Coffee Tastings & Charcuterie

Hi Friends!

What a beautiful weekend and Monday it’s been. I am praising the Lord all in all for the work He is doing, constantly, to unify all to Him for His glory. What an amazing Truth that we can trust that He is working all for good!
Yesterday I led a Bible study that I’ve called “Taste and See.” I’m really excited about it, as the girls in it and I are attending various coffee shops in the reason and doing what’s called “coffee tastings,” an art I’ve learned as a barista at Starbucks.
Yesterday we ventured to Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters in Kitchener, and tasted their medium roast, from Brazil, which I tasted strong caramel notes, and hints of herbal, earthy notes. The girls, who were all unfamiliar with tasting black coffee, were excited when they discovered the way tasting it with food brought out the delicious notes in the coffee.

I had mine on their local spelt bread with peanut butter, bananas, and walnuts. Here is how I rate the coffee shop overall:
Ambiance: 4/5
Coffee: 4/5
Menu Selection: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Overall, this is one of my favourite cafes in the region. This tasting in particular is probably one of the best I’ve ever done!
We studied Genesis 31-33, about Jacob’s wrestling with God.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hipso that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon. GENESIS 32:24-32

Jacob wrestles relentlessly for this blessing from God. And he is hurt; left with a limp. And yet he only continues to push on to Shechem, his only concern being to “find favour in the eyes of HIS LORD” (33:15).
TODAY, I had a gloriously relaxing day of class and came home to worship and cook. I had such a blast cooking, and was caught up in praising my Lord for the freedom He has given me in cooking. No rules, just fun.
And I was inspired to make a charcuterie-mock dinner by Alexandre Champagne’s cookbook “Three Times a Day” for my dear friend Sarah, who I invited to come over for the meal. I took sort-of-kind-of inspiration from the recipes and made up my own.
I failed to take any photos of the spread, but I’m sharing the recipes with y’all here and now! This was the perfect amount of all the items for a dinner for two.

CHARCUTERIE DINNER SPREAD
Elements

• Sauteed Apple Chicken Breasts
• Peach Walnut Chutney with Goat Cheese
• Goat Cheese Pate on Garlic Oat Buns
• Red Pepper & Fig Compote on Soft Goat Cheese
• Favourite White Wine

Sauteed Apple Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 cup Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 gala apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1/4 cup raisins
3 T apple cider
1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 chicken breasts

1. In medium skillet, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion, and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir, placing chicken breasts in the centre of the pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes; remove everything from pan except for chicken breasts.
3. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and cook chicken breasts another 10 minutes, turning once halfway through.
4. Serve chicken uniformly under the apple mixture.

Peach Walnut Chutney with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
3/4 cup frozen sliced peaches, thawed
1/2 T coconut oil
1/4 cup mixed walnuts and pecans
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp lemon juice
pinch seasoned salt

1. In small pot, brown peaches and nuts in coconut oil about 3 minutes over medium-high heat.
2. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Serve with cubes of goat cheese, or other cheese of choice.

Goat Cheese Pate on Garlic Oat Buns
Ingredients
Oat Buns
1/3 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 tsp yeast
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1/4 cup almond milk (or any milk or yogurt)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Pate
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
3 Tbsp chopped walnuts

1. Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Stir with wooden spoon.
2. Transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise, about two hours.
3. Lightly grease 6 indents of a muffin tin. Evenly distribute the batter amongst these greased cups. Allow to set for about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat, the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. To make the pate, cream together all ingredients in a small bowl.
6. Serve bread hot with pate, and garnish with extra walnuts and garlic.

Red Pepper and Fig Compote on Soft Goat Cheese
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
2 dried figs, sliced
2 tsps dried basil
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp red wine

1. In small bowl, combine all ingredients.
2. Serve on top of soft goat cheese, or other soft cheese.

I am finally off to bed, but I think I’ll let myself get to sleep with some of John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down, which I’m so excited to dive into. Have you read it yet?
And I pray,
Jesus, make my heart like Jacob’s. Might I settle for nothing less than Your best; might may heart be set on nothing but pleasing You. Might all those who meet me meet You indwelt, Lord. I pray in Your name, Amen.