TasteFood

Sautéed Garlic Shrimp with Minted Pea Purée and Pecorino

 
English peas are nature's answer to fast food - sweet and crisp, popped straight from the shell into the mouth, no need to bother with cooking.  At this time of year peas are abundant, and when I go to the farmers' market I find myself using up all my money on brown bags overflowing with peas.  Today was no different.   I came home from the market with several pounds of peas, spilling out of their overstuffed bags, wedged amongst fresh mint, chives, and edible kale flowers.  Wisely, I quickly confiscated a singular bag to shell and transform into a Minted Pea Purée, while the rest of the family and visiting friends dove into the bags, grabbing handfuls of peas as they passed through the kitchen.

Pea Purée with Mint, Pecorino Cheese and Olive Oil is delicious as is, but my favorite way to serve it is with shellfish.  The briny sweetness of shrimp, scallops or lobster is a perfect compliment to the sweetness of the peas, while the pearly coral colors of the shellfish contrast beautifully with the vivid green color of the peas.  I like to present the following recipe for Sautéed Garlic Shrimp with Minted Pea Purée in small glasses or demi-tasse cups with the shellfish perched on top, so the colors are best appreciated.

Sautéed Garlic Shrimp with Minted Pea Purée and Pecorino
Serves 8 as an appetizer 

2 cups shelled English peas
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 large garlic clove, minced
16 large shrimp, peeled with tails intact, deveined
2 tablespoons dry white wine

Pecorino Romano shavings
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Fresh chives

Prepare Pea Purée:
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the peas. Reduce heat and simmer until peas are tender. Remove from heat, drain peas, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
Combine peas and 1/4 cup cooking liquid in food processor and purée until smooth. Add more water to desired consistency.
Season purée to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil grated
cheese. Keep warm.

Prepare Shrimp:
In a sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic and chili flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add shrimp in one layer and cook, turning once, until pink on the outside and opaque in the center, about 1 minute per side. Add wine and cook 30 seconds to allow alcohol to evaporate. Remove from heat.Divide warm pea purée among 8 demi-tasse cups or martini glasses. Arrange 2 shrimp over purée. Top with Pecorino shaving, freshly ground black pepper and drizzle olive oil over. Garnish with chives (and edible flowers if available!)

 

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

Seared Sea Scallops with Cilantro Gremolata and Pea Purée

Fiesta Shrimp Salsa

Or try these delicious recipes with peas:

Green Pea Rice from Just Bento
Summer Pea Soup from Simply Recipes
Frittatta with Peas, Leeks and Zucchini from Ms. Adventures in Italy

Harissa

 

It's the little things that can sometimes make a big difference.  Harissa is one of my favorite "little" condiments that features on our table, especially during grill season.  Until now, I have only referred to it as a link in other recipes, but it's high time that Harissa gets its own post.

Harissa is a Middle Eastern condiment that is a blend of roasted peppers, chiles, garlic and ground spices.  Savory, sweet, and hot, it adds a fresh and fiery component to grilled meat, fish, and chicken.  Mix it in with rice dishes and tabbouleh, soups and dips, or simply eat it with a spoon.  It elevates anything it garnishes and is guaranteed to fire up your tastebuds.

Harissa
Makes about 2 cups

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded, coarsely chopped
2-3 small red serrano chiles, stemmed, minced with seeds
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh coriander and/or mint leaves

Toast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and caraway seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about one minute. Transfer to a mortar with pestle.  Grind seeds to a fine powder.
Combine ground seeds, red peppers, chiles, garlic and olive oil in bowl of food processor.  Process until smooth, adding more olive oil, if necessary, to desired consistency.  Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
Let sit at least one hour and up to 24 hours before serving.  (Refrigerate before use.)
Serve garnished with coriander or mint leaves.

Tip:  Adjust the heat to your taste by omitting or adding the seeds and membrane of the chiles.  Remember that there should be some heat to Harissa.

