Salmon with St. Agur

My Mom, Marianne, likes to say she could eat salmon 5 days a week. And while that might prove to be a bit much even for me, perhaps it’s our Scandinavian genes making themselves heard. 

Nothing is so sad as dry, poorly cooked fish and salmon can be both of those on a bad day. Done right, however, it is a most sensual of fishes: soft, moist and silky, fatty yet gently so in a mild way as opposed to say bluefish or mackerel. Both I, and my boys, love it raw in sushi or as salmon tartar, seared, smoked, salt & sugar cured as we do in Sweden, or fully cooked.

Over the years I’ve tried a few different coatings and cooking techniques that allow the full, moist flavor of the fish to develop. So, in this quest I came up with this one a while back after finding a spreadable blue cheese I’d never seen before. I know that there are those who balk at the idea of cheese and seafood together, but I promise this really works, The distinct salmon flavor plays well off the tang of the cheese. On my last trip to Sweden I was in fact served salmon with chevre hiding in a little pocket inside the filet.  

This recipe requires a minimum number of ingredients and cooks well either on the grill, in the oven, or even stove top in a frying pan. I chose to use my grill. 

Salmon with St. Agur

1 salmon filet (approx.1/3 lb per person)

St Agur cheese (substitute goat cheese if you cannot find it)

Coarsely crushed black pepper

Olive oil

Place salmon skin-side down on an oiled piece of oven foil. Using a spatula or broad flexible knife smear salmon liberally with cheese. Sprinkle with pepper. Place on grill and cook about 10-12 minutes with the lid closed to help distribute the heat. Check for doneness by gently inserting a knife and pushing to the side. You can cook it all the way through, or, as I did leave it a bit raw in the middle.

While the fish was on the grill I made a salad of baby spinach leaves, yellow cherry tomatoes, and crumbled some regular blue cheese on top to tie into the flavor of the fish dish. A tiny dash of salt (because cheeses can be quite salty), pepper, a splash of vinegar and drizzle of olive oil completed the greens.

 

In less than 15 minutes we sat down to eat. Leftovers, what leftovers?

Soba with Asparagus--and the benefits of buckwheat

 The other night it was just me and my oldest man child Max--who has sworn off meat--around for dinner. But, it was a typical hot and muggy July evening, putting me in no mood to labor over a hot stove. And seeing as how I’ve gotten a few requests lately for more vegetarian creations this dish was born.

First a few words on soba noodles. Their dark color comes from the buckwheat flour used to make them. What’s really fascinating about their history is how they gained popularity during the Edo period of Japan when it was discovered that they helped stave off the dreaded neural affliction beri beri. The wealthier portion of the population made polished white rice, which is stripped of most of its nutrients, a staple of their diet. The well-to-do white rice eaters became ill in droves while the poor rural people who ate less refined items, like soba, did not. It turns out that buckwheat is rich in the B-vitamin thiamine which is critical for maintaining neural health.  Even if the actual link to thiamine wasn't understood until much later local soba shops began popping up throughout the neighborhoods of Tokyo.

OK, enough culinary history and on to the recipe...

 Soba can be eaten hot or cold. For many years it was a staple breakfast dish for my boys who liked to start the day off in a savory mode. For this dinner I chose to keep them hot.

Soba noodles with asparagus

Serves 2

1 bundle fresh green asparagus

2-3 scallions, green parts removed, sliced

2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped ginger

2-3 tablespoons sesame terikyaki sauce

2 bundles of soba noodles 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Bring water to a boil.

Meanwhile, cut asparagus into ½ inch pieces on a diagonal.

Add oil to a pan, heat top medium, add asparagus.

After 2-3 minutes add scallions and ginger, sauté another 3 minutes until cooked but still crunchy, pull off heat

Cook soba noodles 7-8 minutes , they should still be a dente. The best way to test for doneness is to pull a noodle out and chew on it. Strain the noodles and add to sauté pan, mix well, add teriyaki sauce to coat, and that's it. Simple, fast, inexpensive, nutritious and delicious.

