Directions

1. Place steak in a resealable plastic food-storage bag. Add ¼ cup of the vinaigrette dressing; turn to coat. Seal bag and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight to marinate.
2. When ready to grill, heat gas or charcoal grill. When grill is heated, remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Place steak on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until desired doneness. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.
3. In large bowl, toss spinach, strawberries, onions and remaining ¼ to ½ cup vinaigrette dressing (based on desired amount).
4. Divide spinach mixture evenly onto serving plates. Top each with steak slices; sprinkle with almonds.

I enjoy the outdoors and the grill is my best friend when preparing meals for the weekends or entertaining guests.

What does cheese have to do with the grill?  So many side dishes are better with cheese!  Here are a few of my favorite grilling recipes that feature cheese:

Wisconsin Fontina Cherry Chop

Ingredients to serve 6

1 tablespoon butter
1 jalapeño chile, minced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 pound Door County fresh cherries, chopped
1 cup red wine or orange juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 pork chops
6 (1 ounce) slices Wisconsin Fontina Cheese

Cooking Directions:

In medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter and sauté jalapeño and onion until softened and onions are translucent. Add cherries, wine, vinegar and sugar; cook until cherries are softened and liquid is reduced slightly. In small bowl, mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and stir into sauce. Continue stirring until compote thickens slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Grill pork chops until fully cooked; top with slice of Fontina and melt. Remove pork chops to individual plates and spoon cherry compote over; serve immediately.

Blue Cheese Crusted Tomatoes

1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs (Italian or parmesan)

1 tablespoon olive oil

12 medium tomatoes (Heirloom or something sturdy is best)

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 3 ounces)

Preheat Grill; Mix breadcrumbs and olive oil in small bowl, mashing to coat. Slice tomatoes in half and scoop out some of the seeds, lay on grilling pan. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper. Top each with 1 tablespoon blue cheese. Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Cover grill and cook tomatoes until slightly soft and cheese melts, about 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately

Wisconsin Pepper Jack Stuffed Burgers

Ingredients for 6 servings:

2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoon salt & 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup onion, minced
8 ounces Wisconsin Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded*
6 tablespoons salsa
6 hamburger buns

Cooking Directions:

In large bowl, combine ground beef, salt, pepper and onion, mix thoroughly. Shape into 12, 1/4-inch thick patties. Reserve 1/3 cup shredded Wisconsin Pepper Jack cheese. Top six patties with remaining cheese. Place remaining patties over cheese-topped patties and firmly press edges together. Spray grate of outdoor grill and utensils with PAM® For Grilling Spray. Preheat grill to medium. Place burgers on grill and cook, covered, 7-8 minutes to medium (160°F) doneness, until no longer pink in center and juices show no pink color; turning occasionally. During last 2 minutes of cooking, spoon 1 tablespoon of salsa on each burger and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve immediately.

There are so many wonderful choices for summer salads but the first that comes to mind is a fresh mozzarella salad. This is great as a side or an appetizer, remember to include picks if you are using this as an appetizer.  I always try to serve one new item per week if time permits.  Don’t we all like to be the creative one when bringing a dish to pass?  I have included a few that will brighten up any table and will be a blue ribbon for you to be proud of!

Fresh Mozzarella Salad

½oz Fresh Basil chopped (plus a little for garnish)

1/8 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

1 pint grape tomatoes (cut tomatoes in half)

2 cups pitted Kalamata olives

2 pounds fresh Mozzarella Pearl (drained)

1 cup Italian dressing

Shredded Parmesan Cheese (for topping)

Mix all ingredients but the parmesan cheese. Chill for 1-2 hours.  Place in your favorite serving dish and top with shredded parmesan cheese and the extra fresh basil. Garnish bowl with a few basil leaves and serve.

Berry Fresh Toss Salad

Ingredients to serve 4-6

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups mixed baby or chopped greens
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 4.4-ounce container fresh blueberries
1 cup Feta crumbles or Blue cheese crumbles
1/3 cup walnut pieces (Toast slightly)

Cooking Directions:

Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Slowly add oil, whisking to combine; set aside.

In large bowl, combine mixed greens and remaining ingredients. Add dressing, tossing well.

Wisconsin True Blue Potato Salad

Ingredients to serve 6

1-1/4 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
2 tablespoons tarragon white wine vinegar*
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) Wisconsin Blue cheese, crumbled
4 cups (1-1/2 pounds) cooked red potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup green onion slices
1/2 cup water chestnuts, sliced

Cooking Directions:

Combine sour cream, parsley, vinegar and seasonings; mix well. Stir in Blue cheese.

Combine potatoes, celery, green onions and water chestnuts in a bowl. Add sour cream mixture and toss lightly.

