A couple of weekends ago I had a few cousins visit with their little kids, age newborn to 3.  Not being a parent myself, I wasn’t sure what to make.  I just knew that it had to appeal to both big and small people and wouldn’t take too long to set up since we were going blueberry picking right before lunch.  I also wanted the food to be fun and flexible.

I didn’t quite make the timing right (we ate close to 2pm) but at least it tasted good.  We were hit with a huge downpour right after we left the blueberry orchard so Hubby started these on an electric grill, then finished them outside when the rain slowed down.

Recipe for a Simple Slider Party

Protein (2 oz. each)

• Ground beef patties
• Ground turkey patties
• Black bean patties (I didn’t get a chance to make these; when I do I’ll put them in a later post)

Toppers

• Basil leaves
• Leaf lettuce, torn into small pieces
• Tomato slices (plum or cherry)
• Cheese (slices off a cheddar brick are the perfect size)

Condiments

• Ketchup
• Roasted red pepper mayo (I roasted a red bell pepper under the broiler, peeled the skin off, diced the pepper and mixed into light mayo)

Grill the patties and serve on slider rolls.  Wouldn’t you know it, they actually SELL slider rolls now??  I found out after I ended up making my own.  We also had corn on the cob (the right way if boiling is 3 minutes only!!!), and a great spinach and strawberry salad that my cousin made.

For dessert, I made peach yogurt popsicles.  Puree sliced peaches and whole milk yogurt with lemon juice and a little sugar.  Pour into molds, freeze, and watch the kids go nuts!

I’ve been too impatient waiting for my scarce bounty of tomatoes to turn red, so I made a super easy sandwich with green tomatoes.  Typical green tomatoes are battered and then deep-fried, but I think you lose a lot of the great texture from the tomato itself.  Green tomatoes don’t have developed sugars, but they still have a nice sturdy meatiness perfect for a sandwich.  I added in some sweetness with Italian basil and caramelized onions, and sea salt to punch up the savory flavor.

This would be even better with some crispy bacon, mmmm.

Green Tomato & Egg Sandwich
Original Recipe

1 hard roll (I used a leftover homemade garlic scape hard roll from the freezer)
1 small green tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 eggs
1/4 cup sweet onion, sliced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 large basil leaves (Italian, lime, Thai – almost any kind works)
Small pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Mayonnaise (optional)

Slice the roll in half.  Meanwhile, heat a small skillet with 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and stir to coat with oil.  Add balsamic vinegar.  Let cook until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Remove onions and drain lightly on paper towels.  Toast the roll halves and put on a plate.

Wipe out the skillet clean of onion debris, increase heat to medium high, and add 1 tsp olive oil.  Pat tomato slices with a paper towel, then add tomatoes to skillet.  Fry 1.5 minutes per side, sprinkling with 1/4 tsp sea salt.  Remove and drain on a paper towel.  Break the eggs into the skillet, keeping them separated.  Fry for 1.5 minutes until light brown, then carefully flip both eggs.  Sprinkle on additional sea salt and pepper.  Cook for 30 more seconds for slightly runny yolks.  Remove and put on the bottom half of the toasted roll.

Top eggs with basil leaves, onions, mayonnaise (if desired), and top half of roll.

Amy is always so kind to give her customers a free ready-to-eat peach with every purchase.  This trip I was blessed with a super juicy white nectarine – pair that with another ripe yellow peach in my bag and we had a nice topper for dinner.  See you again on Friday for more peaches!

I guess since I didn’t cook it, this is technically a salsa.  I just love the word chutney so much more.  Hubby says he normally doesn’t like fruit salsas but would love this with tortilla chips. This would also be excellent with a little fresh mint. I served it on top of two grilled salmon fillets along with leftover Southwestern Slaw, sauteed Swiss chard, and micro arugula from Blue Moon Acres.

Rustic Peach Chutney
Original Recipe
Makes 1.5 cups, enough to top 2 fish fillets

2 ripe (but not mushy) peaches, pitted and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 T red onion, diced
1/2 tsp jalapeno, seeds removed, minced
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and chill for 1/2 hour.

I’m always frustrated when I get deli coleslaw, which is why I normally opt for the pasta salad or nothing on the side.  The vegetables are chopped up so small and smothered with so much mayo that you’re never entirely sure what’s in it.  Like lettuce, I can’t digest a large amount of other types of roughage, so the couple of times a month I let myself eat it I want it to be something special.

The last time we got cabbage (I think it was Savoy) I used sesame oil, ginger, and other ingredients I can’t remember to make an Asian slaw.  We got a cute little head of red cabbage in this CSA pickup.  The bold color was just begging to be married with some kicked up spices and heat.  I served it here with tomato basil mozzarella salad and a beautiful grilled pork chop from None Such Farms marinated in thyme, fennel fronds, and balsamic vinegar, topped with grilled fennel.

