Long Beans '18

We are having a bumper crop of long beans or yard beans. They are also known as Chinese long beans, snake beans or asparagus beans. They are usually used in Chinese, Indian, and Caribbean cuisines. They grow easily but should be picked while young when they are crisp, sweet, and tender. Young beans develop within sixty days of cultivation, and the long pods grow in pairs from the stem. Known for their extraordinary length, the beans can grow up to thirty inches but should be harvested between twelve and eighteen inches. The flavor of long beans is grassy and slightly sweet with a more intense bean flavor than traditional green beans.

Long beans are rich in Vitamin A, C, fiber, protein, magnesium, thiamine, potassium and iron. They can be preserved or pickled and are great with soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.

I have been doing the recipe below for years using long beans, sausage or chicken, olives, ginger, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar. We had it for three nights this week it is so good. Another recipe I tried was long beans with peanuts, shallots, and soy sauce. Also good. My husband is fond of savory peanut dishes. You can always substitute green beans for the long beans but the flavor is not quite the same. You can find these beans in Oriental food stores and sometimes at the local farmer’s markets. Or grow them (with support) as they are easy. If you are saving seed, long beans are related to field peas, not green or pole beans.

 

From ‘Saveur’ Magazine

This recipe was published in 2008 and again in 2016 but it is so good you must try it.

Serves 4

Wok-Charred Long Beans with Black Olives

Trim and cut 1 ½ lbs. long beans into 2 inch pieces. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add beans, cook until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer beans to a bowl of ice water, chill. Drain beans. Heat 3 tbsp. canola oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 oz. ground pork or chicken; break into small pieces. Cook pork or chicken until browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork or chicken to a plate, leaving fat in skillet. Raise heat to high; add beans and cook, without stirring, until hot, about 2 minutes. Toss beans; cook, without stirring until caramelized, 1 minute more. Add 2 tbsp. minced garlic, 2 tbsp. minced ginger, and 1 minced Thai chili (or other hot chili), cook for 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup chicken broth, 2 tbsp. Chinese black or balsamic vinegar, and 1 tbsp. soy sauce; cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add ½ lb. halved and pitted dry-cured black olives and reserved pork or chicken, cook for 1 minute more. Serve over rice for a complete meal.

 

From ‘Gourmet’ 2006

This recipe is equally delicious and a good way to use peanuts.

Spicy Stir-Fried Chinese Long Beans with Peanuts

Makes 4 servings

1 ½ lb. long beans

½ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2-3 small Thai chilies (can use other chilies)

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ tablespoons peanut oil

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 large shallot, halved lengthwise, then very thinly sliced crosswise (1/2 cup)

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Cook untrimmed beans in a 6-8 quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally until just tender, 3-5 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain in a colander and pat dry with paper towels. Trim beans and cut crosswise into ¾ inch pieces.

Meanwhile,  pulse peanuts in a food processor until half of peanuts are finely ground and remainder are in very large pieces (do not grind to a paste).

Stir together soy sauce, chilies, and salt in a small bowl.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water dropped onto cooking surface evaporates immediately. Add oil, swirling to coat wok, then add garlic and stir-fry until garlic begins to turn pale golden, about 5 seconds. Add peanuts, and stir-fry until all of mixture is golden, about 30 seconds. Add beans, and stir-fry until hot and welll coated, about 2 minutes. Remove wok from heat, then stir in soy sauce mixture and shallot, stirring until shallot has wilted. Drizzle in lime juice and season with salt, then transfer to a bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature. Beans can be boiled, drained, and patted dry 3 hours ahead.

 

 

Figs

The fig tree is indeed an extraordinary creature with a complex and fascinating biology. What we think of as the fruit is really an inside-out blossom---a cluster of ingrowing flowers, known botanically as a syconium. The inside of the fig is lined with hundreds of male and female flowers. The males carry pollen while the females bear seeds.

Legend has it that fig trees were planted in the hanging gardens of Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar II. Greeks and Romans believed this delicate fruit had been sent from heaven. They’re also associated with Christmas since the time of Charles Dickens. Believed by some so be the actual “forbidden fruit” eaten in the Garden of Eden, since Adam and Eve clothed themselves in fig leaves after partaking; they are steeped in a complex and symbolic history---a kind of Holy Grail of fruits.

