Recipe For Easy Entertaining In Carroll Gardens

Carroll Gardeners Max Kelly, a photographer, and Erin Merhar, a food stylist and recipe developer, have collaborated numerous times on photo shoots in the last few months. The resulting images are always stunning.

Max and Erin have kindly allowed me to post these images from their latest shoot. And below, you will find Erin's recipe for those divine home-made rosemary crackers with sea salt pictured in the photographs.

All ingredients are available locally.

From Erin Merhar:

Since becoming a chef, I’ve also taken on the role of dining consultant for my friends and family. “What should I make for dinner, Erin? I have celery, rice and balsamic vinegar.” This is not an uncommon request.

The question I prefer to get is: “I have to bring an hors d’ouevres to a party. What can I bring that’s EASY and that everyone will love.” I could rattle off any number of dips or miniaturized appetizers, but my best answer is: if you aim to please, do a simple cheese plate.

From my experience with entertaining, an interesting cheese paired with special condiments will grab as many rave reviews as the Vietnamese spring rolls you slaved over for hours. A wedge of gooey, soft-ripened cheese, orange blossom honey—or maybe the pear mostarda that you picked up on your last trip to Italy— with a soft baguette will always do the trick.

For those of you who are still looking to provide your handcrafted touch, here is a simple cracker recipe that might actually be quicker to make than running to a bakery for that baguette.

Homemade Crackers with Rosemary and Sea Salt

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of chopped, fresh rosemary

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

1 tsp Maldon, or any other flaky sea salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the flour, kosher salt, black pepper and chopped rosemary and mix until combined. At this point, the dough will be crumbly and a bit dry. Set the mixer on low, then drizzle in just enough heavy cream to make long rectangle, about 1 ½” high, by 2” wide. Rest the formed dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp knife, slice the dough into crackers, 1/8-1/4” thick. Place on a cookie sheet, and prick each cracker twice with a fork. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden.

Chef’s Note: The cheese pictured is La Tur, crowd-pleasing a blend of cow, sheep and goat’s milk cheese from the Langhe valley region of Piedmont, Italy. La Tur can be purchased at Union Market at 288 Court St.

Erin Merhar is a food stylist, recipe developer and personal chef living in CarrollGardens, Brooklyn. She loves wine, cheese and all things Italian. She can be contacted at mintfare@gmail.com or via her website at

www.mintfare.com.

Max Kelly is self-taught photographer whose style is at once modern and classic. Through this blend of old and new, he composes a unique perspective of the world around him. He can be reached at maxkelly@maxkellyphotography.com or through his website at www.maxkellyphotography.com

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A Recipe For A Winter Evening In Carroll Gardens

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A Recipe For A Winter Evening In Carroll Gardens

When Carroll Gardens food stylist Erin Merhar and photographer Max Kelly get together to shoot one of Erin's culinary creations using the freshest ingredients, the results are delectably beautiful. Erin and Max have graciously allowed me to publish both photos and a seasonal recipe from one of their latest collaborations. All ingredients for the dish are easily available from neighborhood stores.

From Erin Merhar:

I have always found beauty in rusticity. Tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, flecked with sea salt, cornbread golden and crusty from its cast-iron skillet, a berry cobbler whose juices bubble over its baking dish. Seeing food do its natural thing is a splendor in itself.

At home, I find this approach especially handy, when appearance is much less fussy and taste matters most. This wintry side dish is the epitome of rusticity, and shows it up with not only its incredible taste, but also mouth-watering beauty. Beauty, no less, in its own skin.

Whole Roasted Kabocha Squash, With Goat's Milk Feta, Mint And Arugula

This rustic side incorporates a few twists on favorite ingredients. Try kabocha squash instead of butternut and goats milk feta rather than the classic sheep’s milk variety. All ingredients can be easily sourced in the Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill neighborhoods. The kabocha squash was found at Met Food at 197 Smith St, and the goat’s milk feta at Union Market at 288 Court St.

Ingredients:

1 whole kabocha squash, about 4 lbs

¼ cup crumbled goats milk feta cheese

2 T. good extra virgin olive oil

2 t. red wine vinegar

10-12 large mint leaves, torn

1 cup baby arugula, packed

Salt & Pepper

Procedure:

Pre-heat the oven to 350˚F. Place the whole squash on foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 60-70 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the garniture. Tear the mint leaves, crumble the feta cheese, and remove any large stems from the baby arugula. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil into the red wine vinegar to create a vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once the squash is tender and the skin sinks slightly when touched, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Once cooled slightly, make a horizontal cut across the center of the squash to create two halves. With a large tablespoon, remove the seeds and stringy pulp from the center of the squash halves, being careful to leave the flesh intact. Carve out the flesh from the squash, leaving a 1/4 inch border along all of the skin. Divide the mint, arugula, and feta between the two halves and drizzle equally with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. With two forks, cut through the flesh of the squash and toss all ingredients together until equally combined, being careful not to tear the skin of the squash.

Serve the squash in its own skin as a side dish alongside steak or chicken with chimichurri, or as a vegetarian main course.

Erin Merhar is a food stylist, recipe developer and personal chef living in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. She loves wine, cheese and all things Italian. She can be contacted at mintfare@gmail.com or via her website at www. mintfare.com.

Max Kelly is self-taught photographer whose style is at once modern and classic. Through this blend of old and new, he composes a unique perspective of the world around him. He can be reached at maxkelly@maxkellyphotography.com or through his website at maxkellyphotography.com

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