Wiener Wednesday: Relay Foods Roly Polys

I know that because of my relatively high hot dog consumption, you’re all worried that I’m gonna get butt cancer from all those nitrate and nitrate-ridden weenies. But I found a butt cancer-free alternative that is tasty and is not one of those tofu dogs–I mean, doesn’t that sound like the worst? Tofu dogs!

Through my friends at Relay Foods I happened upon the Polyface Farms Uncured Franks!

These are a healthier option that is an actual hot dog. With real beef and pork and seasonings.

I had the perfect opportunity to showcase these a few weekends ago when Claire (you know her as a regular DiS! guest) and I hosted a party that was catered by Relay Foods.

I made, what I have named, Relay Food Roly Polys.

Relay Foods Roly Polys

(makes 48 roly polys)

• 1 pkg of Polyface Farms Uncured Hot Dogs, cut into fourths
• 1 pkg crescent roll dough, cut into 48 squares
• 4 slices swiss cheese, each cut into 12 little bits
• butter
• assorted dried herbs (I made mine with stuff I already had in my kitchen, but you can follow your bliss and do whatever feels right to you)

Bake until they look all golden and buttery and delicious.

So yeah, it’s just pigs in a blanket. But I mushed some dried dill and marjoram and garlic powder and parsley black pepper into the dough. Shoved some Swiss in, rolled ’em up, and then brushed them with melted butter and sprinkled them with some poppy seeds. Fancy!

I am sorry that I don’t have a great “after” photo, and this is a depleted platter (they were very popular–especially with the kinder set), but I was busy being a hostess and stuff.

The dogs were good. And since they are uncured, they looked like what meat would look like and not the color of Barbie flesh (remember those Vienna Sausages?).

Read on to see the tasty treats that Relay Foods and chef Kean Mcilvaine prepared for our soiree!

It This was a beautiful spread.

This is what you are looking at:

Tomato-Basil Bruschetta: diced tomatoes, basil, red onion in a sweet balsamic vinaigrette made with Fig Girl’s fig balsamic vinegar and EVOO. served with toasted slices of Lyon Bakery’s baguette and seasoned mozzarella from Culinary Circle drizzled with EVOO.

The fixings for Greek Meatball Pita Pockets (I didn’t get a photo of the actual meatball): Wolf Creek Farm ground beef seasoned with lemon, oregano, pita bread crumbs, onion and garlic. Served with Sami’s Bakery lavash, homemade tzatziki, Cave Mezze hummus, and feta cheese.

Cabbage Salad: Julienned red and green cabbage, carrots, red onions, apples, and jalapeno. Pickled in a brine of Spectrum Organic Apple Cider, Dijon mustard, sugar, and chili flakes.

Pesto Pasta Salad: Pasta, cherry tomatoes, asparagus. Dressed with homemade pesto of basil, garlic, parmesan and roasted pine nuts.

Every dish was a big, big hit. As in, there was NOTHING left. I loved it all. Especially that pesto salad. And I’m not even a huge pesto fan.

All of the ingredients need to make those tasty dishes can be found at the Relay Foods website. If you feel so inclined, you can go to the bottom of this page you can find a link and get a discount for service if you live in the DELMARVA region (I both hate and love the term DELMARVA). But yeah, if you are in the Richmond/DC/Baltimore area, Relay is pretty sweet. Tell them that Emily at Dinner is Served 1972 sent ya!

Oh, here was the best part of the meal–the dessert. Homemade chocolate chip cookies and Berry Shortcakes: strawberries in mint simple syrup, cream biscuits, and creme Chantilly.

I didn’t get to have a cookie, but boy oh boy do I want that shortcake recipe! Well, not shortcake. They were like biscuits. Deliciously salty and sweet biscuits. And I love me some biscuits. Like, really love biscuits.

Need proof? You know that whole James Lipton Inside the Actors’ Studio questionnaire at the end when he asks something like, at the gates of heaven what do you want St. Peter to say?

This is my answer:

Come on in! We just made biscuits!

It was my answer 10 years ago. And it is the same today. Real talk.