The cover of Martha Stewart Living’s June issue promised “Summer Crowd Pleasers” and indeed two of the recipes really pleased us. The rich Penne Frittata with Ricotta and Basil tasted almost like a noodle pudding but with a sophisticated taste. In large part this was due to the fresh basil I plucked from the beautiful plant on my counter. Thank you Trader Joe’s for selling these for $2.99! It was like comfort food all grown up, especially when served with Asparagus with Capers and Lemon. This delightfully piquant dish offered a great counterpoint to the frittata. The last of the season sweet asparagus from the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market provided a fond farewell to Spring and a salute to Summer, just on the horizon!
Author: chezhelvetica1
My passion is all things epecurian.
Is the Fish Fresh?
The answer to my husband’s perpetual question in this case is a resounding YES, in fact the fish is Wild. A Martha Stewart Living recipe with the magic words “you make the main and side dish all in one pan” got me going! The succulent halibut from Alaska (purchased at Safeway) roasted alongside the baby zucchini while I made the luscious butter sauce, substituting shallots for the onion. Why cut into a whole onion for such a small amount? Whole wheat couscous from Trader Joe’s, studded with delicate shiitake mushrooms from the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market, completed the meal. A Pacific Rim Dry Reisling helped the celebration of warm weather – finally – and beginning of the Memorial Day Weekend. Halleluyah!
Sugar Snap Peas
I don’t really like peas. Yet the overflowing table of sugar snap peas at the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market, and my husband’s urging, prompted me to buy these “pod fruits”. A great Epicurious recipe combining the sweet peas with a pungent garlic paste and parmesan cheese yielded an explosion of juxtaposing flavors. The luscious sauce drenched delicate garlic and parsley fettuccine. As an embellishment, I added sauteed baby shiitake mushrooms and Aidell’s Chicken and Apple sausage. As oft stated, “give peas a chance” now made imminent sense!
Snap Judgements
The intended fish course for this meal was to be salmon, but one look at the beautiful, fresh red snapper at Safeway, that was it – I was off in a new direction. Quickly looking online for some cooking instructions since I hadn’t made snapper in a while, I found a recipe on Epicurious for a Roasted Red Snapper, Lemon and Artichoke dish. The original intention for the glorious artichokes from Castroville (found at Pezzini’s) was to simply steam them. Yet once again, finding I could roast them under the snapper, this lead to one more change in direction. Yam fries completed our meal with everything getting a dollop of garlicky basil aioli. Sometimes, things just fall into place!
Vanilla Flank Steak
A Master Class in Vanilla, offered by the San Francisco Professional Food Society and held at the International Culinary Academy, motivated my creation of this dinner featuring Vanilla Flank Steak. Vanilla specialists Nielsen-Massey discussed the story of vanilla and presented this recipe, among others, dispelling the thinking that vanilla is only for sweets. This savory recipe combined vanilla with chile sauce, chili powder, ketchup, chocolate, coffee, golden brown sugar Worcestershire sauce and garlic in which a flank steak is marinated for 18-24 hours, then grilled. While the recipe specified the NM essences of chocolate and coffee they offered, I substituted a little cocoa powder and ground coffee. What an incredible new taste sensation! Fingerling fries and pencil-thin asparagus were the perfect sides. So next time you use vanilla, remember to pay tribute to the Totonaco Indians of Mexico, the originators of this flavor. Then think how lucky you are now to choose vanilla from Mexico, Tahiti, Madagascar (or a host of other countries) when you start cooking!
Saturday Night Light
Q: What to have for dinner on a beautiful Saturday night that is equal parts elegant and light? A: Meyer Lemon Risotto and Seared Scallops! Inspired by a risotto recipe presented on the Today Show using créme fraîche, spring greens and lemon juice, I ultimately used a recipe found on line through 101 Cookbooks. With the zest and juice from the abundant Meyer lemons from our friends’ gardens, chopped garlic, shallot, white wine, arborio rice, asparagus, zucchini, parsley, créme fraîche, and Pecorino-Romano cheese, this dish bursted with incredible richness and flavors. East Coast Bay Scallops from Bryan’s Market melted in our mouths, thanks to a Food Network recipe using butter and garlic. And what better for dessert than delicious strawberries from the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market dipped into that créme fraîche and golden brown sugar? Mouth-watering achieved new significance this evening!
Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acid benefits now rule editorial features in virtually all media channels, salmon being the holy grail in the food category. This evening’s dinner featured roasted wild salmon from Alaska. Although this salmon was purchased at a local Safeway, the recipe used in its preparation dates to a flightseeing excursion to Taku Glacier Lodge in Juneau during our honeymoon. A luscious mix of Meyer lemon juice, honey, butter and white wine basted the fish. The Inner Sunset Farmer’s Market offered the wonderful asparagus and Yukon Gold potatoes, simply brushed with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and prepared in tandem with the salmon. A Chardonnay from Chateau Ste. Michelle in Columbia Valley completed the “up North” theme of our dinner!
Spaghetti&Meatballs á la Chez Panisse Café
There’s nothing like a little help from Alice Waters and her Chez Panisse Café Cookbook to wipe out childhood memories of dry, overcooked meatballs with a savory herb meatball recipe. These tender dumplings floated in a simple tomato sauce made from Campari tomatoes and then sauteed in red onion, garlic and parsley. The meatballs and sauce crowned a bed of whole wheat spaghetti. Fresh spring greens and artichoke hearts, enhanced with a little sea salt and Meyer lemon juice, were a great complement to the pasta. The 25th Avenue & Clement St. Produce Market, AK Meats and Costco all played roles in my hunting and gathering. An Italian wine seemed like the perfect pairing for our meal and, indeed, A.G. Ferrari‘s house red elevated the meal even further!
Silver Seder
Our Silver Seder celebrated several milestone occasions, the most important, of course, the exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Non-traditional recipes from The Sephardic Kitchen provided the perfect inspiration for our feast that evening. From charoset, made with figs, dates, apples and walnuts and rolled in cinnamon, resembling truffles (thank you Arielle) to a seared ahi tuna salad with arugula and capers to braised chicken made with honey, cinnamon sticks and San Marzano tomatoes from A.G. Ferrari. This chicken dish is a specialty of the Moroccan Jews with saffron adding an incredible fragrance and color. Whole wheat couscous, steamed vegetables and Josh’s delicious hummus accompanied the dish. Lest I forget, we began the meal with Joan’s heavenly matzo ball soup. For dessert, we delighted in a Moroccan Passover torte made with coconut, walnuts and an intoxicating orange flavor thanks to fresh-squeezed orange juice and Grand Marnier, then garnished with Michael Recchiuti bittersweet chocolate shavings and whipped cream. HolyLand Matzot from Trader Joe’s were the ubiquitous symbol throughout the ceremony, from their place on the seder plate to the concluding afikomen – “that which comes after dessert” – and results in a gift. That night, a special birthday gift for Josh!
 |
Spring Salad
This salad captures the light of the new season with albacore tuna as the central ingredient, “springing forward” thanks to the petite nonpareil capers, kalamata olives and sweet Campari tomatoes. Roasted fingerling potatoes from Zuckerman’s Farms surround the bed of organic arugula and parsley. A combination of minced shallots, Meyer lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil dressed our spring salad. No special recipes used here, simply a culmination of shopping at Costco, Trader Joe’s, Richmond Produce Market and the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market – a testament to the age-old thinking that it takes a lot to make something look simple. Here is to enjoying this time of rebirth and renewal!