Cole Slaw with Sorrel & Greek Yogurt September 25, 2008

Sorrel is a new thing in my kitchen. I got my first bundle of it recently and used it in a stuffing for roasted trout and sorrel pesto for a tomato salad. But I still had a handful of leaves left. Also in my fridge were strained Greek yogurt and green cabbage. Cole slaw came to mind. I stemmed the sorrel and sliced it up and added to a bowl of shredded cabbage and red onion. For the dressing I added to the yogurt some olive oil, chopped cilantro and mint, and a touch of lemon juice (you don’t want too much acid because of the high acidity of the sorrel). Delicious! This slaw didn’t feel overly creamy or rich at all since the dressing was solely based on Greek yogurt and olive oil. In fact I felt quite healthy eating it, not that I mind a creamy cole slaw. The tangy sorrel and yogurt with the refreshing cilantro and mint made this cole slaw a surprisingly good treat. I ate this along with an open-faced avocado and jalapeno jack melt and Mexican corn.

Heirloom Tomato, Burrata, Pistachio Sorrel Pesto September 24, 2008

I was panicked a few weekends ago thinking that heirloom tomatoes were going to be gone soon and that I hadn’t got my fill of them this season. I asked the tomato stand people at the Santa Monica farmer’s market how much longer they were going to be showing face and they said until Christmas time! That’s Southern California weather for you.

The combination of juicy heirloom tomatoes and creamy burrata is hard to beat. I usually eat it pretty straight up but since I had some sorrel on hand… Using the handy mortar and pestle I mashed up toasted pistachio, garlic, and chopped sorrel along with a few basil leaves, but leaving out the cheeses. The mortar and pestle is a bit of work but it’s all worth it in the end for the wonderful texture. I thinned out the paste with the deliciously fruity and unfiltered Frantoia Sicilian olive oil that I received from Julie who always spoils me with culinary goodies. I seasoned the tomato slices and burrata with fleur de sel and a drizzle of the olive oil before dolloping the bright herb paste over them. The citrusy tang of the sorrel and nutty pistachio in the pesto brought a new twist to the ol’ heirloom tomato and burrata salad.

Ode to B.L.T.s September 23, 2008

B.L.T. is the king of sandwiches. This month I reached the pinnacle of my blt making history, partly because we’re still in the juicy tomato season and also because I found the perfect bread. If you don’t already know Bay Cities Deli in Santa Monica makes the most amazing breads ever – light and fluffy with a super thin crispy crust. They started selling sliced bread! Imagine that freshly baked bread toasted and spread generously with mayonnaise, topped with thick juicy slices of pineapple heirloom tomato straight from the farmer’s market, smoky juicy Niman Ranch dry-cured bacon, and fresh and mildly oniony onion sprouts. Heavenly, no joke. My favorite sandwiches that I’ve made besides this blt is just suped up version it. The blt stuffed with perfectly ripe haas avocado is mouthwatering. One with the avocado and also spread on one side with fresh goat cheese? To die for.

Harissa & Yogurt Marinated Halibut Wrap September 22, 2008

Harissa & Yogurt Marinated Halibut Wrap with Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad

Every time I buy a tub of yogurt for a recipe I always seem to have a good amount of it leftover. Although frozen yogurt is an excellent solution but lately I haven’t had an inkling to make any sweets. So instead I continued on with the seafood. I think I read somewhere yogurt tenderizes meat besides making it taste excellent. I marinated halibut slices with harissa and Greek yogurt then cooked it gently over a very small flame until it was just done. The halibut came out so tender and flaky. Corn tortillas were what I had around to make a wrap but a soft flatbread would have been perfect too. To top the fish off I made a salad of tomato, cucumber, avocado, mint, cilantro and lemon. I can eat this salad by the bowlful. So fresh and light. I sprinkled sumac over the top of the wrap and served it with lemon wedges.

Seared Sweet Corn Polenta, Cream of Goat Cheese, Romesco, Cherry Tomato September 19, 2008

This dish made for a tasty weekday meal. Crusty sweet corn polenta was served in a warm pool of tangy cream of goat cheese, topped off by smoky romesco, sauteed sweet yellow grape tomatoes, and basil. I really liked the pop of the corn kernals in the polenta. Corn in cornmeal, what’s not to like? The cream of goat cheese added a nice touch to the dish providing a velvety contrast to the crust of the seared polenta. Even Boy, who is not a big fan of goat cheese, cleaned his plate clean.

Whole Roasted Trout with Chermoula, Bacon, Sorrel September 15, 2008

More chermoula adventures swept through my kitchen, this time marinating a whole rainbow trout. I rubbed the chermoula on the skin and in the cavity, sprinkled chopped cilantro and lemon zest over the fish and let it marinate in the fridge for few hours. I filled the cavity with a mixture of sweated onion, butter, thyme, chermoula and sliced fresh sorrel. I seasoned the fish with kosher salt and freshly cracked white pepper, wrapped it in a few slices of bacon, and seared it in a pan to get the bacon started. I roasted it in a 425 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. I sprinkled chopped mint over the fish before serving but would have loved to used cilantro which I sadly ran out of.

