Category Archives: Salads

Ode to a Smoked Trout Lyonnaise

Moving to Philly and being retired means I get to visit Valley Green as often as I want. So, last week I met Susan for lunch at Brunos and a post-prandial walk along Forbidden Drive. There, we encountered a battalion of rubber-booted fisherman standing in the stream and parade of pickups and cars following a small tanker truck along the path.

Yes folks, it was trout-stocking day on the Wissahickon.

Which got me remembering the time Lou caught some gorgeous trout in the Loyalsock River, which we brined and smoked on the Weber in the back yard at our cottage. Gotta’ get Lou back up to the mountains this summer, I thought.

Next day, meeting an old med school friend at Musette (yep, this retirement thing is working out just fine, thank you..), there on the menu was a Lyonnaise salad with green beans, topped with – you guessed it – smoked trout!

OMG – heaven on a plate.

Then yesterday, while arranging and stocking my new pantry, what did I find but a can of smoked trout from Trader Joes!

It was 3 pm and I hadn’t eaten lunch. I remembered the leftover baby kale and lettuce and a small amount of uncooked bacon in the fridge and knew exactly what I was going to do. Make Mark Bittman’s Salad Lyonnaise, topped with smoked trout.

OMG perfect.

I mean, really. A salad tossed in a warm vinagriette made from olive oil, bacon with its rendered fat, Dijon mustard, shallots (or in my case, garlic) and sherry wine vinegar, all topped with a poached egg? Only the French would think of that. And now I was going to gild that lily with smoked trout. Oh yeah, it was delish.

Eating my lunch, I started rooting around my brain for a poem to submit to my poetry workgroup that evening. Last minute poet, that’s me…

Luckily, this poem arose just in time.

Sometimes, the stars (and the trout) align. 

Ode to a Smoked Trout Lyonnaise 

It's a brisk April morning on the old Wissahickon.
Rubber-booted fisherman are tossing their lines
into freshly stocked waters, where the trout are a-kickin',
their rainbow fins shimmer through the shadows of pines.

Which gets me to dreamin' of trout filets swimming
in applewood vapor, still fresh from the brine,
in a black kettle smoker, their plump muscles brimming
with sweet smoky candy-like flavor divine.

Now they greet me at the tabletop tossed with frisee
bathed in bacon-laced sherry and French mustard dressing
flanked by haricot vert, and atop it all lay
a perfect cooked egg like an early spring blessing. 

Margaret Polaneczky
April 20, 2023

Flageolet with Fennel and Feta

Flageolet beans w fennel and Feta

I send Mr TBTAM to the market for French Le Pay lentils yesterday, and he returned instead with French flageolet.

It’s partly my fault. After all, he did call me from the store to be sure he had the right brand. My mistake was assuming he knew what a lentil was, and instead focusing on making sure that what he was buying was actually imported from France. He said the word flageolet, and even spelled it out for me. I had no idea what flageolet meant, but it sure sounded French to me, and thinking it was a lentil brand name, I approved the purchase.

Only when he got them home did I discover that flageolet are not a lentil brand, but a type of bean. And not just any bean, but a small, buttery bush bean plucked from the pod while still young and delicate. Sort of the veal of the bean family, but without the force feeding or animal cruelty.

Flageolet beans

Flageolet have been called the “caviar of beans”. I’m not sure I’d go that far – a bean is after all just a bean. And truth be told, I still love the stronger flavor of a good lima bean more than any other legume. But flageolet are a really nice alternative to white beans, and the small size is just lovely.

How I cooked and served my flageolet

I eschewed the overnight soak, instead following Epicurious’s recommended method of bringing the beans and water to a quick boil, then letting them soak for just an hour. Then I added salt and a bay leaf, brought the beans to a boil again and simmered for one and a half hours, till a blow on a spoonful of beans loosened the skin and I knew they were done and ready to be drained. (I saved the bean water to be used as a chicken stock alternative).

While the beans were cooking, I sauteed a diced onion with diced carrots and celery and 4 cloves minced garlic in a few tbsp of olive oil. I had a large piece of chicken, some braised fennel and a few cooked clementine slices leftover from last nights dinner – Ottolenghi’s Chicken with arak and clementines.  I chopped that up and added it to the sauteed veggies, along with the now cooked and drained beans, and finished it all off with some low fat feta, lots of parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. A side of cucumber salad was the perfect accompaniment.