Gazpacho - a Hot Weather Friend

Oh my, it is hot.  How hot?  Well, I have been told it will reach 100 F. today (38C!)  I am positive that right now my kitchen is pushing 125 F. Now, for those of you who do not know me, I am not a hot-weather person. My idea of a dream existence is to own a lovely stone house in the south of France and live there year-round except in the summer, when I would head north. I don't even mind rain from time to time. It's the reverse of the natural order of things, I know, but my DNA is just not programmed to sustain the heat. I have come to expect the usual summer hot spells, but lately I have been lulled into ignorant bliss by a long stretch of clear, cool, breezy autumn-like weather.  I've been smiling ear to ear like a fleece-clad cheshire cat, enjoying wind blown hikes with rosy cheeks and watering eyes, while back home, I read sympathetically about the heat in further-flung-regions. 

So, just when I begin to believe that this will be the summer norm, I find myself facing triple digit temperatures.  I suspiciously wonder if the high heat has been lurking and gleefully rubbing it's sweaty hands all along, plotting and waiting to pounce as soon as I let my guard down.  Well I can roll with the punches.  I am now unpacking my small hot weather clothing that I have just packed for a trip to a hot futher-flung-region.  I am hiking only at the crack of dawn, and any water related locales have become the preferred destination.  And, for sure, the oven is off limits in the house, while all food I prepare comes from my repertoire of recipes that I turn to in extreme heat. 

One such recipe is my version of Gazpacho, a puréed tomato-based soup from Spain, served cold. I call it a Liquid Salad, because, if you glance at the ingredients, that is very much what it is. My version involves no puréeing, because I love the toothsome texture of the finely diced vegetables, fresh and satisfying to the bite. Their colors mingle with their natural juices in a cool, thirst-quenching soup of tomato, making this a festive and refreshing dish to present - one of the few un-wilted looking items in my kitchen at the moment. The selection of vegetables can be varied. I stray from the conventional gazpacho and add carrot for its color and sweetness and fennel bulb for its anise flavor and crunch. This is a perfect liquid salad for a hot summer day.

Gazpacho
Serves 4-6

1 quart or 1 liter tomato juice
1 organic cucumber with skin, seeded, diced
1 large red onion, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, diced, with juices
1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
1 fennel bulb, fronds and outer pieces removed, finely diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of one lemon and one lime
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Dash of tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 generous handful fresh cilantro/coriander chopped

Combine all of the ingredients except cilantro in a large bowl.  Adjust seasoning to taste. Cover and chill at least one hour before serving. (Can be made up to 6 hours in advance.) Stir in cilantro before serving.  Garnish with cilantro or parsley leaves.

Serving suggestions:  Top gazpacho with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips. 

Grilled Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches with Basil and Tomato Coulis

 

Eggplants love the grill, and I love to grill eggplants - or aubergines as they are so elegantly referred to in other anglophone countries.  Eggplants comes in many sizes and shapes, while the most common variety is the plump, pear-shaped and, well, aubergine-colored vegetable found year round in our markets.  

When it comes to the barbeque the versatile, yet subtle, eggplant is the workhorse of grilled vegetables. Its mellow, buttery flavor and firm texture lends well to the barbeque, as it hold its shape during grilling and serves as a perfect vehicle for spicy, smoky, more flamboyant flavors.  Eggplants can be simply prepared with olive oil, salt and pepper and served in stand-alone fashion - or tossed with a medley of Provençal-style vegetables as a grilled accompaniment to meat and fish.  Cut in planks, and use as a vessel for a dollop of creamy Tsatsiki for an easy crowd-friendly appetizer - or stack grilled slices with tomato, basil and goat cheese for an impressive beginning to a dinner.

This Grilled Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Sandwich is incredibly easy to prepare, delicious and fresh to eat.  The smoky eggplant combines beautifully with cool garlicky goat cheese, juicy sweet tomatoes and crisp fresh basil leaves.  Serve as an elegant appetizer or on a bed of arugula for a dramatic salad.

 

Grilled Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches with Basil and Tomato Coulis
Makes 4-5 sandwiches, depending on length of eggplant.