To soak up all the delicious chermoula trout juices I made a nutty whole wheat couscous with pistachios, mint, cilantro, scallion, lemon juice and olive oil. I fumbled in filleting the meat off cleanly in one piece and without any fish bones, the trout being my first whole cooked fish ever. But the spicy chermoula trout, smoky bacon and the nutty couscous was a great combination. I served this delicious dish with harissa and lemon wedges on the side.

Beer-Battered Soft-Shell Crab Taco, Heirloom Tomato Salsa Fresca, Avocado September 14, 2008

Tacos being one my favorite things I knew I had to make a soft-shell crab version. First I prepared a heirloom tomato salsa fresca – heirloom tomato, red onion, jalapeno. A squeeze of lime and sprinkling of chopped cilantro later, the salsa was done. The batter started at one cup of flour and one 12oz bottle of cold beer. The mixture looked a little thin so I added a few more spoonfuls of flour. I dipped the quartered pieces of soft-shell crab in the batter and fried it at approximately 350-360 degrees. I warmed up corn tortillas over an open burner until they were softened and slightly toasted on the edges. In went crunchy pieces of crab, sliced avocado, shredded cabbage and the delicious heirloom tomato salsa. Lime and Valentina hot sauce on the side, cold beer to wash it all down – it was a good meal.

Chermoula Soft-Shell Crab, Cucumber in Yogurt, Pistachio September 12, 2008

I spotted some soft-shell crabs at Santa Monica Seafood last weekend. I’ve never cooked them before so I got really excited except the fish guy said it would be gone by next week. Oh no! So I headed over to the shop during the week and picked up a few to try out. First try was a soft-shell crab tempura which didn’t turn out so well in terms of texture. But the crab was so delicious Boy and I were able to overlook the not so crispy batter.

However day two yielded much more successful results. In fact, the results were smashing. I marinated the soft-shell crabs overnight in chermoula, which is a North African fish marinade made with spices, lemon, chile and olive oil. I used the Maloufs’ recipe from their Artichokes to Za’atar: Modern Middle Eastern Food which calls for cumin, coriander, ground ginger, green chile, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. The next day I seasoned the crab with salt, dredged it in flour and fried it in canola oil.

The salad part of the dish was made with cucumber, yogurt, mint, cilantro, lemon juice and olive oil. I used a vegetable peeler to shave the cucumber into ribbons and tossed it in the dressing. I plated the shaved cucumber salad first, topped by onion sprouts, the crispy spiced soft-shell crab, then chopped toasted pistachios and cilantro. Boy and I were all over this dish. The chermoula and yogurt were a perfect combination of spicy and mild tanginess and the crab had a thin crispy crust while juicy and tender inside. Boy ate his crab without the cucumbers in yogurt (he’s not a fan of cucumbers) and he still loved it.

Wild Ahi Tuna Tartare with Sesame Oil, Lime & Jalapeno September 10, 2008

I had a small bit of wild ahi tuna leftover from making the crudo so I used it up for a quick tartare. I chopped up the fish and seasoned it with sesame oil, lime zest, jalapeno (seeded and deveined), chives, red onion, and fleur de sel (mortar & pestled quickly to crush big crystals). I added a small amount of sriracha and lime juice for a last minute addition. I really enjoy the combination of sesame oil and salt (like the dipping sauce at Korean bbq). The addition of the lime juice & zest to the nutty sesame oil and salt was so delicious. What I really wanted to use was yuzu but I didn’t have any. Boo. I am bonkers by the way for yuzu and salt seasoned sushi which could have been another motivation for the tartar seasoning. I drank Siltstone Pinot Gris with the tartare and they were delicious together.

Heirloom Tomato & Crouton Salad with Persian Cucumber, Sweet Peppers, Basil September 9, 2008

I picked up a variety of juicy heirloom tomatoes and the farmer’s market to star them in a panzanella inspired bread salad. I tore up a ciabatta (crust sliced off), tossed it in olive oil along with salt and pepper and toasted them off in the oven until golden brown. Panzanella calls for stale Tuscan bread to be soaked in water to soften it. The water is then squeezed out and the bread is combined with tomatoes and basil to make a nifty and economical salad. In contrast to the traditional way I toasted my stale bread for some crunch against the super juicy heirloom tomatoes.

It’s too bad my photo doesn’t show off all the colors of the tomatoes! In the salad I used brandywine, lemon boy, green zebra and pineapple heirloom tomatoes. Also I added sweet bell peppers, Persian cucumbers, baby arugula and red onion to the mix and toss everything in a red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing along with torn basil. I shaved nutty salty parmigiano reggiano over the top to finish. This salad was tasty! Juicy heirloom tomatoes and crunchy crouton. Can’t go wrong with that.