Food for Us

Crunchy, Nutty Crab Cake Salad with Freshly Baked Artisan Bread

2011-09-27T23:17:00.006-04:00

Home Grown Yellow Cherry Tomatoes

Back in August, J. D. Smith submitted a poem titled "Pistachios." Ever since, I've been thinking about what I could make using one of my favorite nuts, the pistachio. It's now the end of September, and the weather is holding at around 75 - 80 degrees, so it still feels like summer even though already the leaves have started to change color a bit. My herb garden is overgrown, but my vegetable plants are no longer producing except for the yellow cherry tomato bush that has climbed the fence. I thought I'd make one last summer salad to use up the last of these sweet, juicy gems. But what about the pistachios? I didn't want to just sprinkle them on the salad. That would have been too easy. Instead, I mixed them into my jumbo lump crab cakes and served the cakes on top of a big, beautiful arugula salad.

Five-Minute Artisan Bread

A couple of days before I made the crab cake salad, I saw a recipe on The Splended Table website for Five-Minute Artisan Bread from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois (Thomas Dunner Books, 2007). Copyright 2007 by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. I don't often bake bread, but this recipe seemed so effortless I had to give it a try. I played around with the recipe, substituted a third of the unbleached white flour with whole wheat flour and extended the baking time by about 5 minutes. The beauty of the method is that you can prepare the dough ahead and keep it in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Simply cut off a hunk of dough whenever you want to make freshly baked bread and save the leftover for another day.

Crunchy, Nutty, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

Garden Parsley & Dry-Roasted Pistachios

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. jumbo lump crab meat

1/2 cup peeled & chopped shallots

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup chopped shelled, dry-roasted pistachios

1/2 cup panko or plain bread crumbs

1 tablespoon butter

1 egg

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon sea salt & freshly ground pepper

canola oil for cooking

Ready to Cook Crab Cakes

Melt butter in a small skillet. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. Place jumbo lump crab meat in a medium sized bowl. Add shallots, parsley, pistachios and breadcrumbs. In a separate small bowl, lightly beat the egg then add the mayonnaise and mustard. Stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour onto crab meat and mix gently.

Fill a 1/3 c. dry measuring cup with mixture and carefully form into a plump patty and place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Continue until all of the mixture is formed. You will have 9 or 10 crab cakes. Wrap lightly and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Crunchy, Nutty Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

Cover the bottom of a large flat skillet with canola oil. Heat oil. Place crab cakes in skillet and cook each side until nicely browned. The crab cakes will be somewhat tricky to maneuver, so handle gingerly.

Serve over baby arugula tossed with yellow cherry tomatoes (sliced in half), slivered cucumbers and radishes (or any veggies you wish to use), a little freshly squeezed lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper.

Enjoy the crab cakes, J. D.'s poem and a piece of warm, buttered bread.

Pistachios

Clams of dry land,
suspended mid-gape,
they are, as well, truncated
busts of hatchlings that peep
for an imminent feeding,
and parentheses, poised
to shelter a digression,
which ends

in the closure of hands
that extract the meat,
casting the shells,
light as images,
onto a midden,
into the wind.
               - J. D. Smith, from Settling for Beauty, (Cherry Grove Collections, 2005)

SHOUT OUT: Debbie and Mark Becker, owners of Barista's Coffee House in Galloway, NJ make a perfect cup of cappuccino!

I had some dreams,
they were clouds in my coffee.
~ Carly Simon

Peach Season

2011-09-05T12:46:00.009-04:00

Jersey Peaches

Summer is nearing its end, but, luckily for us, Jersey peaches are still abundant. The new featured poem, Prunis Persica by Diane Lockward (see Diane's poem at the bottom of this post), inspired me to share one of my favorite dessert recipes: grilled Grand Marnier peaches. It's a simple preparation that can be done in minutes. I had planned to serve it with the Sunday Labor Day weekend supper I would make for my family, but when I went to Reed's Farm Market in Egg Harbor Township to pick up a few last-minute things, I couldn't resist buying a freshly baked blueberry-peach pie. Hm-m-m. Which dessert should we have? Both, of course. A la mode.

Radishes from B. F. Mazzeo

The entire meal was easy to fix. I created the menu as I perused the aisles at B. F. Mazzeo Fruit & Produce, one of the best stores in Northfield for produce and other specialty items. A huge bunch of beautiful whole radishes said, "buy me!" and I started there, purchased my salad ingredients, asparagus and corn. Then I went to Bob's Seafood Market (also in Northfield) for some jumbo shrimp. My meal was ready to prepare.

