Fresh Peas are Here!

Fresh peas are here at the Farmer's Market!
Just eat them straight out of the pod.

Steamed Asparagus

Steamed Asparagus

Asparagus at the Farmers Market is supreme right now. Steamed asparagus is quick and easy to prepare and there is nothing more divine.

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus
salt

Directions

Cut the asparagus two inches from the end, place in a bowl of water to wash.
Prepare a saucepan with a steamer, fill with water so that there is about 1/2 inch water visible through the steamer. Bring the water to the boil, then place the asparagus stalks on the steamer. Cover and steam for 8 - 10 minutes, till the asparagus is bright green and beginning to be tender. Test with a fork. If you like it less crisp, continue to steam until it is done to your likeness.  Drain and serve.

Cream of Celery Soup

Cream of Celery Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
5 cups chopped celery
1 large onion chopped
1 russet potato chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 bag frozen peas
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add 5 cups chopped celery and l large onion chopped, and cook covered for 20 minutes until tender. Add 1 russet potato chopped into 1 inch cubes, 1 bag frozen peas. 6 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano and 2 cloves garlic finely chopped. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.Check to make sure celery and potato is tender.  Puree in batches in food processor, return liquid to pot, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until the soup is at a low simmer. Do not let boil.

Lobster Rolls

Lobster Rolls
(from Bon Appetit)

Michael Paterniti wrote about his search for the ultimate lobster roll. He says warm toasty buttered rolls are key. Jason made some for us earlier this year, the memory of his lobster rolls linger for a long time.
Jason made his own mayonnaise with canola oil, his description of how he made the rolls seems very similar to this one. If you are lucky to have any left over lobster, which would be most unusual, use that.

Ingredients

utensils to crack the lobster shell and dig out meat from legs and claws

3 x 1 1/4 lb live lobsters
1 celery stalk finely chopped
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped chives
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
(or better homemade mayonnaise)
pepper, salt
6 New England style split top hot dog
buns (or Kaiser rolls)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Lobster can be prepared a day ahead. Cover and store in fridge. Toss with remaining ingredients the next day.

In large pot, pour water until it’s at the depth of 1 inch. Bring to a boil and salt generously. In Maine, lobster is cooked this way with seaweed. Once the water is boiling, add the lobsters head first, cover and cook until bright red, 8 - 10 minutes. Remove lobsters and allow to cool.
Crack lobster shells, pick meat from tail and claws and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Mix lobster, 1 celery stalk chopped, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and 3 tablespoons mayonnaise in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. You may need to add more mayonnaise at this point, add more lemon juice or salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as you desire.

The rolls have to be warm. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread flat sides of buns with a little butter. Cook until golden, approximately 2 minutes per side.
Fill with the lobster mixture.

Homemade Mayonnaise

Ingredients

1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
3/4 canola oil, divided

Directions

Combine egg yolk, 1 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup canola oil, pouring in a very slow stream, whisking all the time... (about 4 minutes). Then gradually add 1/2 cup oil, still pouring in a slow stream and whisking continuously until mayonnaise is thick (about 8 minutes). Cover and chill, make ahead. Can be chilled up to two days.
To make aioli, add 1 clove garlic minced and substitute olive oil for canola oil.

Za'ata with Kishk

When David’s grandmother (Situ) came to America as a young bride, she carried all the memories of Lebanon in her heart. She came from the Chouf area, where wild thyme grows in abundance in the hills. They would pick wild thyme and dry it for za’ata. But there is another herb that looks a bit like mint but is softer, tastes like oregano but with a stronger more distinct taste. While walking in some fields in Connecticut, Situ found a plant that reminded her of her home ...... when she tasted it, it was exactly what she had been searching for to make za’ata with kishk. She dug a few plants up all those years ago, and every year they came up in May, spreading all over the garden. Mint tends to overpower it, so we keep them apart. When her daughters married, they took some of these plants with them and to this day, we all have a patch of za’ata growing in our gardens. I’ve always been confused by what this exactly is. Ana Sortun writes in her excellent book, Spice, ......‘Some sources maintain that the very green herb called za’atar is a type of thyme; though some sources say it is Syrian hyssop (a herb similar to oregano). Fresh za’atar in the Middle Eastern markets in Watertown, Massachusetts, looks more like summer savory, or a crossing of marjoram, oregano and thyme. To further confuse matters, za’atar also refers to a blend of the green herb, sesame seeds and other spices. Za’atar blends vary widely in color and spice flavors. The za’atar blends in Israel and Lebanon are similar to the Jordanian version, but they are not as vividly green. In Syria, the za’atar blends contain more sumac and sometimes chilies or cumin are added. We buy the Lebanese version, and add sumac. We use the dried zatta for man’oushie. However, we also use the fresh leaves of this plant to make a delicious dish to be eaten with fresh pita bread.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh Za’ata, leaves only  
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup kishk (kishk is a mixture of fermented milk, salt and bulgur, dried and ground into a cornmeal or powder like form with a tart flavor.) Can be found in Middle Eastern specialty stores.

Directions

Pluck the leaves and wash in a bowl of water. Drain through a colander and then dry between paper towels.
Place leaves in a bowl, add 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1/3 cup kishk. Mix with a fork and eat immediately with pita bread.

birthday cake by Mirabel

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

Fresh rhubarb posing with mint

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

Ingredients

2 cups chopped rhubarb stalks
12 strawberries
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
6 tablespoons butter at room temperature
pyrex dish 8” x 8 1/2”

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Buy fresh rhubarb, in season end of April
beginning of May in Upstate New York.
Easy to grow, comes up by itself every year.

Slice the rhubarb stalk close to the base when harvesting.
To Prepare rhubarb, remove the large leaf and discard. Sometimes the outer membranes are a little stringy, just peel off the outer stringy bits, then chop into 1/2 inch chunks. Wash in a bowl.
Place the chopped rhubarb in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons water, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 4 tablespoons sugar. Cook over low heat covered for 5 minutes or till tender.
Wash the strawberries and slice.

In a pyrex dish, spray with Pam, then place the sliced strawberries on bottom. Next drain some of the extra juice off the rhubarb and add to the strawberries.
For the crumble, have 6 tablespoons butter at room temperature, add 1 cups flour and rub butter and flour together  with your hands until the texture is like breadcrumb. Mix in 1/2 cup sugar and then pour the crumble mixture over the rhubarb and strawberries.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes or bubbling and browned on top.