The Blue Cheese Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Serves four to six

A five to six ounce filet mignon steak
      - (1 per guest)
4 ounces of butter and butter for searing
4 ounces of blue cheese
1 cup of fresh (or dry) bread crumbs
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme sprigs and leaves
salt and pepper

 

• Combine the cheese, first butter, bread crumbs and thyme in a food processor. Process until a smooth paste is formed. The paste may be refrigerated and warmed to room temperature later or used immediately.
• Season each filet well with freshly ground black pepper. Sear each face of the filet mignons in hot butter. Use a thick-bottomed well heated skillet and lots of butter for best results. Once the filets are seared rest, those on a roasting rack. Season them with salt.
• Divide the crust evenly between the filets and pat it onto the top face of each steak forming a thick topping.
• Bake the steaks at 400 degrees until the crust browns and the meat reaches the desired doneness. Times will vary based on the oven and meat, 15 minutes is average. Judge the meat by its feel, pinch it, practice makes perfect!
• Serve the meat immediately out of the oven.

Parsley: Fresh parsley can be dried or frozen for later use. For either method, wash and dry parsley then chop. To freeze, simply pace in a plastic zipper bag and freeze. To dry, spread chopped parsley evenly on a baking sheet and place in a 200 degree oven with the door slightly ajar. Check occasionally and remove from oven with completely dry. Store dried parsley in an airtight container. When selecting parsley, remember that the curly-leaf variety has a milder taste and the flat-leaf has a bold taste. 

Ripening Fruits and Vegetables: Many fruits and vegetables found in supermarkets today look ripe, but are hard as a rock. Soften them up by placing them in a brown paper bag and hiding the bag away in a dark cabinet for a day or two. This is great for items such as avocados, kiwi fruit, peaches, nectarines, and more. Once ripe, refrigerate the produce to preserve vitamins.

Saving Herbs For Winter: To preserve summer herbs for winter soups and stews, make herb cubes in the freezer. Chop up your herbs and place them in ice cube trays, then cover with water and freeze. To preserve the color and flavor, use boiling water to fill the tray (this blanches the herbs). Some herbs, like cilantro, keep better when frozen in oil. Mince the herb in a food processor, then introduce olive oil until you produce a fine puree. Pour into ice cube trays or bags and freeze. When introducing the frozen herbs to recipes, remember that they contain water or oil. If this will throw off the recipe's consistency, thaw and drain the cubes first.

Tomatoes: Never refrigerate a tomato that is not fully ripe. Most tomatoes sold in stores are still ripening, and would benefit from a few days on the counter. Cold temperatures alter the fruit's flavor and stop the ripening process. Once ripe, a tomato can be refrigerated for several days. To ripen a tomato fast, put it with an apple in a perforated bag. To peel and seed tomatoes, cut out the core and score an "X" on the bottom. Immerse in boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove the tomato and plunge into cold water. Remove the skin, cut in half and squeeze out seeds.