Perhaps a better approach

Ina Garten has a baked preparation for flageolet that I may try sometime soon. She uses the very same ingredients I used, but sautees her veggies in bacon (oh yeah…), adds rosemary and cooks her beans in the oven using beef stock instead of water and with the veggies and herbs, advising that the mild flavor of the flageolet requires them to be cooked with their accompaniments. She also advises not to add salt till the end of the cooking time, as it toughens the beans – which may explain why I did not find the flageolet to be the buttery consistency I’ve read so much about.

A fortuitous mistake

I’m so glad Mr TBTAM got it wrong at the market yesterday. Flageolet are a wonderful bean, a great alternative to white beans, and are now a staple in my pantry.

How do you serve your flageolet?

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Some flageolet serving ideas from around the web

Haitian Griot Served with Cuban Black Beans & Rice and Marinated Cucumber Salad

Cuban Black Beans & Rice

If I haven’t blogged much in the way of new recipes lately, it’s because not much of what we’ve been trying lately has been blog worthy. Oh, of course, it’s been edible. Maybe even tasty. But not worth sharing with the world.

But this dinner? It’s worth shouting about.

In fact, I’ll go on record and say it’s one of the best meals we’ve ever made.  And worth every minute of preparation, which is not a lot of time at the stove, but does include an overnight marinade and a couple of hours braising. So save it for a weekend dinner when you can give it the time it deserves to savor with good friends and a nice tall glass of beer.

This is not a fancy dinner, but it does make a beautifully colorful presentation, and is perfect for a dinner party for four. The main course is Melissa Clarks’ version of the traditional Haitian braised pork dish called Haitian Griot.  Marinated overnight in a spicy citrus marinade,  braised and then broiled, the meat literally melts in your mouth, while at the same time being crispy on the outside. The flavor is to die for.

Haitian Griot

We served the Griot with Cuban-style black beans and rice made using a simple but delicious recipe modified from Whole Foods. It’s not authentic, but it’s fast and not heavy the way some bean recipes can be.

The traditional accompaniment for Griot is Haitian Pikliz, or marinated cabbage. We instead served an old family stand by, marinated cucumber salad. The three dishes together on the plate provided a most wonderful complement of smoky, citrus and crispy vinegar flavors, with the rice and beans adding warmth and body.

Not to be mundane, but a good homemade guacamole and chips would be the perfect appetizer for this meal.

My daughter and her friends swooped in arrived just as we were finishing dinner, and cleaned out what we little griot we had left behind – they simply created bowls of rice and beans topped with the meat, then the cucumbers and a bit of cilantro, taking the bowls with them into their room to eat while they watched a movie. Reminded me a bit of Vietnamese or Thai barbecue – vinegar/citrus on rice with meat and cilantro in a bowl. Funny how such disparate nationalities can have such similar flavors.

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HAITIAN GRIOT ALA’ MELISSA CLARKE

Traditional griot recipes actually fry the pork in oil, so this one is a bit healthier. Our meat pieces ended up smaller and did not get as crispy as Melissa’s did – we could have definitely braised less and broiled a bit longer.  I’ve seen other recipes that use cloves and allspice in the marinade, but not being a huge fan of either, I’m happy with this recipe. Melissa’s recipe uses just one scotch bonnet chile – next time we’ll use at least two. (Traditional recipes use up to 6 bonnet chiles) Next time we may also double the garlic. This is a great all around marinade, so don’t be surprised to see it show up here as a rib recipe sometime very soon.

  • 1 small Scotch bonnet chile (be careful handling it!-some suggest wearing gloves.)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 small green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small red bell pepper, diced
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley (Cilantro would be nice…) more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt 
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 pounds pork shoulder, not too lean, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted) or olive oil, more as needed (We used 1 tbsp coconut butter melted into 2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

  1. Quarter the chile and remove the seeds and inside ribs. Finely chop one quarter; leave the rest in whole pieces.
  2. Transfer chiles to a large Dutch oven. Add onion, bell peppers, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. Stir in vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in pork. Cover pot and refrigerate overnight.
  3. The next day, remove pot from the fridge about 1 hour before cooking. and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place pot over high heat and bring liquid to a simmer; cover and put pot in oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. ( we cooked 2 hours, but in retrospect probably could have stopped at 1.5 hours.)
  4. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat from pot, allowing all excess liquid to drip back into the pot and picking any bits of vegetables or herbs off the meat. Transfer meat to a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle meat with 2 tablespoons oil and salt to taste, and toss gently to coat
  5. Strain braising liquid, discarding any solids. Return sauce to pot and simmer over high heat until reduced by about half, about 25 to 30 minutes
  6. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Broil meat, tossing occasionally, until meat is evenly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. You want it nicely browned in spots but not so brown that it dries out
  7. To serve, drizzle meat with additional oil and top with sauce, parsley and thyme leaves.

