instituted and his subsequent establishment of the Anglican Church that had flowed from her half-brother's Protestantism, and now she tried to turn England back to Roman Catholicism. This effort was carried out by force, and hundreds of Protestant leaders were executed. The first was John Rogers (a.k.a. “Thomas Matthews”), the printer of the “Matthews-Tyndale Bible”. His execution was followed by the execution of former Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, who was primarily responsible for the printing of the “Great Bible”. Hundreds more would follow in Mary’s bloody reign of terror.

This earned the queen the title of “Bloody Mary”.  Now that the history lesson is over, let’s get on to drinking!

Bloody Mary’s are a popular drink to go with brunch.  Recently Bob recently had the opportunity to review a line of artisan pickles from "THE REALDILL", they also sent a jar of their Bloody Mary mix.  It is made from the brine of their Habanero Horseradish Dills, which are so de-lish!    I have tested the mix a couple of times now, well three times if you count the one that is quenching my thirst. 

As with most cocktails they vary from bartender to bartender,  the Bloody Mary is pretty simple to make...the most common recipe is:

3 parts Vodka  

6 parts Tomato juice

1 part lemon juice

dash of salt & pepper

dash of Worcestershire sauce

dash of Tabasco

For this test I used the following:

Tall glass filled with ice

2 dashes of celery bitters from "The Bitter Truth"

3 oz of "Belvedere" Bloody Mary Vodka from

6 oz of "The Real Dill" Bloody Mary Mix

a squeeze of lemon juice

a stalk of celery

and a spear of Habanero Horseradish Dill pickle

Whereas I like spice and heat, Bob not so much, but this mix has the perfect combination of spice and heat.  It gives you the since of a very spicy drink but it leave you with just enough of the heat not to have to call the fire department out or eat a spoonful of sour cream.  I would have to say that this has to be my favorite Bloody Mary mix that I have tried. 

Here are a few different takes on this very "Noble" cocktail:

Bloody Beer: Beer, usually a light beer or lager, replacing vodka. Often served with Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, hot sauce, and/or lime.

Bloody Bishop : Sherry in equal measure to vodka.

Bloody Cab: Cabernet Sauvignon replacing/in addition to the vodka.

Bloody Derby : Bourbon replacing vodka.

Bloody Fairy, Red Fairy : Absinthe replacing the vodka.

Bloody Geisha, Bloody Ninja : Sake replacing vodka.

Bloody Hillbilly: Moonshine replacing Vodka

Bloody Maria: Tequila replacing vodka.

Bloody Maureen : Guinness replacing vodka.

Bloody Molly : Irish whiskey replacing vodka.

Bloody Murder : Gin replacing vodka, black vinegar replacing Worcestershire sauce, wasabi sauce replacing horseradish, served with a cherry tomato pierced with a plastic sword stirrer

Bloody Pirate, Cubanito : Dark rum replacing vodka. The latter is commonly found on menus in Havana, Cuba.

Bloody Scotsman : Scotch replacing vodka.

Michelada Clementina (or simply "Chelada") : Mexican beer replacing vodka, usually flavored with a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce and Maggi and Tabasco sauce. Usually made with Clamato (tomato juice with clam juice added). Usually the proportion of beer equals the tomato juice.

Red Hammer : Through the 1950s in the Northeastern U.S., while vodka was scarce, gin instead of vodka was known as a Bloody Mary; once vodka became readily available in those regions, the traditional vodka-based Bloody Mary was known as a Red Hammer for a time.

Virgin Mary, Bloody Shame, Bloody Virgin, or Bloody Barbara : Without alcohol. Typically with an increased volume of tomato juice, the vodka simply being omitted with no substitute.

"Virgin Mary" is commonly used in the USA, and

"Bloody Shame" is commonly used in Australia.

"Bloody Barbara" refers to Barbara Castle, the British Minister of Transport who introduced tougher drink-driving laws.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

I'm always looking for something different to cook for dinner.  I recently came across this recipe and deleted the bacon and added Field Roast Apple Sage Sausage (www.fieldroast.com). Craig not being a meat eater, they make an incredible alternative to the traditional pork casing cousin.  Typically, I'd make this for "meatless Monday", but today seemed appropriate.  I hope you take this recipe and make it your own.  Maybe add bell peppers, mushrooms, bacon....whatever you like. 

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ingredients

3 zucchinis

1/2 large onion, chopped fine

1 Tbsp butter

1 pkg smoked apple sage Field Roast sausage, chopped

1 Tbsp sour cream

1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp curry powder

1 heirloom tomato, seeded and chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

freshly grated Sartori Aged goat cheese cheese

fresh cracked black pepper

Give the zucchini a quick wash for good measure.  Slice in half lengthwise. Leave the ends on to keep the filling in. Scoop out the flesh with a melon baller or back of a vegetable peeler.  Leave a ledge of zucchini around the edges.  Arrange the zucchini boats in a baking dish. Chop the zucchini flesh as small as you like.

Finely chop half a sweet onion. Chop up Field Roast sausage.  Add the curry powder...  cook until desired doneness of onions and remove from heat. To the zucchini flesh, add sour cream. Rough chop some fresh thyme leaves. Mix onion and sausage mixture with other ingredients.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Stir in the tomato.  Seed them or else there may be too much moisture in the filling.  You don't really want the filling to be all runny when you cut into it. Refill the zucchini shells with the filling mixture.

Grate some good aged Goat cheese on top and sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Of course you know me.  I'm gonna grate even more cheese on them again. 

