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Karen, Robin

Here are the really simple recipes of the purees served with the sea bass. The pea puree is my favorite one. The amount of the recipes serves 4 with the fish.


celery puree

Ingredients:
200 g peeled celery root
250 ml milk
20 g butter
salt
Preparation:
Dice the celery into small cubes throw it into the milk and cook slowly until soft. Have been cooked remove the celery from the milk and mix up in the Moulinette with 20 g of fresh butter to a fine puree. Season with a pinch of salt. Keep warm.

Carrot puree

Ingredients:
200 g peeled carrots
20 g butter
1 Shallot finely chopped
salt
Preparation:
Cut the carrots into thin slices and sauté them with the chopped shallot in 20 g butter at moderate heat until soft . Mix in the Moulinette to a fine puree. Season with a pinch of salt. Keep warm.

Pea puree

Ingredients:
200 g peas, fresh or frozen
1 small Shallot, finely chopped
20 g butter
3-4 tablespoons chicken broth
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Piment d'Espelette

Preparation:
Sauté finely chopped shallot in 20 g butter, add the (thawed) peas and pour the chicken broth. Stir in salt, pepper, sugar and a little Espelette pepper and cook 10 minutes. Add some broth if necessary. Mix in the Moulinette to a fine puree. If you don't like the grainy texture of the puree strain through a sieve to remove the peels and keep warm.

Tonight we are putting a 7 lb. whole, bone-in turkey breast, which has been marinated and seasoned with a lot of fresh herbs and lemon, on the grill to roast. Sides will be Russian Banana fingerling potatoes, gold and red bell peppers from my garden, red onion and garlic, tossed with a combination of evoo and hazelnut oils, seasoned well and oven roasted. I am also making a tomato and bread salad with heirloom tomatoes and lots of colorful cherry types.

Lots of cooking yesterday (and concluding today): on the grill... 4.5# marinated boneless leg of lamb, shrimp kabobs, mixed vegetables in the perforated pan; in the kitchen... another bsteeya, first shot at adapting Kim's lemon quinoa recipe for orzo, and a batch of pistachio ice cream.

There are Green Zebras and bufala waiting patiently.

ETA: And a few roquefort cigars, made with the last few sheets of phyllo.

Lots of cooking yesterday (and concluding today): on the grill... 4.5# marinated boneless leg of lamb, shrimp kabobs, mixed vegetables in the perforated pan; in the kitchen... another bsteeya, first shot at adapting Kim's lemon quinoa recipe for orzo, and a batch of pistachio ice cream.

There are Green Zebras and bufala waiting patiently.

Jeff, what is your marinade for LoL made from?

Jeff, what is your marinade for LoL made from?

I kept it real simple: The meat was butterflied by the butcher so I laid it on a cutting board, sprinkled it with a handful of fresh rosemary, 6 crushed garlic cloves, some sea salt and black pepper, squeeze a lime and drizzle olive oil over it, slap on two bay leaves, roll it up and put it in a ziploc bag with some more oil. Munge it up a bit and let it rest a few hours.

I kept it real simple: The meat was butterflied by the butcher so I laid it on a cutting board, sprinkled it with a handful of fresh rosemary, 6 crushed garlic cloves, some sea salt and black pepper, squeeze a lime and drizzle olive oil over it, slap on two bay leaves, roll it up and put it in a ziploc bag with some more oil. Munge it up a bit and let it rest a few hours.

That sounds great Jeff, looks like you kept it simple yet with plenty of flavor. How much did the lime juice show through? I had a LoL in hand today and put it back...should have bought it as it was reduced a couple $$.

Sunday I did a curry of sweet potato, carrot, broccoli, lima beans, and okra. I haven't ventured too far into from-scratch curries yet, although I do tend to doctor the pre-made pastes (vindaloo, in this case) quite a bit with my now rather limited on-hand ingredients (I gave up working at the spice shop to regain my weekends). I had a nice piece of blackfin tuna that I cut into chunks. The tuna went in right at the end to cook just until done and I finished the whole with coconut milk. It was seriously impressive flavorwise, if a bit soupy.

Yesterday I did a seared tuna loin piece (other half of the curried bit) that I'd coated with gochujang. Very rare. I put it on a bed of black beans, tomatoes and kale (alas, also a bit soupy) that I'd built earlier in the day. And also quite good. Beautiful holiday evening on the patio.

My cooking has gotten much more adventuresome since living on my own and not having to cook within the confines of the various palettes. But I find myself running in streaks culturally. I went on an Asian binge for awhile. Then the whole curry exploration. I've kind of settled into this agglomeration of styles now... the kale and tomatoes were spiced with cumin and turmeric (supposed to include corriander but see above) and I did the black beans separately with cumin and oregano, then combined them all, so the profiles at least worked together, but then the gochujang threw a whole new twist at things. Very pan-cultural, I suppose. I draw on inspiration from here and several other food sites, but rarely follow a recipe these days. I haven't not been able to eat anything; I think my repertoire is expanding successfully.

That sounds great Jeff, looks like you kept it simple yet with plenty of flavor. How much did the lime juice show through?

The grill flavor is so strong, and the marination was so brief, that all that really comes through is smoke, a little garlic, and a little rosemary. I'd have to leave it overnight to get more of the other flavors into the meat. (That said, I still wouldn't expect the lime to show very much; I just want the acid to do a little tenderizing.)