*Can be substituted with 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar mixed with 1/8 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves.

Summer also needs a refreshing dessert.  Something light, but yet a grand finale to a wonderful BBQ or event. The two below are some of my favorites for the summer season and I rarely hear anyone passing on dessert when they see these.

Get your summer started with a plan to invite your favorite friends/ family over and try something new.  There is nothing better than sitting outside, visiting over great food, cold beverages and taking in the sun.  Enjoy!

Lemon and Wisconsin Mascarpone Tiramisu

Ingredients to serve 6-8

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, divided
1/4 to 1/3 cup cream sherry or 1 1/2 teaspoons sherry extract, optional
2 3-ounce packages soft ladyfingers
1 cup whipping cream
8 ounces Wisconsin Mascarpone Cheese
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 jar (10 to 11 1/4 ounces) lemon curd
1/2 cup lemon yogurt, preferably whole milk

Cooking Directions:

Combine lemon juice and 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar in small bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add sherry, if desired. Reserve three (doubled) lady fingers for garnish. Brush bottom of 8-inch square glass dish lightly with lemon juice mixture; place one layer of split ladyfingers, cut side up, over bottom of dish. Brush with half of lemon juice mixture.

In large mixer bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup of remaining confectioners’ sugar; set aside. Place cheese in mixer bowl, stir until softened. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Beat just until light and fluffy. Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture with rubber spatula; set aside. Beat lemon curd and yogurt on medium speed of electric mixer until blended. Spread half of lemon curd mixture over ladyfingers; top with half of cheese mixture. Place another layer of ladyfingers, cut side up over cheese mixture. Brush with remaining lemon juice mixture. Layer with remaining lemon curd and cheese mixtures. Place reserved ladyfingers in food processor or blender; process to fine crumbs and sprinkle over tiramisu. Cover and chill at least 6 hours.

Berries and Cream Clouds

Ingredients to serve 4-6

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 8-ounce container Wisconsin Mascarpone Cheese
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups angel food cake, cubed
2 cups strawberries, sliced
Garnish: Fresh mint, sliced strawberries

Cooking Directions:

In medium bowl, whisk sugar, Mascarpone and whipping cream until blended. Do not overbeat—mixture will curdle. Stir in vanilla.

In a clear, wide glass bowl or similar container, alternate even layers of cheese mixture, cake and strawberries, finishing with Mascarpone mixture on top. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Garnish with fresh mint and strawberries, if desired

Now that all of the paperwork has been completed, the fun begins. The Festival Foods team will spend the better part of 2012 planning, organizing, and training in preparation for the new store opening. We put great focus on making sure associates assigned to the new location are ready to roll on day one because we know we only get that one chance to make a first impression with shoppers. Providing the value-driven pricing, high quality selection and an enjoyable shopping experience from the beginning is key to bringing customers back.

Similar to our stores recently opened in Sheboygan and La Crosse, the 74,000 square foot layout in Neenah will offer a vast variety of natural and organic foods, fresh sushi, a healthy-choices salad bar, an extensive deli and meat selection, a wine and spirits shop, as well as catering services. The new store will also provide customers access to in-store banking and the Tot Spot, a fun and safe learning environment where children ages 18 months to 7 years can stay while their parents shop.

New stores don’t happen by accident, so I’d be remiss not to offer a big thank you to all of the Festival Foods associates who work hard every day making our company successful so we can continue to grow. And thank you to the community of Neenah for what we know will be a great partnership into the future.

There are MANY very good quality pre-made products out there that folks would guess are homemade.  In fact, some companies hand-make the products and use very good ingredients but mass produce these items for re-sale while other companies may make the products in house but use inferior ingredients, lack good execution by their team and produce a product that is cheap and not very tasteful.

At Festival Foods, we make more items in house than typical supermarkets. In fact, about 90% of our deli items are prepared in-house. Our mission is to have a great quality product while being cost conscious as we feel that is what our guests have come to expect from us.   We do have some pre-made items brought in but we don’t take a transition like that lightly, the already prepared items that we purchase need to be ones that we feel good about.  We put a lot of effort into ensuring the best quality products are sold in our deli, whether we make it or bring it in from one of our vendor partners. If they aren’t up to our strict standards we won’t carry them because we know our guests expect more from us.

We take pride in our fresh deli salads, spreads, sandwiches, and Heat and Eat selections and hope that you enjoy them as well. Stop by our deli and let us know what you think, we are always looking for feedback from our loyal shoppers so we can continue to meet the needs of you and your family.