Figs are thought to be native to Asia Minor and western Asia, eventually spreading throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The fig tree appears throughout the Old and New Testament of the Bible, and Sumerian stone tablets dating back to 2500 B.C. have recorded their culinary use. The remains of fig trees have been found in excavations of Neolithic sites dating from 5000 B.C.

They were introduced to the New World by Spanish and Portuguese missionaries, mainly to the West Indies in 1520 and to Peru in 1528. From the West Indies, figs quickly spread across the southeastern United States.

The first figs were reportedly flourishing at Parris Island, South Carolina by 1577. Two years later, they were in St. Augustine, Florida, and by 1629 they had been introduced to Virginia via Bermuda.

They were exported from the West Indies to Spanish missions in Mexico, and spread to California where the Franciscan missionaries planted them in their gardens in San Diego in the middle of the 18^th century-hence the name “mission” for the dark purple California figs we know and love today.

Thomas Jefferson had fig cuttings sent to Monticello from Paris at the end of the 18^th century. Jefferson’s passion for figs helped promote varieties in Virginia and the Carolinas. He deemed the white Marseille fig as being superior for its small seeds, jammy taste and unique creamy, white flesh. In many areas of the South, fig trees grow so abundantly that they became an accepted part of the countryside landscape.

There are many varieties of figs available but most are very difficult to transport, so the variety of figs in grocery stores or at farmer’s markets will depend on the distance from the source. The three most common varieties are the Black Mission, Brown Turkey and Kadota.

My husband’s fig trees froze this year due to the cold so he was not a source for figs. We had dinner with a neighbor the other evening and they told me about all the figs they were eating. Boy, did I want some of those figs. They told me to come down and pick all I wanted early in the morning so that I did. The variety is the Celeste which is a Southern favorite. It is a small, pear-shaped fig that has purple-brown skin and very light pink pulp. They are deliciously sweet and are therefore also called honey or sugar figs.

I wanted to do something nice for picking their figs so I made them a Carolina Fig Cake. I found this recipe in a magazine in North Carolina. In the Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island is dotted with 14 varieties of figs that thrive despite the heat, salt, and sand. The island has become famous for its moist, spice fig cake that was first made in the 1950’s or 1960’s by the late Margaret Garrish. Her children say she did not have dates for a date cake recipe and her fig version spread to other home cooks via church suppers and community potlucks. The cake is now served at a number of restaurants on the island and sold by the slice at a fish house.

Recipe adapted from the Ocracoke Cook Book published by the United Methodist Women of Ocracoke Island, and Nancie McDermott’s Southern Cakes.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup unsalted butter

3 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda (dissolved in buttermilk)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. salt

½ cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup fresh figs, chopped (preserved figs were originally used in the recipe)

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preparation:

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs until pale yellow and fluffy. Add sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Add vanilla and fold in the figs and nuts. Pour into greased bundt or tube pan and bake at 50 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and roasted walnuts.

I gave the cake away and never tasted it, but it sure did smell good so I would say it was a winner!

 

Tandoori Lamb Kebabs and Somosa Mashed Potatoes

In the new issues of my favorite food magazines, all the talk was of lamb kebabs. I have never seen a kebab that I did not like so these recipes appealed to me. One of greater interest than the others was an Indian inspired recipe with a side of mashed potatoes with a flavor of the filling of an Indian samosa. These were fabulously good. The potatoes were the best I have tasted in a long time. It would truly kick up your summer potato dishes to a higher level. Give these a try and if you can’t find the lamb for the kebabs you can always use beef. (Grass fed of course!)

From June/July, 2018 “Fine Cooking Magazine.”

Tandoori Lamb Kebabs

Serves 4-6

32 oz. plain whole-milk yogurt

1 Tbs. garam masala (can buy this at most stores these days in the spice section)

1 Tbs. paprika

½ tsp. ground cardamom

½ tsp. ground cumin

Kosher salt

2 lb. boneless leg of lamb cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large sweet onions, peeled and cut into ¾ -inch wedges

Oil, for the grill

1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint

1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Flaky sea salt

Lemon wedges

Chutney, preferably Major Grey’s

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, garam masala, paprika, cardamom, cumin, and 1 tsp. salt. Add the lamb, toss, and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

Prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal grill fire or heat a grill pan on high.