To add a protein I would suggest strips of cooked chicken or shrimp. Or to keep it vegetarian: cubes of firm tofu.

Camilla's Beet Pie and Love

 

During those final tumultuous years of marriage my two main sources of solace and support, the things that kept me sane and grounded, were my family and friends...and food. The loving support part is probably obvious, perhaps not so the food. But to me food is love, and love is food. So, I tried to never lose sight of the pleasure to be found in its beauty and the simple acts of preparing, serving and sharing sustenance with those who hold my heart. 

My annual summer treks to Sweden gave, and still do give me, both: unconditional love and the familiar flavors of childhood, but also tantalizing new recipes served up by someone else. Thus begins the tale of Camilla's beet pie. My nephew Leif and his family live an hour south of Stockholm. Once you've left the big highway the last few kilometers of driving takes you down a gravel road, right through the literal middle of a red painted farm with the farmhouse on one side, the barn on the other. After you've dodged the chickens and Vivi the pony who insists on standing in the middle of the road, you arrive at their sweet little house.

We'd been invited down for swimming and this is what darling Camilla made for lunch, and taught me to make. Some people say beets taste like dirt, and perhaps they do. But, being of the geological bent maybe that's why I find them so tasty. Good dirt. Eaten under the dappled shade of ancient lichen-crusted apple trees.

 

I also learned a few things about this recipe this time around:  white and chioggia beets are so sweet and mild flavored that they got a bit lost in the flavors, and really I missed the bright crimson of Camilla's version. A few tweaks that did work though were adding feta (her original recipe calls for only parmesan), and shallots. Goat cheese might work well too....next time.

The Crust

 Preheat oven to 400 F

3 deciliters regular flour

150 grams very cold salted butter

2 tablespoons ice water

The easiest way to make the crust is to add the flour and butter cut up in little pieces to a food processor. Pulse until oatmeal-like in texture, add the water and form the dough. Avoid working it too much or it will become chewy. It's fine if it has little chunks of butter visible. If you don't have a processo,r use a couple of dinner knives to distribute the butter in the flour and then work it with your hands.

Press dough into pie form and pre-bake for 15 minutes at 400 F.

 Beet Filling

5-6 two inch beets, grated

1 shallot, grated

4 tablespoons of feta, crumbled

1/4 cup parmesan, grated

A sprinkle of Herbamare herb salt & pepper

Mix everything but the Parmesan in a bowl, then put it into the crust. Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake for about 30 minutes at 375 F. That's a  bronze fennel frond from my garden on top. I find this pie tastiest served warm, but cold left overs weren't at all bad as Monday's lunch.

Kohlrabi Puré

This is a kohlrabi. 

http://sweetwater-organic.org/veggies/kohlrabi/

Up until last year I had nary a clue what to do with these oddly shaped bulbs.  I knew them to be members of the cabbage family, and that was about it. But, one day a friend served it at a dinner party, and it was like nothing I had ever tasted. So the next time at the farmer's market I bravely bought one, went home and googled it (I'm still not quite used to that being a verb) and found a recipe that seemed similar to what I had eaten. There has been no going back since. Now I give off a cry of delight when I spot these sweet little knobs. And here is an additional bonus: it turns out that one serving gives you 90% of your daily vitamin C requirement...who knew? All the more reason to love them. Look for 2-3 inch diameter young bulbs when buying.

This makes a lovely, silken side dish. The delicate, slightly crunchy kohlrabi plays so well off the mushrooms, which in turn provide a slight meatiness to the dish. And finally, the splash of cream rounds it all out to an ethereal creamy texture. This is not a fussy recipe so you can play around with the amounts of mushrooms and onions to your heart's delight.

Kohlrabi and Portobello Puré 

(I know, I know, it's not pretty, but it is yummy)

2-3 knobs kohlrabi

Do not peel, cube and boil in lightly salted water until just tender (10-15 minutes). Drain and set aside.