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CUBAN-ISH BLACK BEANS & RICE 

I like the basmati rice flavor here, though it is not authentic. I also use canned beans. By not cooking the beans from scratch, and just adding them towards then end, they feel lighter and have a nice individual bite rather than a goopy texture you get when you cook them for hours on the stove. But that’s just how I like them.

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion,diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their liquid
  • 2 -15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
  • Salt, to taste
  • Ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup Basmati Rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Chopped, fresh cilantro for garnish
  • 1 lime, cut in 4-6 wedges for garnish

Make the beans: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. When pan is hot, add olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper, garlic and chili powder. Continue to sauté for 2 more minutes. Reduce heat to low, add diced tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Add beans and simmer 5 minutes longer to heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Make the rice: Place rice in a strainer and rinse under cool running water. Add salt to water and bring to a boil. Add rice and olive oil and bring back to a gentle simmer. Cover and keep on very low heat till done. When done, remove lid, fluff and let sit a bit before serving.

Serve: Serve  beans over rice with cilantro and lime wedges.

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MARINATED CUCUMBER SALAD

Best made a day ahead of time.

  • 6 large cucumbers
  • 1/2 medium sweet onion
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Peel cucumbers, slice lengthwise and using a teaspoon, scrape out the seeds. Then slice crosswise into thin slices using a knife or, if you have it, a mandolin. Slice the onion into thin slices and then in half across so they are not too long. Mix together in a large Pyrex bowl.

Meanwhile, mix vinegar and water in a medium saucepan, add sugar and bring to a boil. Cool slightly and then pour over cucumbers and onions and mix gently. Salt and pepper. Cover and place in fridge overnight.

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TIMING THIS DINNER

I wrote this out for future reference for myself, and thought I’d share it here.

  • The afternoon before
    • Make the cucumber salad and refrigerate
    • Make the marinade and refrigerate
  • The evening before
    • Cut up the meat, place in the marinade and into the fridge
    • Put wine and beer into fridge
  • 4 hours before guests arrive
    • Take meat out of fridge and let it sit for 1 hour at room temp
  • 3 hours before guests arrive
    • Start the meat braising. You will then make the griot up to the point that you reduce the sauce, but do not broil the meat. Just set the meat aside under foil to keep warm till you’re ready to broil and serve.
    • Set the table, gather serving platters and utensils, set up bar
    • Sedate the dog (just checking to see if you’re reading… )
  • 1.5  hours before guests arrive
    • Make the beans and keep warm till serving
    • Rinse the rice and set up for cooking, but don’t cook it till guests arrive.
    • Put the cucumber salad into the serving bowl, but keep in fridge till ready to serve.
    • Prep ingredients for guacamole, including chopping tomatoes and onions, but do not make it.  Put chips in bowl and set out.
  • When guests arrive
    • Start rice cooking
    • Quickly assemble the guacamole and serve with chips, crisp white wine or beer.
  • 15 mins before ready to eat
    • Broil the meat, heat up the sauce if it’s cooled down.
    • Plate the rice and beans.
    • Plate the meat.
    • Get the cucumber salad out of the fridge.
  • Serve.

Winter Citrus Salad with Fennel, Clementines and Arugula

WINTER CITRUS SALAD

Fridays nights in winter, Mr TBTAM plays tennis, so I’m on my own. It’s my night out with the girls or a good time to shop, get a cut and color or a mani-pedi.

This Friday night, however, all I really to do was be home. It was freezing cold outside, and I knew the rest of the weekend was going to be busy. After an even busier week, I was craving some alone time.

The default mode would be take out, but I wanted a good meal, not a slice or some lo mein. And something that would hold up well for leftovers tomorrow as a nice Valentine’s Day lunch with Mr TBTAM.

I decided on something tried and true, and a recipe I’ve written about before – rustic shrimp bisque. Not the fastest preparation out there, but I had a book I was listening to, and nothing is more fun than cooking and reading, at the same time. Paired with this winter citrus salad and a baguette, it was the perfect choice for a cold winter evening meal for one. With plenty leftover for lunch tomorrow.