Thread the lamb and onion onto metal skewers, alternating pieces of lamb and onion. (If you have leftover onion, make a skewer of just onions). Lightly oil the grill, then grill the kebabs, turning once or twice, until the lamb is cooked through and the onions are charred in places, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped herbs and flaky salt, and serve with the lemon wedges and chutney.

Samosa Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4 to 6

Thaw 2/3 cup frozen peas. Cut 1 ¼ lb. peeled Yukon Gold Potatoes in 1-inch pieces and bring to a boil in water seasoned generously with kosher salt. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 15-18 minutes. Drain. Melt 4 Tbs. unsalted butter in the same saucepan. Add 1/3 cup finely chopped onion, and cook, stirring until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1 ½ tsp. minced fresh ginger and ¾ tsp. minced garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in ¾ tsp. garam masala, ¾ tsp. ground turmeric, ¼ tsp. ground cumin, and a good pinch of cayenne; cook stirring until fragrant. Add ½ cup heavy cream and 1 tsp. salt, and bring to a simmer. Return the potatoes to the pan and mash. Stir in the peas and warm through. Stir in 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro, and serve garnished with more cilantro and a lemon wedge, if you like.

 

Citrus Symposium

The Historic New Orleans Collection recently had a symposium on citrus. How can you have a whole day of discussing citrus? Priscilla Lawrence, president and CEO of the HNOC promised a ‘zesty symposium’ with ‘pithy conversation.’ Well, maybe.

The citrus comes from the southeastern foothills of the Himalayas. They probably traveled along the Silk Road in 2000 B.C. It appears in Greek literature in 30 B.C. Citrus came to the Americas with the first Spanish and French settlers. Today in the US citrus is gown in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and California. We heard from a local Louisiana citrus grower who produces mostly for the local market but importantly his citrus is organic. They grow satsumas, navel oranges, Meyer lemons, grapefruit, and kumquats.

I have been trying to grow citrus for several years. Mostly I have grown them in pots. They need really a frost free environment but some can tolerate some sub-freezing temperatures for a short while. I have grown satsumas in the ground here in southern Mississippi but the last two years the winter has been too bad. In 2016 the satsuma tree defoliated with 2 days of temperatures in the teens. The tree lived but no fruit that year. Last winter the temperatures stayed low for too long and the tree died. I will try again. The kumquat and the satsuma are the more cold-hardy here. Plant in early spring after frost and let them settle in before the hot summer. Plant on a south facing slope if possible. Growing in pots is the next best thing. Citrus are not house plants. In pots be ready to move them to a frost free area on freezing nights. They tolerate cold but just not prolonged sub-freezing temperatures. A greenhouse would, of course, be ideal.

For me I like to have a kumquat. I like to eat them whole and we have a sweet one. Most are somewhat sour. They are used to make marmalade. We did hear at the symposium about the world’s most famous marmalade---the iconic Scottish marmalade from Dundee. The most famous from James Keiller & Sons. I think one should also have a Meyer lemon. They are sweeter than those in the store and are wonderful in the kitchen. If you don’t have a greenhouse, how much lifting and moving can you tolerate? Surely enough to grow one Meyer lemon.

Citrus came to New Orleans in the beginning. Professor Lake Douglas quoted a description of the garden of Jean Etienne de Boré, the inventor of the method of crystalizing sugar, from the turn of the 19^th century---his residence “was quite attractive, surrounded by lovely gardens with magnificent lanes of orange trees loaded with abundant blossoms as well as with fruit…” In the late 19^th century the main foodstuffs in the New Orleans port were sugar, coffee, lemons, and bananas. Sicily was the leading producer of lemons from the late 19^th century until a tariff in 1921. This trade led to the influx of Sicilian immigrants to New Orleans.

Pierre Lazlo, a professor of chemistry at the Έcole Polytechnique and the University of Liége, and the author of Citrus, A History, came to town to start the symposium. His book also has recipes and he shared a couple with us.

