White Nectarine Juleps

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August 21, 2022

Sit back and enjoy this batchable cocktail at your next summer soirée.

Skim this recipe quickly, and you might be surprised to see a glaring omission from this White Nectarine Julep: bourbon. While Kentucky has popularized day-drinking mint and bourbon, it is, apparently, not the only way for a drink to qualify as a Julep.

About the Julep

According to Liquor.com, “The Mint Julep gained prominence in the southern United States during the 18th century, and it first appeared in print in 1803 in John Davis’ book Travels of Four and a Half Years in the United States of America. He wrote that the Mint Julep is a ‘dram of spirituous liquor that has mint steeped in it, taken by Virginians of a morning.’ An ice-cold whiskey drink is certainly one way to start your day. Since its creation, the Mint Julep has remained popular, but the julep itself is actually a category of drinks featuring a spirit served over crushed ice.”

How This Inspired Our White Nectarine Julep

With that bit of freedom, I sought an often overlooked spirit, Lillet, and took advantage of stone fruit season. A simple syrup made with wildflower honey and rooibos tea adds a spiced note to the juicy fruit. The resulting cocktail is light, refreshing, and perhaps, as John Davis would say, quite “spirituous.”

This cocktail also lends itself to batching, so make a big mason jar, so you can sit back and enjoy more of your next summer soiree.

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White Nectarine Juleps

Author: Quelcy Kogel, Adapted from Serious Eats

Print Recipe

Description

Not a fan of bourbon? Here’s the julep for you!

Ingredients

Scale

For rooibos tea syrup:

1 ½ cups water
1 cup honey
6 rooibos tea bags
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup honey

For the cocktail:

1/2 of an overripe peach, cut into slices
1 1/2 oz rooibos tea syrup
1 ½ oz fresh juice from 1 lemon
2 oz cognac, such as Pierre Ferrand
2 oz Lillet Blanc
Crushed ice
Large bunch of mint for garnish

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Instructions

For the rooibos tea syrup:

Bring the water and honey to a boil to combine.
Remove from heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes.
Let cool before straining and using.
Store the syrup in the refrigerator.

For the cocktail:

In a mixing glass, muddle peach slices, rooibos syrup, and lemon juice into a rough pulp.
Add cognac and Lillet blanc, stir to mix.
Pour unstrained into serving glass.
Fill the serving glass with crushed ice, garnish with a large bunch of mint.

Recipe and Photography by Quelcy Kogel

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Cheater Mint Juleps

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August 21, 2022

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This mint julep is an icy, refreshing flavor perfect for grilled pairings, days by the pool, a beachy nightcap, or simply a sipper while watching the fireflies.

Many years ago I brought home my adorable Aussie-Lab puppy, and we bonded immediately. What didn’t quite click was her farm-given name of Greta. I figured dogs are “man’s best friend” and bourbon is a girl’s best friend, so put the two together, and she became the classic Kentucky Derby cocktail, Julep. (She even has an “M” pattern on her tummy, which makes me think she was always meant to be minty.)

Mint Julep Season

Mint Juleps are the drink to have come Derby time in May, but the combination merits a longer summertime run, especially when mint is rampant. It’s an icy, refreshing flavor made for grilled pairings, days by the pool, a beachy nightcap, or simply a sipper while watching the fireflies.

The classic mint julep muddles mint and sugar at the bottom of each cocktail glass before adding crushed ice and bourbon. Instead of muddling the mint, I like to make a batch of mint simple syrup with bourbon-barrel maple. It makes for a quick Mint Julep once the syrup is ready and waiting in your fridge.

For you gardeners, green thumbs, and farmers market fans, the simple syrup is a resourceful way to take advantage of mint while there’s a surplus and preserve that fresh flavor into the fall.

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Cheater Mint Juleps

Author: Quelcy Kogel

Print Recipe

Description

The mint maple syrup makes this unlike any julep you’ve had before.

Ingredients

Scale

For the mint maple syrup:

3/4 cup water
½ cup maple syrup
A large bunch of fresh mint

For the mint julep:

Crushed ice
2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz maple mint syrup, or more, to taste
Fresh mint, to garnish

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Instructions

For the syrup:

Combine the water and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil, then simmer until combined.
Remove from heat, and add the fresh mint. Cover and set aside to infuse for at least 30 minutes (I often leave mine in the refrigerator overnight for a really minty flavor).
Strain the mint, and transfer the syrup to a glass jar, and store in the refrigerator.