DINNER FOR ONE

CLEMENTINE, FENNEL AND ARUGULA SALAD

This recipe, which I adapted from Williams-Sonoma, is a nice break from the usual salad, and a great use for winter citrus. I made it as written, but next time I will use garlic instead of shallots in the dressing, and add some red onion, shaved Parmesan and maybe a few black olives to the salad. You could also add some grapefruit. Prepare the fennel and make the dressing ahead, then assemble at the last minute if serving to company.

To make this salad for one, toss a large handful of arugula with the segments of one clementine and a little of the sliced fennel. Toss with 2-3 tbsp of dressing, sprinkle some sea salt and grate some pepper on top and serve.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. grated orange zest
  • 4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 large fennel bulb
  • 6 clementines, peeled and separated into segments6
  • 6 cups arugula, loosely packed.

Directions

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, oil, mustard, tarragon and shallot. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cut off the stems and feathery fronds of the fennel bulb and remove any bruised or discolored outer layers. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and cut out any tough core parts. Cut the bulb halves crosswise into thin slices.

Place the fennel and arugula in a large serving bowl, add half of the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat thoroughly. Arrange the orange slices in a pinwheel or other design on top. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve immediately.  Serves 6.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Marlena Spieler’s marvelous cookbook Jewish Cooking covers the breadth of traditional Jewish cuisine across Europe, the United States, Africa and the Middle East. Accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, a fascinating historical introduction on the Jewish Diaspora and a very informative (for this Catholic-raised girl at least) chapter on Jewish dietary laws and foodstuffs, the book has become one of my favorite go-to sources for new and foolproof recipes. After all, these are the dishes that have withstood generations of cooks, with adjustments and tweaks along the way. At this point in their evolution, they’re pretty much perfect.

MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD
My only modifications on the original recipe were to lightly saute the garlic in olive oil  (I don’t like garlic too raw), eliminate the vinegar (it gives me migraines), and increase the lemon juice accordingly. ff you like vinegar, use just 1/2 lemon and add 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar.

  • 4 carrots, thinly sliced
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/8  tsp ground cumin (you can use up to 1/4 tsp if you prefer a stronger flavor)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, parsley or a mix of both
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cook carrots in boiling salted water till just tender but not soft. Drain and let dry a bit, then put into a bowl. Saute the garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil till soft but not browned. Add sugar, herbs, garlic w/ oil, cumin, lemon juice and the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temp or chilled.

Lavendar Honey Vinaigrette

It’s the best dressing I’ve ever made, inspired by the signature salad at March de Sud – goat cheese fritter, figs, apple, candied walnut and romaine tossed with a lavender honey vinaigrette. Lucky for me, the restaurant also houses a small French Market, where I was able to buy this amazing honey, harvested from bees fed exclusively on lavender.  (This is not the same as lavender honey made by heating honey with lavender blossoms and then straining it).

Unlike other honey, lavender honey it is not sticky or runny, but rich and creamy – even spreadable. And yes, it really has a lavender taste.

The chef at Marche de Sud was not on the premises when I stopped in to buy the honey, so I was on my own in figuring out how to make a vinaigrette using this delicious honey. I’ve made my dressing several times now, and each time was asked for the recipe. So I figure it’s worth sharing here.

Lavender Honey Vinaigrette

I like to make my dressings right in a jar, making it easy to store and shake before using. If I were to make this using vinegar instead of lemon, I’d use Champagne vinegar. The amount of oil may vary depending on how much juice your lemon gives. Start with 1/3 cup oil and add more if the dressing is too tart for your taste. (I happen to like it tart.)

  • 2 tbsp lavender honey
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/3 -1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 -1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp coarse Dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a jar. Cap, tighten the lid and shake well. Serve at room temperature.

Autumn Red Quinoa Salad with Edamame, Roasted Sweet Potato & Cauliflower

Here’s a nice healthy lunch for autumnal days. I love the colors – the bright green edamame, the orange sweet potato, red pepper, and yellow cauliflower against the red grain reminds me of an autumn hillside. Packs easily to take to work and keeps for several days in the fridge. Serve it with a dollop of my new fave food, sheep’s milk yogurt.

Autumn Red Quinoa Salad

I used what I had on hand for this salad – ergo the roast peppers Mr TBAM had just made and the basil and parsely from the garden. The olive oil from the veggies and the peppers was enough for me, but you might want to add a bit more olive oil. We didn’t have any red onion or scallions – if we had I would have used either one.  