 

From Pierre Laszlo’s talk:

Thai Stir-Fry Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

4-5 chicken breasts or thighs

2 bell peppers (red and green, or other colors)

1/3 cooking onion

Handful of fresh basil leaves (to serve)

2 tbsp. oil for stir-frying

The paste:

3 spring onions, sliced

1 fresh red chili

6-8 (Thai) lime leaves

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp. lemon or lime juice

2 tbsp. fish sauce

½ cup loose cup fresh basil leaves

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. dark soy sauce

1 tsp. brown sugar

Cut the Thai lime leaf away from the stem, discard the stem. Using a mortar and pestle: Cut the lime leaves into thin strips. Leave out the liquid ingredients. Pound all other ingredients until finely minced and mashed together, then add the liquids and stir to blend.

Place in a large wok or frying pan over medium to high heat. Add 2 tbsp. oil, swirl around, then add the onion. Stir fry for 1 minute, then add the chicken. Continue stir-frying for another 3-5 minutes, or until chicken is well cooked.

Stir-Frying Tip: Whenever your wok/frying pan becomes dry, add a little water (1 Tbsp. at a time) instead of more oil. This will save you unnecessary calories and fat.

Add the chopped bell peppers and continue to stir-frying another minute of two, until the peppers have softened slightly and are bright in color. Turn heat down to medium. Add the paste and stir in well. Taste-test the stir-fry, adding more fish sauce instead of salt, if needed. If too salty for your taste add more lime or lemon juice. If you like it spicier (hotter), add another ½ to 1 fresh-cut chili. If you would like more sauce add a few Tbsp. chicken stock, coconut milk, or cream.

 

The Crystal Hot Sauce Company sponsored the symposium and at the end of the day Brennan’s restaurant had a cocktail ready for us which was delicious and refreshing on that hot afternoon. It, of course, used Crystal hot sauce.

Crystallized Collins

2 ounces CatHead vodka

3 drops Crystal hot sauce

¾ ounce Combier peach liqueur

¼ ounce fresh lime juice

½ ounce fresh lemon juice

Club soda to top off cocktail

Fruit for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and pour entire contents into a large glass. Top with club soda to fill to top of glass. Garnish with fresh slices of local fruit. You may include strawberries, peaches, lemons, limes, or oranges.

Dinner at the Beach

We just spent a week at the beach but mostly working to get it ready for summer rental. I did get to eat at Highlands Bar and Grill on my way to the beach (I mentioned this before) but it was a little iffy at one point. Highand’s has become very popular since winning the James Beard Award and it is hard to get a reservation. We always eat at the bar so I never worry about a reservation but this time people were lined up outside the restaurant way early and we got there 5 minutes after the restaurant opened and there was one seat left at the bar. Well, I took the seat while my husband stood and he said if I have to stand to eat we will have dinner here. Well, a waiter I knew came by and I asked if he could possibly get another seat at the bar and he found one and everyone at the bar was nice and they slid down their stools to make room for one more. Everyone was there to eat, not just drink at the bar, and I will say the service was great and the food wonderful. On the way out we met Pardis, Mr. Stitt’s wife and she is just as charming as her husband. Everyone was so happy for them after being nominated 9 other times for the award. They truly deserved it.

Back to the beach. I find it hard to cook at my beach house since it is all electric and I do love gas. So I fumble around most of the time trying to get things right with the cooking and also I don’t have the knives I always use. So simple is the motto when entertaining friends. I use a tried and true recipe like feta shrimp (I have given this recipe before but I bet some of you have never tried it) and it is always a winner. A simple salad and again this year my husband found some chainey briars at the beach and I kicked them up a notch this year and our friends were surprised how good they were.

Chainey briars you may recall from last year’s article, are also called catbrier, bull briar, and greenbrier. It is a curly green native vine, Smilax bona-nox, readily identifiable by the spade-shaped leaves that distinguish it from the other vines in the same locations. One uses the tender ends and you can eat them raw, but they can be grilled or sautéed in olive oil. It is really kinda nice to go out and pick some greens for your dinner by just walking down to the beach.

So for easy, beach entertaining try this shrimp recipe and look for some chainey briars!!

 

Connie’s Feta Shrimp

Serves 4

1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined) I used a larger shrimp this year and this seemed better and they were also wild caught

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 cup feta cheese (crumbled) always buy the block of feta. The crumbles are ready to use but not as good as the block.

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon thyme

Red pepper flakes (use as many as you like)

Salt

Pepper

¼ cup olive oil or more if you like

In an oven proof dish put the shrimp, then add the tomatoes, garlic, cheese. Add the spices evenly over the dish. Add the olive oil last and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve over rice. A simple lettuce salad is a perfect addition to the shrimp.