I large, firm eggplant, sliced horizontally 1/2" thick
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced horizontally 1/4" thick
1 cup soft, fresh goat cheese
1 small garlic clove, minced

Fresh basil leaves
Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Tomato Coulis (see below)

Prepare Eggplant:
Preheat oven or prepare grill.
Lightly brush eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Arrrange on baking tray and grill in oven, turning once, until golden brown.  
Or grill on barbeque, turning, until golden brown and cooked through.  Transfer to plate to cool.

Arrange Sandwiches:
In a small bowl, combine garlic and goat cheese.  Add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.  Arrange 1/2 of the eggplant slices on platter.  Spoon 1-2 teaspoons goat cheese mixture over. Top with 2-3 whole basil leaves.  Place heirloom tomato slice over basil.  Spread 1-2 teaspoons cheese mixture over tomato. Top with 2 basil leaves. Place second eggplant slice on basil leaves. Top with one teaspoon cheese and basil leaf.  Lightly drizzle with Tomato Coulis and garnish with a pinch of grated Pecorino Romano cheese.  Serve immediately.

Tomato Coulis:

1 lb./500 g. ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded (see below), coarsely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine tomatoes, garlic and olive oil in bowl of food processor.  Process until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature for one hour before serving.  (Can be made one day i advance.  Cover and refrigerate.)  Serve at room temperature.

Cooking Class: 
How to Peel and Seed a Tomato

1.  Take a paring knife and cut out the stem: Make shallow incisions around the stem and scoop out the stem.

2.  With same knife, make a shallow X-incision in bottom of tomato.
3.  Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil.  Plunge tomato into water for 10 seconds.  Remove and submerge in a bowl of ice water.

4.  Remove the cooled tomato from the water.  Peel away skin.

5.  To seed the tomato, cut the tomato in half.  Use your fingers to scoop out seeds.  

 

 

Do you like Grilled Eggplant?  You might also like to try these recipes:

Spicy Grilled Eggplant from Kalyn's Kitchen
Grilled Eggplant Lasagne from Andrea's Recipes
Grilled Eggplant with Caponata Salsa from Smitten Kitchen

 

Summer Solstice Danish-Style

 
Denmark is the land of the (nearly) midnight sun. The sun sets just before 11:00 in the evening, only to begin its ascent again in the wee hours of the morning. In a land where the winters are long and very dark, it is no wonder that celebrations, and even a God or two, have been delegated to give thanks and perhaps curry favor with the fiery powers that be. Summer Solstice, or Sankt Hans Aften (which means the eve of St. John the Baptist Day), is the height of these jubilations, as it celebrates the longest day of the year. Bonfires are lit, and food and drink are plentiful, as the Vikings of yesteryear, and in spirit, party and feast until dawn.

This year we will attempt our own celebration on a nearby beach.  We will light a bonfire and have a picnic dinner as the sun sets.  It is likely that we will forego the authentic tradition of burning an effigy over the fire, as that may not go over too well with the local residents and could quite possibly get us arrested.  (Proper solstice tradition would have a straw witch burned over the fire.  This symbolizes the riddance of problems, worries, and threats from people's lives.)

Food typically associated with the solstice celebration is simple picnic fare: grilled fish or meat, fresh boiled local crayfish (which can be a party unto itself) and remoulade sauce, potato salad, green salad and a dessert featuring summer strawberries.  All of this would be accompanied, Viking-style, by beer, snaps and wine throughout the evening.

Summer Solstice NOMA-Style

Last summer we were in Denmark visiting friends and family during the summer solstice.  Miraculously, we managed to get a coveted dinner reservation at the acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant NOMA, and realized that our luck was only due to the general population out partying in traditional solstice-style on beaches before bonfires rather than in restaurants.  Seizing our opportunity, we invited our Danish friends and hosts (who were more than happy to abandon tradition for a table at NOMA) to join us. 