For the cocktail:

Fill a glass with crushed ice, then pour the bourbon and simple syrup over the ice. Top with fresh mint, and enjoy!

Recipe and Photography by Quelcy Kogel

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Smoked Carrot Dip with Pretzels

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August 21, 2022

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Smoked+Carrot+Dip+With+Pretzels+TABLE+Magazine — Smoky and delicious. Kids will enjoy making this. You will enjoy eating it.

We’re doing our part to bring you recipes that will encourage you to get your kids in the kitchen. This roasted carrot dip is a great make-ahead treat that is perfect as an after school snack for kids. Once they get the hang of this recipe, have them make a batch for you. TABLE friend and contributor Chef Alekka serves this at her dinner parties. It’s a great dip to add to a grazing table or to serve alone as a tasty little snack for your guests.

Alekka Sweeney is a Pittsburgh-based culinary director and baking instructor focused on dining curations and cooking classes. After more than 20 years spent in Chicago, her main goal is to share her culinary and baking skills with all ages and cooking levels. Her kid-friendly recipes are intended to be easy enough to give children some independence in the kitchen, encourage them to explore new flavors, and help them learn to prepare things for the entire family to enjoy.

SMOKED CARROT DIP WITH PRETZELS RECIPE

*Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

½ cup skin-on almonds

2 lb. carrots, trimmed, peeled

2 Tbsp. plus

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil; plus more

2½ tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more

2 garlic cloves ½ cup canned chickpeas

3 Tbsp. (or more) fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¾ tsp. smoked Spanish paprika

½ cup coarsely chopped parsley, plus leaves for serving

1 bag mini pretzels

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 8–10 minutes.

Let cool; set aside.

Cut any thick carrots in half lengthwise, then slice all carrots crosswise into 4 pieces.

Toss on a parchment-lined baking sheet with 2 Tbsp. oil and 1 tsp. salt.

Spread carrots out evenly on baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until very tender and starting to shrivel and brown (but not char), about 1 hour

Transfer carrots to a food processor; add garlic, chickpeas, lemon juice, pepper, paprika, chopped parsley, ½cup oil, 1½ tsp. salt, and reserved almonds.

Process, adding more oil as needed, until mixture is almost completely smooth.

Taste dip and add more lemon juice and/or salt if needed.

Place dip in a bowl and garnish with olive oil and parsley.

Serve with pretzels.

Yields 3 cups

RECIPE BY ALEKKA SWEENEY / STYLING BY KEITH RECKER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE / STORY BY STAR LALIBERTE

Try some of TABLE’s other kid-friendly recipes:

S’mores Empanadas

Strawberry Pineapple Agua Fresca

Homemade Marshmallows

Quesadilla with Guacamole and Pico de Gallo

Turkey and Granny Smith Apple Sandwich

Chicken Satay with Cucumber Salad

Peach and Corn Salsa with Tortilla Chips

Chili-Lime Popcorn

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Huevos Rancheros with Corn Tortilla Arrows

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August 21, 2022

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Plates-SedlarDinner©GabriellaMarksPhoto-06 — A classic Mexican dish reimagined into a lighter, more delicate version of itself.

Chef John Sedlar conceived this preparation as a lighter version of the traditional hearty Southwestern breakfast dish. You might use it as an appetizer for a lunch or dinner menu, or as part of a larger morning spread. Serving the huevos mixture in the egg shells takes a bit of fiddling, but is so worth it for the presentation’s wow factor. You might want to have a couple of extra eggs on hand, though, in case you break a shell while creating the egg “containers.” Pair brown-shelled eggs with white or yellow tortilla arrows, or white-shelled with a blue corn variation, if you like.

Ingredients

For the Tortillas Arrows:

3 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Cut each tortilla into 12 long slim triangular “arrowheads.” Heat ½ inch of oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat to 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Fry the tortilla triangles in several batches until crisp, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain them on paper towels and pat off any excess oil.