 

Connie’s Chainey Briar Recipe

One bunch of chainey briars, about as many as a bunch of asparagus. Sauté the briars in ¼ cup olive oil for about 10 minutes. At the end of cooking add ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and ¼ cup chopped walnuts. Delish!

 

Kentucky Derby Snaks

The Kentucky Derby is today and I have been planning some special snacks for the big event. ‘The Local Palate’ had some great ideas for a derby party so I have tried three of them and found them to be tasty and easy to do. Kentucky is known for its ham so what a better pick up than ham biscuits? With the ham biscuits is a salad with butterbeans and radishes. A little different but good. For more pick up foods we have pickled shrimp on deviled eggs and pimento cheese gougères. This is a take on the French cheese puffs knows as gougères, but done with pimento cheese. It is not too late to make some of these so get ready for the fastest two minutes in sports.

 

From ‘The Local Palate’ May 2018.

Pickled Shrimp Deviled Eggs

Serves 6

 

For the shrimp:

1 ½ pounds extra-small shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 small head fennel, cored and thinly sliced

10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

5 whole bird’s eye chilies

1 teaspoon whole allspice berries

3 bay leaves

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup rice wine vinegar

½ cup olive oil

For the deviled eggs:

1 dozen large eggs

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt to taste

Make the shrimp: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add shrimp, cook for 60 seconds, and drain. In a large, nonreactive container, layer shrimp and aromatics. Pour liquid ingredients over top while shrimp are still warm. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours to allow shrimp to pickle.

Make the eggs: Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat and carefully lower eggs into boiling water. Set a timer for 8 minutes, and while eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. After 8 minutes, drain and shock eggs in ice bath, then peel them. Halve eggs and place yolks in the bowl of a food processor with mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice. Run food processor until mixture is completely smooth, about 2 minutes, and then adjust seasoning.

To assemble: Spoon filling into a zip-top bag, snip end from bag, and pipe filling into egg halves. Drain pickled shrimp and vegetables, chop pickled vegetables finely, and top each egg half with a pinch of chopped vegetables and a pickled shrimp.

 

Pimento Cheese Gougères

Makes 25

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 ½ cups flour

4 large eggs

6 ounces finely shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 (12-ouce) Jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1 large egg yolk, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium pot over medium heat, combine butter, salt, and 1 cup water. When butter is melted, remove pot from heat, add flour, and whisk well to combine. Return to heat and cook mixture, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon, until dough pulls together and forms a mass, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until dough is no longer tacky, about 2 minutes more. Remove pot from heat and let dough cook slightly. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating completely before adding the next. Stir in about 5 ounces of cheese and chopped peppers.

Spoon dough into a zip-top bag, snip end from bag, and pipe 1-inch rounds onto a sheet pan. Brush with beaten egg yolk and top with remaining cheese. Bake until risen and browned, about 25 minutes.

 

Butterbean and Radish Salad

Serves 6

For the dressing:

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

For the salad:

12 ounces shelled butterbeans (fresh or frozen)

1 bunch radishes, very thinly sliced

½ cup chopped dill fronds

½ cup tarragon leaves

½ cup torn mint leaves

Make the dressing: Combine ingredients in a lidded jar and shake vigorously.

Make the salad: Prepare an ice bath. Blanch butterbeans in salted boiling water for 2 minutes, then shock in ice bath. Drain and cool butterbeans. In a medium bowl, toss butterbeans, radishes, and herbs with dressing.

 

 

 

 

 

Recipis from the Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi coast is one of the most traveled locales on the planet. The entire area (a scenic peninsula south of Naples that juts into the Tyrrhenian Sea) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What people do not know is it is home to some of the best food in the world. Since the Middle Ages people have been making use of this land which has delicious apples, pears, and other fruits and vegetables that we associate with cool weather seasons. These are farmed at elevation and terraced gardens on the steep hillsides. The region is famous for its perfumed lemons, and the lemons come in over a dozen shapes, sizes, and species. They are also features in their paintings, sculptures, backyards, front yards and hotel gardens.