That evening, we dined on a fabulous prix-fixe menu consisting of 7 courses composed exclusively of ingredients hailing from Nordic countries.  (NOMA is an acronym for Nordisk Mad - or Nordic Food in Danish.)  A visit to this restaurant is highly recommended if you are in Copenhagen, although advance reservations are a must. It is a fantastic collaboration between Danish chefs Claus Meyer and René Redzepi.  All ingredients originate from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.  They run from the familiar to the exotic: eel, musk ox, green strawberries, hare, seaweed, rye bread, black lobster are a few examples (quite out of context.)  You may feast on dishes such as Sautéed Dover Sole with New Danish Potatoes, Green Strawberries and Elderberry Sauce perhaps accompanied by Stirred Mashed Potatoes with Lumpfish Roe and Crispy Chicken Skin, and finish with Caramel Ice Cream with Icelandic Buttermilk, Dried Swedish Berries and Sorrel Crème Anglaise. 

I enjoy poring over the NOMA Nordic Cuisine cookbook, which I bought as a memento after our meal. It is an inspirational and unique testament to Nordic terroir, and apropos several interesting blogs that attempt to prepare every single recipe in a particular tome of a cookbook, I would seriously have a go at reproducing NOMA's - if only I could get my hands on chickweed, seakale and sweet cicely.  For now, I do what I always do and improvise with the seasonal and local products I find in my part of the world.   

As we drove home after our long dinner, it was approaching midnight.  To the west the sun had just set and exited the sky in a swirl of orange and purple flourishes in its haste to rise again. To the east it was doing just that, where the sky was brightening and soft pink tinges nudged the gray-blue midnight summer sky.  It was truly a magical Danish solstice moment. 

Fattoush Salad

Fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad made with fresh garden vegetables and toasted or grilled pita bread.  Similar in concept to the Italian bread salad Panzanella, it is a rustic dish that makes use of stale bread tossed with fresh seasonal ingredients.  Fattoush has a significant Middle Eastern influence, with the addition of sumac which gives the salad its characteristically sour flavor, as well as feta cheese, kalamata olives, parsley, coriander, and mint.  Best of all, like all rustic comfort food, the fattoush salad is delicious and very satisfying to eat. 

Fattoush Salad
The toasted pita bread adds a satisfying crunch to the salad, and when the grill is going, I like to grill the pita for extra smoky, toasted flavor.

Serves 4 as main course or 6-8 side salads

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon dried sumac 
3/4 cup (180 ml.) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the salad:
3 pita breads
3 romaine lettuce hearts, broken into thirds
1 lb./480 g. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, then cut in 1/4" pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 small bunch (about 1/2 cup) Italian parlsey leaves, coarsely chopped
1 small bunch (about 1/2 cup) fresh cilantro/coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
1 small bunch (about 1/2 cup) fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Prepare the vinaigrette:
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, cumin and sumac.  In a steady stream whisk in olive oil until emulsified.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toast the pita breads: 
Preheat oven or grill. Open the pitas and separate, so each pita is 2 circles.  Cut each pita circle in 6 triangles.  Toast in oven until crispy and golden, about 10  minutes, or grill over indirect heat until crispy and toasted.  Remove from heat and cool.  Break into large pieces.

Assemble salad:
In a large bowl toss pita bread pieces and salad ingredients together with half the vinaigrette.  Add additional vinaigrette and continue to toss until leaves are well coated.  Serve immediately.

Serve Fattoush Salad with:

Moroccan Spiced Chicken under a Brick

 

Steamed New Potatoes with Parsley and Olive Oil

San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Big Fat Greek Dinner

 Grilled Spiced Lamb Kebabs with Tsatsiki

When it's hot outside, the food I crave is Greek. These Greek-inspired Lamb Kebabs are packed with herbs, spices and the heat of cayenne.  They are positively addictive and perfect for a party and easy entertaining.  Nearly everything can be prepared in advance, and a barbeque is required.  What more could you ask for?  Oh, yes: Good friends, great wine and perhaps a little Ouzo.

To complete the menu, serve these spicy, more-ish kebabs with smoky, Middle-Eastern Harissa and creamy, garlicky Tsatsiki.  Accompany with a Greek Salad brimming with garden fresh vegetables, feta cheese and kalamata olives and Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Mint.  By the end of the meal your tastebuds will be singing, and your guests will be begging for more.