Ingredients

For the Scrambled Huevos Rancheros:

12 large or extra-large eggs
¼ cup half-and-half
Table salt to taste
2 tbsp unsalted butter
6 tbsp finely diced white onion
1 to 2 fresh jalapeños, roasted, peeled and diced fine (See note below)
½ red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and diced fine
4 oz creamy goat cheese, such as Montrachet

Ingredients

Use an egg cutter or a sharp small knife to cut off the top quarter of the narrow end of each egg. Empty the eggs into a bowl and carefully rinse out the shells. Whisk the eggs with half-and-half and a bit of salt.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Sauté the onion in the butter until very lightly colored, about 1 minute. Lower the heat and add the beaten eggs and remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for only about 3 minutes, until the eggs are just cooked through and still very creamy.
Carefully spoon a portion of the scrambled eggs into a shell, mounding the eggs slightly. Place the filled egg in an egg cup. Repeat with remaining eggs and shells. Stand 3 tortilla arrows around one side of the inside rim of each eggshell. Serve immediately.

Note: Roast the jalapeños in the same way as described for the New Mexico green chiles in the previous recipe.

Styling by Keith Recker / Photography by Gabriella Marks

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Fire-Roasted Green Chile Stuffed with Mushroom Duxelles in Garlic Chèvre Sauce

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August 21, 2022

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Plates-SedlarDinner©GabriellaMarksPhoto-07 — Acclaimed Chef John Sedlar elevates traditional chile rellenos with French inspiration.

The striking green chile dish that acclaimed Chef John Sedlar made TABLE comes from his 1980s restaurant Saint Estephe. John fills New Mexican pods with a French-style reduction of mushrooms, then blankets them with a velvety goat cheese sauce. Sweet peas were in season when the meal was served, so John scattered some over the plates. Feel free to add a handful of lightly cooked peas, if you wish. The original recipe appeared in John Sedlar’s Modern Southwest Cuisine (Simon & Schuster, 1986).

For the Mushroom Duxelles:

1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 lb button mushrooms, rinsed, patted dry, and finely chopped
½ cup whipping cream
½ tsp table salt
½ tsp white pepper

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté them until all of their liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cream, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they have absorbed all of the cream and the mixture is thick, about 20 minutes more.

For the Garlic Chèvre Sauce:

½ cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp table salt
2 cups whipping cream
5 oz creamy goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled
6 plump, fresh New Mexican green chiles, roasted, peeled, and seeded (see note below)
½ tsp table salt

Instructions

Put the wine, garlic, and salt in a medium saucepan over moderate-to-high heat. Bring to a boil, and reduce by about one-half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and goat cheese with a wire whisk, then pass the sauce through a sieve. Set it aside and keep warm.
While the sauce is cooking, spread the chiles open on a work surface. Lightly salt their insides and spoon 3 tablespoons of the duxelles along the length of each. Fold the chiles closed and place them, seam-side down, on a greased baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
When the sauce is ready, cover the rellenos with a damp kitchen towel and bake them until heated through, about 10 minutes.
Spoon equal portions of sauce on the middle of warmed plates. Place a chile on each plate and serve.

Note: Chiles can be roasted in several ways, or purchased already roasted, from a New Mexico farmers’ market or supermarket, in season. The easiest way to roast just a handful of pods, as needed here, is to hold each chile over a gas burner with a high flame. (Alternately, use a gas or charcoal grill to blister the pods.) Use tongs or a large fork to turn. Sear and blacken the chile’s skin on all sides. Transfer the pod to a covered dish or plastic bag, to steam briefly. Repeat with the remaining pods. When cool, strip off the peel, using a paper towel to help remove any stubborn bits of skin. Slice down one side of the chile lengthwise, and gently cut out the seed pod at the chile’s stem end.

Styling by Keith Recker / Photography by Gabriella Marks

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Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon

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August 21, 2022

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3.+Nath©Merriam121 — Chef Nath’s Khmer (ethnic Cambodian) recipe for salmon is a collision of culture and flavor. She shares the recipe with TABLE readers as a preview of the dish she will prepare for the 2022 Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta.

While Khmer cuisine may not be as well-known as other Southeast Asian traditions, it contains a multitude of intriguing flavors and combinations. Chef Nath’s recipe for Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon blooms with colors and aromas. Its unexpected notes of lemongrass, lime leaves, turmeric, and more, launch you on a remarkable journey. You’ll want to linger where it takes you.

Instructions

3 stalks lemongrass, thinly sliced (use only the bottom 3 inches of the stalk)
½-inch piece galangal (blue ginger), peeled and finely chopped
10 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced with the hard center ribs removed
4 oz turmeric, chopped
12 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 shallots, finely chopped
Chili flakes or fresh chilies
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 spoonful palm or coconut sugar
4 6-oz salmon fillets, skin-on
Sesame oil
Sprouts

Instructions

For the marinade:
First, pound or blend together the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, and turmeric. Then, put garlic, shallots, chili flakes, salt, and sugar together and pound with pestle (can also be done with robot coupe machine) until the mixture forms a thick paste.

