Jay D's Bites: Smoked CreoleTomato Soup

by Blair Loup

This is not a drill! Chef Aimee Tortorich has concocted the most delicious tomato soup to have ever graced my taste buds. Still processing the loss of the spicy tomato soup at Chelsea's, I have finally found a stand in.

It's spicy, it's smokey and it's everything your grilled cheese sandwich is looking for. If you've got some wood chips and a grill or smoker followed by a few pulses of a blender you're in business! You could also turn your stove top into a smoker if you really wanted. All of these beautiful ingredients can be purchased and sources locally through Indie Plate, a local farm-to doorstep delivery service. Get to ordering and get your soup on!

Smoked Creole Tomato Soup:

Smoked Creole Tomato Soup garnished with Purple Basil

Serves 4-6

2 lbs whole Creole tomatoes
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp purple basil, chopped
Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub to taste
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Light the smoker and adjust temperature to 250F. Season whole tomatoes with one tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Smoke until soft (about 30-40 minutes). While tomatoes are smoking, chop onions and garlic. Sauté in olive oil until soft. Season with red pepper flakes, Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub and dried oregano. Add tomatoes with seasonings and simmer for 15 minutes. Purée in a blender until soft. Finish with purple basil.

Jay D's Bites: Smoked Sweet Corn with BBQ Rub Butter

by Blair Loup

You know the feeling when you see a beautiful ear of corn, and you've just got to have it? Local farm-to-table grocery delivery service Indie Plate has produce from farms around the Baton Rouge area that's a feast for the eyes and your belly.

I spotted this corn scrolling through their online produce section and our friend Chef Aimee Tortorich came up with this perfectly summertime dish:

Smoked Sweet Corn with Jay D's Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub Butter:

Serves 2

Smoked Sweet Corn:

2 Ears of Sweet Corn
1 Tbsp Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub compound butter (see recipe below)
2 Tbsp queso fresco or feta cheese

Place whole corn in the husks on a grill or smoker (or in the oven) at 275 F for about one hour, or until soft. Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Finish by rubbing the corn with the BBQ compound butter and sprinkling on the crumbly cheese.

Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub compound Butter:

1 cup softened unsalted butter
1 Tbsp Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub

In a small mixing bowl, mix softened butter and Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub until incorporated. Remove butter from bowl and spoon onto parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll into log and chill for 2 hours before serving.

Iverstine Family Farms, Uprooted

by Sydney Blanchard

Each month, our Uprooted series will highlight local chefs, restaurants, organizations, and farmers who are spearheading the farm-to-table and local foodways movements in South Louisiana.

Galen Iverstine (right) and his wife Angela (left) at Iverstine Family Farms in Kentwood, La.

When Galen Iverstine was nearing graduation, he said he found himself faced with the age-old question all liberal arts majors ask themselves: "What the hell do I do now?"

Following graduating from LSU, the political science major considered a number of options including the military or law school.

But a school project on food policy and environmental impacts of food systems got him thinking. He began looking at alternative methods of farming and how to bring products to consumers. 

Iverstine saw a gap in the Baton Rouge market for sustainably farmed proteins, and with zero experience, lots of passion, and some start-up capital from his father, Iverstine Family Farms was born the winter of 2010.

"[My dad] never saw a business idea he didn’t like," Iverstine said.

At the 127-acre farm in Kentwood, Louisiana, it's a family affair: Iverstine's father acts as the head project task manager; his mom does the bookkeeping; Iverstine keeps up with daily chores, harvesting, and marketing and sales; and Galen's wife Angela works full time in Baton Rouge "to support [Iverstine's] farming habit."

"[Angela] always jokes she started dating a political science major and married a farmer," Iverstine said. "Every time I have a crazy idea, she’s like, 'Hey, if you think you can do it, go for it.'"

Iverstine's crazy idea wasn't a novel one. But it was one that predates the industrialization of meat.

The farm utilizes animal impact on land to improve soil quality. Iverstine uses what is called an "intensive rotational grazing method," in which beef cattle, chicken, turkeys, and hogs work together on a patch of land.