Today we have an easy, homemade fish finger recipe that both kids and adults will enjoy!  Swai fillets are covered in a crunchy coating of panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese then baked to golden perfection.  Be sure to use NuVal® scores to help you find a healthier marinara sauce to dip your fish fingers in (try Silver Palate Marinara, one of our highest scoring pasta sauces, which is on sale this week!).  Don’t forget to round out your meal by pairing your fish fingers with some steamed fresh green beans.  Go ahead and give this new recipe a try…. “swai” not?!

DirectionsDIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spritz with cooking spray.
2. Place egg in a shallow, wide dish.  In a separate dish, combine panko, parmesan cheese, and oil.
3. Cut Swai Fillets into thick, finger-shaped pieces; pat dry with paper towel.  Dip Swai into egg, shaking off excess, then into panko mixture, pressing to adhere.  Place on prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve fish fingers with warm marinara sauce.

• Have you ever tried quinoa (Pronounced KEEN-WAH)? Or how about millet, buckwheat, or amaranth? These are just a couple whole grains (in addition to the usual rice and corn) that are gluten-free. These grains are incredibly versatile and really delicious. If you haven’t experimented with these new grains yet, be sure to try our newest Eat Well deli salad, the Southwestern Quinoa & Chicken Salad! Loaded with vegetables (peppers, corn, black beans, onion), this is a delicious and healthy salad that’s perfect for grilling season!
• Fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten-free. Keep cleaned fruits and vegetables in a container in the refrigerator and pair with some hummus for an easy, grab-and-go snack. Need a new side dish? Add a side of roasted vegetables as a tasty addition to any meal.
• Opt for fresh fruit as a dessert rather than typical cookies, cakes or pies (which most often contain gluten).  Top a bowl of fresh berries with some Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon for a tasty and healthy treat! Or try a smoothie made with berries, bananas, and cottage cheese for a refreshing afternoon snack or breakfast.
• Craving a salty snack? Plain popcorn seeds are gluten-free and a whole grain (and they get a NuVal ® score of 91!). Heat 1-2 Tbsp. of canola oil in a large pan (until hot but not smoking), add in about half a cup of popcorn seeds, loosely cover (to let steam escape), and let pop away until you hear several seconds between pops. Enjoy with a dash of salt and a little melted butter (optional)!
• If you love shopping our deli and meat department, but are concerned there are no options for the gluten-free eater, have no fear! We have a gluten-free list available for all of our guests for our deli and meat department. Just ask any of our friendly associates or click here for a list of your options!

It is important to remember that overall nutrition is still important when eating gluten-free. Use the NuVal ® system to help guide you when shopping for the items on your grocery list today! From 1-100, the higher the score, the better the nutrition!

For more information on Celiac Disease or to find a support group near you, visit www.festfoods.com.

In addition to excellent customer service while grocery shopping, many guests look for speedy and efficient cashiers at the checkouts. We recently made some changes to increase speed and provide better service to our guests.

Last month, we eliminated the signature on credit card purchases less than $25. This change not only helped keep checkout lines moving faster, we also heard from many guests that it made us more consistent with other retailers while still allowing us to maintain our high standards of customer service. After hearing lots of positive feedback from both our guests and employees at all 16 stores, we continued looking for more ways to increase productivity and speed at the checkouts.

During the last few weeks, our Appleton stores have been testing another exciting change that will soon rollout at all Festival locations. We are no longer printing the signature slips that go with credit, debit, and check transactions, or the third slip that prints with gift cards showing the cashier the remaining balance on the card. Guests still get their receipt, and anytime a gift card is used they will get a receipt with the balance. The slips that have been eliminated are those that the cashier previously had to keep.

This change has been significant for a couple of reasons. Approximately ¾ of the transactions we do each day are paid for electronically. Prior to this change, cashiers were taking a few seconds after every electronic transaction to sort the slip into the appropriate slot in their media bag. Cashiers can now spend that time talking to the next guest in line and starting the next transaction. Also, by printing fewer slips at the checkouts, we are saving a substantial amount of receipt paper, about 3-4 inches of paper for each electronic transaction to be exact. Going through less paper has helped us in our effort to “go green”, and certainly saved money, since we go through much less receipt paper now than before.

Within a few days of testing this idea in the Appleton market, we knew it was going to be a positive change. However, like any other change or upgrade, we have waited a few weeks before rolling it out at all locations. This has given us time to get feedback from guests and employees, and fix any issues without interrupting business at all of our stores. As mentioned previously, we are happy to report that guests and employees alike are happy with this change. We hope that those of you who shop at our other locations will continue having an enjoyable shopping experience at Festival and appreciate the increased speed and efficiency at the checkouts.

We are really looking forward to summer fruit season!

In a recent blog, I talked about peaches and nectarines and how those crops are coming along. I am now looking into cherries and it seems that the spring California cherry crop is going to have a slow start. The early growing area from Bakersfield to Fresno has had some negative factors this year.