 

Real Dill Pickles

Real Dill Pickles

As you read in my previous post Bread & Butter Pickles, I do love pickles!  Being in the food and beverage industry for most of my career, I have subscriptions for multiple food magazines updating me with the latest trends in the industry. A few weeks ago, Craig came across an article in "The Tasting Panel" magazine.  He made a note of it and set it aside for me to take a look at.  When I had a second to review the article, I noticed a review of a newer Denver company called "The Real Dill", started in 2012, they are an artisan pickles company, specializing in pickles, amongst other related products. I was very excited to try these delicious sounding items, so I went to their website to find out a little more information. When I contacted them to find out where I could locate these pickles, Justin Park, one of the owners (along with Tyler DuBois) let me know that they are carried in Pasta & Co, locally in the Seattle area. They carry 3 types, Caraway Dill, Jalapeño Honey and Habanero Horseradish.  [as well as hooking me up with a couple of samples] 

I was thrilled when the package arrived from Denver!

Inside we're 3 jars of some delicious sounding gherkin treats., including Caraway Dill, Honey Jalapeño, and Habenero pickles.  In addition to this there was a jar of........Bloody Mary Mix, based off of the brine of the Habenero Pickles, YUM!!!!

So I got together a few friends to have a pickle sampling party, or any excuse for a cocktail...but I digress. Here is the consensus:

Caraway Dill-crunchy dilliness, with something there. At first you can't put your finger on it, but then you realize its the caraway. On second taste, you totally get a rye flavor. Quite honestly a perfect pickle. Reminds me of homemade. 

Jalapeño Honey Dill-as most of you know, I'm not a lover of heat. In food, or weather. So tasting this one was a bit of a sweater for me.  At first taste, it wasn't very hot, more sweet, Hence the honey part of the jalapeño honey. This is a meaty pickle. It will hold its own at a family reunion BBQ. Yet simply crunchy sweet deliciousness. 

Habanero Horseradish Dill-now here's my deal breaker. As said before, I don't like heat.  But for the sake of research, I will try this imposing threat. Well, after my third spear, I realize that this is the side of heat someone like me can enjoy. And food is meant to enjoy, right?  Wait...ok, there's the heat. But not too bad. Rounding out the third in their line up of pickles, this one is the best yet. 

*disclaimer on heat, while I don't like heat, horseradish is a different story.  I love me some horseradish heat.

Overall, I found that these pickles are.....simply......amazing. Locate them, or buy them on line, you won't go wrong with tasty little treats.  Oh and stay tuned for a guest post of the Bloody Mary Mix.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

The other day I came across a great recipe on Pinterest.  It sounded so good, but Craig doesn't eat meat, so I had to compromise. So here is my revision to the original post, I must say it was a little spicy for me, but really really good, and REALLY easy to make!

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb Field Roast chorizo sausage

1.5 cups diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz penne pasta

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Avocado

Sour cream

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly. Top each portion with sour cream and a few slices of avocado. 

Makes 4 servings. 

Bread and Butter Pickles

I have always been a lover of pickles…..Sweet, Dill, Sour, Cornichons, Bread and Butter…you name it, I LOVE em!  I even marinate chicken in pickle juice, but that another post (Chic-Fil-A Sandwiches) That being said, I have always been in awe of people who have made homemade pickles, but figured they were too hard to make, so I never tried.  

A few years back Craig and I joined a CSA (Community-supported agriculture) farm.  As part of the membership, we were asked to attend a farm event (we usually went to the fall harvest festival and fund raiser for Heifer International), as well as help work at the farm for a day.  We always planned to go more than once, but out schedules never meshed out.  One of the events we attended was pickle making party.  I was so excited to go and help make pickles, I could barely contain myself!  So the day came, and we were in the kitchen, cleaning pickles, heating up vinegar stuffing cucumbers, garlic and dill weed into jars.  Then filled them with vinegar, and capped them.  I was like…..THAT’S IT?  Besides the water processing, we were done.  Believe me, I was a little let down, and mad at myself for not trying to make them earlier.

Well, that was it I decided then and there, I would make pickles ASAP!  That was about 10 years ago, and I have made pickles (with a few exceptions) every year since.  The first year I made Dill as well as Bread and Butter pickles, and have had MANY requests for the Bread and Butter Pickles, so now that’s all I make.  Although, I do have a neighbor that has been known for making Gin Pickles, and have been interesting in trying to make those……

Finished Bread and Butter Pickles

Here’s my recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles, if you not on my Christmas list to receive a jar!

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

 

Raw Cucumbers, getting ready to become pickles....

6 c. cucumbers, sliced
3 med. onions, sliced
1/2 c. canning salt
1 bag ice

Brine

2 c. vinegar
2 c. boiling water
1 tsp. mustard seed

Step 1, Cucumbers washed.....

1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 c. sugar

Sort cucumbers, discarding any with blemishes. Wash well.

Mix cucumbers, onions, ice and salt; let stand 2 hours. Drain and rinse off excess salt.

Combine vinegar, boiling water, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric and sugar. Bring to a boil 5 minutes.

Step 2, Sliced Pickles, Salt and Ice.....

Pack cucumbers and onions into hot sterilized jars.  Pour vinegar brine over the cucumber leaving 1/4-inch headspace.  Wipe rim of jar with a damp paper towel.  Adjust 2 piece caps.

Process in a boiling water bath canner for no more than 10 minutes.

To avoid a cloudy brine or darkened pickles, do not use common table salt (use only canning salt).

Yield: Three 1/2 pint jars, adjust accordingly.

Cucumbers packed into jars, waiting on the brine....

I used 50 pounds of pickles and made a 16 time recipe of the brine, and still ran out.