 

Grilled Spiced Lamb Kebabs
Makes 16

16 small bamboo skewers

2 lbs./1 kg. ground lamb
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped, about 1 cup
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne

Exta-virgin olive oil
Fresh mint or basil leaves
Pita bread
Tsatsiki
Harissa

Soak bamboo skewers in warm water 30 minutes before assembling kebabs.  Drain.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well.  Gather a small handful of the meat in your hand and form it lengthwise around a skewer so that the meat is covering 3/4 of the skewer.  Place on plate or tray.
Repeat with remaining meat and skewers.  Lightly brush the kebabs with olive oil.  (Kebabs can be prepared to this point up to 6 hours in advance.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.)
Grill on barbeque or in oven, turning to brown all sides, until cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Arrange on plates or serving platter and garnish with fresh mint or basil leaves.  Serve with pita bread, tsatsiki and harissa.

What to Drink? 
A full bodied, fruity red such as Shiraz/Syrah or Zinfandel. 
And don't forget the Ouzo.

 

 

Spaghetti alla Norma: Sicilian-Style Pasta with Eggplant, Tomatoes, Basil and Ricotta

 
This divine Sicilian pasta dish often elicits the question: Who is Norma?  Theories abound, and one of them is that the dish was named in honor of Bellini, a native of Catania, Sicily.  Bellini's opera "Norma" was so popular with his compatriots, that it inspired the creation of a new superlative - una vera Norma - to sing praise of any good deed or object.  Years later, the author Nino Martaglio tasted this traditional dish from Sicily and was so delighted by it that he called in Spaghetti alla Norma.  You will agree that this dish is una vera Norma.

Sicilian-Style Pasta with Eggplant, Tomatoes, Basil and Ricotta - Spaghetti alla Norma
Serves 4 

1 large firm eggplant (aubergine)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
I small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz./800 g. can Italian plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Pinch of sugar

1 lb./500 g. dried spaghetti

1/2 cup shaved Ricotta Salata or Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra for garnish
Handful fresh basil leaves
Fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut in slivers

Prepare the eggplant:
Trim ends.  Cut horizontally in 1/4" slices. Arrange in one layer on baking tray.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill in oven, turning once, until browned and softened.  Remove.  Cut the slices in thirds.  Set aside.

Prepare tomato sauce:
Heat two tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté until it begins to give off juices, about 2 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté one minute.  Add tomatoes with juices and oregano.  Simmer 10 minutes, stirring to break up tomatoes.  Add sugar.  Stir in eggplant slices and simmer additional 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add spaghetti and cook until al dente.  Drain.  Return spaghetti to pot and add eggplant mixture.  Add 1/2 cup ricotta salata.  Toss to combine.  Serve garnished with fresh basil leaves, slivers of buffalo mozzarella cheese and extra ricotta salata.

What to Drink? 
An Italian medium-bodied, fruity red:  Barbera or Chianti; avoid a tannic red wine.

 

Bistro-Style Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots - Bavette aux Echalotes

At the risk of repeating myself, I will tell you that I love French bistro cooking.  Simply put, it makes me very happy.  In fact, bistro food should make all of us happy.  It's comforting, generous, convivial and unpretentiously rooted in French tradition.  How can anyone not like it? 

I became familiar with bistros when I lived in Paris and Geneva.  Found in every neighborhood, the bistro was the go-to restaurant for consistent, delicious, and fun food.  Welcoming, bustling, and casually elegant, it was home away from home - satisfying and soothing in its predictability, its well worn ambience, and its dedicated timelessness.  Now, years later, there isn't a bistro in my neighborhood, but I do seek it out in restaurants and cook bistro fare at home.  It's perfect for entertaining and families, and since my family was raised eating bistro food in Europe, it's one of our preferred cuisines  for home cooking.

So, needless to say, I was very excited when Johanna at the Passionate Cook announced Bistro Food as this month's theme for the foodblogging event Waiter There is Something in My... (or WTSIM) - I knew I couldn't miss it.  Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots or Bavette aux Echalotes is a classic item on bistro menus.  The less expensive cut of meat is pan-fried on the stove and then served heaped with sautééd, caramelized shallots.  It's quick to prepare, delicious to eat and economical on the wallet.

