Tag Archive for 'Summer'

Creamy Maple Polenta Succotash

Published
by
marc
on September 7, 2008
in Side, Summer, Vegetable and Vegetarian
. 11 Comments

The photo doesn’t look like much and the name might remind you of Sylvester from Looney Toons, but if creamed corn is your thing, this is your Holy Grail.

Succotash is truly an American dish if there ever was one. Its roots go back to a time before the Pilgrims had the first Thanksgiving. Beans and Maize (corn) were popular crops for Native Americans because together they are a rich source of both protein and carbohydrates. It was common for the two to be cooked together and the term succotash was derived from the Narraganset term: msikwatas.

Since then a lot of other ingredients such as cured meats and cream have been introduced and the name refers to just about anything that has corn and beans in it. My version uses milk along with polenta to make a satisfyingly thick (though not overly cloying) “pudding” in which kernels of crisp sweet corn and fresh fava beans are suspended. The maple syrup brings out the natural sweetness in the corn and with a bit of cream added at the end it makes for a symphony of harmonious textures and flavours. It’s a balanced meal by itself but also works great as a side for meats and poultry.

If fresh fava beans aren’t available, fresh lima beans or fresh peas would work as well. In the dead of winter, this would also taste great with canned corn and cannellini beans. Additions such as bacon and cheese (pecorino or gruyere are two possibilities) would certainly make this richer and I can even imagine turning this into a gratin by putting it in a casserole dish, topping with cheese and breadcrumbs and baking.

2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 Tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp regular salt)
1 Tbs maple syrup
1/8 tsp sage
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 C polenta
2 ears corn removed from the cob along with any “milk” from the corn (about 2 cups)
1 cup shelled fresh fava beans
2 Tbs cream

Add the milk, salt, maple syrup, sage and pepper to a sauce pan and heat over medium heat until simmering. Add the polenta and stir continuously until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Turn down the heat to medium low and add the corn. Cook stirring regularly until the polenta is no longer soupy but not too firm about 10-15 minutes. Add the beans and cook for a few more minutes until the beans are bright green.

Remove from heat and taste, adjusting salt and pepper as needed then stir in the cream. Serve while hot.

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Smokra

Published
by
marc
on July 31, 2008
in Pickle, Vegan, Vegetable and Vegetarian
. 11 Comments

Okay, I wish I could say I’m that clever, but alas this is just my take on one of my favourite pickles by Rick’s Picks, a local pickle artisan with pithy pickles like Phat Beets and Wasabeans. I love all their preserved produce, but at 13 bucks a pop, it’s a splurge I can’t indulge as often as I’d like to (especially considering I’m prone to eating an entire jar in 1 sitting if someone doesn’t take them away from me).

They have a tangy bite with a smoky spice that’s mellowed out by the slick crunchy texture of the okra. I can’t think of anything better to pair with BBQ’ed and smoked meats, or even a hamburger. But personally I could just go on eating them out of the jar until there are none left.

The other day I saw some svelte young okra lying in wait at the farmers market and I just couldn’t help but cop a feel. They were covered in soft blonde fuzz and radiated a particularly enticing shade of green without a scar or bruise in sight. I quickly scooped up a few handfuls knowing exactly what I’d be doing with them when I got home…
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Black tea gelato with blueberry swirl

Published
by
marc
on July 14, 2008
in Dessert and Summer
. 16 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Union Square green market and during my absence, the south side of the park has exploded with summer berries, fruits, and veggies. One of my finds was a delightfully fragrant basket of small blueberries.

Blueberries are loaded with nutrients and phytochemicals that have been associated with lowering the risk of cancer, preventing Alzheimer’s, lowering blood pressure and preventing urinary tract infections. As good as they are for you, I’ve never been a huge fan except in baked goods and pancakes, but this basket looked so tasty I decided it’s high time I give this underutilized berry a chance to be something more than a mere afterthought.

