Sugar Cookies
makes 4 dozen

1 cup powder sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl mix together the powder sugar, flour, cream of tarter and salt.  Cream butter. Add canola oil, egg and vanilla. Mix. Add dry ingredients and mix again until dough forms.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls, roll in granulated sugar, place on cookie sheet and press down on each cookie to slightly flatten.
Bake 8 minutes until cookies are set with a hint of color.

For the freshest in locally produced regional specialties — such as fruit, cheese, veggies and artisanal breads — look no further than Southport Avenue.

No, we’re not talking about Southport Grocery & Cafe (though we have lots of regional specialites too). We’re talking about the weekly Southport Green Market.

Featuring Local Producers: Harvest Moon Owens Flowers, Stamper Cheese Company, Barry’s Berries & Bleeding Heart Bakery

Southport Green Market runs every Saturday morning from now until October 18th, 2008, 8am - 12 noon. The Green Market is located at 1420 W. Grace St. in the Blaine School Parking Lot.

We hope to see you there!

‘Go green’ is something you hear in daily conversation…now here is an eco-friendly product for your refrigerator, first mentioned in Food & Wine, August 2008. And of course available at Southport Grocery.

cmbsweets jams are made with organic fruit from California. Started as a way to enjoy the bounty from the California farmer markets this line of all-natural jams, jellies and sweets spans dozens of flavors.

cmbsweets uses only locally grown seasonal fruits, scouring farmers’ markets throughout Northern California for small family farms that offer the freshest, tastiest produce. Strawberries from Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville…Gizdich’s berries are so good that Sunset Magazine named cmbsweets’ strawberry jam “The Best of the West” in June 2006. Twin Hill Organic Farms in Sebastapol supplies the fujis for the apple-honey butter, and every batch is sweetened with Wildflower honey produced by Eggman Family Farms in Terra Bella. Kashiwase Farms grows California’s plumpest apricots. cmbsweets adds a touch of almond extract and a bit of sugar to create a jam that tastes as fresh as the fruit off the tree.

If you are interested in these jams call us at 773-665-0100 and we will be happy to help you.

Breakfast Bruschetta
serves 2

4 eggs
2 chicken sausage links, sliced on an angle
2 cups bruschetta topping
4 pieces crostini
4 tablespoons queso fresco
basil chiffonade to garnish

Saute the chicken sausage over med-high heat until cooked through. Reduce heat to medium and add the bruschetta topping to the pan. Cook until heated through and remove from heat. 
In a separate non stick pan, softly scramble the eggs. Place 2 pieces of crostini on each plate and spoon the eggs on top of the crostini. Next, spoon the bruschetta topping with chicken sausage over the eggs
and sprinkle with queso fresco. Garnish with basil chiffonade…Enjoy!

Bruschetta Topping
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoon minced red onion
1 tablespoon white balsamic vin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh mixed herbs, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Homemade Crostini
1 baguette
1/4 cup fresh mixed herbs, finely chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice baguette on an angle, approx. 1/4 inch thick. Brush with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Bake for approx. 10 minutes or until the crostini is lightly golden.

A ‘good living obesession’ in the July 2008 issue of Gourmet Magazine is the O Zinfandel Vinegar.  This vinegar is so good tha you could drink it out of the bottle…handmade in small batches & aged in oak barrels for over two years.  It’s smoky, spicey & cherry notes are great with grilled meats, in a dressing for a spinach salad  or as a finish for roasted vegetables.

For our entire selection of  vinegars and information on their uniqueness in flavor visit here.

If you are interested in this vinegar call us at 773-665-0100 and we will be happy to help you.
—Paul Grimes, Gourmet Magazine

The September 2008 issue of Fine Cooking has a great comparison of extra virgin olive oils. From smooth & buttery to peppery & ripe each enhances your cooking in a different way. Two of the olive oils featured in the article are available at Southport Grocery…the Terra Medi Extra Virgin Olive Oil with its grassy, herbal scent and the McEvoy Ranch Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil which is a peppery & ripe. The Terra Medi is great drizzled over salads or fish. The pepperiness of the McEvoy Ranch is perfect iht grilled vegetables or meat.

For our entire selection of olive oils and information on their uniqueness in flavor & aroma visit here.

