AUTHOR: Julia
TITLE: Summer Trilogy
DATE: 8/11/2009 04:27:00 PM
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BODY:
One of the best parts of summer (right behind the Crane's Beach and fried clams on the Essex River) is all the fresh produce available at farmers' markets and from my garden. I could subsist on tomatoes, corn and fresh herbs.
The garden tomatoes are still producing (and as I back-up, the farmers' at the weekly markets still have field tomatoes). My romas are a bit mealy -- is it the variety or all the rain we've had this summer? Whatever the reason, they are better for cooking anyway. And the cooking changes the texture so that mealiness disappears. I slow roast them in the style of Fred Flintstone tomato sauce.
Grilled corn is wonderful, but I also like it sauteed in butter with a touch of cream and a pinch of curry powder.
And to make the trilogy pop with color, I saute zucchini with fresh mint.
In the summertime, my cooking simplifies. While baked salmon doesn't have the crispy brown skin that's only achieved from sauteing, it's so much easier. I cover the fillets with fresh basil and tarragon, and layer lemon slices on top. The flavor is wonderful, the fish is moist and delicate and the presentation's okay too.
Roasted Salmon with Creamed Corn, Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini
6 - 8 oz. filets of salmon, skin on 3 ears of corn, kernels cut off 1 tbs. butter 5 shallots, diced 5 cloves garlic, diced 1 clove garlic, sliced 1/2 cup cream 1/2 tsp. curry powder 4 roma tomatoes, cut in half 2 tbs. olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chiffonade 1 tsp. fresh thyme 1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut into 1/2 inch slices 1 tablespoon fresh mint 2 lemons: 1 juiced, 1 sliced thinly 1 fistful of fresh basil and tarragon plain oil salt and pepper to taste
1. Toss tomatoes with 1 tbs. olive oil, thyme, 1 tbs. chopped shallots and 1 tsp. garlic. Roast in 450F oven, until tomatoes begin to brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with fresh basil.
4. Melt butter in a skillet. Add corn, 1 tbs. chopped shallots and 1 tsp. garlic. Cook until garlic and corn begin to brown. Add curry powder and cook for 1 minute more. Add cream, and cook for 5 minutes, or until cream is reduced by 1/2. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
5. In a skillet, heat remaining oil on high heat. Add zucchini and garlic slices. Cook until the zucchini turns bright green and the garlic browns. Season to taste with mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
6. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Cover the fillets with fresh herbs and layer lemon slices on top. Roast in 375 oven for 10 minutes, or until cooked to desired doneness. Garnish with corn, tomatoes and zucchini.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types
DATE:8/11/2009 05:23:00 PM
Individual vegetables are even better as a trilogy! What a great combination! I'm going to be so sad when winter arrives ...
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Anonymous
DATE:8/11/2009 09:47:00 PM
This is the kind of summer cooking I love -- simple, clean flavors, taking advantage of what's at hand. Lovely color combination, too.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Unknown
DATE:8/11/2009 10:10:00 PM
You are so lucky to even have tomatoes...I am having a very hard time finding farmer's markets that have not been hit by blight.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Reeni
DATE:8/12/2009 08:31:00 PM
This doesn't sound simple with its wonderful flavors!! How delicious!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Julia
DATE:8/13/2009 08:21:00 AM
T.W. -- me too! I'm frantically preserving everything I can to carry me through.
Lydia -- Summer has such a vibrant palate, doesn't it?
Karen -- The conventional growers may still have tomatoes since they can use pesticides...
Reeni -- It only looks complicated. It really is straightforward.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Callie Durbrow
DATE:8/13/2009 11:00:00 AM
Summer cooking is so much more fresh and often healthier! Grilling all meats and cooking up fresh veggies and salads is the best.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Juliana
DATE:8/13/2009 06:09:00 PM
Yummie! Love salmon, the one that you feature looks really good with all the goodies in it.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:giz
DATE:8/13/2009 10:58:00 PM
I love the basil/tarragon combination in fistfuls. I'm always amazed at how versatile salmon really is.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Julia
DATE:8/14/2009 09:42:00 AM
Callie -- It really is! I tend to much more vegetables.