For the Quinoa
1 cup red quinoa (I used Quinoa Harvest  Inca Red Quinoa)
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

Roasted veggies
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2 inch dice
1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and slices lengthwise into 1/2  ince slices
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Other salad additions
16 blanched, frozen edamame pods (I used Whole Foods 365 organic edamame)
6 strips roasted red peppers in garlic & olive oil, cut into 1 inch pieces. (We had homemade on hand, you can use jarred)
1 stick celery, cut into small dice
2 heaping tbsps capers (optional – probably not needed if you have scallions or red onion)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (+ a few sprigs for garnish)
6 basil leaves, chopped
Juice of 1 large lemon

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit
  2. In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup red quinoa and 2 cups water with 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes without stirring. Remove lid, fluff and cool.
  3. While quinoa is cooking, toss diced potato and cauliflower slices in olive oil, spread out on cookie sheets and sprinkle with kosher salt and generous pepper. Roast 15-30 mins till done, turning halfway through. Let cool.
  4. Steam and slightly cool the edamame. Pop open and collect the seeds in a small bowl. Salt lightly.
  5. In a large bowl, layer the quinoa with the roast veggies, celery, peppers, capers, edamame (all but a few seeds for garnish), basil and parsley. Squeeze juice of a large lemon atop it all and toss lightly. Garnish with a few saved edamame seeds and a bit of parsley. Serve.

Shaved Asparagus Salad at La Pasta Eataly

OMG. So delicious. Alone worth the trip to Eataly.

I assume they used Batali’s recipe – it is, after all, his place. So I tried it myself. Pretty darned good. Try it.

If you haven’t been to Eataly, add it to your must-do list for NYC. (Thanks, Rachel for turning us on to it..) It’s a huge Italian market, food court, restaurant and people scene rolled into one. Think Reading Terminal Market meets the Italian Market meets Dean & DeLuca meets Whole Foods.  Go after hours to avoid the pressing crowds (they’re open daily till 11 pm), but know that the freshly made gnocci may be gone by then.

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More on Eataly

More Shaved Asparagus Salads

Roasted Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad

Thanks to sister-in-law Joan, who I like to call the Quinoa Queen, for instructing and encouraging me on using the wonderful grain.  I’ve tried to make it on several occasions, but found myself with mushy quinoa. Turns out I was peaking and stirring, a real no-no if you want fluffy quinoa. Now that I finally got the cooking technique right, I expect I’ll be using this delicious grain much more.

Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Salad

I just made this recipe up so I could use a nice little cauliflower I found today at Gourmet Garage. The rest of the ingredients were things I found while poking around the fridge to see what else I had on hand. Making it is quicker than it looks. While the quinoa is cooking, you can start the cauliflower roasting and prep the rest of the ingredients. It would make a nice lunch served on a bed of lettuce with a little Greek Yogurt on the side.

1 head cauliflower
2 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup water

2 sticks celery, cut into small dice
1/4 large red onion, diced
2 tbsp capers, drained
1/2 cup chopped parsley
8-10 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1 cup canned chick peas, drained
Juice of one lemon or lime (I happened to use a lime today)
Additional olive oil if needed

Roast cauliflower
Preheat oven to 475 degrees fahrenheit. Slice cauliflower into 1/4 inch thick slices – don’t worry if pieces fall apart. Toss with olive oil on large cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes. Cover baking sheet tightly with foil and place on lowest rack of the oven. Cook 10-15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until bottoms of cauliflower are golden, 8-12 minutes. Carefully flip the cauliflower and bake another 8-12 minutes. set aside to cool.

Make Quinoa
In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, water and a dash of salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower heat as low as possible and let cook for 20 mins (don’t peek, don’t stir!). Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Make salad
Toss veggies with lemon juice in a large bowl. If it seems dry, add a dash more olive oil Add quinoa, toss again lightly and serve.

Soft Shell Crabs on a Bed of Leeks with Warm Herbed Potato Salad

It amazes me to think I spent more than half of my life not knowing that soft shell crabs existed. Seriously, I didn’t taste my first soft shell, cooked to perfection by my future mother-in-law on her stovetop in Philadelphia, until I was almost 30 years old. Today, Irene’s simple method – sauteeing flour-dredged and salt and generously peppered soft shells in butter – remains my favorite way to enjoy these amazing delicacies. Actually, I don’t cook the soft shells – Mr TBTAM does. His mom taught him, after all.

Sauteed Soft Shell Crabs on a Bed of Leeks

Mr. TBTAM may cook the crabs, but I present them. And tonight, it was on a bed of leeks, with a side of warm herbed potato salad and some sliced tomatoes. We got our crabs from Fairway, where they were so fresh, they wriggled ever so slightly if you touched them. I think these may be the last of this season for us – the shells were just starting to head towards the hard side on the edges. This short season is what makes soft shells so special.