For the salmon:
Marinate the salmon with lemongrass paste and sesame oil (or your preferred oil) for 30 minutes. Pan-fry or broil salmon until just done. Serve with white or brown rice, sautéed vegetables, and sprouts.

Story by Gabe Gomez/ Styling and Photography Douglas Merriam

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Prime Steak Tartare

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August 21, 2022

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MarketSteer©Merriam016 — Chef Kathleen Crook’s recipe for Prime Steak Tartare is a classic, beautifully executed interpretation of a perennial steakhouse favorite. She shares it with TABLE readers as a preview of the dish she will prepare for the 2022 Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta.

Chef Kathleen Crook’s recipe for Prime Steak Tartare is a master class in restraint and a valuable reminder that the best ingredients are best handled simply. Her dish is a classic, beautifully executed interpretation of a perennial steakhouse favorite. marketsteersteakhouse.com

Ingredients

1 shallot, minced
2 tsp ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 dashes hot sauce
2 tsp brandy
1 gherkin, minced
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt as needed
3 oz beef filet

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together. Toss with the meat and serve cold.

Story by Gabe Gomez/ Styling and Photography Douglas Merriam

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Panna Cotta, Strawberries, Basil Sorbet & Strawberry Pop Rocks

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August 21, 2022

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20220614-CoyoteCafe©GabriellaMarksPhoto-189_RETOUCHED — Coyote Café’s Chef Dakota Weiss's recipe for buttermilk panna cotta is rich, subtle, and smooth as velvet with a literal “pop” at the end.

American author Thomas Wolfe suggested, wistfully, that you can never go home again––that the experiences that serve as brick and mortar to our memories are sometimes best left in the past.

Think then about the faces and lives in a restaurant kitchen. About a chef who came alive to the food world through endless prep work, marathon doubles, and an avalanche of brunch rushes. Consider that those repetitive acts led to jobs in esteemed restaurants across the country, appearances in national cooking shows, ownership of a restaurant empire across California, and accolades too numerous to count.

Think about Dakota Weiss, executive chef at Coyote Café, the storied Santa Fe restaurant where she staged after culinary school and now leads through its latest iteration of Southwestern cuisine? Just this once, Thomas Wolfe may have gotten it wrong. She’s come home again––with fresh, imaginative and palate-tingling results.

Because Dakota’s signature voice brings worldly nuance to our local food scene, we asked her to choose local ingredients and present us with three recipes. On one recent early morning, we watched her in the calm and quiet of Coyote’s kitchen as she brought these ingredients to life in ways that are as grounded in memories (does anyone remember the youthful thrill of 1970s Pop Rocks candy?) as they are alive and relevant in the present. coyotecafe.com

Buttermilk Vanilla Panna Cotta, Local Honey-Macerated Strawberries, Basil Sorbet & Strawberry Pop Rocks

Serves 4

For the Buttermilk Vanilla Panna Cotta:

2 tsp gelatin powder
3 tbsp cold water
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla bean puree
1 tsp kosher salt
1 ¼ cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. Bloom the gelatin in the cold water and set aside.

2. Add the cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt and heat just until the sugar is melted fully.

3. Slowly whisk in the gelatin, making sure all of it melts.

4. Take off the heat and whisk in the buttermilk.

5. Pour into ramekins or bowls that you plan to serve it in.

6. Chill until set, about 2 hours.

For the Basil Sorbet:

2 oz basil leaves
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 ½ cups water

Instructions

1. Puree the basil with the lemon juice.

2. In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and cook until the sugar is fully melted.

3. Remove from the heat and add the basil lemon juice.

4. Pour into an ice cream maker and spin until the mixture becomes frozen and creamy-looking.

For the Honey-Macerated Strawberries:

1 pt strawberries, sliced thinly
4 tbsp honey (local wildflower is my fave)
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Add all ingredients together and stir well.

Building the plate:

Add the strawberries on top of the panna cotta. Scoop on some basil sorbet and sprinkle it with 1 package of Strawberry Pop Rocks.

Story by Gabe Gomez/ Styling by Keith Recker / Photography Gabriella Marks

Try Chef Weiss’s other locavore recipes:

Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Quail

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Grilled Quail with Truffled-Balsamic Reduction, Mesilla Pecan-Fig Crumble & Aji Amarillo

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staff-author

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August 21, 2022

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Chef Dakota Weiss of Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe — Coyote Café’s Chef Dakota Weiss's grilled quail with balsamic reduction sings New Mexico pecans and figs.