Helen over at Tartelette made some blueberry swirl ice cream the other day which looked absolutely phenomenal, thus an idea was born. Not wanting to be unoriginal and wanting to preserve some of the healthiness of the blueberries (ok… now that’s a total lie because this is by no-stretch of the imagination healthy), I decided to go with a gelato base (which uses no egg yolks and less cream). L has been drinking this blueberry tea that always smells fantastic so that’s where the tea idea came from.

This is quite possibly the best churned frozen thing I’ve ever made. It’s not quite as simple as the custard-less varieties I’ve posted about here, here, and here, but since it doesn’t use egg yolks it’s somewhat simpler while being ultra creamy and velvety smooth. The combination of the creamy tea and tart floral blueberries was what really shone and made me wonder why no-one uses teas other than matcha for ice cream? I’m thinking combo’s like Earl Grey and lemon curd, or strawberry jasmine, or even mugicha (roasted barley) fudge would be sublime.
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Summer Veggie Stew

Published
by
marc
on June 28, 2008
in Soups & Stews, Vegan, Vegetable and Vegetarian
. 7 Comments

I almost hate calling this a stew because it doesn’t really do it justice. There’s no liquid added, so any sauce that develops comes out of the veggies, melding together and caramelizing in the pan to make a wonderfully hardy “stew”.

Its great on pasta, but I think it’s even better scooped up with soft flatbreads like a pita or naan.

For this batch I used some incredibly tender young summer squash along with sweet grape tomatoes, spring onions and fresh peas, but you could really use just about any mix of just-picked farmers market produce. For the seasoning I went with a home made Herbes de Provence mixture of fresh rosemary, lavender, sage and bay leaves, but it’s also great with sumac, lemon rind, and harissa.

While I included measurements below, they’re just guidelines. The idea here is to get the fewest pans, plates and utensils dirty, so do what feels right, taste it then adjust the seasonings until you’re happy.
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Shabu Shabu Salad

Published
by
marc
on June 4, 2008
in Fusion, Japanese, Summer and Vegetable
. 8 Comments

When in need of a quick simple meal I often turn to Japanese food for inspiration. While some preparation and presentations can be extremely time-consuming, at it’s core, Japanese food is about simplicity.

Shabu Shabu is typically considered a winter dish because it involves cooking paper thin slices of meat and vegetables in dashi at your table. The name is derived from the sound chopsticks make as you swish your meat around in the boiling stock to cook it. After a brief dip in the water, the meat is typically dipped in either a sesame sauce or ponzu (citrus and soy sauce).

This summer salad is a lighter take on Shabu Shabu requiring minimal cooking (thus minimal heat) while providing a well balanced meal that will sate your hunger and keep it at bay for a few hours longer than a bunch of lettuce would.

Dressed in a yuzu soy sauce dressing, the crispy batons of daikon radish add some body to the salad while the flash cooked pork gives it both flavour and protein. The best part is that it takes almost no-time to prepare and won’t turn your kitchen into a sweltering sauna in the middle of summer.

for pork
a pot of dashi (since you’ll toss this out I usually cheat and use the powdered kind)
very thin slices of pork (think deli meat thickness)

for dressing
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs yuzu juice (or lemon juice)
1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp sugar

for salad
2″ length of daikon radish peeled
couple handfuls of mixed baby greens or lettuce (I used arugola and mizuna)
cherry tomatoes

If you have a Japanese grocery nearby you should be able to get nicely marbled meat pre-cut into thin slices, but if you don’t you could have your butcher do it for you. If you have a sharp knife and better knife skills than I, you could do this yourself in theory, but you’ll want to partially freeze the meat I should warn you that it’s very hard to get thin uniform slices.

Cut the daikon lengthwise into thin batons, using a mandoline speeds this up. Soak them in a large bowl of ice cold water for about 10-15 minutes to take the “bite” off and bring out the sweetness.

Bring the dashi to a boil and using chopsticks or tongs, swish one or two slices of meat around at a time for a few seconds. Because it’s pork you need to cook it all the way through, but it should just barely be cooked. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool too room temperature.

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together. Transfer the pork to a bowl and pour about half the dressing over the meat and stir to combine. Drain the daikon and toss with some of the dressing. Toss the greens with some dressing and then assemble your salad.

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