For the leeks
4 large leeks
1 tbsp olive oil (If you can handle the calories, add also a tad of butter..)
Salt and pepper to taste
White wine to deglaze (optional)

Trim off bulb and dark green parts of leeks, then slice longways. Wash thoroughly in a bowl of cold water, rinsing and refreshing several times until all the sand and grit are gone. Drain on paper towels and blot dry. Cut in half again across and then slice very thin. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan till hot. Add leeks and saute over medium high heat until softened, about 10 -15 minutes, adding salt and pepper about halfway through.  Remove leeks from pan to a small bowl. If you want, you can deglaze the pan with 1 tbsp of wine and add to the leeks. Cover with foil to keep warm while sauteeing the crabs.

For the crabs
6 soft shell crabs
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
3-4 tbsp butter

In the same pan, melt 2 tbsp butter. Lightly dredge the crabs in flour and sprinkle one side with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add to the pan (salted side down) and saute about 2 minutes till brown. Sprinkle a little more more salt and pepper on top before turning, then add another 1-2 tbsp butter to the pan. Cook another 2 minutes or so till done. If you do it right, this is what your soft shells will look like –

To serve, divide the leeks among the plates and place a crab atop the bed of leeks. Serve with a side of potato salad and sliced tomatoes. Split the remaining two crabs for second helpings. Serves 4.

Warm Herbed Potato Salad

12 small red potatoes (Not the teeny-tiny ones)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (Try 1/8 cup first and that may be enough for you..)
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used tarragon, parsley, chives and a tiny bit of mint)
salt and pepper to taste

Clean the potatoes but don’t peel them. Slice into quarters and place in a stock pot, cover with water, add a tsp salt and bring to a boil. turn down heat and simmer till just cooked, but not too soft (about 15 minutes). While they are boiling, chop your herbs and mix them in a small bowl with vinegar and mayo. Drain potatoes, place into serving bowl, pour on dressing and toss gently.  Serve warm.

Spring Supper Salad – Scallops, Green Beans & Baby Reds on Lettuce with Miso Dressing

Perfect for a light meal after a warm Saturday afternoon biking the West Side Greenway Trail. Stop at Fairway on the way home for provisions, then eat al fresco with a cold beer. Ahh, spring!

Scallop, Green Bean and Baby Red Spring Salad with Miso Dressing

The dressing is modified from Museum Cafes & Arts, a little gem of a book of recipes from museum cafes illustrated with gorgeous prints of famous works of art.  The rest of the recipe we made up ourselves. Although I’ve listed the weights of the potatoes, scallops and beans we used, you should just buy what you think you need. The dressing will serve at least 6. 

1 lb small red potatoes
salt and pepper to taste (just a tiny bit – the dressing is salty)
3 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 lbs large scallops
Fresh lettuce
1/2 lb green beans
Miso Dressing (recipe follows)

Wash and dry potatoes well. Don’t peel. Cut into half (or thirds, however you want, to uniform size) Toss with 1 tbsp canola oil and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees, turning halfway, for about 30 minutes, or until browned and cooked. While the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing, wash and dry the lettuce. Steam the green beans over boiling water till warm, bright green and still a bit crisp. Drain and set aside. Remove cooked potatoes to a bowl and set aside while you cook the scallops.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet until very hot but not smoking. Add the scallops and sauté until nicely browned, about 3-4 mins. Turn to the other side and cook one more minute.

Arrange the greens on a platter. Arrange the scallops, browned side up, on the bed of greens. Scatter some green beans atop the greens and place the potatoes on the side. Drizzle dressing over the scallops, beans and greens and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Miso Dressing

I happen to love this dressing, but if it’s not for you, make my warm tarragon vinaigrette instead.

1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup white miso
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp wasabi paste
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 teensy-weensy drop sesame oil (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the canola oil. Gradually whisk in canola oil.

Terrace Garden Salad

I am so proud of myself.

I needed to eat dinner. And fast. Mr TBTAM and I had exactly 2 1/2 hours between dropping my daughter off at the cruise boat at Battery Park for her 8th grade class prom (Don’t get me started on why an 8th grade graduation dance now has to be called a Prom…) and picking her up. We wanted to ride the loop in Central Park.

What could I make quickly?

First, to the herb garden – my container lettuce crop was bursting from the pot, and there was basil, parsley and mint.

