• July 2015
• >
• Food & Drink

Savor the Flavor

Recipes and recap from Austin’s favorite foodie festival.

As hot as it gets in July, there are still many opportunities to spread out a blanket and enjoy all Austin has to offer. From Blues on the Green to the Hartman Symphony Series, Zilker Hillside performances and a family gathering in one of the parks, it’s nice to look forward to packing a picnic and enjoying the company of friends and family. The fourth Austin Food + Wine Festival brought together top-tier chefs and acclaimed sommeliers. In case you missed the festivities, we have chosen two offerings created just for Austin. You can also check out our staff recommendations for food and drink items you can find throughout town. Bon appetit! —Deborah Hamilton-Lynne

 

Chef Gail Simmons’ Recipes for a Picture-Perfect July Picnic

“My Smokey Texas Twist was created with Austin in mind. This cocktail, made with Pure Leaf Sweet Tea, has a deep smokiness from the charred grapefruit, smoked salt and mezcal (if using) as a tribute to Austin’s legendary barbecue culture. The citrus is the perfect refresher in the Texas heat and the cilantro is a gentle nod to Tex-Mex flavor.” —Chef Gail Simmons

Foodie Alert! Gail Simmons is coming to Lake Austin Culinary Experience Aug. 15 and 16

 

 

Smokey Texas Twist

Serves two

Ingredients:

Canola oil for grill

1 pink grapefruit, quartered

1/2 cup Pure Leaf Sweet Tea

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon fine smoked salt

Ice

Directions:

Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat and brush with canola oil. Add quartered grapefruit, flesh side down, and grill until well charred, two to three minutes per cut side. Remove from grill and allow to cool.

Juice the grapefruit, straining seeds and reserving one juiced wedge. In a cocktail shaker, muddle together charred grapefruit juice and cilantro. Add Pure Leaf Sweet Tea and plenty of ice. Shake until well chilled.

Rub the rim of two rocks glasses with the reserved grapefruit wedge. Spread the smoked salt on a plate and swirl the rim of each glass through the salt to coat. Add ice to the glasses.

Strain the grapefruit/tea mixture into the glasses. Garnish each with a few cilantro leaves and serve immediately.

Optional: Add 2 ounces of mezcal to the mixture before shaking. 

 

Lemongrass -Scented Rice Noodle Salad With Mint and Cilantro

Serves four

Ingredients:

1 shallot, thinly sliced and separated into rings

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

8 ounces vermicelli rice noodles

4 1/4 cups Pure Leaf Unsweetened Iced Tea, divided

4 cups water

1 lemongrass stalk, peeled and trimmed into two 2- to 3-inch pieces, one half of pieces bruised using the back of a knife, one half finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, 10 stems reserved

2-inch piece of fresh ginger, half sliced, half finely chopped

2 small Thai chilies, stemmed, seeded and chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 hothouse cucumber, cut into matchsticks or shredded lengthwise on a mandolin

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks or shredded lengthwise on a mandolin

6 radishes, cut into matchsticks or shredded on a mandolin

1/4 cup mint, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts, crushed

1 pound cooked shrimp or shredded rotisserie chicken, optional

Directions:

Heat canola oil in a medium saute pan until just before smoking. In a shallow bowl, toss shallots with flour, shaking off any excess. Fry shallots in oil, stirring gently until golden, about five minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season immediately with 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt.

In a large saucepan, combine 4 cups iced tea, water, bruised lemongrass, sliced ginger, 10 cilantro stems and the remaining salt, and bring to a boil. Add rice noodles and cook until just tender, about seven minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water until chilled. Shake out any excess water and spread noodles on a paper towel-lined tray.

For dressing, combine reserved lemongrass, reserved ginger, chilies, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and remaining iced tea in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.

Place noodles, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, mint, cilantro leaves and chicken or shrimp (if desired) in a large bowl. Add dressing to taste and toss well. Garnish with fried shallots and crushed peanuts before serving.

If desired, top with grilled shrimp or grilled beef or chicken strips.

Note: Any remaining dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and used on meat, fish and salads.   

 

For more recipes from the 2015 Austin Food + Wine Festival, visit austinfoodandwinefestival.com/2015/afwf-2015-get-the-recipes.

Cover photo by Niki Jones. Food photos by Neal Santos. Gail Simmons photo courtesy of Pure Leaf.

 

Austin Woman Staff Favorites From the 2015 Austin Food + Wine Festival

From Ramen Tatsu-ya: smoked ajitama egg, grilled mushroom and chicken chicharron

 

From Tim Love and Lonesome Dove: hands-on grilling sessions and winner of the Rock Your Taco contest, the fried beef tendon taco cheftimlove.com/13-indispensable-grilling-tips-from-tim-love 

Foodie alert! Coming summer 2015: The Austin location of Tim Love’s flagship restaurant, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro

 

From Alberta Rye: Alberta Rye, fresh lemon, ginger liqueur, ginger beer

 

From Knob Creek: Dog Days Drink knobcreek.com/ recipes/dogdays- drink

 

From Baked by Amy's: Mexican vanilla macarons

 

From Corner: avacado cheesecake, prickly pear jelly, pistachio crumble

Photos courtesy of Austin Food + Wine Festival, Baked by Amy’s and Knob Creek.

---