Juliana -- it's fun to play around with the different color combinations too.
giz -- if you ask me, salmon is the real chicken of the sea. :)
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AUTHOR: Julia
TITLE: Herbalicious
DATE: 6/16/2009 08:31:00 AM
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BODY:
I favor the soft herbs --- tarragon, basil, chervil, chives. On the other end of the spectrum – rosemary, sage, and oregano – the flavors tend to overpower. Too often, cooks have a heavy hand with the hard herbs, and ruin an otherwise good dish.
But back to the soft herbs… They can be mixed with lettuces for a salad or blended together for my cherished dreamy green goddess. Or, mixed with soft butter to make a compound butter.
Compound butter is versatile. I rub a few tablespoons under the skin of chicken breasts before roasting Or finish a tomato sauce with the butter for salmon. Or toss steamed asparagus in it.
Herb Butter 1 tbs. fresh tarragon 1 tbs. fresh chives or scallions 1 tbs. fresh parsley or chervil 1 tbs. fresh basil 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds 1 stick butter salt and pepper to taste
1. Chop herbs and spices. Mix with butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Lori Lynn
DATE:6/16/2009 12:36:00 PM
I especially like the fennel seed in the mix, adds another dimension to your herb butter, no? LL
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types
DATE:6/17/2009 05:07:00 PM
There is something about the creaminess of butter and a combination of herbs that is so good. Even better when they are fresh from the garden.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Melissa
DATE:6/17/2009 06:28:00 PM
YES! I just discovered herb butter this spring. Delicious. And I prefer the same herbs you do, for sure. I just started using tarragon in earnest a few months ago and I think it might be my favorite.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)
DATE:6/18/2009 10:50:00 AM
I'm growing all of your "soft" herbs in my garden. Now, if the sun ever decides to shine, I'll be able to harvest for some of this lovely compound butter.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Julia
DATE:6/18/2009 11:00:00 AM
LL -- the fennel brightens the licorice flavors in the herbs.
T.W. -- Indeed! It's nice to have all the ingredients in my outdoor "pantry"
Melissa -- Yes, I recall the chicken and leek dish really shined with the tarragon.
Lydia -- I'm trying the power of positive thinking: "the sun will shine, the sun will shine"
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AUTHOR: Julia
TITLE: CSA Cookbooks (Recipe: Pesto Pasta with Seared Scallops)
DATE: 6/09/2009 09:48:00 AM
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BODY:
Many CSAs are starting up this week with their first deliveries. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It’s a concept that has increased in popularity over the past few years as more consumers become concerned about their food sources.
So what is a CSA? Farmers sell subscriptions or shares of their farms crop to the public. In exchange, the consumer gets a weekly box (bag, basket) of farm-fresh produce throughout the growing season. By purchasing a share, the farmer gets paid in front of the growing season when cash-flow is tight. He also knows that he has a committed marketplace to bring his produce. The consumer gets the freshest produce possible and supports the local economy and farmers. The added benefit for the consumer is getting in touch with where their food comes from. Typical CSA subscriptions run for 15 weeks throughout the summer and cost around $400 for a share. The produce in the box varies from week to week, depending on what the farm is harvesting. In New England, early weeks’ boxes include leafy greens, peas, strawberries and radishes. Later in the summer come zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers and corn. Subscribers can expect 6-8 different vegetables each week. Some farms offer winter subscriptions, too. Here in New England, we have meat CSAs and fish CSAs too.
For all the great benefits of CSAs, there’s one inherent drawback that most advocates gloss over…the consumer often gets vegetables they have no idea how to cook (kohlrabi, anyone?) or too much of something they know how to cook only one or two ways (Swiss Chard). The farmer is too busy harvesting (and truthfully, doesn’t particularly like the regular communications with the subscribers) to share new recipes or cooking tips. To alleviate this challenge, my dear friend Brett and I started a venture to create custom cookbooks for small farms. The farmer sends us a list of the crops he’s growing for the season and in return gets a cookbook full of recipes written especially for his crops, as well as storage and cooking tips. We recommend that the farmer build the cost of the cookbook into the price of the CSA and give to the subscribers as part of the package.