American author Thomas Wolfe suggested, wistfully, that you can never go home again––that the experiences that serve as brick and mortar to our memories are sometimes best left in the past.

Think then about the faces and lives in a restaurant kitchen. About a chef who came alive to the food world through endless prep work, marathon doubles, and an avalanche of brunch rushes. Consider that those repetitive acts led to jobs in esteemed restaurants across the country, appearances in national cooking shows, ownership of a restaurant empire across California, and accolades too numerous to count.

Think about Dakota Weiss, executive chef at Coyote Café, the storied Santa Fe restaurant where she staged after culinary school and now leads through its latest iteration of Southwestern cuisine? Just this once, Thomas Wolfe may have gotten it wrong. She’s come home again––with fresh, imaginative and palate-tingling results.

Because Dakota’s signature voice brings worldly nuance to our local food scene, we asked her to choose local ingredients and present us with three recipes. On one recent early morning, we watched her in the calm and quiet of Coyote’s kitchen as she brought these ingredients to life in ways that are as grounded in memories (does anyone remember the youthful thrill of 1970s Pop Rocks candy?) as they are alive and relevant in the present. coyotecafe.com

Grilled Quail with Truffled-Balsamic Reduction, Mesilla Pecan-Fig Crumble & Aji Amarillo

Serves 4

For the quail:

4 quails
2 rosemary sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup blended oil

Instructions

1. Clip the wings off the quail. Poke a tiny hole in one of the legs and pull the tip of the other leg through that so it looks like the legs are naturally crossed.

2. Add the herbs, garlic, and oil in a blender and mix well.

3. Rub the herb puree all over the quail and allow them to marinate for an hour or so.

For the Truffle-Balsamic Reduction:

1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup white truffle oil
¼ cup soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water

Instructions

1. Add the balsamic vinegar, truffle oil, and soy into a pot and bring it to a boil, reducing the mixture by a quarter.

2. Whisk together the cornstarch and water.

3. Slowly add that mixture to the reduction and cook out the starch. The sauce should thicken until it coats a spoon.

For the Mesilla Pecan-Fig Crumble:

6 oz Mesilla pecans, toasted
4 oz dried Mission figs
1 tsp Urfa Biber chili flakes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp hibiscus, dried
1 tsp juniper berry
Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

Take all ingredients and add to a Robot-Coupe food processor. Mix until you have a crumble-like consistency.

Building the Plate:

1. Grill the quail for about 2 ½ minutes on each side getting nice grill marks.

2. Using a spoon, make a circle (1 ½ times larger than the quail) with the truffle balsamic. Place the grilled quail right on top of that.

3. Put the pecan crumble on top of the quail breast.

4. Add a dollop of Aji Amarillo paste to the plate.

5. Garnish with any herbal microgreens.

Story by Gabe Gomez/ Styling by Keith Recker / Photography Gabriella Marks

Try Chef Weiss’s other locavore recipes:

Grilled Asparagus

Buttermilk Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberry Pop Rocks

Don’t miss a single delicious thing:

Subscribe to TABLE Magazine New Mexico here!

Chilled Popcorn Balls

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staff-author

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August 21, 2022

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chilled+popcorn+balls+TABLE+Magazine — A weekend snack that’s fun for kids to make…and delicious, too! These popcorn balls are great afternoon project for the littles.

Every kid pines away for fun and friendly snacks…while parents long for something that’s vaguely healthy. These popcorn balls feature healthy ingredients, and your kids are sure to love eating as well as making them. Using natural honey and sunflower butter as binders does take a little extra work to pack the balls, but that’s a perfect excuse for kids to get their hands sticky and have some fun! Each recipe makes about 18 popcorn balls.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE POPCORN BALLS RECIPE

Ingredients

1/3 cup popcorn kernels or 9 cups popped popcorn

1/3 cup Huckle Bee Farms Plain Wildflower Raw Unfiltered Honey

3 tbsp natural organic sunflower butter or creamy peanut butter

1 pinch fine sea salt

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips, divided in halves

¼ cup dark chocolate chips, for topping

1 tbsp extra-virgin organic coconut oil, for topping

Instructions

1. Pop kernels in a stovetop or microwavable air popper; you can bypass the popping completely and buy pre-popped corn, too.