Typically, an entire tree and even an entire orchard will come into bloom all at one time.  These blossoms will become the cherries in 60 to 70 days. When it is time to harvest, almost all of the cherries will be mature and ready to pick at the same time. This year, due to weather conditions, the cherry trees have had a sporadic bloom in this early growing area.  Take a look at the picture- you can see that the trees had blossoms and small cherries at the same time. This will make harvesting the crop difficult and very labor intensive as these trees will have both ripe and immature cherries. It will also reduce the yield off each tree.

This tree has both blossoms and cherries.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the same early growing area also had a very large hail storm go through the week of April 9^th.  Some orchards experienced a 100 % loss and some orchards were completely spared. Hail usually comes in a relatively small band across an area; it can destroy a crop on one side of the road and completely miss the crop on the other side of the road.

With these two factors, the early crop in this area is expected to be down by about 65% from an average year. Unfortunately, it also means we will see relatively few cherries before Memorial Day.

On the bright side, California does expect to have a very good late crop. These cherries come from the Lodi and Stockton areas and will be harvested in late May. The trees there have a heavy set (lots of cherries) that look to be in very good condition. So, even though you’ll have to wait a bit, it shouldn’t be too long before you can enjoy some sweet summer cherries.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. If using hamburger (click here for tips on how to make your ground beef leaner!) cook until thoroughly browned. If using boneless, skinless chicken breast cook until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
2. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of enchilada sauce in bottom of dish.
3. Spread about half of refried beans on 6 tortillas. Place tortillas, bean-side up, over sauce in dish, overlapping to fit. Stir together remaining enchilada sauce, corn, black beans, meat of choice, and undrained tomatoes in large bowl. Spread half of this mixture over tortillas in dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese.
4. Repeat layering with remaining refried beans and tortillas, corn/meat mixture and remaining 1 cup cheese.
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until hot in center and bubbly around edges. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into 8 pieces.

May is always a busy but wonderful month and this May is extra special for me and my family. Besides several family birthday parties (my daughter’s and mine, too), we’ve got Mother’s Day to celebrate and my son Riley is graduating from high school. Wow! Where did the time go? I have no idea!

We’ve got lots of family coming for the big event.  I want to enjoy the day with my family and friends so I’m putting together a game plan that will keep me out of the kitchen the whole time.  Here are a couple recipes perfect for your birthday, graduation, or anniversary parties.  I always like to make one or two special dishes and then let Festival Foods help with rest.  I’m ordering the cake from the bakery, picking up the veggie and dip and fruit trays from the produce department and then heading to the deli for their delicious potato salad and baked beans.

Deviled eggs are a must at our family get-togethers.  This is my mother-in-law’s recipe; I’d double or triple it and watch these disappear- they are always the first to go!

Classic Deviled Eggs

8 hard-boiled eggs
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
Paprika
8 pimiento stuffed olives, cut in half crosswise

Directions:
Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop yolks out of egg halves. Mash egg yolks in a bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and mustard. If mixture is too dry, add a little more mayo until creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon or use a piping bag to fill each egg white. Sprinkle each top with a little paprika, and top each deviled egg half with an olive half, cut side up. Makes 16 deviled egg.

Here’s another family favorite! Got a really big crowd?  Double or triple the recipe and make it in one of those big Nesco roasters! Serve it on hard rolls or hamburger buns baked fresh in the Festival Foods bakery.

Super Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:
2 large onions, sliced
4 pound boneless pork butt roast
Salt and pepper
1 (18 ounce) bottle favorite barbecue sauce
1 can ginger ale

Directions:
Place half of the onions into the crock pot. Season roast well with salt and pepper. Place the roast on top and cover with the other sliced onion. Pour ginger ale over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until it falls apart. Spoon most of the liquid from the pot, but don’t throw it out. With two forks, shred the pork removing any fat. Add the barbecue sauce. Cook for an additional hour on high. Add reserved cooking liquid if needed and mixture gets dry. Serve pulled pork on buns.

Need a quick, fun last minute dessert for May? You can whip these up in no time! Super cute and delicious too!

Strawberry Poke Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 box regular size white cake mix, prepared according to pkg. directions
1 cup boiling water
1 small box strawberry jello
12 to 16 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
Fresh strawberries (optional)

Directions:
Prepare batter and bake as directed for cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 min. Pierce tops with fork. Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix until dissolved; spoon over cupcakes. Refrigerate 30 min. Remove from pans. Spread or pipe whipped topping over cupcakes. Store in refrigerator. Top with fresh sliced strawberries if desired before serving.

I hope you have a great May! Don’t sweat the small stuff! Take help where you can get it! Remember you don’t have to do it all! Let Festival help! Take lots of pictures too!

Amy Hanten/The Cooking Mom