Here's how it works: the cattle intensively graze the tall grass in pastures for one day. The cattle effectively trample the grass, feeding microbes in the soil, and defecate, fertilizing the soil. Next comes the poultry, who sanitize the manure by eating parasites in cattle feces, which reduces the amount of chemical de-wormer used on the cattle. Then, the hogs are rotated through any wooded areas and act as a kind of controlled burn.

Needless to say, for a newcomer, it isn't easy to break into the world of farming.

"While we have a large agricultural university, we’re not seeing any farmers coming out,” Iverstine said.

According to Iverstine, the biggest prohibiting factors for new farmers are acquiring land and start-up funds. Land is expensive and tends to stay within families that own it.

Further, mentors are hard to come by. Not many older farmers are eager to help out the next generation, but Iverstine was able to learn from local cattle producers and from a farm he interned with in New Hampshire.

Iverstine hopes to help foster new farmers and to pass along the skills he's learned in the last years, including how to sell products to consumers.

For Iverstine Family Farms, that includes actively keeping their customer base informed, engaged, and growing.

“Social media creates this level of transparency about what we do," Iverstine said. "I think there has been this development of mistrust between people and their food for some reason. [Social media] creates a complete open door.”

Using social media not only helps Iverstine promote his products, but it helps him to educate his consumers. Creating a smarter consumer who will support local agriculture means teaching people to eat seasonally, Iverstine said.

Often, that can mean convincing customers to cook something they've never looked before.

"It’s about people gaining confidence in cooking real food and different cuts of meat," Iverstine said. "That's what it takes: an open-minded consumer who’s flexible in the kitchen.”

Iverstine said once people taste "real food," it's a game changer.

Currently, Iverstine Family Farm products are available at the Red Stick Farmer's Market and through IndiePlate, and local restaurants including Nino's Italian, Table Kitchen & Bar, City Pork, Houmas House, and Velvet Cactus put Iverstine products on their menus.

“There’s a larger call to keeping your local economy booming by supporting people who are circulating their dollars into the local economy," Iverstine said. "Just like our animals work together on the pasture, there is defintiely this produce-consumer symbiotic relationship that has to happen.”

Read more Uprooted here:

Nino's Italian, Uprooted

Indie Plate, Uprooted

Red Stick Farmers Market, Uprooted

Barbecue Bites: Jay D's BBQ Shrimp

We are so fortunate to live in a state with direct access to Gulf of Mexico seafood. There’s nothing like a fresh Louisiana shrimp, all plump and pink and perfect for popping in your mouth.

Luckily, Indie Plate saved us the trouble of hopping on our shrimp boat and heading out to sea. Indie Plate, a Baton Rouge-based grocery delivery service, sources food items from local producers (including these gorgeous shrimp). 

Jay D's BBQ Shrimp, photo by Maria Do from Indie Plate

For this recipe by Chef Eusebio Gongora, we brought together our beloved Gulf shrimp from Indie Plate and Jay D’s Barbecue Sauce to make a delicious and simple summer seafood dish, perfect for enjoying outdoors with a chilled glass of wine. For more tasty recipes featuring local ingredients, check out HugJayD.com.

BBQ Shrimp

1 lb large head-on shrimp, marinated (see recipe below)
½ cup BBQ butter, divided (see recipe below)
½ cup heavy whipping cream 
1 tbsp Jay D's Barbecue Rub (available at Red Stick Spice)
1 loaf French bread
¼ cup green onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the French bread into 1/2" crostinis and spread 1 tsp of the BBQ butter. Place crostinis on a sheet pan and bake for 5-7 minutes until slices are golden brown. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, and add marinated shrimp to cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip the shrimp and add the cream. Reduce cream by half and add the remaining BBQ butter and the Jay D's Barbecue Rub. Continue to cook the shrimp and stir in the butter until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency. Plate the shrimp on a platter and garnish with green onions and crostinis.

Shrimp Marinade

¼ cup Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup garlic, minced 
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne
1 tbsp Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce

In a mixing bowl, combine Jay D's Barbecue sauce, oil, garlic, black pepper, cayenne, and Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce. Place shrimp into gallon Ziploc bag and add the marinade mixture. Allow shrimp to marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator.