The food of the Amalfi Coast is representative of the ideals of Italian food and what gives it such wide appeal: It is seasonal, simple, and micro-regional. I was in Sorrento many, many years ago and this article brought back old memories. I do not remember what I ate (was not into food so much then) but remember the blue of the water and the small villages set in the hillside. Would love to go back, but tried these two recipes from the area and they were so delicious. The taste of lemon in the pasta was fabulous and the shrimp (cooked with head and shell on) had the taste of the sea. So if you can’t go at least try the recipes!

 

From ‘Food and Wine Magazine’ May 2018.

Creamy Lemon Pasta

Serves 4

4 qt. water

2 Tbsp. plus ¾ tsp. kosher salt

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. honey

3 medium shallots, minced (about ½ cup)

1 cup heavy cream

1 lb. dried fettuccine

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

3 oz. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about ¾ cup)

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, for garnish

1/3 cup lemons, for garnish

Bring 4 quarts water to a rapid boil in a large pot, and season with 2 tablespoons kosher salt.

Meanwhile, heat oil and lemon zest in a large skillet over medium. Add remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, honey, and shallots, and cook until shallots are softened and oil is hot, about 5 minutes. Whisk in cream. Let simmer 2 minutes.

Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking liquid: drain. Add lemon juice to noodles; toss well to combine. The pasta will absorb the juice.

Stir cheese and ¼ cup reserved liquid into skillet with cream sauce. Add pasta, and toss to coat well. Add remaining ¼ cup reserved cooking liquid if necessary. Divide among 4 bowls, and garnish with pepper and lemons.

 

Shrimp with Potatoes and Tomatoes

Serves 4

1 lb. head-on jumbo shrimp

6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 medium shallots, minced (about 1/3 cup)

1 ½ tsp. seeded minced serrano chili (about 1 medium)

2 tsp. dried oregano

13 oz. baby Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered (about 2 cups)

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced (about1 tsp.)

½ cup white wine

3 cups ripe cherry tomatoes (about 1 lb.)

1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. ground white pepper

½ cup town fresh basil

Using a knife, make 1 ¼-inch deep cut along the back of each shrimp shell from head to tail. Leave shell and head intact. Using a small moistened paper towel and a paring knife, remove and discard the vein. Pat shrimp dry and set aside.

Heat ¼ cup oil in a very large skillet over medium-high until simmering and very hot. Add shrimp and sear until shells are scorched, about 1 minute. Transfer shrimp to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots, chili, and oregano, and sauté until shallots are sizzling, about 30 seconds. Add potatoes and garlic, cover, and cook, shaking pan often, until edges of potatoes begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add wine, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nearly evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add tomatoes, cover, and cook until tomatoes start to split and release their juices and potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook, turning occasionally, until shrimp are cooked through and tomatoes are soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper; stir in basil.

Divide among 4 shallow bowls, drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and serve.

 

Mother's Day 2018

I must confess that I am eating at Highlands Bar and Grill tonight for my mother’s day meal. What a treat!! Highlands Bar and Grill just won the James Beard Award for the best restaurant in America and I am so happy for Mr. Stitt. He deserves this and this is a big award for all of Alabama. We are on our way to Wilmington, NC to get the beach house ready for summer rental and I know we have a hard week ahead so we will eat well one night.

I have been looking for menus for mother’s day and found a lot of brunch ideas and foods small children can cook for their mother. I decided to do a spring vegetable frittata and creamy strawberry crepes for my choice of a meal and one easy for anyone to do. I have long done frittatas for breakfast but this one is not done with leftovers, but fresh vegetables. It was outstanding and I did it one night and we had it for three meals. It reheats well. The crepes are fabulous also and since crepes are really easy to do this should be a winner for mother. And oh! the creamy filling!

So Happy Mother’s Day and remember it is easier to eat at home than get a reservation on Sunday!!!

 

From ‘Allrecipes’ April 2018.

Spring Vegetable Frittata for Mother

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large leek (white part only) chopped

1 teaspoon salt, divided, or as needed

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

1 ½ cups (1/2-inch) sliced zucchini

1 ½ cups (1/2-inch) pieces asparagus

1 cup baby spinach

1 ½ cups sliced cooked potatoes

12 large eggs

1 pinch cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese, divided

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil in a heavy 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook leek with a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, until leeks soften and start to turn translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add jalapeño and zucchini, season with a pinch of salt. Cook until zucchini start to get tender and pale green, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until bright green, about 1 minute. Add spinach and another pinch of salt, cooking until wilted, 1 minute. Stir in cooked potatoes and heat through, about 5 minutes.

