The Nashville Food Project’s Blog
Summer Stir Fry with Beef
Add some Asian flare to your dining table with this stir-fry. Feel free to throw in any veggies you have on hand!
12 lbs trimmed lean beef strips olive oil for sauteing 15 peppers, sliced (a variety of bell peppers) 15 medium sized onions, sliced 8 cups of dry rice
Stir fry Sauce: 1 cup soy sauce 4 tsp ground ginger 2 Tbl minced garlic 2 Tbl sesame oil 1 cup brown sugar 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
In batches, saute beef strips in small amount of olive oil. Remove beef when done and add sauce ingredients to saute pan (leave liquid from beef in pan). Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add peppers and onions. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender (or longer if you like your veggies soft). Add reserved beef to vegetables and season with salt and pepper to taste. Prepare rice according to directions. Serve beef and vegetables over cooked rice and enjoy!
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.
Tomato and Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese
If you don’t eat all the watermelon straight from the rind, mix it in with tomatoes and feta for a light and satisfying summer salad.
Serves 50
Red wine vinaigrette: Red wine vinegar, 1 cup Salt, 1 tbl Black pepper, 1 tsp Olive oil, 2 cups
Whisk vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.
Salad: Cucumber 12 cups (peeled) Red onion 2 cups (paper thin slices) Heirloom tomato 12 cups (bite-size chunks) Watermelon 12 cups (seeded, bite-size chunks) Feta cheese 3 cups Fresh basil 4 cups (thinly sliced)
Cut cucumber in half length wise. Scrape out seeds (using spoon). Cut cucumber halves into half-moon slices. Toss sliced cucumber, onion, tomatoes, watermelon, feta cheese, and basil in a large bowl. Add enough vinaigrette to coat vegetables. Serve immediately.