Seviche for Kim's Birthday

Kim turned 50 yesterday. She and Jake had been 2 of my primary food muses for the last several years. They went to Argentina for 6 months and came back divorced. Yesterday's gathering to celebrate her birthday was sweet, but I can still feel the mourning for the way it was.

Thank you to What a Deal Seafood, the tomato girl, and B.D for the ingredients.

This made enough Seviche as an appetizer for a group of about 30.

1. The freshest Fish you can get.
I used:
a shy pound of Bay Scallops
a shy pound of Escolar
a shy pound of Shrimps

2. Cut Fish up into 1/4 inch pieces.
Put in Bowl and Squeeze enough Lime Juice to cover.
(The limes I got were really dry and I ended up using 35!)

3. Put the Lime soaking Fish in the Fridge and allow to sit until "cooked". I let the fish sit for 3 hours. If you are used to sushi and trust your fish source, you do not need to let it sit for so long. Since I was bringing this to a party, i leaned on the side of caution. If you are squeamish about it, let it sit up to 6 hours.

4. While fish is "cooking," make the tortilla chips. Cut up store bought flour tortillas into triangular chip shapes. Spread them out and allow them to dry for about 30 minutes. (Make too many chips). In your favorite frying pan, heat about 1/4 inch of oil to hot. You will fry the
tortilla pieces in batches, being attentive to not crowding the pan. Because the top side will be cooking simultaneously, once you flip the chips over (being mindful with the hot oil), they will not need to be fried as long on the second side. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle some good quality salt on them while they are still hot.

5. While the fish is "cooking," make the salsa. Cut up 4 delicious ripe tomatoes into a dice that looks attractive with your fish and put in a bowl.

6. Mince up 3 Serranos and add to the tomatoes. I only left the seeds in one of them for a little kick, but not too much since it was for a party.

7. Mince up some cilantro, maybe about 3tbl., and add to tomato mixture.

8. Mince up 1/2 a big white onion. To reduce the "onion-i-ness" you can put the onion in cold water and put in the fridge until ready to use, or you can simply put in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Reducing the "onion" helps keep it from overpowering the rest of the flavor. Do not mix the onion into the tomatoes until you are ready to serve.

9. Once fish is done, drain the lime juice and press fish gently against the strainer to remove as much lime juice as you can. Toss the onions into the tomatoes and then gently toss in the fish. Add lots of salt and taste. Yesterday, by community vote, we decided to not add the avocado. The prevailing thought was that it would mellow the flavors too much.

10. I put it into a pretty blue bowl and stuck some of the chips around the sides. I served it with the bowl of chips next to it.

What do You Feed the World's Spiritual Leaders?

Uma Goswami was just here. Reminding us that we are Divine. She indicated that she would like to cook together and invite 50 or so people over. I anticipate needing to become more comfortable with vegetarian Indian food.

So I am starting this journey and looking for help. Tonight we created a rice dish from what we had in the fridge and spice drawer. I do not recommend it yet. Needs work, but here is a start.

1. Heat some Ghee
2. Add some mustard seed, coriander seed, cumin seed, mixed peppercorns and cardamon pods, fry briefly. Add Madras Curry powder and stir.
3. Add soaked and drained basmati rice
4. Stir and fry rice a little.
5. Add chopped carrot and thinly sliced fennel.
6. Add chopped tomatoes
7. Add appropriate amount of water
8. Stir and bring to boil.
9. Add thinly sliced kale.
10. Salt
11. Cover and cook for 13 minutes or so.
12. Meanwhile, fry up some cashews in ghee.
13. Once rice is done, allow to rest, covered for about 5 minutes.
14. Stir in cashews and serve.

If I had had raisins, I would have put some in.
I look forward to working this out.

xo
k

Peapods

Peapods are the most delicious thing ever.
You can eat them straight, but a little squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of good salt turns them into a delicious snack.

Olivia's Turnips

Who knew?
Turnips are delicious.

Steve Sprinkle's farm is exploding with all sorts of new and unfamilar vegetables.
Olivia showed me this easy way to eat turnips.