When I got home, I saw that I had an eggplant and a small block of feta cheese in the fridge, so I decided to make an appetizer that I could do ahead of time and leave at room temperature until my family arrived. Grilled Eggplant with Feta & Basil was a popular Nina & Company hors d'oeuvre that we served at parties during cocktail hour. It's especially nice with Greek food.

The Appetizer - Grilled Eggplant with Feta & Basil

Wash and dry a med-large eggplant. Cut off ends and discard them, then slice it into 1/4 inch rounds (yields about 14 or so pieces). Brush both sides of sliced eggplant with olive oil and grill. Let cool to room temperature. In the meantime, cut feta cheese into 1/4 inch slivers, and shred or cut fresh basil leaves into thin strips.

Sprinkle eggplant with basil & feta

Place each piece of grilled eggplant on a flat surface. Sprinkle with a few shreds of basil, and place one piece of feta at the edge.

Serve at room temperature

Roll gently and place on serving dish. After all pieces are done, drizzle sparingly with balsamic vinegar. Garnish with a cluster of basil. This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight, but bring it to room temperature before serving.

The Salad

Radishes and Bell peppers add color!

For this one I used spring mix, romaine, cherry tomatoes, a cucumber from my garden, a yellow and a purple Bell pepper and those gorgeous radishes! I made a simple vinaigrette with white balsamic vinegar, a combination of evoo (extra virgin olive oil) and organic canola oil, chopped fresh tarragon, sea salt and ground pepper.

The Main Course - Grilled Curry-Marinated Shrimp

Curry-marinated shrimp

Remove shells and veins from jumbo shrimp (figure 4 - 5 per person) but leave the tails on. Rinse and pat dry. Make a marinade using 1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil (enough to coat shrimp), fresh lemon-thyme, chopped parsley, a dash of dried, crushed chili pepper (or more than a dash for added fire), 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of a good quality curry powder (if the curry powder in your spice cabinet is old, toss it and buy more), course sea salt & black pepper to taste. If you love garlic, don't hesitate to add a couple of cloves, crushed or minced. Whisk ingredients until blended. Marinate the shrimp for at least 1 hour, preferably a minimum of 3 hours or more.

Spray grill with non-stick grilling spray. Preheat grill to medium temperature. Carefully place the shrimp on the grate and cook them for 2-3 minutes each side at the most. They will turn pink when done. Do not overcook.

Grilled curried shrimp dinner

Serve with side dishes of your choice.
For this meal I used grilled asparagus
and steamed white Jersey corn.

A recipe has no soul.
You, as the cook, must bring
soul to the recipe.

~Thomas Keller, The French Laundry

The Dessert - Grilled Jersey Peaches

Grilled and ready to serve

Wash and dry 2 ripe (but not overly so) peaches (use 2 for 4 servings, 3 for 6 servings, etc.) then cut them in half. Carefully remove the pits. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Add 1 & 1/2 ounces Grand Marnier, whisk and simmer. Finish with a smidgeon of course sea salt (I like to use Himalayan pink for this). Brush all sides of peaches with mixture (continue to simmer extra butter sauce on low). Grill peaches at medium temperature until nicely browned but still firm. Remove from heat and slice. Serve with vanilla ice cream drizzled with the warm butter sauce.

The Pie

Blueberry peach pie

Homemade pies are available at Reed's Farm Market during the summer through Labor Day weekend. Remember this for next season. They're packed with fruit and not overly sweet. Delicious!

You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.

~ Julia Child

Prunis Persica

Peach whose perfume seduces,
leaves me sticky-fingered,

foraging like a bee into the heart,
where the flesh parts from the pit,

where the promise of peach resides,

my tongue coated with nectar of peach

in this summer lush with peach—

Autumnglo poached from the orchard,

Redhaven naked and eaten whole,

Elegant Lady sun-ripened and slurped—

fragrance of peach on my skin,

peach and poacher meshed,

face flushed with indulgence of peach,

blushed all winter in memory of peach.

- Diane Lockward, from Temptation by Water (Wind Publications, 2010)

Hear Julie L. Moore read Diane's poem for Conrad's Corner on WYSO Radio in Ohio. Click play on the media player below.

Lemon-Thyme Rubbed Rotisserie Chicken with Colorful Green Bean Salad and Roasted Potatoes

2011-08-06T08:31:00.007-04:00

Lemon-Thyme Rubbed Rotisserie Chicken

One day last week, I had been thinking about rotisserie chicken all day long. You know how it is sometimes when you imagine something you want to eat, and you can't get it out of your head. So, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up a small chicken (about a pound and a half) then went to Reed's Farm Market (Egg Harbor Township, NJ) to peruse the produce. I bought some green beans and grape tomatoes to supplement ingredients I already had in my refrigerator at home. The meal I made is simple, easy to prepare, and, really, no matter what you do to vary it, you can't go wrong.

