Burrata with grilled grapes and basil

Ingredients:

6 grapes x 2 skewers x the number of people you are serving
( eg: for 4 people:  6 x 2 x 4 = 48 grapes)  (I like using a mixture of red, green and black.)
2 T. Sherry vinegar
3T. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1.5 t. honey (I love fennel pollen honey here.)
1 ½ t. fennel seeds, toasted in a dry pan and lightly crushed
flaked sea salt and black pepper
2 burrata
6 small basil sprigs (1/4c.), to serve.

Directions:

Put grapes in a medium bowl with vinegar, oil, garlic, honey and 1 t. fennel seed, ¼ t. sea salt and plenty of pepper.  Mix well and marinate for at least an hour.  Thread 6 grapes per skewer.  Reserve marinade for serving.

Grill over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, turning after 1.5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Arrange the burrata on a serving tray along with the grape skewers.  Spoon a generous tablespoon of the marinade over the cheese.  Sprinkle with fennel seeds and basil and serve.

Adapted for honey from Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi

Ed’s San Francisco Honey Short Ribs

(Ed Hubbs)
5 lbs short ribs (beef or pork country style – a mix of both -add boneless chicken pieces
and smoked link sausage swimming in the same pot if you want- it all plays!)
1/2 Cup flour
1 T. Salt
1 T. Pepper
2 big onions
2 cloves garlic
Honey BBQ sauce:
1/2 Cup honey (more if you like it sweeter)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 Cup ketchup
¼ Cup soy sauce
3/4 Cup water
3/4 Cup vinegar (red wine vinegar if you have it)
3/4 Cup burgundy

Directions:

Cut the ribs into serving size pieces. (You can parboil the pork ribs first to get rid of excess fat if you want, but it’s not necessary).

Mix together salt pepper, and flour and roll the short ribs in it. Arrange floured ribs in a large casserole, or a crock pot, or dutch oven, and cover with sliced onions and the garlic cloves (the ribs, not the pot).

Mix together the honey, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, water, and burgundy, into a Honey BBQ sauce. Pour the BBQ sauce over the short ribs and cover.

Bake covered in a low oven – 300 degrees F for three hours ,- or in a crock pot for more than 4 hours – or until the meat will fall or pull easily off the bone. Serves up well
over rice.

Aaron Fodge’s Spicy Honey Chicken Wings

Ingredients:
3-pounds chicken wings

Rub:
3 tablespoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
Glaze (1/3) and Toss (2/3) Sauce
1 cup honey
3 Green Chiles Pureed
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
4 teaspoons chile powder
3 tablespoons canola oil

Directions:
Heat your grill to medium-high.
To make the Spicy Honey Chicken Wings mix the rub ingredients in a bowl and gently rub the chicken wings into the spices until lightly coated. Place chicken wings on the pre-heated grill with the same side up (to keep your flipping consistent).
Glaze Mix together the Glaze and Toss ingredients. Separate out 1/3 of the sauce.
Brush the sauce onto the chicken wings. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat of the grill to medium, turn the wings over, and close the lid of the grill. Continue grilling until just cooked through, 15 minutes longer, brushing with the glaze every few minutes and turning once during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Transfer the wings to the large bowl, brush with the reserved glaze, and toss to coat.

Brie with Herbed Walnuts and Honey

(cdkitchen)

2 T. Olive oil
¾ c. Walnuts
¼ t. Kosher salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. Herbs de Provence
½ lb. of Brie
¼ c. honey

To make this brie with herbed walnuts and honey heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add walnuts and toss to toast, about 4 minutes until fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt,
cayenne, and Herbs de Provence.

Toss in the towel to coat with the spices. Adjust salt and cayenne as needed.

Spread a serving platter evenly with nuts. Place brie on nuts. Drizzle honey evenly and decoratively over brie and serve. Serves 4.

Grilled Eggplant with Melted Manchego, Saffron Honey and Capers

by La Boca, Santa Fe

I think this was the top pick of the attendees.

1 large eggplant, sliced ¼” thick
¼ c. olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ lb. Manchego cheese, shredded or try the Windsor Dairy “Buckhorn” cheese
2 T Saffron Honey
2 t. capers

To make this grilled eggplant with melted manchego preheat a grill to medium. Brush the eggplant slices lightly with the olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Grill until tender, 5 minutes each side. Transfer the eggplant from the grill to a cookie sheet and reduce the grill heat to low. Sprinkle each piece of eggplant with some Manchego and return the cookie sheet to the grill and lower the lid for about 5 minutes—just long enough for the cheese to melt. Equally divide the eggplant slices between 6 plates. Drizzle each with saffron honey and sprinkle with capers. Serve warm.

Saffron Honey

Makes ½ cup
2 T white wine
½ t. saffron threads
½ c. honey
In a small pan, heat the wine until it bubbles then turn off the heat and stir in the saffron, then the honey. Allow to cool completely.

Shrimp with Thai Lime Dipping Sauce

1/3 c. plain yogurt
2 T. mayonnaise
2 T. honey
1 T. fresh lime juice

To make this shrimp with Thai lime dipping sauce combine all ingredients.
Serve with grilled shrimp or chicken for dipping. I think this would be a great complement to a spicy chicken or shrimp.

Strawberries with Lavender Honey and Goat Cheese

2 pints of perfect strawberries
1 5 oz. log of goat cheese, room temperature
¼ c. of lavender honey, or to taste.

To make the Strawberries with Lavender Honey and Goat Cheese combine the honey and the goat cheese. Mix until smooth.

Rinse strawberries and let dry. With stem side down, cut vertically from the tip of the strawberry down to the hull—but do not cut through the hull end. Repeat at a 90 degree angle so you create a cross. Repeat with all the strawberries.

Fit a pastry bag with a star tip. Fill the bag with the honey and goat cheese mixture. Pipe a small amount into the center of each berry. Chill up to 3 hours.

Garnish with a lavender blossom or a little dried Herbs de Provence, if desired.

Makes approximately 25 strawberries.

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

½ c. plus 2 T. honey
1 T. water
1 lb. fancy pecan halves
10 T. Sugar in the Raw Turbinado sugar
1 t. ground cumin
½ t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/8 t. cayenne
½ t. kosher salt

To make these sweet and spicy nuts preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Warm honey and water but do not allow to boil. Mix well and cool to room temperature. In a small bowl, combine ½ c. (8 T.) of Sugar in the Raw and spices. In a large mixing bowl, combine honey syrup and nuts. Toss well until nuts are thoroughly coated and there is no syrup in the bottom of the bowl. Add spice mix to nuts and toss quickly and thoroughly.

Spread nut mixture on foil lined sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and separate nuts with a spoon. Sprinkle with remaining 2 T Sugar in the Raw. Continue baking 5 to 7 minutes more until nuts are browned and crystallized. Let cool. Store in airtight container. Adapted from Sugar in the Raw

Warm Goat Cheese Toasts with Rosemary, Walnuts and Honey

by Epicurious

1 baguette, 8 oz.
8. oz. fresh goat cheese
¼ c. honey
½ c. chopped toasted walnuts
½ T. chopped fresh rosemary

To make this Warm Goat Cheese Toasts with Rosemary preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 18 ¼ inch diagonal slices from the baguette. Spread goat cheese on each slice. Arrange in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until edges are slightly golden and cheese softens, about 12 minutes. Immediately sprinkle toasts with walnuts and then rosemary, patting gently to adhere. Warm honey and drizzle over toasts. Serve immediately.