6-8 portobello mushrooms, diced

1/2 large onion, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, diced

3 tablespoons heavy cream

salt & pepper

Heat a small pan, add olive oil or butter and cook the mushroom-onion mix until clear and soft. Do not allow to brown.

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor (or blender) and process to a fine puré. Adjust the seasoning, add more cream if needed. Serve warm. It goes very well with all meats, white fishes and chicken. We just had it with salmon which was ok, but perhaps not the ideal pairing. Salmon is tricky that way.

Raw Kale Salad from Food52

My favorite food blog Food52 posted a recipe for a raw kale salad the other day and I have to share it with you. So, please note that this is neither my recipe nor photo. I did tweak the recipe a bit, using lacinato kale, skipped the red cabbage, and added in some thinly sliced shallots and celery as a substitute for crunch. I was really intrigued by the concept of massaging salt and dressing into the kale to wilt it, and indeed it really works. This is a perfect summer salad.

Serves 4-6

2 bunches Curly kale, center ribs and stems removed, washed, dried, and chopped finely
1/4 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup Apricot preserves
1 1/2 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
1 pinch Black pepper
1 cup Puy or beluga lentils, (substitute brown lentils if they’re what you have), rinsed and picked over
1 cup Red cabbage, shredded

1. Whisk together olive oil, apricot preserves, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper.
   
2. Turn kale into a large mixing bowl, and massage 6 T of the dressing into the salad. You’ll need enough dressing for the salad to be well coated and start taking on a “wilted” texture. Set aside.
   
3. Place lentils in a small saucepan with enough water to cover them by 3-4 inches (approximately 2 1/2 cups). Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat, add a pinch of salt, and let the lentils simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but not mushy.
   
4. Allow lentils to cool slightly and add them, along with the cabbage, to the kale, and add another 2 T vinaigrette. Use hands to combine. Add extra dressing as needed, and season to taste.

Farmer's Market Bounty

This is my favorite time of year in terms of hunting-and-gathering. My local farmer's market is now in full swing and enough of the growing season has passed that they are, in fact, selling locally grown produce. The market, which transforms the M&T bank's parking lot into a bustling, burst of color and smells, starts off a bit sadly in early May with boxes of trucked in fruits and greens. Surely that defies the entire purpose of a local market? 

Up until last weekend I've been traveling and busy and the Sundays have slipped by.  Now the market has the real stuff, the good stuff, the things that make me feel like a kid in a candy store. So I finally get to dig out my cloth tote bags, stroll down the sun-warmed sidewalk into town to see what they have to offer. 

I duck in under the white-beige tents into piles and piles of leafy greens of delicate chartreuse and darkest blue greens...kales, chards, lettuces, spinach, harbs...where to begin...and where to stop? Before coming here my one stop was at the ATM, and I have a budget to stick to, but how can buying vegetables ever be the wrong thing to do?

Quickly my arms are burdened by gritty carrots, beets and salad greens, forcing me to stop and unload on the little wooden table by the register so I can double back and gather more.

As I shop I play food pairing games in my head...the kale will go with lentils and grilled shrimp, parsley becomes a foil to the soft sweetness of eggplant and delicate ricotta, crunchy carrots are destined to add texture to my lunch salads, their sugary flavor playing off the peppery hit of arugula. And there are real treasures to be found, never before have I seen white beets, and next to them organically grown Chioggias with their gorgeous striped interiors! Both the white and red beets have luscious leafy tops to be gently wilted in olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Not only will this be very tasty week for me and my boys, but our bodies will be chock-a-block full of vitamins and minerals.

I round off my purchase with bunches of both Thumbelina and purple carrots, a box of impossibly red and sweet strawberries, a loaf of crusty peasant bread, and joy-of-all-joys: hand made sheep's milk ricotta...so pale and silky soft.