The Marinade

Fresh Lemon-Thyme & Chopped Chives

Snip some chives and lemon thyme leaves from your garden (or purchase them at the market). Chop the herbs and toss them into a bowl with evoo (extra virgin olive oil), sea salt, freshly ground pepper to taste and a pinch of crushed hot red pepper. Whisk to blend.

** For this recipe I used a new citrus salt I recently bought at

The Cooks Corner in Smithville, NJ.

The Chicken

Herb Marinated Chicken Ready to Roast

Rinse a whole chicken and pat dry. Carefully separate the breast skin from the flesh and rub some fresh herbed olive oil underneath the skin then coat the entire chicken with the marinade (this can be done several to 24-hours ahead). Stuff the cavity with half a medium-sized onion. Tie the legs and wings securely with string and fasten chicken to rotisserie skewer. Place chicken in rotisserie set on high for approx. 1 hour or until internal temperature in the thigh reaches 165 degrees. When done, the skin will be nicely browned, and your kitchen will smell wonderful.

The Potatoes

Oven Ready Potatoes & Garlic

In the meantime cut up red-skinned potatoes or any variety you have on hand. Yukon golds and sweet potatoes mixed together make a great combination. Peel several cloves of garlic and place them in a baking dish with the potatoes. Sprinkle and toss with evoo. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a smidgen of minced rosemary (if desired). Roast at 400 degrees until lightly browned and tender.

The Salad

Colorful Green Bean Salad with Fresh Basil

Trim and steam green beans until cooked al dente. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry. Place them in a mixing bowl and add halved red grape tomatoes and yellow cherry tomatoes (or any other kinds of tomatoes), sliced red bermuda onion and slivered fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with white balsamic or red wine vinegar and evoo. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve.

The Supper

Rotisserie Chicken with Colorful Green Bean Salad & Roasted Potatoes

A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe.

~Thomas Keller

The French Laundry

Funny Thought

I've got five kinds of apples
to choose from.
Three kinds of caramel squares
for melting and dipping
the apples into.
Spoiled brat.
I've got white corn, yellow corn, whole
kernel, creamed, canned,
frozen corn. And popcorn.
Ice cream. 54 flavors.
Leftovers. Ten kinds
and four different sizes
of trash cans
in four basic color combinations
for throwing excess away in
on sale now.
I've got variation. The latest
discovery sweeping the nation,
the color coordinates,
the watermelon lotion
the smell of Autumn
in a jar.
Now there's a funny
thing to think. This might be
heaven I'm in. You too.
A bottle of wine.
Three pounds of meat. Two
pounds of vegetables for stew.

- MaryLisa DeDomenicis

SHOUT OUT:

Had a marvelous dinner at FORK in Philadelphia. The food and service were outstanding!

Lobster & Fresh Lima Bean Salad with Herb Vinaigrette

2011-07-26T07:14:00.004-04:00

I decided to start this blog after I stopped by Reed's Farm Market in Egg Harbor Township, NJ this past weekend. I go to Reed's often in the summertime to buy Jersey produce. They are known for great tomatoes and sweet white corn among other wonderful vegetables and fruits.

As I pulled up, I saw a sign that lured me: Live Lobster. Mike, the proprietor of the lobster stand, steamed an almost 2 lb. lobster for me, then wrapped it tightly in foil and stuffed it in a plastic bag with a nut cracker, so I could easily pull the tender lobster meat from the shell when I was ready to use it.

I also picked up some fresh lima beans. I've never come across a recipe for lobster & lima been salad, so I decided to give it a try, because it seemed like it might be a good combination. This is what I came up with (I didn't measure ingredients, so if you try this, you'll have to use your own taste and judgement for amounts).

chopped chives & tarragon

Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

Snip and chop some fresh assorted herbs from your garden (or buy them). For this recipe, I used chives and tarragon.

Put them in a small mixing bowl along with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Add white balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar) and whisk. While stirring, slowly add equal amounts of extra virgin olive oil and canola oil. Season further to taste if necessary.

Himalayan pink sea salt


whisk while adding oil

To make the salad:

Shell and steam the lima beans and let cool. Cut chilled lobster claw and tail meat into bite-sized pieces. Gently mix lobster and limas together in a bowl. Add chopped yellow peppers and slivered grape tomatoes (or any other colorful vegetables you choose). Toss with vinaigrette and serve.

Lobster & Lima Bean Salad with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette