Who is Hass?

The name HASS - we see it in every grocery market marking the most common variety of avacado in the world. The chocolatey pebble-skinned avacado was named after its original cultivator Randolf Hass, a mailman with a green thumb in the late 1920s. He patented the variety and partnered with nurseryman Harold Brokaw, and rest of the story made California the source of what is now a billion dollar crop industry. The key to the Hass success is its long growing season, good quality fruit and high yielding crop. 

It's that time of year to whip-up a good homemade guacamole, salsa and enjoy a margarita.

Turn any meal into a fiesta by serving guacamole as a healthy dip.

Guacamole is a delicious Mexican specialty that can be used as a dip, sauce, topping or side dish. In Southwest cuisine, guacamole is used as an appetizing dip or one of the toppings and/or fillings of enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, or burritos. Guacamole tastes best when you use fresh cilantro and ripened avocados. A ripened avocado will have a sweet aroma and be soft to the touch. Guacamole is also wonderful as a cold sauce for grilled meats or fish and this versatile, flavorful dish is easy to make, only sixty seconds onc you have ingredients chopped. 

George’s ’60 Second Guacamole

From George Hirsch Living it UP! TV series 

Recipe by George Hirsch | www.chefgeorgehirsch.com

makes 1 cup 

2 ripe avocados, room temperature 

Juice of two limes 

2 Tablespoons sweet onion, chopped fine 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped 

2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro 

hot sauce and salt to taste

Press onion and garlic into the side of a medium size bowl with a pinch of salt. Slice avocados in half, remove the seed and scoop out avacado meat from skin with a large spoon. Roughly mash avocado in bowl. 

Squeeze the lime juice all over the avocado. Add chopped jalapeno, chopped cilantro, and hot sauce. Toss and serve immediately. 

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Posole

Have you ever had Posole? Nip the spring chill in the bud by making a pot of one of my favorite soups. Posole, a traditional Mexican dish, is a thick soup made with hominy–dried corn with the hull and germ removed. it makes any large gathering a fiesta! 

What would your favorite beverage be to serve-up at your Patio Fiesta? 

George's Posole

Makes 8 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

2 pounds pork shoulder chops

1/2 cup Posole Pork Rub

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 sweet onion, sliced thick, grilled and chopped

4 jalapenos, roasted on grill; split seeded and chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cups hot chicken broth

4 cups canned hominy, drained and rinsed

1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilentro

3 fresh red radishes, sliced thin

1 cup fresh cabbage, finely shredded

Rub pork on all sides with Posole Pork Rub, and refrigerate for at least two 2 hours or overnight.

Pre heat large soup potto high heat.

Brush chops with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add chops and sear pork on both sides until browned and not fully cooked. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the hot broth, jalapenos, hominy and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chops, cool and chop meat into small pieces. Put pork back into soup. Continue cooking for 30 additional minutes. The longer and slower the soup simmers the better.

Stir in cilantro and serve bowls of soup topped with sliced radish, shredded cabbage, and with warm corn tortillas.

Posole Pork Rub

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon each: ground cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, sweet paprika, chili powder, thyme

1/2 teaspoon each: nutmeg, allspice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly sealed container.

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Vintage Kitch

This week in May is Brimfield Mass. Week. Brimfield is considered the largest outdoor antique show in the country.  There are approximately 5000 dealers in 21 different show venues (often referred to as fields).  The show geographically covers one mile on each side of Route 20.  The show runs 3 times a year in May, July, and September. Bring a wagon!

Antique fairs and auctions can be fun for the whole family who enjoy tinkering and collecting vintage stuff. I was recently told that people who collect something, are said to be generally happier people. 

I especially appreciate collecting old mixing bowls and old hand tools. I have a few of my mom's vintage bowls and pitchers from the 50s; together, they are a mix of bright colors that bring me joy to my cupboards. I continue to add to my tool box whenever I come across a handmade tool, like my grandpa used to make. He was a mechanic and if he didn't have the right tool, he just made it!

With Mother's Day coming up; spending the day with Mom hunting for her favorite collectables, might be the right idea. Check out local flea markets, auctions and antique fairs in your neck of the woods. Collector's Show Guide

Join Me; I visited Bill Eckleberry's Auction House in New England Massachusetts and learned a thing or two about "the sport". Some people take it very seriously, I just had a good time. There was everything from antique cars, baseball cards, tin toys to kitch-collector finds, fine china and antique furnishings.

Watch TV Segment

George at Country Auction: TV Segment

Herb of the Year

Rose is the winner for 2012. Roses have been used for culinary purposes for centuries in syrups, jams, sweets and teas. It has also been used for its medicinal properties, like it's high in vitamin C. Teas steeped from tea leaves or rose hips have a delightful fruity flavor; ideally serve with scones or cake. Pair my Good Stuff Pick with My Scone Recipe for Mother's Day.

We let Nature speak for itself, hand-picking premium organic teas and herbs and blending them with only real fruits, flowers and spices.  Since we use real ingredients and high quality teas & herbs (not tea dust or fannings), there is no need to apply “natural” flavorings or fragrances to create flavor.  This means you can pronounce the ingredients, know exactly what you’re sipping and savor true gifts of Nature. 

George's Scones | chefgeorgehirsch.com
Recipe by Chef George Hirsch | Makes 8 scones in a 9 inch round pan 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold sweet butter, cut into small pieces 
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons pure cane granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk, *made into buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup raisins, **plumped
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar, for making milk into buttermilk

*Add white vinegar to milk to make the buttermilk. Allow to sit 5 minutes to sour. 

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter to flour and blend in by hand until the butter resembles fine crumbs. Add granulated sugar and mix into flour. 

Combine beaten egg, vanilla, and milk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, toss in plumped raisins and mix by hand until a dough forms. It will take about one minute of kneading until the flour is absorbed. Turn scone dough on to a floured surface. Form in the shape of a ball, do not over knead. With a rolling pin, flatten out dough to one inch thick.

Place the round scone dough into a 9 inch cake pan. With a bench scraper or knife cut though the dough across four times dividing into eight equal pieces. Immediately bake for about 16-18 minutes until dough sounds hollow, a sign it is fully baked. 

Serve warm with jam and clotted whip cream. 

**To plump raisins add 2 tablespoons of water and heat in microwave for 30 seconds. 

Patio Fiesta

This week Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated worldwide honoring Mexican heritage; marking the defeat of the French Army after invading the Americas. But believe it or not, this commemorative holiday is celebrated by more people in California than Mexico. And, many festive ways are used to mark the occasion beyond cervesa and tequila. Dances and music mark the occasion to preserve & educate the public of its historical significance and culture.

Make any day a fiesta on your patio with a few easy steps and don’t be afraid to use vibrant colors. There is more to having fun than hanging a piñata!

-       Use terra cotta planters filled with pants such as begonias, dahlias, begonias, nasturtiums, and sunflowers

-       Cushions, throws, tablecloths, and napkins of hot yellow, turquoise green, and burnt orange

-       Set flower pots on tables with traditional herbs used in Mexican cooking like Cilantro, oregano, and peppermint

-       Serve foods and beverages on plates and glassware with bold bright colors

-       Hang out door lighting for mood

-       Turn up the volume and spin Maraichi and Latin music

-       Set up a hot sauce and salsa station

Get recipes for patio entertaining:

Posole

Barbecue Burrito

Chocolate con Plátanos Quesadilla

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