Festival Recipes | XPoNential Music Festival 2020

RECIPES

Plan Your XPNFest Food Spread!
You can’t have a festival without food! We hope this curated list of special recipes from staff, volunteers, and musicians inspires you. You may also want to grab some Turkey Hill ice cream and beverages along with some brews from Dogfish Head to have on hand for the weekend. Bon appetite!

(1) Loaf wheat sandwich bread, sliced, from Metropolitan Bakery
(1-2) 8 oz packages of cream cheese
(2) Large, local, beefsteak tomatoes slice 1/4-1/2 inch thick
Local basil
Salt

Spread cream cheese on both sides of the bread, add a slice of tomato, sprinkle with salt, and add fresh basil. Cut in triangles. A loaf will make 9 sandwiches and fit nicely in a 64 oz rectangular container that fits nicely in a cooler.

Trish Houck makes these sammies every year for our setup crew and fellow XPNFest volunteers. Can also be made with vegan cream cheese.

(3) 16 oz. cans of chickpeas (or prepare your own from 2 cups dried chickpeas.)
(5) medium yellow onions (coarsely chopped)
(6) cloves of garlic (finely minced)
(2) tbs. of olive oil
Choice of pasta
Freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese (shaved)

Heat olive oil in large skillet (with lid) on medium. Add chopped onions to sauté, stir frequently until onions are translucent and sweet. Turn Heat to low, add garlic and stir (add more olive oil if it’s too dry at this point). Cook for about 5 more minutes.

Add chickpeas and enough cooking liquid until liquid is even with the surface of other ingredients in skillet. Simmer covered on low for 15 minutes. To thicken sauce, use a fork to mash up some of the chickpeas. Add pepper and salt as needed.

Prepare pasta. Farfalle and Penne are great for this, but use what you want. Serve chickpeas over warm pasta and most importantly—add plenty of shaved parmesan cheese.

"My sister Laura and her partner Tracey concocted this hot pasta recipe and gave it me in a cookbook, It has become a tradition in my house. Chickpeas, olive oil, onions, garlic, and Parmesan cheese—perfect combo and easy!" - Amy Ray

Source: thecapitoltheatre.com

Mix the following:

(3-4) pound roasted chicken, diced
(2) finely chopped celery stalks
(1) finely chopped onion
(½) cup sliced almonds
(¾) cup golden raisins

Basic yummy dressing:

Whisk the yummy dressing ingredients together. Pour over other ingredients and toss. Chill. Serve. Eat.

Adapted from Ree Drummond recipe

(4) Ears of sweet corn
(1) Can of cannellini beans (drained)
(1) Pound of deveined shrimp
(2) Cups of multicolored grape tomatoes
(1) Large cucumber
(1) Bunch of fresh basil (approx. 8 large leaves)
Kosher salt
Pepper

Cook the shrimp. Heat 3 TBS of olive oil or salted butter in large skillet over high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add to the hot oil in a single layer and sear until browned, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and let cool.

Shuck the uncooked corn and cut off the kernels. You should have about 3-4 cups of kernels.

Wash the tomatoes and cut in half.

Peel the cucumber. Cut into four sections length wise, then ¼ inch dice each length.

Wash the basil (approx. 7/8 leaves) and finely mince (preferably by hand and not in a blender).

Open the can of beans and drain.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, adding salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 4. Adapted from a New York Time’s recipe.

Bruce suggests sourdough bread and salted butter to accompany this dish.

(5) Cups watermelon (seeds removed)
(1) Cucumber
(3) Varieties of peppers (red, yellow, jalapeño or chili)
(½) Red onion
(¼) Cup fresh mint Fresh mint 1/4 cup
(3) Tablespoons fresh lime juice
(2) Tablespoons red wine vinegar
Optional: small tomato

Finely dice the vegetables and then combine with remaining ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Roger notes: “It’s not an XPoNential festival unless I enjoy a daily Watermelon gazpacho from the Cosmic Catering booth. I don’t have their recipe but here’s mine. This one is refreshing with an edge. Same way I like live music.”

Mix ingredients and refrigerate for a few hours. Serve with chips or grilled protein of choice.

From XPN Volunteer Lisa Krausz: This is great with chips but goes really well if someone brings grilled chicken. At home I make a grilled shrimp with a spicy rub and serve the cooling salsa on the side.

Pour the water into a saucepan, and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, then pour in the quinoa, recover, and continue to simmer over low heat until the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Scrape into a mixing bowl, and chill in the refrigerator until cold.

Once cold, stir in the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red onion, curry powder, cilantro, lime juice, sliced almonds, carrots, and cranberries. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill before serving.

XPN Marketing Manager, Debby Seitz says this about the recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com: This is my go-to picnic salad! I get raves every time I make it. I suggest adding a little olive oil, but other than that this recipe is perfect for your XPNFest festivities!

(1) Cup granulated sugar
(1) teaspoon baking powder
(3) cups all-purpose flour
(¼) teaspoon salt
Zest of one lemon
(1) Cup cold unsalted butter, cut into chucks
(1) Large egg
Juice of 1 lemon
(½) Cup granulated sugar
(4) Teaspoons cornstarch
(4) cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. (This took an extra 10 to 15 minutes in my oven.) Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Our Craft Village vendors, XPN staff, and fellow volunteers look forward to this special annual homemade treat from Key Coordinator Effie Rubinstein. Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen and can be made ahead and frozen.

6 cups seedless watermelon chunks
(1/2) Cup lime juice
(1) cup sugar
(2) teaspoons grated fresh ginger
(6) cups ginger ale
Cups ice cubes
(3 to 15) (1-inch) seedless watermelon balls

Place watermelon chunks in a blender and process until smooth. Pour watermelon puree into a punch bowl; add lime juice, sugar, and ginger, and stir with a whisk until sugar is dissolved. Just before serving, stir in ginger ale, ice, and watermelon balls.

Makes 12 cups.