Warm Salad and Sourdough Bread

Join Sarah Mortimore for a fun and informative discussion on all things hospitality! First, we dive into the topic of olive oil, discussing tips on how to buy the best quality oil and what to look for when shopping for it. Next, Sarah shares her expertise in making sourdough bread, exploring the art and science of creating the perfect loaf, as well as some common mistakes to avoid. We discuss conversation starters and tips for hosting guests, including ways to flex your "hospitality muscles" and make people feel welcome and comfortable in your home. To wrap up the episode, Sarah shares a disaster story from a past dinner party that you probably can't top, as well as a fun playlist of music to listen to while cooking or entertaining. (Visit comeoverfordinner.com for recipes, product links, and more!)

Warm Salad (by Sarah Mortimore - based on the dish served at Perry's Restaurant in Portland, Oregon)

Salad: 5 pounds boneless chicken (thighs, breasts, or tenders work well) Olive oil or avocado oil Salt and pepper 3 pounds small red potatoes, halved Garlic powder or minced garlic 2 bunches of asparagus (trimmed and cut at an angle) Dressing: ¼ cup of good quality olive oil 1 tablespoon heaped with Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar Salt and pepper Toppings: ½ cup pecan halves Blue cheese Serve with: Sun-dried Tomato, Crispy Chickpea, and Herb Salad Sourdough Bread

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Coat the chicken in olive or avocado oil, salt, and pepper, and put on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. On a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper, put the red potatoes. Drizzle the pan with olive or avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and garlic powder or minced garlic. You may play with additional spices here to get a flavor that you like. I enjoy paprika, onion powder or garlic powder, and thyme. Just a light dusting of spices will do.

3. These are going to cook differently so keep your eye on them. The chicken should be cooked through but not dry and overcooked, and the potatoes should be fork tender. They likely won't be done at the same time. Remove these from the oven when done. Drizzle asparagus with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes.

4. Toast ½ cup of pecan halves in a frying pan on the stove top. Don't let them burn!

5. When everything is roasted and looking tasty combine the chicken, asparagus, and potatoes and put them into an oven safe serving dish. Cover with foil or a lid and keep warm in your oven on the lowest temp. Don't let this cool too much or you won't get the delicious flavors to meld.

6. While your other ingredients are staying warm, make your dressing. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small canning jar and shake. Remove the warm ingredients from the oven and crumble the blue cheese over the ingredients, sprinkle with the toasted pecan halves, and drizzle with the dressing. Toss so that everything is well coated and the blue cheese is beginning to soften and coat the ingredients.

Sun-dried Tomato, Crispy Chickpea, and Herb Salad (by Sarah Mortimore - a simplified version of Tieghan Gerard's recipe on Half-Baked Harvest)

Salad: 16 ounces mixed salad greens ½ can of chickpeas (Fry in oil until they turn a golden color. Salt generously, and cool completely before adding to the salad.) ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, diced ½-1 cup chopped herbs (dill, chives, parsley) 1-2 avocados, sliced or cubed Dressing: 2 tablespoons vinegar (white wine, red wine, or apple cider) 1 tablespoon honey 1 large lemon, juiced ½ cup quality olive oil

Directions:

1. Place salad ingredients into a serving bowl except avocado.

2. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over greens. Toss to combine.

3. Top with avocado.

Everyday Sourdough

Adapted recipe by Sarah Mortimore from “Artisan Sourdough Made Simple” by Emilie Raffa

Makes 1 loaf

50 g (1/4 cup) starter

350 g (1 1/3 plus 2 Tbsp) warm water

500 g (4 cups plus 2 Tbsp) bread flour

9 g (1 1/2 tsp) salt

MIX THE DOUGH: In the evening (that’s when I like to do this step), whisk the starter and water together in a large bowl with a fork. Add the flour and salt. Combine until a stiff dough forms, then finish mixing by hand to fully incorporate the flour. The dough will feel dense and shaggy, and it will stick to your hands. Scrape off as much as you can. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Replenish your starter with fresh flour and water and store according to preference.

After the dough has rested, work the mass in a fairly smooth ball. To do this grab a portion of the dough and fold it over, pressing your fingertips into the center. Repeat, working your way around the dough until it begins to tighten, about 15 seconds.

BULK RISE: Cover the bowl with a damp towel or lid and let rise overnight at room temperature. This will take about 8 to 10 hours at 70 degrees. The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense and has doubled in size.

SHAPE & FIRST RISE: In the morning, coax the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Working around the perimeter of the dough gather up the dough as you would the edges of a handkerchief full of rice. Carefully roll the dough over so that the portion that was gathered in your fingers is next to surface of the bench and the smooth bottom of the “handkerchief” is face up. Dust the surface of the loaf with flour. Using a bench scraper and your hand pinch the loaf from the bottom and rotate it while continuing to pinch and rotate to build tension in the loaf. Let the loaf rest for 15 minutes while you coat the proofing baskets with rice flour.

With floured hands gently cup the dough and pull it toward you. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and continue with cupped hands to drag the dough toward you across the countertop. Do this until the loaf is round and tight. Place the dough seam side up in a proofing basket.

SECOND RISE: Cover the bowl and let rest for 30 minutes to an hour. When the dough looks puffy and risen pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit the size of your baking pot, leaving enough excess around the sides to remove the bread.

SCORE: Invert the dough onto the piece of parchment paper and using the tip of a knife, razor blade, or bread lame score the loaf. Lift the loaf by the parchment edges and lower into a lidded dutch oven that has been preheating in the oven.

BAKE: When the dough is placed in the oven, put the lid on the pot and lower the temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the lid and bake for 25 more minutes. Check the bottom of the loaf for doneness by taping it and if the loaf is soft, light in color, or indents continue to bake for a few more minutes and then check for doneness again. If the loaf remains firm and is golden brown, the loaf is done and can be removed from the oven and left to cool on the countertop or on a cooling rack.

Let the loaf cool for an hour before cutting. You can eat it before that but it might be a bit gummy.

STARTER: The leavening agent that causes your bread to rise. It creates air bubbles in your bread. Starter replaces commercial yeast which is common in bread recipes.

FEEDING FLOUR: This is the flour that you use to “feed” your starter. I use a 50/50 blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour.

STARTER CARE: Starter is alive and needs to be fed regularly to stay alive. If you bake daily or multiple times a week keep your starter in a well-ventilated room temp. environment like a countertop. Each day remove 2-3 tablespoons of starter and replace with 2-3 tablespoons of water and 2-3 tablespoons of feeding flour. If you bake weekly or less often keep your starter in the fridge. Once a week pull your starter out of the fridge and feed it, use four hours later or put it back into the fridge for another week. If you forget about starter it doesn’t mean its dead, it just needs to be fed regularly to revive it.

SOURDOUGH TOOLS:

*Mixing Bowl

*Bench Scraper

*Proofing basket, mixing bowl lined with a pastry cloth or heavily floured tea towel to prevent sticking.

*Large shaker (optional)

*Lame (pronounced Lawm) razor blade, or sharp knife

*Lidded oven safe pan such as a dutch oven.

*Baking parchment