Bistro-Style Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots - Bavette aux Echalotes
Serves 4

4 skirt steaks, approx. 8 oz./250 g. each
2 tablespoons high heat oil (canola or grapeseed)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 large shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
1/3 cup/80 ml. red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare Steak:
Use 2 skillets or cook in 2 batches:  Heat one tablespoon canola oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet and swirl around to brown.  Add steaks, 2 at a time to skillet.  Cook turning once until seared and cooked through to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Transfer steaks to platter and tent with foil to rest. 

Prepare shallots:
Add one tablespoon olive oil to skillet.  Add shallots and sauté over medium heat until golden brown, about 6 minutes.  Add red wine vinegar and cook until liquid is absorbed.  Add 1 tablespoon butter, thyme and any juices from meat to the shallots. Cook, stirring, to incorporate, about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange steaks on individual plates or serving platter.  Top with shallots and serve.

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil - a Holy Trinity

 
Ripe sun-kissed tomatoes, vibrant aromatic basil, pristine white mozzarella: the holy trinity of Italian cuisine.  These seasonal ingredients are best associated with summertime and are all that is needed for an Insalata Caprese, or Tomato Mozzarella Salad. The ubiquitous salad from the island of Capri makes use of the simplest, freshest ingredients of the summer season, underscoring what best defines Italian cooking.   

To prepare an Insalata Caprese or Tomato Mozzarella Salad:
Simply slice ripe, unrefrigerated tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella and layer them with fresh basil leaves on a platter.  Drizzle with high quality extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

This trio of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil can easily be applied to other delicious dishes.  Equally simple, all that is necessary is a little rearrangement and garnish.  Add to Crostini for an appetizer or toss with Farfalle and grated Pecorino Romano for an easy Pasta Salad.

Crostini Caprese - Crostini with Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella
Makes 12 crostini

12 slices baguette, cut on the diagonal
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves

12 slices ripe, unrefrigerated tomatoes
12 slices buffalo mozzarella
12 large basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

6 pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
Arugula sprouts or fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade

Brush baguette slices with olive oil.  Rub with garlic cloves.  Arrange on baking sheet and grill in oven until lightly toasted, turning once.  Remove.
Arrange basil leaf on each crostini.  Top with tomato slice and mozzarella slice.  Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.  Drizzle lightly with additional olive oil.
Garnish with kalamata olive half and top with arugula sprouts or Basil Chiffonade.

To make Basil Chiffonade:
Stack 3-4 large basil leaves.  Roll up the stack starting from long side of the leaves.  Finely slice roll, horizontally across leaf to create fine ribbons. 

 

Chino Farms

Size is not everything at this wonderful little farm stand in Rancho Sante Fe, California.  Just north of San Diego, Chino Farms is a family-run farm that has been in business for over 30 years.   Tucked in the countryside east of Del Mar, Chino Farms sells its just-harvested produce to any and all who stop at their roadside stand.  Chefs and home cooks alike patiently stand in line to choose their produce. If you dine in any of the area's best farm-to-table restaurants, you can be sure your veggies are from Chinos. 

Since we were there as tourists, and unable to return to our kitchen to prepare a farm-fresh meal, we satsified ourselves with baskets of wild strawberries to nibble on as we drove down coastal route 101 on our way to the beach.  In the evening, back at the Lodge at Torrey Pines, we were lucky enough to enjoy a meal at A.R. Valentien where we were told the chef uses fresh produce from Chino Farms.

 

 

 

 

 

Tabbouleh Salad

Satisfying, addictive, and healthy.  This tabbouleh salad combines a confetti of vegetables and herbs with bulgar and spices to create a colorful side dish or light vegetarian meal.  Serve with pita bread, feta cheese and hummus for a delicious summer dinner.