Dinner yesterday was chicken thighs marinated overnight in the marinade (principal ingredients 5-spice powder, soy sauce, garlic, and scallions) I usually use for Chinese deep-fried chicken wings, then grilled. Served with a salad and Inner Beauty hot sauce as a condiment.

-Paul W.

Dinner tonight is in the Crockpot. A seven bone roast sitting on top of carrots, celery, red onion, whole sweet peppers, with rosemary, thyme. A mix of home made beef broth, red wine, and Worcestershire is poured over. Yukon Gold potatoes are added two hours prior to serving. My house smells wonderful. I picked fresh sweet white corn today and we are having that, as well.

I had to share this with you because Gene and I thought it was excellent and a good use for a few Hatch Chiles from our freezer. It is actually a breakfast recipe, but a few of our friends are loving it more for a meatless dinner. I must say, it was a heavier breakfast than we usually have, but if you are heading for the ski slopes this winter, it would be great. Very tasty!

http://whatscookingamerica.net/KarenCalanchini/HuevosRancheros-TortillaCups.htm

[Robin Garr]

Aloo Bhindi ki sabzi, okra and potatoes with onions, tomatoes and lots of spicy Indian flavors.

Last night we sauteed some very nice flounder fillets and served them with rice and our first (!) Brandiwine tomato. We deglazed the pan and drank with it a Glenora Finger Lakes Cayuga White. The wine made an excellent sauce for the fish and tasted great as well.

Flat iron steaks with "southwest rub" grilled perfectly to the rare side of medium rare. Garden fresh peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, cherry tomatoes and zucchini sauteed in peasant harvested Olive Oil from some remote Italian village not distinguished enough to be designated on the bottle. Potatoes roasted in the same Ugh Oh, homegrown garlic along with a finely chapped sprig freshly of picked rosemary. All served on retro dinnerware (Bob White pattern) from Red Wing pottery,

A 1998 Tom Eddy Napa Cabernet was well received by the Cabophiles in attendance. This was followed by a spectacular late summer sunset viewed from our Fiberon low maintenance deck, while seated in local, artisan crafted Adirondack chairs.

Tonight is lamb loin chops rubbed with rosemary infused olive oil, garlic, fresh rosemary and grilled. A Mexican rice of sorts with tomatoes, cumin, chiles, and onion and garlic. Steamed cauliflower tossed with red onion, French Tarragon, tarragon vinegar and a little non-fat sour cream thrown in.

Last night, it was coq au vin blanc with mashed potatoes and sauteed broccolini. There was a salad with feta and cherry tomatoes that my wife made and a warm kale salad that a friend brought. Dessert was a bruleed lemon tart with (storebought) honey cinnamon ice cream.

Saturday night's dinner was Thai mahogany fire noodles.

-Paul W.

A nice harvest from my garden yesterday of Amish Paste Tomatoes, Chinese Long Beans, jalapeños, and Sweet Banana Peppers, plus the discussion on using Tarragon with tomatoes prompted me to cook up a pot using all the ingredients. I added garlic, and fresh tarragon and will finish it off with a few more fresh leaves. It is smelling great. This is the first time I have grown the Amish Paste tomatoes and I am loving their sweet flavor in dishes. This will be a side to left over spaghetti and meatballs I made at the request of Gene yesterday.

This evening it will be breakfast for dinner. WAFFLES!

Bone-in, center cut pork chops and brown rice baked in the oven. Chops are dusted with poultry seasoning, topped with thick onion slices, red and yellow bell peppers. A mixture of home made tomato sauce and a nice red wine, poured over the mix and baked for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Very yummy and easy. An arugula salad with baby lettuce from the garden, with celery hearts and leaves, lemon cukes, and hearts of palm with a lemon, walnut vinaigrette.

[Jenise]

Saturday night's dinner was Thai mahogany fire noodles.

-Paul W.

I have to add this dish to my repertoire. You did post your recipe, didn't you? I'm sure I begged for it, then somehow didn't get around to it.

[Jenise]

But I find myself running in streaks culturally. I went on an Asian binge for awhile. Then the whole curry exploration. I've kind of settled into this agglomeration of styles now...

I think that's a good thing. You get curious, fascinated, and work with something until you get a handle on what attracts you, and then you move on to the next fascination. But you never really leave the thing you investigated behind; it remains part of who you are as a cook, it just goes on a shelf for awhile until it's needed again or 'agglomerated'.

Dinner tonight is in the Crockpot. A seven bone roast sitting on top of carrots, celery, red onion, whole sweet peppers, with rosemary, thyme. A mix of home made beef broth, red wine, and Worcestershire is poured over. Yukon Gold potatoes are added two hours prior to serving. My house smells wonderful. I picked fresh sweet white corn today and we are having that, as well.

Karen, I discovered a few years ago that those 7-bone roasts make THE best pot roast. Guess you discovered the same thing!

Every year 36 of us get together at the home of a close couple for a bbq/meat cook off. This years theme is "Meat on a Stick" sooo I made 55 skewers of "Jerk Chicken and Pork on a Stick" and grilled/smoked them on my egg for the cook off this afternoon. The winner is presented with a belt similar to the ones that are given to professional wrestlers only this one has depictions of meat all over the buckle. I'm not sure I want to win.

Drew