Next, to the fridge. There were still artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes from Costco. Those chickpeas I had drained the other night and only used half. A scallion. Two eggs. A few measly almonds in a bag in the freezer. Some leftover homemade lemon vinaigrette in a jar

Finally to the cabinets – Cous Cous! The wonder grain that cooks in 5 minutes! Yes!

Within 10 minutes, I had a meal fit for a king and queen.

I love my herb garden and the opportunities it give me to cook and eat healthy. And fast.


Terrace Garden Salad

You’ll make a batch of couscous, but will only use 1/4 cup for this salad, which serves two. Save the rest of the couscous for tomorrow and make it again. I needed to make this quickly, so I browned the chickpeas on the stove top. But if you have time, roast them instead. Add as many greens as you want for this salad

I had some leftover, so the next day I tossed in some melted Haloumi cheese that I found at the Farmers Market (after melting it in a saute pan with olive oil), refreshed the salad with new lettuce and herbs from the garden and more tomatoes and artichokes, and had a fabulous lunch.

1/4 cup cooked couscous
Mixed salad greens
6 basil leaves, 6 mint leaves, and a few sprigs of parsley torn or chopped coarsely
4 marinated artichoke hearts, drained well and quartered
4 large sun dried tomatoes, drained well and sliced into quarters lengthwise
1 scallion, chopped
1/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained and very dry
1 egg
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp almonds
Lemon vinaigrette (I keep this made and in the fridge most of the time)
Salt and pepper to taste

Start the couscous, and while it is sitting off the heat, do the rest.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small saute pan. Toss in chickpeas and saute over high heat till browned, tossing several times. Lower the heat and add the egg, stirring it around with till cooked softly.

Toss with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and serve immediately

Couscous

1 cup couscous
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat chicken broth with the oil in a medium saucepan until boiling. Add the couscous, stir well and remove the pan from the heat. Cover and let sit for 4-5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
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This post is my submission to Weekend Herb Blogging, a weekly carnival planted at Kalyn’s Kitchen, now being tended by Cook Almost Anything and hosted this week at Erbe in Cucina

The Other Mediterranean Diet- Chickpea Salad

With all this talk about the Mediterranean Diet, I think we sometimes forget to look beyond Greece, Spain and Italy for delicious and healthy foods. I’m speaking of course, of the wonderfully healthy and fascinating cuisines of the Middle East.

Olive oil, of course, is a mainstay of Middle Eastern as well as northern Mediterranean cuisine, and yogurt is common to both as well. But on the Mediterranean’s southern coast, couscous is the carb of choice, dried fruits abound, and lemon juice replaces vinegar (a blessing for migraine sufferers like myself.) Best of all are the spices – cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, nutmeg – that continually surprise and delight the palate.

This weekend I discovered a most wonderful Middle Eastern cookbook – The Arab Table by May S. Bsisu. The book is a culinary tour of the Arabian countries of the Middle East – Palestine, Jordan, Yemen, Syria, Morocco, Syria, Egypt and the Arabian Gulf – along with family reminiscences and explanations of customs and holidays that give cultural context to every recipe.

If this, our first foray into May Bsisu’s recipes is any prediction, I’d say the Arab Table is going to become a source of meal ideas at our table for a long time to come.

Dressed Chickpeas

The strong saltiness, cumin and cayenne flavors in this dish may be an acquired taste for some, so I recommend using a third to half the amounts listed below to start and adjusting upwards if you like the flavors. (I happen to love them.) I love parsley, so I actually used almost a 1/4 cup in mine. Bsisu tells us to add feta to turn this side dish into a satisfying lunch. If you do that, I’d serve it on a plate atop a bed of lettuce leaves.

2 cans chickpeas
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 pound white onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium tomato, chopped, for garnish
1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, for garnish

Drain chickpeas and rinse three times under running water. Place in saucepan with water to cover 1 inch, bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain and cool a few minutes in the colander, then place into a large bowl of cold water. Gently rub the chickpeas between your palms to remove the skins until most of the skins are removed, replenishing the water once or twice as it becomes covered with the skins.

Place the drained chickpeas in a large bowl and add the onion and jalapeno.

Whisk the garlic, salt, cumin, lemon juice and olive oil together in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the chickpea mixture and toss gently. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves garnished with tomatoes and parsley.
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Map from Wikipedia

Summer Squash, Pea and Red Onion Salad with Feta

Mr TBTAM made this wonderful salad from Melissa Clark’s Recipe in today’s new York Times. In addition to getting the recipe, I encourage you to read the article on how she created the recipe – it’s a lovely story about how buying and eating locally can lead to a wonderful new dish.

