GEORGE'S RECIPE of THE MONTH.
 George has had a love of all things culinary from a very young age, and throughout his career, has worked with renowned chefs and food technologists. He discovered his passion for cooking at the age of five after spending time in his grandmother's restaurant. From then on, under his mother's guidance (who is a talented cook of her own accord) George recalls cooking anything his mother would let him, starting out with scrambled eggs and hamburgers and quickly moving on to fine Italian and French dishes.
After many years of honing and perfecting his culinary craft, George still enjoys what he humbly considers: "complimenting my family culinary experience," by taking courses in regional cuisines pertaining to the vegetable ingredient products his family specializes in, namely: Asian, French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Tex Mex.
Because of George's extensive knowledge and passion for food, he is a great resource to customers in helping them find the right ingredients for their recipe needs. "I need to understand what's happening in the kitchen," he explained. "If my client has an unfavorable flavor note, I need to be able to assess the situation to understand why." That extra level of service and care undoubtedly stems from his love of food and his work alike, which fortunately for George, go hand and hand.
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For the Meatballs
1 large onion, grated
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped 2 large eggs 6 cloves garlic, minced 2 thick slices fresh white bread, crust removed, bread torn into tiny pieces 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1 pound ground turkey 1 pound lean ground beef 2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper For the Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter 1 large yellow onion, minced 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped 5 stalks celery, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 12 cups low-sodium chicken stock 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional) 8 ounces acini di pepe pasta 1.5 pounds endive, escarole or spinach (or a mix) Parmesan cheese (for serving) |
  For the Meatballs
1 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2 - Transfer all ingredients for the meatballs to a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly combine all ingredients for the meatballs together. Using approximately 1 tablespoon of the mixture for each meatball, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch diameter meatballs and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
3 - Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until tops are golden and meatballs are just cooked through. Set aside.
For the Soup
4 - As the meatballs are cooking, begin preparing the soup. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Mix in the carrots and celery and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and salt and sauté for an additional 1 minute, stirring continuously to prevent the garlic from burning.
5 - Add the chicken stock and the wine to the vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the acini di pepe pasta to the soup. Stir well to combine. Allow the pasta to cook for approximately 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
6 - Add the cooked meatballs to the pot and return to a simmer. Stir in the fresh greens (endive, escarole or spinach) and allow soup to cook until greens are wilted.
7 - Serve soup garnished with Parmesan cheese if desired.
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      MAY 2022
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