BBQ Butter

½ lb unsalted butter, divided
¼ cup garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
¼ cup Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place 2 tbsp of butter in the skillet and allow it to melt. Add the garlic, rosemary, and oregano and cook for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is soft. Add Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce and cook for additional 2 minutes. Pour the contents of the skillet into the mixing bowl of stand mixer and allow it to cool. Once cool, add the remaining butter, black pepper, and whip butter for 4-5 minutes. The mixture should double in size.

Nino's Italian, Uprooted

by Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

Each month, our Uprooted series will highlight local chefs, restaurants, organizations, and farmers who are spearheading the farm-to-table and local foodways movements in South Louisiana.

Elton Hyndman plating dishes at this past May's Dinner in the Field event.
Photo courtesy of the Slow Food BR Facebook page and credit to Dubinsky Photography.

Elton Hyndman cares about where his food comes from, and he wants his customers to care too.

The chef-owner at Nino's Italian in Baton Rouge is also the Vice President of Slow Food BR, a local chapter of Slow Food, a global organization founded in 1989 to ensure everyone has access to what they describe as "good, clean, and fair food."

Conceptually, the idea of "slow foods" is to connect the consumer to the grower. It's the antithesis of fast food. In fact, the Slow Food movement arguably began in 1986 after a demonstration at the Spanish Steps in Rome where a McDonald's was set to be built.

But the concept of "farm-to-table" as a way to eat ethically and sustainably didn't take root in the United States until 2000, and the local Slow Food chapter didn't exist until 2009. It's taken Americans, and Louisianans, a while to catch up.

Elton's "eureka moment" happened a few years ago when he and his staff visited a friend who worked at Inglewood Farms.

Elton wanted his staff at Nino’s to tour the farm, meet the farmers and animals there, and cook for the farm hands and crew. Interspersed amongst the Inglewood farmlands were commercial farms that hadn’t begun planting yet.

“To see what their farms looked like when they weren’t being worked was devastating to us,” Hyndman said. “They were brown. They were dead. It looked like the apocalypse."

At Inglewood, half of the fields are planted while the other half rests. Farmers plant rye and encourage healthy insects like bees. According to Hyndman, their land is green, lush, and alive.

After that experience, Hyndman felt compelled to further the slow foods movement.

Now, in his role at Slow Foods BR, Hyndman coordinates chefs for fundraisers that benefit the organization’s programs like Greauxing Healthy, an effort to teach students in East Baton Rouge Parish how to build gardens and cook healthy meals.

At his own restaurant, Hyndman strives to source most of his ingredients locally.

“In the height of the summer, if you take oil, salt, and flour out of it, I can be 85 to 90 percent local,” he said.

But that wasn’t always the case for the Ontario native.

While traveling and learning to cook under different chefs in the U.S., he discovered his passion for fresh, local ingredients.

The first chef he worked under in New Mexico, his mentor, introduced him to the idea of growing his own herbs.

"I remember the oils of the herbs getting on my fingers and not being able to get it off. All night long I kept smelling thyme,” Hyndman said. “The power of the fresh herb garden really made an impact on me."

Fresh Pasta with Louisiana Shrimp at Nino's Italian

Now, in his own restaurant, Hyndman insists on using “fun, exciting, high quality ingredients.”

He loves cooking with locally sourced gulf shrimp, fresh Louisiana strawberries, citrus, and eggs.

"The one thing that makes the biggest impact in my kitchen is farm fresh eggs,” Hyndman said.

Louisiana’s long growing season is exciting to many non-native chefs, and Hyndman said it will ensure a strong farm-to-table scene once the trend takes root here.

For Hyndman, it’s about more than high quality ingredients. It’s about keeping money in the state and having the money he spent on local ingredients find its way back to his restaurant.

"I want to support people that can support me,” Hyndman said. “There’s a selfishness to it.”

Right now, Hyndman said, the farm-to-table movement is almost entirely chef-led. He said he hopes that more customers begin asking the hard questions and demanding more from restaurants.

"I think it's important that we start asking questions about where our food comes from,” he said. “And are the people who grew, harvested, transported, are they being treated fairly? It's time to start realizing that $3.99 is an inappropriate amount of money to spend on 2500 calories of food."

