We met Private Chef Robin on Instagram and were drawn to her California-Mediterranean style cooking. She has a culinary pedigree that would make most professional chefs envious. Private Chef Robin grew up in a family of restaurateurs and honed her skill set at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Now, she creates private fine dining experiences at her clients’ homes. 

Chef Robin sent us “A Taste of Ojai” cookbook and package of her proprietary blend of Lavender, Wild Fennel, and Pink Peppercorn (called Pink Moment) sea salts. The ingredients are sourced from her beloved hometown and surrounding areas. Each recipe from the book is paired with one of her uniquely blended salts. We tried 2 recipes from her cookbook and found the dishes and salts absolutely divine!

Salt and Olive Oil Crackers Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour plus more for  rolling dough

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon of “Taste of Ojai” Culinary Sea Salts (Lavender, Wild Fennel, or Pink Pepper)

or favorite sea salt plus extra for sprinkling

1 cup water

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus ¼ cup for brushing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, and flavored sea salt.
3. Make a little well in the middle of the flour and pour in half the water with ¼ cup of olive oil. With a wooden spoon, mix the water into the dry ingredients together, adding a little more water as you go, until it becomes a soft ball. Knead the dough on the counter for a few minutes with a little extra flour to avoid sticking until it becomes a smooth dough ball.
4. Place dough ball on floured work surface, split the dough into two pieces and roll each piece until it’s ¼ inch thick. Place each on a parchment-lined baking sheet Brush generously with olive oil, then sprinkle lightly with flavored sea salts.
5. Bake for 20 minutes then check the color-you want it crisp and golden brown. If it’s not, bake for 3 or 4 more minutes, but keep watch since it crisps up and browns quickly. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Slide these big crackers onto a serving tray or basket. Break into smaller rustic pieces and serve.

Roasted Vegetable Hummus

Ingredients

3 pounds of vegetables for roasting (such as turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, carrots, celery root, sweet potatoes, or winter squash) scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 lemons, juiced

¼ cup tahini sesame paste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons of  “A Taste of Ojai” Pink Moment Sea Salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, toss vegetables together in olive oil with shallot and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper and put on 2 lightly oiled baking sheets to roast.
2. When you put the vegetables in the oven, raise the heat to 400 degrees F and roast for 35 to 40 minutes. Flip the vegetables over once during roasting until roots are caramelized and tender. Remove from oven and cool slightly before you make the dip.
3. Making in 2 batches. Place half of the roasted vegetables in a food processor and add the juice of 1 lemon, ½ of the tahini paste, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and a few tablespoon of water, and blend until pureed. Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside. Again, in the food processor, puree the rest of the vegetables, lemon juice, tahini paste, olive oil, sea salt, and water. Pour into the bowl with the first batch and combine. Arrange a platter of fresh, cut raw vegetables. You can serve the hummus warm or slightly chilled, whatever you prefer. The hummus will hold for three days in the fridge.

Bon Apetite!

Feel free to use these salts to season up your favorite recipes, and we highly recommend both the recipes and salts from Private Chef Robin. Next week, we will feature a Kale Pesto recipe and another one of the “A Flavor of Ojai” sea salts.