2. Combine honey, sunflower or peanut butter, sea salt, and 1/3 cup of chocolate chips into a small saucepan and whisk on medium-low heat until ingredients are well combined and bubbling.

3. Remove from the heat and slowly pour over the popcorn. Stir gently until popcorn is well-coated. Fold in the remaining 1/3 cup of chocolate chips.

4. Place bowl in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes.

5. Using an ice cream scooper, form the mixture into balls. Once the scoop forms the initial ball, pass them along to the kids to firmly shape before placing them onto wax paper-lined baking sheets.

6. Combine dark chocolate chips for topping and coconut oil in a bowl and microwave, stopping every 15 seconds to stir mixture until melted. Allow kids to carefully splatter dark chocolate over the balls.

7. Place baking sheets back into the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. After this, either serve them or place them into an airtight container and store in refrigerator until ready to eat.

TRAIL MIX POPCORN BALLS RECIPE

Ingredients

1/3 cup popcorn kernels or 9 cups popped popcorn

1/3 cup Country Barn Honey

3 tbsp extra-virgin organic coconut oil

3 tbsp natural organic sunflower butter

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, divided in halves

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup chopped cashews

1/4 cup chopped dried cherries

River Road Hand Dyed “Right As Rainbow” Sprinkles, for topping

Instructions

1. Pop kernels in a stovetop or microwavable air popper; you can bypass the popping completely and buy pre-popped corn, too.

2. Combine honey, coconut oil, sunflower butter, and ¼ cup chocolate chips into a saucepan and whisk on medium-low heat until ingredients are well combined and bubbling.

3. Remove from the heat and slowly pour over the popcorn. Stir gently until popcorn is well-coated. Fold in chopped nuts, dried cherries, and remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips.

4. Place bowl in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes.

5. Using an ice cream scooper, form the mixture into balls. Once the scoop forms the initial ball, pass them along to the kids to firmly shape before placing them onto wax paper-lined baking sheets.

6. Allow kids to sprinkle top of balls with River Road Hand Dyed “Right As Rainbow” Sprinkles for that classic trail mix pop of color.

7. Place baking sheets back into the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. After this, either serve them or place them into an airtight container and store in refrigerator until ready to eat.

PEPITA POPCORN BALLS RECIPE

Ingredients

1/3 cup popcorn kernels or 9 cups popped popcorn

1/3 cup Triple Bee Farms Clover Honey

2 tbsp extra-virgin organic coconut oil

½ tsp Penzeys Vietnamese Ground Cinnamon

3 tbsp natural organic sunflower butter

1/2 cup white chocolate chips, divided into halves

1 tsp Penzeys Mexican Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup pepitas, toasted and roughly ground, divided into halves

¼ cup white chocolate chips, for topping

1 tbsp extra-virgin organic coconut oil, for topping

Instructions

1. Pop kernels in a stovetop or microwavable air popper; you can bypass the popping completely and buy pre-popped corn, too.

2. Combine honey, coconut oil, ground cinnamon, sunflower butter, ¼ cup of chocolate chips, and vanilla extract into a saucepan and whisk on medium-low heat until ingredients are well combined and bubbling.

3. Remove from the heat and slowly pour over the popcorn. Stir gently until popcorn is well-coated. Fold in ¼ cup ground pepitas and ¼ cup white chocolate chips.

4. Place bowl in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes.

5. Using an ice cream scooper, form the mixture into balls. Once the scoop forms the initial ball, pass them along to the kids to firmly shape before placing them onto wax paper-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle each ball with some ground pepitas.

6. Combine white chocolate chips and coconut oil in a bowl and microwave, stopping every 15 seconds to stir mixture until melted. Allow kids to carefully splatter white chocolate over balls. Dust with a little cinnamon to finish.

7. Place baking sheets back into the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. After this, either serve them or place them into an airtight container and store in refrigerator until ready to eat.

Note: If the popcorn balls aren’t holding shape, wet hands with cold water when forming them.

STORY AND RECIPES BY ELAINE ZEDACK / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE

Try some of TABLE’s other kid-friendly recipes:

S’mores Empanadas

Strawberry Pineapple Agua Fresca

Homemade Marshmallows

Quesadilla with Guacamole and Pico de Gallo

Chicken Satay with Cucumber Salad

Peach and Corn Salsa with Tortilla Chips

Chili-Lime Popcorn

Don’t miss a single delicious thing:

Subscribe to TABLE Magazine here!