Barbecue Bites: Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Meatballs

Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Meatballs

Meatballs are the successful party's unsung hero. The bold and complex flavors of Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce united with the fresh, local grass-fed ground beef from Indie Plate and the zesty notes of Red Stick Spice Company's Burger Blend will rock these party meatballs like you wouldn't believe.

Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Meatballs

Makes 2 to 3 dozen, 1 inch meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef
9 oz. apricot pepper jelly
12 oz. Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 large onion, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Baton Rouge Burger Blend (Red Stick Spice Co.)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Saute onion with olive oil in a small saute pan and set aside to cool. Mix ground beef, egg, onion, and Burger Blend spice and form 1 inch meatballs on sheetpan. Bake for 10 minutes or until meatballs are slightly browned. Mix together barbecue sauce and pepper jelly in a saucepan and begin to simmer. Add meatballs to sauce and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.

Barbecue Bites: Jay D's Sloppy Joes

Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sloppy Joes

Sloppy joe, slop-sloppy joe, yeah! My Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce makes the boldest sloppy joe around! This isn't the average joe of sloppy joes, we hit a dinger with these! Check it out:

Jay D's Barbecue Sloppy Joes

Makes 4 servings

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. Baton Rouge Burger Blend (Red Stick Spice Co.)
1 cup Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce
2 T olive oil
2/3 cup water

Brown beef in saute pan with burger blend spice and 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 1 Tbsp. of olive oil into pan and saute vegetables until soft. Add beef back to pan with vegetables, add barbecue sauce and water and simmer for 20 minutes or until all liquid has reduced.

Barbecue Bites: Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Meatloaf

Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Meatloaf

I know it's hard to get excited about something as simple as meatloaf, but get ready! We sourced our grass-fed beef from Indie Plate who stocks their online shelves with food from local farmers and local food companies to serve up this flavorful dish. The Louisiana beef combined with a lovely spice blend from Red Stick Spice Co. make for a flavorful Louisiana barbecue meatloaf! Try it out and let me know what you think.

Jay D's Barbecue Meatloaf

Makes 6 servings

1 ½ lb. lean ground beef
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. Baton Rouge Burger Spice Blend (Red Stick Spice Co.)
1 onion, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce

Preheat oven to 350F.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Set aside to cool. Mix together remaining ingredients and form into loaf pan. Pour 1 cup barbecue sauce over top of loaf and baste every 15 min. Bake for 45 min. or when meatloaf reaches 160 degrees F.

Barbecue Bites: Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Chili

Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Chili

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, Jay D's is a super versatile barbecue sauce. It is, in every sense of the word, gourmet. 18 different ingredients come together to make the stuff chili dreams are made of.

Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Chili
Makes 6-8 servings


2 lb. lean ground beef
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 cup Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (28 oz.) cans crushed or diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups, kidney beans, soaked overnight
1 (7 oz.) can chipotle salsa
2 cups, water


In a large sauce pot, season the ground meat with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper, and brown with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once browned, remove meat from saucepot and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute garlic, bell peppers, and onions until soft. Add ground meat back to the sauce pot and add tomatoes, kidney beans, barbecue sauce, salsa, and water and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Stir often to prevent sticking on bottom of saucepot. If chili becomes too thick, add a half cup of water at a time and let reduce until beans are soft.  

Lodge Cast Iron Nation: Marty Nation Short Ribs and a Giveaway!

Prepping veggies for the Marty Nation Short Ribs

If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of cooking but I'm not a fan of the clean up that comes afterwards. This is one of the main reasons I love cooking with cast iron. A quick scrub and a rinse and you're on your way to making something delicious! Lodge Cast Iron has a new cookbook out by the name of Cast Iron Nation. It's a super comprehensive collection of gorgeous recipes from soups and desserts to main events and sides all made with an array of Lodge Cast Iron products.


****You have a chance to win a 12-inch lodge skillet and the Cast Iron Nation cookbook from right here on Bite and Booze - details at the bottom of the post****










Flipping though the Cast Iron Nation cookbook, I noticed a pretty intense recipe for beef short ribs. I happened to have some delicious grass fed beef short ribs from Indie Plate in my refrigerator and my trusty Lodge Cast Iron Dutch oven, so I decided to try out Marty Nation's Short Ribs (pg.144). Indie Plate is such a great resource for Baton Rouge. Put simply, they connect farmers to consumers through an online farm-to-table grocery delivery service.