Crack 12 large eggs into a bowl. Add cayenne, salt, and pepper. Whisk for at least 30 seconds. Pour eggs over vegetables in skillet over medium heat. Add 3 ounces of crumbled feta cheese; stir lightly until evenly distributed. Top with remaining cheese. Remove from heat.

Bake in preheated oven until eggs are set, 12 to 15 minutes. When nearly set, turn on broiler. Broil frittata until top browns, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool slightly; serve warm.

 

Creamy Strawberry Crepes

Serves 4-6

3 eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup water

3 tablespoons butter, melted

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 ¼ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

4 cups sliced strawberries

Place the eggs, milk, water, melted butter, flour, and salt in a blender; blend until smooth.

Blend the cream cheese, confectioners, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate the pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Flip over when the batter is set and the edges are beginning to brown. Cook until the other side begins to brown, Stack finished crepes on a plate, cover with a damp towel and set aside.

To serve, fill each crepe with ¼ cup sliced strawberries and 1/3 cup of the cream cheese filling, roll up and top with a small dollop of the cream cheese filling and more sliced strawberries.

 

 

 

 

Smothered Crawfish

Recently in New Orleans a friend invited us for a dinner of ‘smothered crawfish.’ I had not heard the term before. He explained it was essentially crawfish étouffée using a recipe from his French grandmere for her ‘ti garçon’. He used the trinity and some garlic which he added to a butter based light roux. No tomatoes.

Reading recently about Trump’s State Dinner for Emmanuel Macron I noted they served jambalaya with the lamb. The Louisianans invited noted it was all the consistency of rice. It apparently had all the ingredients but all chopped fine. “It was good,” said one, “but it was not jambalaya.” That led to the discussion as to whether tomatoes should be included. Every Maman has a different take on the classics.

This led to research on toufée and smothered and what to include. The March/April issue of ‘Louisiana Kitchen & Culture’ had just the article I was looking for---‘On a Quest for the Origins of Έtouffée.’ They noted that étouffée translates as smothered. “To Louisianans, Cajuns in particular, it brings to mind a delicious pot full of something, usually crawfish, that’s been smothered under a bed of aromatics and is ready to be piled over fluffy, hot white rice.” But, start with a roux? include tomatoes?

In Mémère’s, Country Creole Cookbook, I found a basic ‘smothered’ recipe taken from Louisiana’s German coast. Although my friend has a German surname as well as French ancestors he is not actually from the German coast but a little upriver.

From, Mémère’s Country Creole Cookbook, Recipes and Memories from Louisiana’s German Coast, by Nancy Tregre Wilson.

Crawfish Étouffée

Serves 4

1 pound crawfish tails

¼ cup butter

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup celery

½ cup bell pepper

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

2 cups seafood or chicken broth or stock, divided

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Hot cooked rice for serving

If using frozen crawfish, thaw and soak in cold water 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

Add 1 ½ cups broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add crawfish and simmer 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and remaining ½ cup broth. Stir into gravy. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve over hot rice.

We started our evening in the French Quarter courtyard with cocktails, what else? I have found a new favorite which has been around for ages but I only learned of it last year. The Vieux Carré was invented by bartender Walter Bergeron at Hotel Monteleone’s Carousel Bar in 1938. It first appeared in print in Stanley Clisby Arthur’s Famous New Orleans Drinks & How to Mix ‘Em. Mix ¾ oz. cognac, ¾ oz. rye whiskey, ¾ oz. sweet vermouth and ½ tsp Bénedéctine with a dash of Angostura Bitters and a dash of Peychaud Bitters over ice, shake, and pour into a cocktail glass and garnish with a twist of orange peel or a cherry.

For appetizers our friend grilled boudin which we ate with mustard. My son brought out a sparkling rosé. Sparkling is my favorite wine. Then came the smothered crawfish over rice with a salad. Dessert, as if we needed it, was a strawberry pie with whipped cream. It was a wonderful evening in the French Quarter, a balmy evening with wonderful food and family and friends.