Southwestern Slaw
Original Recipe
Makes 6-8 servings

1 small head red cabbage (6-8 cups), sliced into 1/4 inch strips
2 medium carrots, shredded
1/4 c. light mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp jalapeno, seeds removed and minced (can add more if you want more heat)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T fresh lime juice
1 T cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. parsley, chopped
Salt

Combine cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Combine mayonnaise, cumin, paprika, jalapeno, and garlic in a small bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture to cabbage and toss. Add lime juice, cilantro, and parsley to bowl and toss. Add salt to taste. Chill for 1 hour up to overnight.

Beet and Potato Pancakes
Original Recipe (technique adapted from Mark Bittman’s Beet Pancake recipe)
These reheat well within a week, crisped in the oven or on the grill.

1 lb beets, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
0.5 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flour, divided

1/2 T unsalted butter + 1/2 tsp olive oil

Pinch salt

Process beets, potatoes, parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper in a food processor until pieces are very small (close to pureed).  Remove to a bowl and toss with 1/4 cup flour with a fork.  Toss with additional 1/4 cup flour until no white traces remain.

Heat a large skillet with butter and olive oil over medium high heat.  Using a heat safe spatula, scoop 1/4-1/2 cup of the beet mixture into the skillet and pat into a round patty 1/2 inch high, like a small burger.  Repeat with rest of beet mixture, slightly spacing each patty.  Cook for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown; flip each patty over.  Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt on each and serve hot.

Take a couple weeks ago, for instance.  We happened to have a couple of beautiful, succulent scallops that were leftover from a night of sushi and burgers with the neighbors (somehow that combo just worked for us).  Ordinarily, I would automatically turn to my resident grill master, or pan sear them with some garden herbs.  However, a rummage in the fridge produced some broccoli grown all but 2 miles away, which had somehow gotten lost in our sea of CSA and farm market vegetables.  Too often do our vegetables end up blanched, sauteed, or roasted as an afterthought.  What would help us learn to appreciate both the protein AND the vegetable?

For some reason I thought of one of Hubby’s favorite dishes – mayonnaise shrimp.  If you’ve never had it at a Cantonese restaurant before, here’s an example.  I’ve never made it at home, and I shudder when I think about how the shrimp and walnuts are deep-fried, then coated with a heaping combination of mayonnaise and condensed milk.  It is OH SO GOOD though.

Combine that inspiration with my Dad’s love of cornstarch in his cooking, a basic awareness of fat consumption, and great ingredients, and I present you with:

Mayonnaise Scallops
Original Recipe

Serves 2

Make the candied walnuts:

1/2 cup walnuts
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves.  Add walnuts and boil for 5 minutes.  Remove walnuts and drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Place walnuts on a small cookie sheet and bake in oven, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 5 more minutes.  Set aside.

Make the mayonnaise sauce:

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp honey

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl, quickly to prevent curdling. Adjust acidity or sweetness if necessary. Set aside.

Make the broccoli and scallops:

Broccoli
1 head broccoli, chopped, stems peeled
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt

Scallops
4 large scallops, sliced in half vertically
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Blanch the broccoli: Boil a large pot of water.  Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl with water and ice.  Add broccoli stems and boil for 2 minutes.  Add broccoli florets and boil for 2-3 minutes, until florets are bright green and tender crisp.  Transfer broccoli to the ice bath to stop cooking, then drain well.

Meanwhile, dredge the scallops: Pat scallops dry with paper towels.  Combine cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Dredge each scallop half in the cornstarch mixture and shake off the excess.

Pan fry the broccoli: Heat a large saucepan on medium high heat with 2 tsp olive oil.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes; stir until garlic is aromatic but not burned, about 1 minute.  Carefully add broccoli (it may splatter) and saute until tender but not mushy, about 3 minutes.  Remove from pan onto serving plates and scrape out any debris.

Pan fry the scallops: Add 2 tsp olive oil to the pan.  Add scallops and fry for 2-3 minutes or until scallop releases easily from the pan and is golden brown.  Flip over scallops and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until golden brown.  If necessary, fry the sides of the scallops as well.  Drain on paper towels and place on top of broccoli.

Top scallops with mayonnaise sauce, then walnuts (reheat walnuts in oven at 300 degrees for 5 minutes, if needed).  Serve with rice.

