Pumpkin Padron Bisque

In celebration of Food Day (Week), Alchemy's Chef Ricardo Heredia made a guest appearance at the Seeds@City Urban Farm stand last Thursday to give a scrumptious cooking demonstration in true Autumn spirit. Scoops of roasted pumpkin, charred Padron peppers, and silky cream filled his bubbling cauldron (stockpot) luring hungry students with the mouthwatering aroma.

A simplified version of the bisque served at Alchemy, he charred the peppers with a blowtorch ("Every poor college kid should have one!" he quipped), threw organic canned pumpkin into his Vitamix, and blended the produce with a generous dollop of heavy cream. Topped with smoked paprika oil and pepitas, students and faculty at City College raved over the free samples and beelined towards the farm stand to buy up the Padrons.

Thanks Chef Ricardo for reaching out to the community! It's people like you who make Food Day exciting, informative, and delicious!

Here's his recipe:

Pumpkin-Padron Bisque

Yield 4 qts

• 3 ea. charred med. *Padron peppers *
• 4 ea. cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 ea. yellow onion
• 2 lbs. cooked pumpkin
• 1 cups sour cream
• 1 quarts heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons salt

Method

Rough chop the onion and toss with olive oil cook in oven broiler along with the Padrons and garlic until charred and caramelized. Remove the seeds from the Padrons but leave the charred skin on. Puree all ingredients intermittently with one quart of the cream heated. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and smoked paprika oil.

Paprika Oil

• 1 cup pimenton (smoked paprika)
• 4 cups rice oil ( or any oil of your choice)

Method

Put pimenton along with one cup of oil in a sauce pan. Cook on medium heat for two minutes stirring frequently until it begins to darken and give off a toasted aroma. Add remaining oil and cook on low heat until it starts to simmer. Remove from heat and let sit until cool approx. 1 hour. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.

** Substitute your pepper of choice**

To make vegan omit the cream and sour cream and use vegetable stock

FOOD MEETS ART WITH AGRI*PLANET

On Thursday, June 9, Alchemy restaurant in South Park will host an artist's reception for local chef and artist Melissa Mayer, whose AGRI*PLANET show was created in collaboration with  Grass Fed Beef Week.

The 411: Opening Reception: "AGRI*PLANET" @ Alchemy June 9th from 6pm-10pm AGRI*PLANET is a suggestive, provocative and often irony-laden series of work within multiple mediums that is a social commentary on the state of our food culture and the food industry.  The artist's reception will include temporary installations and the remaining works within the show will be on view @ Alchemy into early July, 2011. 10% of the proceeds from the sales of the artwork in this collection will benefit Slow Food Urban San Diego, a 100% grassroots organization supporting and promoting food that is good, clean and fair. For more information visit:

http://alchemysandiego.com/ http://martini-media.com/ RSVP for event here: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=172281172827959

1ST ANNUAL GRASS FED BEEF WEEK CAMPAIGN!!!

Six local restaurants have come together to establish San Diego's first annual Grass Fed Beef Week, scheduled from June 3 through June 12. Throughout the week, founding restaurants--Alchemy, Burger Lounge, The Linkery, MIHO Gastrotruck, Sea Rocket Bistro and El Take it Easy--will be featuring menu specials designed to highlight the flavor and sustainability of grass fed beef. 

Grass Fed Beef Week will culminate with a free outdoor BBQ-style tasting event at Whole Foods Market Hillcrest on Sunday, June 12 from 1 to 5 p.m., with all participating restaurants and chefs.