Marty Nation's Short Ribs from the
Lodge Cast Iron Nation Cookbook

While this recipe is a bit time consuming, it comes out very much like a traditional beef stew, and the local, fresh beef really put this dish over the top. I wanted something creamy to go along with the bold flavors of the short ribs, so I also served up an easy whipped cauliflower dish.











Marty Nation's Short Ribs
Serves 4-6

5 lbs beef short ribs, cut into 2.5" lengths
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. canola or other vegetable oil that can withstand high temperature
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup hearty red wine
1 1/2 cup beef stock
6 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved
3-4 medium yellow onions, quartered
4 large carrots cut in to 1.5" pieces
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" lengths
1 cup green peas

1. Preheat the oven to 375º.
2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the oil in a Lodge 7 quart cast iron Dutch oven over high heat until very hot. In batches, add the short ribs in a single layer, and sear until golden brown on both sides. Remove the ribs from the pan, and pour off and discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
3. Add the chopped onions, carrots and celery to the Dutch oven, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until tender and translucent, 15-20 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stir, and reduce until darkened, about 4 minutes. Add the flour, and stir until fully combined with the vegetable mixture; cook another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add the wine, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Reduce the wine over medium heat by three-quarters, then add the short ribs, pour the stock over the ribs, and simmer over low heat until the liquid is reduced again by three-quarters, about another 15 minutes. Place in the oven, and roast, uncovered, until the short ribs seem to be about 80% done, 1-1 1/2 hours. Add the potatoes, quartered onions, and carrot pieces to the pot. Return to the oven, uncovered, and cook until the vegetables and short ribs are tender. Add the green beans and peas, and cook until they are tender, another 5-10 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the meat (which should be so tender that it's falling off the bone) to the center of a large platter, and surround it with the vegetables. If the sauce seems too thin, reduce it over high heat on top of the stove. Another way to thicken it would be to purée the chopped vegetable in it using an immersion blender. Pour some of the reduced sauce over the mean on the platter and serve the remainder in a pitcher at the table for anyone who desires extra sauce. 

Whipped Cauliflower
Serves 4

1 head of cauliflower
2 tbsp. half and half or heavy cream
1 tbsp. butter
2 sharp cheese
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of Herbs de Provence

1. Clean and trim the cauliflower, breaking it into medium sized pieces. 
2. Place in a microwave safe bowl with 2 tbsp. of cream and 1 tbsp. of butter. 
3. Microwave, uncovered, on high for six minutes. Stir to coat cauliflower with cream/butter mixture. Microwave for another six minutes on high. 
4. Remove from the microwave and put into a high speed blender or food processor along with the cheese. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust the cream and butter to your preference.

Marty Nation's Short Ribs and Whipped Cauliflower

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Indieplate: Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Peru Sharma and Ben Bartage from Indieplate discuss their business
with host Jay Ducote

This week on the Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket I welcome Ben Bartage and Peru Sharma from Indieplate onto the show to discuss their business model of supplying fresh ingredients from the farm to your doorstep. Seriously, it is amazing. Also joining in on the fun is Blaise Calandro III from Calandro's Supermarket to talk about an event on this Thursday, May 8th, at the Perkins Road store as well as Raj Bhakta, the founder and CEO of Whistle Pig Rye Whiskey. Give it a listen... I think you'll enjoy this show!

The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM and replays Sundays at 8 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge. The show is hosted by Jay Ducote and won a Taste Award in January 2014 as the best food or drink based radio broadcast in the country. The producer of the show is Chris Courtney at Guaranty Broadcasting and the field producer is Charles Pierce from the Me and My Big Mouth Show. It is also available on iTunes. The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Portico Restaurant and Bar, Lock & Key Whiskey Bar, Le Creole Restaurant, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Mama Della's N.Y. City Pizzeria, Mason's Grill, Donner-Peltier Distillers (Rougaroux Rums and Oryza Vodka and Gin), Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, the Louisiana Culinary Institute and Triumph Kitchen.