Tabbouleh Salad
Serves 4-6

2 cups bulgar
2 cups warm water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice
4 tablespoons exta-virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, finely diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely grated
4 plum tomatoes, diced
4 scallions/green onions, white and green parts finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried cumin
1 teaspoon tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 handful mint leaves, finely chopped
1 handful coriander/cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Kalamata olives

Harissa
Pita Bread

Prepare Bulgar:
Soak bulgar and water in a large bowl until water is absorbed.  Add lemon/lime juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Stir to combine and let sit until juice and oil are absorbed.

Stir in red onion, bell pepper, garlic, carrot, tomatoes, scallions.  Add remaining olive oil, cumin, tabasco sauce, salt and pepper.  Adjust seasoning and heat to taste.  Cover and refrigerate at least one hour and up to 6 hours.  

To serve, add mint and coriander leaves and toss to combine.  Garnish with kalamata olives. 

Serve with pita bread and harissa sauce on the side.

Coriander on My Mind: Seared Sea Scallops with Cilantro Gremolata and Pea Purée

You say cilantro, I say coriander.  In the U.S. the leaves are called cilantro while the seeds are called coriander; in Europe the leaves are called coriander, while the seeds are called, er, coriander.  Whatever your linguistic disposition, this is one herb the world apparently can't live without.  Featured in the cuisines of the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Asia, coriander has a culinary history dating back to King Tut: the seeds were found in his tomb.  Native to the Mediterranean, coriander was introduced to the Americas by the Europeans in the 1600's and has been growing like the dickens ever since, figuring prominently in American Southwestern, Mexican and Latin American cuisines. 

Also known as Chinese Parsley, the entire coriander plant is edible, including its root.  Its leaves and stems are best served fresh and used as a final addition to dishes, as the delicate leaves do not stand up well to cooking. Its seeds are the dried ripe fruit of the plant, frequently used whole for pickling and spicing, or toasted and finely ground into the dried spice known as coriander. 

Coriander is an acquired taste for many, including myself, but now I can't get enough of it.  Fortunately, in Northern California, the winters are mild, and I can grow coriander (or cilantro) in pots on my terrace year round.  Presently we have an abundance, and I know just what I will do with it: This month I am participating in the GYO (Grow Your Own) event hosted by the Daily Tiffin blog.  The concept is to create a recipe that features or uses something that has been growing in your garden - or pot, in my case.  I will harvest whole bunches of the coriander before it flowers, and make a Gremolata which I will serve with Seared Scallops and Pea Purée. 

Grilled Sea Scallops with Cilantro Gremolata and Pea Purée
Serves 4 as main course, 8 as appetizer, or 16 amuse bouches

Simple as it sounds, a gremolata is extremely verstaile. Use as a marinade or rub for fish, chicken and meat.  Toss with pasta and rice.  Mix into salads, tabbouleh, and salsas.  Use as a topping for crostini or garnish.  Its simplicity showcases the herb it features, whether it's cilantro, parsley, basil or mint.

For the Cilantro Gremolata:
1 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and stems
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
Pinch sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Spring Pea Purée:
2 cups shelled peas
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

16 large sea scallops (1 1/2 lb./750 g.)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Prepare the Cilantro Gremolata:
Stir the cilantro, garlic and lemon zest together in a bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Prepare Pea Purée:
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups/1 liter of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the peas. Reduce heat and simmer until peas are tender. Remove from heat, drain peas, reserving 1 cup (240 ml.) cooking liquid.  Combine peas, garlic, 1/4 cup (60 ml.) reserved water, olive oil and lemon juice in food processor and purée until smooth. Add more water as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Keep warm.

Prepare the Sea Scallops:
Sprinkle sea scallops all over with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add scallops and cook, turning once, until brown on both sides and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
While the scallops are cooking, spoon pea purée on serving plates.  Top with scallops.  Sprinkle scallops and purée with gremolata.  Drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.  Serve immediately.

What to Drink?
Savignon Blanc, Dry Riesling, Chardonnay

 

Looking for other creative uses for cilantro?  Then try:
      Spicy Cilantro-Peanut Slaw from Kalyn's Kitchen
      Sesame and Cilantro Vermicelli Salad from Simply Recipes
      Roasted Yellow Tomato Salsa with Cilantro from Karina's Kitchen