1. Thinly slice turnips up raw.
2. Mix with Soy Sauce and some sliced green onions or pepods for color
3. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top

Yum!

In Anticipation of Summer Cold Pasta

This pasta is best in the late summer when the tomatoes and cucumbers are unbelievable. But we swung by Farmer and the Cook tonight after a long hike and the produce, as always looked great, so we decided to give it a try.

Start a pot of water boiling for the pasta.
Start preparing below. Once water boils, add some salt and the pasta.
(Tonight we used Bionaturae's Organic Fusili)

As you prepare below, add to a wide deep bowl.

1. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and mash with some good salt
2. Thinly quarter 1/2 a red onion
3. Chop about a pound of the best tomato's you can find.
4. Thinly slice and then mince between 5 and 8 marinated sun dried tomatoes.
5. Add too much good quality olive oil and stir the mixture.
6. Peal and half and slice 2 cucumbers into half moon shapes.
7. Finely grate zest of 2 lemons into bowl. Then slice and squeeze the juice, being aware of keeping the seeds from getting into the bowl.
   
8. Add a shy 2 tbl. of drained capers.
9. Add about 1/2 cup of pitted halved kalamata olives.
10. If I had had fresh herbs like Tarragon or Basil, I would have used them. But instead, I used some dried Mexican Oregano and Red Pepper flakes.
11. Open and remove pits of 3 avocados. Keep avocado in skin and Using Sharp knife, slice in two directions to get 1/4 inch pieces. Reserve and do not add to bowl.
    

Stir the above and add too much salt and ground pepper.

12. Once pasta is done, drain and run cool water over it, stirring to bring temperature down evenly.

13. Add pasta to mixture and stir. Use spoon to scoop out avocados and gently add to pasta mixture.

Angel Hair with Prosciutto, Pine Nuts and Basil

Today I bought some fresh angel hair from Karl at Oak Tree Bakery. Jim Churchill and Lisa Brenneis told me that fresh angel hair was just not right, and all the Italians dry it. They warned that I was going to end up with a gloppy bowl of mush. These guys are Foodies so I left the bakery wondering if what I had understood to be the nature of angel hair was just an ignorant inexperienced unsophisticated understanding.

But we just finished dinner, I thought the pasta was great. I love what Karl is doing, and I hope he continues to grow and expand and do well. And I will buy his pasta again.

1. Start a pot of salted water boiling.

2. Slice up some prosciutto and fry in a little olive oil. Put into a large bowl.

3. In same pan, toast up the pine nuts. Put in same bowl as prosciutto.

4. In same pan, saute up some minced shallots. Just before shallots are done, add some minced garlic and barely saute. Add to same bowl.

5. Slice/Shred some basil and add to the bowl.

6. Zest 2 lemons into bowl and add the juice of one of the lemons.

7. Add some olive oil and too much fresh grated Parmesan. Lots of fresh ground pepper and salt.

8. When water is boiling, throw pasta into water. I counted to 30 (prob, about a minute) and then drained it.

9. As I added the pasta to the bowl, I poured in a little half n' half to help blend the flavors.


I chose the flavors for Eric, my main squeeze and food muse. He liked it a lot. And that is what matters most to me.

Butter Lettuce Salad with Sauteed Asparagus, Leeks and Smoked Ahi Tuna

1. Wash and Dry Lettuce.

2. Wash and Dry Arugula.

3.Thinly Slice and Wash Leeks.

4. Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan and add leeks, stirring occasionally until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove to a small bowl or plate.

5. Add more olive oil to the pan and add Asparagus to pan and saute until done. (I left these asparagus whole cuz they were short beautiful thick stalks from Nancy Pepper's garden, but you could also cut them into pretty diagonal pieces). About 10 minutes.

6. Tear lettuce into desired pieces and thinly slice arugula (shred). Mix Lettuce, Arugula, and sauteed leeks together and toss salad with lemon and olive oil and salt and pepper.

7. Arrange lettuce on plates. Lie asparagus over the salad and sprinkle arrange slices of smoked ahi tuna on top.