These would be our Moms’ thought bubble words: mild, roasted, grilled, steamed, white meat (i.e. chicken or fish), garlic free, low sodium

And these would be our Dads’: fried, grilled, red meat (i.e. beef beef beef), spicy, peppery, salty, garlicky, FRIED

So on the one day a year the fathers actually get the say (well, according to my mom, such a day doesn’t exist), we dedicated the food to what our Dads dream about.

What Did We Cook?

We definitely enjoyed this meal European style – started around 12:30 and ended at 5. The slow pace really helped, since as usual we made too much food.

We recently found a primo fishmonger at one of the indoor farmers’ markets that bests the one near us. He gladly brought down some fresh calamari from the shop just for us. When he took it out, he asked, “So how are you guys going to cook it?” I said, “Ummm…fry it”, anticipating the noticeable cringe from the man who just sold us these beautiful babies. He goes, “Do me a favor. Grill some of them in lemon, basil, salt and pepper. For the fried ones, I like to soak them in buttermilk first, then dip in Wasa flour.”

We guiltily took the calamari home and thought it best to follow his wishes. Well, I couldn’t find the Wasa flour, but I think we did him (and the squid) justice:

The fried calamari was accompanied by a slightly spicy marinara that I made from plain tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and fresh oregano and basil. The entire 2 pounds were consumed in about 3 minutes. Great props to the guys at Metropolitan Seafood (metroseafood.com)!

The main course was an array of fresh vegetables topped with a juicy ribeye steak. Veggies featured were peas (my first time ever using fresh peas), zephyr squash (half green and yellow on the same squash), kohlrabi (sliced thinly and hiding under the steak), and vidalia onions (not local yet, and of course fried). The plate was garnished with some local micro arugula pea leaves, which are AMAZINGLY delicious and beautiful.

Wish I had taken a picture of the ribeye. It was encrusted with a mix of peppercorns, coffee beans, rosemary, and parsley – all ground up in the coffee grinder Hubby never uses. Extra crust for Hubby’s Dad. The sauce was a balsamic reduction with black cherries, cherry preserves, red wine, and honey. Mmmmmmm I think it’s the sexiest sauce I’ve made to date.

Last but not least, we had dessert. Sorry guys, I didn’t make the ice cream this time around, but we did stick to local goods. Hubby grilled some super sweet pineapple skewers with just a touch of local honey. We tossed in some blueberries that we picked the day before for some added color. It was a perfect, simple ending.

I think we had people leaving with happy thought bubbles.

Happy Father’s Day!

 Last night we scarfed up omelettes with CSA swiss chard (did you know that’s actually the leafy greens attached to beets?) and an abundance of herbs from our deck pots, plus beet pancakes – thanks for the recipe, Heather and Nate (our lovely CSA owners)!  Here’s a picture that I found online that is more or less what we had.  It looks like a dark red latke.

Tip #1: Make sure you brown the pancake fully so it cooks in the middle.  Ours was deliciously crisp on the outside but a little gummy on the inside.  I probably also mixed the flour in more than I tossed.

Tip #2: Don’t wear your work clothes while grating beets by hand.  Especially if they are nice, white, and silk.  “Honey?  Can I have an apron please?”  “I told you to change your clothes.”  Meh.

This is the first year we’re trying one – we’re actually splitting a half-share with my in-laws since I can’t really eat lettuce (and boy, do you get a lot of it).  We don’t reap enough in our bi-weekly share to feed us for two weeks, so we still do make trips to the farmer’s market.

One of the best things about a CSA – aside from what I’ve already mentioned – is being exposed to new things I’ve never made or eaten before, and being challenged to cook them that week.  For 2 full-time working adults, it’s difficult to think of ways to cook them other than stir-frys on those exhausting weekdays.  Luckily our CSA posts recipe suggestions!

In our first pickup:

• 2 heads of romaine, 1 head butter lettuce, 1 head red lettuce
• 1 lb. salad mix
• Radishes
• Young turnips
• 5 garlic scapes
• Frill (spicy and looks like frisee)
• 1 lb. Mustard greens
• 1 lb. Spinach
• 1 giant head bok choy
• 5 tatsoi

At first glance, I thought I knew what everything was.  But then I realized that I’ve never actually cooked anything before other than the spinach, lettuce, and bok choy!

The most interesting item was the garlic scape.  You actually let garlic keep growing until there is very little bulb and the green shoot gets long and curly.  The taste is somewhere between garlic and scallion.  We tossed it in our veggie sautes and lettuce cups (last post, didn’t include it in the recipe) and it added a nice roundness instead of the sharpness you get from garlic.

Other interesting uses: turnips glazed with butter and ginger ale (an Alton Brown recipe recommended by the CSA), and radishes that I sliced into coins, topped with fresh oregano, and roasted.

Want to find a CSA near you?  http://www.localharvest.org/