The salad is delicious, and calls for blanched peas, and raw zucchini. I liked it, but could also see this salad with the zucchini blanched as well. We liked the zucchini slices halved as you see them in my photo up there, rather than whole as Melissa did them.

For the salad, Mr TBTAM used fresh sweet sugar snap peas, which normally we would eat whole, pod and all, raw and by hand – summer’s candy as far as we’re concerned. Now we are left with all the empty pea pods. Any ideas on what to do with them?

A Quartet of Salads for a Choral Gathering

For the past few years, Mr TBTAM and I have hosted my Choral group’s annual end-of-season party. It’s one of my favorite days of the year. I take off work and spend the day cooking, with NPR and the dog for company, and the sun streaming in my kitchen window.

This year, I made Irene’s chicken with Pauls’ barbecue sauce and a quartet of salads. The group supplemented with wine, appetizers, desserts and more side dishes. Usually we eat on the roof, but the weather was cooler than we expected, so we only did drinks and appetizers upstairs, then dinner downstairs. After dinner, we listened to a recording of our recent concert at Lincoln Center. Was that beautiful singing really us?

Thanks to Martin Rutishauser, our choral director, for an amazing season and for what was for most of us, the opportunity of a lifetime – a chance to sing at Lincoln Center. And thanks to all my friends in the chorus for another great year of music and friendship.

A Quartet of Salads

All four of these salads can be made ahead, and make a great addition to any party plate.

Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs

This recipe is straight from Epicurious, and one of the best potato salads I’ve ever had. There are so many flavorful herbs that I think one could get away with non-fat mayo in this recipe and no one would be able to tell.

3 pounds baby red potatoes
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
11/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

Bring potatoes to boil in large pot of water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 17 minutes. Drain; let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

Cut potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Place 1 layer of potatoes in large bowl; sprinkle with some of vinegar and salt and pepper. Continue layering potatoes with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add all remaining ingredients; toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Cucumber Salad (Sorry, no photo)

This is a family standard that Mr TBTAM usually makes, but I did it myself this time.

6 large cucumbers
1/2 medium sweet onion
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Fresh dill (optional)

Peel cucumbers, slice lengthwise and using a teaspoon, scrape out the seeds. Then slice crosswise into thin slices using a knife or, if you have it, a mandolin. Slice the onion into think slices and then in half across so they are not too long. Mix together in a large Pyrex bowl.

Meanwhile, mix vinegar and water in a medium saucepan, add sugar and bring to a boil. Cool slightly and then pour over cucumbers and onions and mix gently. Salt and pepper. Cover and place in fridge overnight.

Best made a day ahead.

Rice and Lentil Salad ala’ Ottolenghi

This is a slight modification of a Wild Rice Salad from the website of Yotam Ottolenghi, the UK’s vegetarian sensation. (Hat tip to 101 Cookbooks for introducing me to this amazing chef.)

I substituted an Indian rice and lentil blend called Delhi Durhbar for the wild rice. You could use really any lentil or rice mixturein this salad. The original recipe also calls for fresh rocket, an herb that I could not find. So I used an herbal salad green mix from Gourmet Garage instead.

1 cup Delhi Dunbar mix
2-3 ounces by weight peeled dry roasted pistachios
5 ounces by weight soft dried apricot, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
1 small bunch of mint, leaves picked
2 cos, loosely packed mixed mesclun salad herbs
3 spring onions, roughly chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove of garlic
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the rice and lentils according to directions. Coarsely chop the pistachios with a large knife. Drain the apricot and coarsely chop them too.

In a bowl mix the rice, apricots and pistachios. Add the rest of the ingredients, toss well and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Green Bean Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Another recipe modified from Ottolenghi. I increased the proportion of beans to onions, substituted basil for chervil and plated it on a bed of baby spinach.

1 lb trimmed French beans
1 small red onion, chopped
2 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoon tarragon leaves, chopped
2 tbsp basil (or parsely or chervil or dill)
1/2 bag cleaned baby spinach leaves

Vinaigrette
1 small garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

To make the vinaigrette, put the mustard, garlic and vinegar in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking until you get a thick dressing. Taste and season.

Blanch the beans in boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Refresh and drain.

Arrange the spinach leaves on a large platter or flat bowl. Mix the beans with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with vinaigrette and pile onto spinach. Serve.