We foodies jump at the chance to try something new, so when we heard the news that Freshii was revamping its menu and re-opening as Fresca Deli we were one of the first in line to try it out. While the Fresca look and feel is still Freshii, the menu is very different – and a-top the refreshed list is grilled cheese. Need I say more? Five grilled cheese offerings adorn the menu and are prepared with turkey, ham, bacon or just cheese.
Julie and I went with The Picnic: brie, havarti and parmesan cheeses, with sliced apples and plum jam grilled on multigrain bread – the ideal combo of sweet and tart flavors in gooey-cheese.
Kris tried The Great: havarti, sharp cheddar and parmesan cheeses grilled on sourdough and Kim had the The Great with Bacon, which included a generous amount of crispy, smoked bacon. As for our sides, cream of tomato basil and posole were the obvious pairings. And, today’s blustery winds made it the perfect day for this comfort-food combo.
We’ll be back to try a range of new menu items – from traditional deli, grilled and hot sandwiches, to grilled burritos, quesadillas, rice bowls, salads and soups. And, yes, they still have frozen yogurt and a plethora of packaged snacks for on-the-go treats.
Fresca Deli
400 Q Street
(corner of 3rd & Q)
Sacramento
Facebook: frescadelii
Archives for November 2011
Foodie Friendsgiving
A guest blog from Erika Ulring
Happy early Thanksgiving! For foodies, this is the ultimate holiday. It’s a great excuse to spend all day in the kitchen, cook up culinary treats and spread a full feast for family, friends and guests. And, in addition to the traditional spread shared with family, there’s a fun trend called Friendsgiving that’s gaining in popularity. This is Thanksgiving with friends. Simple. The bonus, though, is that because it’s often held before the actual Thanksgiving holiday, it can serve as an environment to try new recipes and get a bit more creative.
I recently had the pleasure of joining friends for an early Friendsgiving with a distinct culinary focus. All who came brought a dish and our hosts cooked the fowl: fried turkey, bacon-wrapped duck and game hen. Nobody went hungry!
To complement the meat, sides included risotto with dried cranberries, mashed potatoes loaded with butter (so delish!) and a traditional sweet potato casserole. Both the potato dishes went too quickly to capture, but below is the risotto, which was also amazing and seasonal.
Also featured among the spread, and available early for hungry nibblers, was a table full of veggies, cheese and dips with crackers and bread.
Now, we come to my favorite part: dessert! We may have gone a bit overboard here. Included among the spread was local San Diego favorite Julian apple pie; pecan pie, and peaches and cream pie, both made by yours truly; homemade lemon cheesecake, which had a refreshing zest; and an absolutely beautiful fruit tart.
Great food with great friends, that’s what Friendsgiving is all about. Hope you find the opportunity to host a gathering of your own or are lucky enough to get an invite to a Friendsgiving near you.
Cheers!
Erika Ulring is a member of Fleishman-Hillard’s San Diego office.
Roasted Cauliflower with Dates and Walnuts
My earliest memory of cauliflower involves ketchup.
But fast-forward to 2011, where grown-up me has donned his classy cap and uncovered a delicious new twist on the home-garden staple that was a surprise hit at our recent SacFoodies Thanksgiving Potluck.
I know—more delicious than ketchup, you say? Brace yourself.
Food Network chef Claire Robinson is known for her fresh ingredient, less-is-more perspective in cooking. I actually had the opportunity to work with Claire earlier this year for a client, where her warmth and effervescence in person paired perfectly with her approachable philosophy in the kitchen.
Enter: Roasted Cauliflower with Dates and Pine Nuts. I stumbled across the recipe in Claire’s 5 Ingredient Fix cookbook. I also realized that my father had actually prepared the dish at a family Thanksgiving the year before, oddly enough.
And so, with the Claire-Family-Work synergy in play, I went with it.
With my own twists, of course.
Doubling the portions, substituting walnuts for pine nuts, and turning up the volume on the garlic were how I put my own stamp on this customizable—and insanely easy—recipe. What will be yours?
Roasted Cauliflower with Dates and Walnuts
Ingredients
2 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 16 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Evenly spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, then transfer to the oven and roast, tossing once with a spatula, until golden brown at the edges, about 20 minutes.
Put the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Once it’s melted, add the walnuts and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and dates and continue cooking until the garlic and dates are softened, 3 to 4 minutes more; season with salt.
Transfer the hot cauliflower to a serving bowl, drizzle the walnut mixture over the top, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- The original recipe only called for two cloves of garlic, but that just doesn’t do it for me. Dial it up or down, depending on your own taste.
- Definitely serve the dish hot. But if you have to refrigerate overnight (like me), nuke it for a few minutes before serving. The flavors were just as potent.
- Claire recommends sprinkling with the zest of half a lemon before serving “for a tart edge.” My next attempt will take her second reco into consideration, too: Toss half a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary into the butter and walnuts before tossing with the cauliflower.
Original recipe courtesy of Five Ingredient Fix: Easy, Elegant and Irresistible Recipes by Claire Robinson (2010).
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Pumpkin Soup
When I heard we were doing a SacFoodies Thanksgiving potluck, I knew I had to bring my all-time favorite T-Day dish…my mom’s Portuguese-Style Thanksgiving. But since I’ve shared this recipe twice on the blog, I thought it was time to venture out of my comfort zone and try something new. I love soup and my favorite “theme” we’ve done thus far has definitely been our Soup Series, so I knew that’s what I wanted to prepare for our feast. But finding a recipe that hit the flavor profile I was looking for wasn’t happening. I wanted something that was sweet, spicy, smoky and had some added texture and crunch – all in one spoonful. So, I took matters into my own hands and created the following recipe using techniques I’ve used in preparing other favorite soup recipes over the years. I like my soup with a little kick, but for a more mild flavor, just add less cayenne pepper.
Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
29 ounces chicken stock
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 1/2 cups canned cooked pumpkin
4 cups half-and-half
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 – 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup crème fraiche
Freshly snipped chives
Directions
In a large pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pot, leaving bacon fat in the pot, and set aside. Add chopped onions and saute over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add stock, potatoes and pumpkin and cook until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Puree using an immersion blender (or blend in batches in a blender or food processor and return to pot) until smooth. Add the half-and-half, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and heat through.
When serving, add a dollop of crème fraiche, crisp chopped bacon and freshly snipped chives.
Makes 12 servings