Throughout the season, I will be featuring recipes from the book we wrote for Even’ Star Organic Farm. If you have challenges coming up with recipes for your CSA subscription, email me at julia [at] CSAcookbooks [dot] com, and I will post recipes just for you.
And if you belong to a CSA, tell your farmer about CSA Cookbooks. For more information about CSAs or to find a CSA in your area, visit LocalHarvest.
Basil Pesto First of the season basil is lighter and softer in flavor than the later cuttings. Pesto is a great way to use up vast quantities of basil, and freezes superbly. Tossed with pasta and served with seared scallops, it’s a great summer dinner. ¼ c olive oil 8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped ½ t salt ¼ t black pepper ¼ c white wine ¼ c almonds or pine nuts, toasted and then cooled about 4 c basil leaves (Genoa type) at least ½ c more olive oil or vegetable oil ¼ c grated Romano cheese more salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the garlic in the ¼ c olive oil until soft but not very brown. Immediately add the next three ingredients and simmer until the wine volume has reduced by one half. Let cool.
Process all this in a Cuisinart until the garlic is fully pureed. Add the nuts and process until nearly smooth. Add the basil and PLENTY OF OLIVE OR VEG. OIL. Process further, until the basil is just barely smooth (no leaf pieces bigger than 1/8”), always adding more oil if the surface of the basil appears exposed to air. Add the cheese and process 15 seconds more. Taste for salt and pepper.
Place in a Tupperware or a glass jar and immediately be sure that there is at least ¼” oil floating over the basil.
Keeps 6 weeks in the ‘fridge or 2 years in a freezer.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Katie
DATE:6/09/2009 11:18:00 AM
My CSA starts next week, and I can't wait!! I love having to find ways to cook new veggies and having new food experiences (but I may be asking you for a few ideas as the summer goes along).
I'm very excited to make pesto with my basil, and it sounds great with seared scallops!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:noble pig
DATE:6/09/2009 09:14:00 PM
Seriously that is a brilliant idea. I haven't done a CSA yet but want to and worried about recipes. Good work my friend.
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AUTHOR: Julia
TITLE: All Purpose Summer
DATE: 8/04/2008 09:20:00 AM
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BODY:
I always have a stash of Green Goddess in the fridge. It’s a terrific, all-purpose summer (and really, anytime) condiment:
- a salad dressing with cherry tomatoes, romaine and cucumbers - a sauce for grilled salmon. - A sauce for grilled steak - With corn cakes, cherry tomatoes and soft shell crabs. - A dressing for pasta salad with lobster and corn. - A dip for crudités - Instead of ketchup for hamburgers - A dressing for Cobb salad with bacon, avocadoes, grilled chicken and lettuce. - A spread for smoked salmon canapés.
Now that my garden is in full force, I have plenty of parsley, tarragon and scallions. If I had lettuces, I would add arugula or spinach, too.
>Dreamy Green Goddess 1 tbs. capers 1 cup spinach or arugula, washed and picked over 2 bunches scallions, washed, slice green only in 1/2 inch lengths 1 bunch flat parsley, washed, leaves picked from the stem 1 bunch tarragon leaves picked from the stem 1/2 cup sour cream 2 cup mayonnaise 2 tbs. white wine vinegar 2 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
1. Puree capers, spinach, scallions, herbs, and sour cream in a food processor 2. Fold in mayonnaise, and season with vinegar, salt and pepper
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)
DATE:8/05/2008 06:08:00 AM
I know it's not quite the same, but because I don't eat raw onions, I always either saute the scallions or (gasp!) leave them out. This is a great all-purpose dressing for all those summer vegetable salads.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:Julia
DATE:8/05/2008 08:24:00 AM
Lydia, I don't like raw onions either, but scallions don't seem to bother me. To me, the tarragon is the essential part.
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T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types
DATE:8/11/2009 05:23:00 PM
Individual vegetables are even better as a trilogy! What a great combination! I'm going to be so sad when winter arrives ...
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:
DATE:8/11/2009 09:47:00 PM
This is the kind of summer cooking I love -- simple, clean flavors, taking advantage of what's at hand. Lovely color combination, too.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR:
Many CSAs are starting up this week with their first deliveries. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It’s a concept that has increased in popularity over the past few years as more consumers become concerned about their food sources.