If you are interested in either of these olive oils you can purchase them online or call us at 773-665-0100 and we will be happy to help you.

The merchants here on Southport are working together this summer to provide significant discounts and help a worthy cause with our premier Spree Card program!  Each year we will sponsor a charity in our community, chosen by Southport business owners.  This year we have chosen to support Project IMAGINE, Sheil Park Playground Renovation Campaign! 
Project IMAGINE is a campaign to renovate the 18-year old Sheil Park playground located at 3505 N. Southport.  Their vision is to create a contemporary, urban, colorful play space which meets the developmental needs of children and families, expands the green space environment of our neighborhood, and appropriately reflects the strength and vitality of the Southport community.  Their goal is to raise $250,000, break ground in Spring 2009 and open for play Summer 2009.

Here is how it works!

From Saturday, August 16, through Saturday, August 23, 2008 ‘On Southport’ will partner with Project IMAGINE for a week of shopping at participating merchants who will be offering a 20% discount to those patrons who have purchased a Spree Card.  For a $50.00 donation to Project Imagine, you will receive a Spree Card for savings on all regular priced, in-store, merchandise and/or services- no limits on use!

Spree Cards may be purchased in the following ways:
• Through designated merchants from July 16th-August 23rd - we are one of them
• On line at www.onsouthport.com
• During Family Day at Sheil Park, July 27th

For further information, please contact us.

Thank you, in advance, for your support and happy shopping! 

Roughly 12 million Americans possess a basic food allergy. That works out to 1 in 25 or about 4% of the population. The percentage of afflicted children is even higher.
It makes baking sweets at home a near impossibility.

Southport Grocery & Cafe is proud to stock a very special line of mixes from Cherrybrook Kitchen. From Sugar Cookie Mix to Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, Pancake & Waffle Mix to Fudge Brownie Mix,
Cherrybrook Kitchen has developed “The sweet solution for food allergies.”

This is what Worry-Free looks like.

Cherrybrook Kitchen Mixes might be gluten-free, tree nut-free, peanut-free, egg-free, dairy-free & wheat-free…but they certainly are not taste free!

For more information about food allergies and Cherrybrook Kitchen please visit: http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/index.php

Baked Almond Oatmeal

2 cups old fashion oats
½ cup steel cut oats
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ tablespoon salt
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2½ cups milk
2 eggs
½ teaspoon almond extract
¼ cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix together old fashion oats, steel cut oats, baking powder, salt, sugar,
brown sugar, milk, eggs, almond extract & sliced almonds.

Portion equally into six 8 oz ramekins.
Bake until set and light brown…about 20-25 minutes.

Here is the recipe everyone has been asking for!  Still too much work?  Just order our bread pudding pancake mix then.

Bread Pudding Pancakes with
Vanilla Custard Sauce and Cinnamon Sugar Butter
Serves 6

Bread Pudding Pancakes
14 slices of firm white bread, crusts removed and cut into 1 inch squares
2 ½ cups milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 ¼  cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Place bread in a large bowl.  Add milk.  Let bread soak for about 10 minutes until softened.  While bread is soaking, mix together in a small bowl the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add flour mixture to the bread and gently fold until just about half incorporated.  Add eggs and vegetable oil.  Mix gently.

Melt butter in skillet.  Drop batter in 1/3 cup fulls.  Cook 3-4 minutes on each side.  Pancakes will have a moist bread pudding-like inside.

Serve pancakes topped with cinnamon sugar butter with a ramekin of vanilla custard sauce on the side.
  
Cinnamon Sugar Butter
½ pound unsalted butter, cold
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Melt ¼ pound of butter in a small saucepan; add salt, cinnamon and sugar.  Cook until the sugar is dissolved.   Add remaining ¼ pound of cold butter.  Whisk with hand mixer until creamy and fluffy.
 
Vanilla Custard Sauce
1 pint heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise and seeds scraped out
4 egg yolks, whisked
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Put heavy cream in a sauce pan.  Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds.  Bring to a simmer.  Add sugar to egg yolks and whisk until all there is no clumps.  Add ¼ cup of warm heavy cream mixture to egg yolk mixture and whisk immediately; this is called ‘tempering’.  Add the egg yolk mixture to the warm heavy cream.  Simmer while mixing with wooden spoon until thickened and coats the back of the spoon.

Chill over an ice bath.