The Nashville Food Project’s Blog
Maque Choux (pronounced "Mock Shoe")
This hard-to-pronounce side dish is essentially a dressed up corn salad. Don’t worry if you can’t spell it, just dig in!
Serves 50
18 cups fresh corn 6 cups diced red bell pepper 6 cups diced green bell pepper 6 cups cup diced tomatoes 3 cups thinly sliced onions 10 cloves of garlic diced 2- 3 pounds bacon fresh basil chiffonade salt and pepper to taste
Sauté bacon until rendered. Remove bacon pieces and add onion until soft. Add garlic and sauté a few more minutes. Add the vegetables and sauté until desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. Add basil and stir until well blended. Garnish with cooked bacon.
Pesto Pasta with Chicken and Artichoke Hearts
We use fresh basil from our gardens in this Mediterranean dish that’s always a crowd pleaser.
Serves 50
Pesto: 6 cups fresh basil leaves, packed, plus extra for garnish 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan 1 cup pine nuts or walnuts 9 medium garlic cloves, minced 1 ½ cups olive oil
20 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast tenders ½ cup olive oil 4 lbs. penne pasta 30 cups artichoke hearts (2 #10 cans), drained, rinsed, and finely diced Salt and pepper to taste
Place basil, parmesan, nuts, and garlic in food processor and pulse, adding olive oil in a thin stream, until desired consistency. Working in batches, saute chicken breast tenders in olive oil until golden brown and cooked through. Keep chicken warm covered in a 200-degree preheated oven.
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Toss artichoke hearts, chicken, pesto, and pasta together, season with salt and pepper, and serve. Garnish with fresh basil.