Many meals will come out of this bounty, but I will share 2 quick recipes using the cheese:

Eggplant Dip with Garlic and Ricotta

This one was inspired by a friend of a friend who served this at her art opening recently.

It's not a very pretty item, hence no sexy food picture

• 1 large eggplant
• 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4-5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• salt & pepper
• parsley

Split the eggplant in half, grill or oven roast it until it is soft and mushy, approximately 20 minutes. 

Set aside to cool a little.

Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a pan and gently fry garlic until just a little golden on the edges.

Scrape out the eggplant into the pan and let it cook for a few minutes to meld with the garlic.

Transfer the mix into a food processer and pulse until smooth.

In a large mixing bowl, add eggplant mixture, chopped parsley, ricotta, salt and pepper. Mix  until well-blended and adjust seasoning. Serve with bread or as a side dish. I also tried substituting goat cheese once but I got a grainy result. I'll have to test that one again as the flavor was fantastic but the texture not. I'm wondering if the eggplant was too hot and the chevre curdled.....live and cook and learn

Whilst grilling the eggplant my youngest came tearing through the yard all sweaty and hungry after hours on his skateboard.  He needed a quick snack, so I made this for him.

Strawberries with Ricotta and Balsamic Vinegar

 Slice up strawberries, add dollops of ricotta, a tiny dash of salt for brightness and drizzle with balsamic.

 In less than 30 seconds it was gone, as was he. Left behind: an empty bowl and the fading sound of skateboard wheels clattering on asphalt as he disappeared into the balmy evening. Happy kid, happy Mom.

Tacos de Pollo

Often as the day moves on towards afternoon my mind wanders to the inevitable thoughts of what to cook for my brood.  Mind you, these are almost always pleasant thoughts. Some days I have such a clear plan of attack, at times even laid out days in advance. And, well, there are others when I've much less of a clue and mild panic starts to build. Add to that some of late-in-the-day appointments and several days of non-grocery shopping and I was at a bit of a loss.

A couple of the staples I try to keep on hand are chicken and tortillas, two things you really can't go wrong with. The chicken freezes beautifully, defrosts in a snap, and tortillas keep for a long, long time in the fridge. So right there you have a protein and a carbohydrate. But, they call out for veggies and other treats to brighten the flavor and make a complete dish.

I'm blessed to have a local Hispanic grocery store close by. The front of La Bamba in Sparkill is a tiny, tidy well-supplied grocery while tucked in the back is an equally excellent and equally small restaurant. (Some day I will do a write up of their food, including the scrumptious tongue tacos). I love their  produce selection,  and not once have I gotten anything but a perfectly ripe avocado off the shelf.

Adolfo Godinez, owner of La Bamba restaurant and grocery store (Tania Savayan / The Journal News )

In less than 5 minutes I was back in the trusty Volvo with a bag full of goodies: tomatoes, a red onion, avocados, jalapenos, cilantro, limes, crema, and queso fresco (a fresh, mild farmer's cheese).

Years of experimenting have led me to the conclusion that boneless, skinless thighs are the only chicken cut to buy. The pieces cook up moist and tender, lend themselves to all sorts of dishes and spicings. I've completely abandoned chicken breasts after all too many sad, cardboard-like creations.

Mixing together a dry rub of salt, cumin, medium hot chili powder, smoked paprika, marjoram and black pepper I patted it onto the chicken. While the poultry cooked on the grill I put together a basic guacamole using:

avocados

tomatoes

onion

jalapeno

cumin

oregano

salt

fresh lime juice

and a little fresh tomato salsa  made of tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, salt,  and a tiny pinch of sugar.

By this time it was getting dark, so rather than stumble about outside at the grill I crisped up the tortillas laying them right over the gas flame of my stove. You have to move fast though, or they will easily burn. With the smell of toasted corn meal wafting through the kitchen I shredded the chicken on top of the tortillas added guacamole, salsa, then a dollop of crema and some crumbled queso fresco...done!!!!