CUISCENE: RECIPES FOR VERVACIOUS PRODUCTS
Adapted from Vervacious for Portland Magazine

Vegetable Crudités with North African Raita

Add a teaspoon or two of Vervacious Sahara Harissa Rub to a cup of plain yoghurt and stir. Add a swirl of Olive Oil and Fleur de Sel to taste.

Serve with raw baby carrots, broccoli florets, blanched pea pods, grape tomatoes, bell pepper strips or other raw veggies.

Vervacious Cheese Flight

Arrange samples of a variety of cheeses on a large plate in a circle starting with the mildest and working clock-wise to the strongest, accompanied by condiments that accentuate their flavors:

Pair American-made sharp cheddar with Vervacious Coffee Apple Butter or Apple Orange Confit.

Try Roquefort (or any bleu cheese) with Black Mission Fig Paste and a shaving of prosciutto.

Have a taste of pepper-crusted chèvre with Vervacious Anjou Pear and Black Truffle Butter.

Try Cinque Terre Apricot Mostarda or Plum Balsamic Mostarda with hard sheep's milk cheeses such as Pecorino Romano.
Serve with slices of crusty baguette and/or artisanal crackers.

Quick Crostini

Grill or broil slices of ciabatta or a baguette until toasty. Rub with a cut clove of garlic, drizzle with olive oil and serve in one or more of these ways:

Top with arugula, sliced cold roast (or turkey, beef, chicken, ham...), a dollop of Plum Balsamic Mostarda, a shaving of parmesan or a crumble of bleu cheese, and, finally, a walnut half.

Top with goat cheese drizzled with Vervacious White Truffle Apricot Mostarda.

Top with Black Truffle & Pineapple Butter with San Danielle (or Prosciutto) ham and mild sheep's milk cheese.

Slice grape tomatoes in half and carefully remove seeds. Spread mascarpone on toast and top with tomato cup and a sprinkle of basil chiffonade (thin strips.) Fill tomato cups with Vervacious Espresso Balsamic Drizzle and serve.

Grilled Oysters with Azorean Piri-Piri

For an easy way to shuck and cook oysters, fire up the grill, setting the oysters cup-side down to hold their liquor, and grill a dozen whole oysters over medium heat for 5 minutes. They'll loosen their grip and open right up. Serve with Vervacious Azorean Piri Piri. The oysters can be cooked under the broiler instead, if you prefer.

Caprese Salad

Slice fresh mozzarella (preferably buffalo) and alternate with slices of vine-ripe tomato on a bed of arugula or spring greens. Drizzle with Vervacious Cold Pressed Olive Oil, Fleur de Sel, fresh basil and either Espresso Balsamic Drizzle or Spiced Balsamic Reduction.

Grilled Chicken Mole

The best chicken parts for grilling are bone-in thighs (with skin intact). They cook quickly, crisp up beautifully and are hard to over-cook.

Place thighs skin-side-up on a medium-heat gas or charcoal-fired grill. Close the cover and cook, moving the thighs as necessary to a cooler part of the grill if flare-ups occur. After 20 minutes, turn the thighs over (use tongs, never a fork) and cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until the skin is golden-brown and crispy. Watch closely and don't let them catch fire!
Then turn the thighs skin-side up and dust liberally with Vervacious Oaxacan Mole Roasting Rub. Close the cover and cook another 10 to15 minutes depending on desired doneness. Remove thighs and arrange one layer deep on a clean serving platter. Serve with a simple starch (a baked potato or sweet potato,) a salad and a side of veg.

Grilled Sirloin with Espresso Balsamic Drizzle & Gorgonzola

Grill a grass-fed N.Y. strip sirloin to taste. Drizzle with Vervacious Espresso Balsamic and serve.

Sprinkle with crumbled Roquefort, Gorgonzola or Maytag bleu.

Other big flavor cuts of beef also work well, such as London Broil, Flank or Skirt Steak, Hanger Steak.

Windward Island Scallop Kabobs

Soak bamboo skewers for 20 minutes. Coat plump scallops with Windward Island Roasting Rub, skewer (leave 1/2" between scallops) and broil 6-8 minutes, flipping once.
This also works with shrimp.

Earl Grey Crème Brûlée

Mix 2 tablespoons Vervacious Organic Earl Grey tea leaves into 2 cups heavy cream and microwave 2 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes then strain. Whisk cream together with 5 egg yolks and ½ cup white sugar. Pour into six 4 ounce ramekins and set them in a baking pan. Fill baking pan with hot tap water halfway up the ramekins' sides. Bake @ 275° for 50 minutes.
Remove ramekins, chill well, then sprinkle ½ cup brown sugar evenly over custard and caramelize directly under broiler or, better, using a kitchen torch.