Shaved Brussels Sprouts SarVecchio Salad

A mandolin is one of the best culinary tricks to keep up your sleeve. With this wonderful tool, you can present food like the professionals. This dish consists of just a few simple ingredients. I ALWAYS have SarVecchio on hand, because it's the perfect cheese to finish a dish with. By thinly shaving the brussels sprouts, it sort of hides the fact that you're eating brussels sprouts. Feel free to toast the pinenuts, but I like them raw. This versatile side pairs well with just about anything.

1 lb Brussels Sprouts
about 1/2 cup Pinenuts
1/4 lb SarVecchio 
1 Lemon, juice and zest
Calivirgin Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Using a mandolin, shave brussels sprouts. Place in a bowl, add pinenuts and toss with lemon and a light drizzle of evoo. Season with salt and pepper to taste and finish with finely grated SarVecchio.

Hoja Santa Strudels

All the Dairymaids have a special place in their hearts for Hoja Santa. Firstly, it's made by hand in Deep Ellum/Dallas by the Godmother of Texas cheese. We would be perfectly happy skipping the cake and putting a birthday candle in one of theses beauties. Hoja Santa is delicate, yet decadent. And it's already gift wrapped. If you can control yourself to not devour it all alone, hopefully this fresh goat cheese can make it's way to these incredible little pastries.

1 Hoja Santa 

Alfonzo Olives (about 1/2 cup chopped)

Sun-dried tomatoes in oil (about 1/2 cup chopped)
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg + 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)

Directions:
Heat oven to 425. Lay out some parchment to thaw puff pastry on and use as a work surface. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Remove meat from olives, discarding the pits and chop. Chop sun-dried tomatoes, mix with olives. Slice Hoja Santa into quarters, then cut each quarter into 5 pieces, keeping Hoja Santa leaf intact. Use a sharp pairing knife to slice the pastry sheet in half lengthwise, then the opposite direction into 5 strips around 2 inches wide, 10 strips total per pastry sheet. Top the center of puff pastry with a teaspoon of olive/sun-dried tomato mix and a piece of Hoja Santa, then fold one side over the top. Use a little egg wash on the inside of the strip to "glue" it together. Gently press to seal. Flip over, crease side down and place on prepared sheet pan. Repeat and space the finished pastries 1 inch apart on the pan. Use your sharp pairing knife and cut three slits on the top of each strudel; you don’t have to cut all the way through, just make a slit. Using the pastry brush, lightly coat the top and down the sides with egg wash. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden and puffed. Remove and let cool. Serve warm and consume day of.

*Makes 20 mini-strudels

Sandia de Tejas Cornbread Crepes

Skeptical about a Texas inspired crepe? Well, have you ever heard of a little town called Paris, Texas? How about London, Texas or Dublin, Texas? My point being; Texas is big and it's a cornucopia of food culture. Basically, I made a southern version of a crepe by thinning out cornbread batter. It's buttery, it has a nice crunch and it's welded together with the Summer seasonal from Eagle Mountain Dairy, Sandia de Tejas. This sandia hatch laced gouda from the father/son team is perfectly spicy. Top with some cilantro, a fried egg and call it breakfast.

1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 farm fresh egg
2 cups Mill King Whole Milk, or more
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Lucky Layla Golden Butter
1/2 lb Sandia de Tejas, grated

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients with a whisk, set aside. Whisk egg with milk and mix with dry ingredients until smooth. You may need to add more milk, you want the consistency of pancake batter. Lastly, add vegetable oil, stir to combine. Heat a seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a dollop of butter to coat skillet. Pour a thin layer of cornbread batter into skillet, about pancake size. Cook until top begins to bubble. Flip and cook until just lightly browned on the other side. Top omelet with a generous bit of cheese, fold over and cook just until cheese begins to melt.

*Yields 8 crepes.