The weather is still cold, rainy and generally pretty crappy, but despite the lousy weather I’ve been in the Spring mood. It might be nasty out but a walk through the local forest has already offered up the first ramps of the season, which I used not long ago on a previous post. I also went out and checked on our herb garden. The mint and Lemon Balm are already starting to emerge and take over (that means lots of weeding to keep them in check) and the tarragon already has 3-4 inch shoots.

I was in the mood for something simple, light and “Springy” for dinner tonight. My wife had recently picked up some nice looking salmon which I was itching to cook and with the newly sprouted tarragon I knew I had the basis of a wonderfully simple and elegant dish right in front of me. Add in some asparagus and baby Yukon Gold potatoes and I was set for the evening.

You can’t get much more simple than the recipe that follows. I hate to even call this a recipe, but it does illustrate how easy it is to take a few simple ingredients, at their peak of freshness and flavor and create a dish that is quick enough for an everyday meal or elegant enough to serve at your next dinner party.

Pan Seared Salmon with Roasted Asparagus
serves 4

4 fillets salmon, skin removed, 4-6oz. each
1 pound fresh asparagus
2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 lemon
1-2 tsp. fresh tarragon, minced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the potatoes into quarters or sixths, depending on their size. Toss with about 3 Tbs. of the olive oil then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Toss to coat then place on a baking tray and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Gently stir them after about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus by cutting off the bottom, tough portions of the asparagus. When the potatoes have about 5 minutes left raise the oven temperature to 425°F. Toss the asparagus with about 2 Tbs. olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay out on a baking tray, 1 layer thick. When potatoes are done remove from oven and put in the asparagus. Cook for 8 minutes.

While the asparagus is cooking heat 2 large saute pans over high heat (you can use just 1 pan but then you will probably want to cook the fish in 2 batches). Add 2 Tbs. olive oil to each pan. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Once the oil just starts to smoke add the fish, skin side up. Immediately lower the heat to medium high. After 3-4 minutes flip the fish over. I like my salmon on the medium rare side so I then take it out of the pan after another 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness (sometimes even less time if the fillet is really thin). If you like it well done then it will need about 6-7 minutes longer.

After the asparagus has cooked for 8 minutes, sprinkle on the minced tarragon and roast for 1 minute longer. Remove from the oven and squeeze the lemon juice over top. Divide the asparagus and potatoes between 4 plates then top with a salmon fillet.

As a member of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program I recently received an email inviting bloggers to create a recipe using and/or pairing with one of New Belgium Brewery’s beers. In return New Belgium offered up a $50 stipend to those bloggers picked. I was thrilled when I received notification that I was one of the blogs that the folks over at New Belgium chose.

The hardest part to this whole assignment was choosing which of their beers to use to create my dish. Let’s face it, New Belgium Brewery has a number of really great beers from which to choose from. I was, originally all set to use their “1554,” one of my favorite beers, but on the day that I was planning out my recipe I ended up heading out to do some Ramp picking. For those reader’s who have been following me since last year, you’ll know that I am a huge ramp fan. For those of you unfamiliar with ramps, they are a wild “onion” that grows in early spring and has a taste somewhere between a leek, a scallion and garlic. They are one of the few foods I feel comfortable foraging for as they are pretty easy to identify and I don’t have to worry about poisoning someone with them.

Freshly picked ramps

But I digress; because of my ramp picking foray my whole recipe concept changed and I eventually decided on the Ranger IPA to highlight. American IPAs (India Pale Ales) can be difficult beers to cook with. They are great beers for pairing with food, especially spicy foods, but in cooking with them one has be careful or the bitterness, from the hops, can overwhelm a dish. Luckily Ranger IPA has a nice malty backbone to help balance out the bitterness of the beer.

While I hesitate to call this a “Moroccan” dish, its flavors where definitely influenced by the foods of Morocco and Northern Africa. The heat and spice of the dish holds up well to the high bitterness, while the shrimp does well with the citrus notes of the beer. The Ranger IPA is used as the base for the marinade and makes the perfect accompaniment to the finished dish.

Spicy Shrimp with Red Pepper Sauce
serves 4

Marinade
1 cup New Belgium Ranger IPA
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested
1 tsp. garlic chile paste (I used sambal)

Red Pepper Sauce
2 large red bell peppers
1 Tbs. whole coriander seed
1 Tbs. whole cumin seed
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled

32 each large shrimp
1/2 pound ramps (can substitute green onions)
2 lemons
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Couscous (your favorite brand)

Make the marinade by combining th beer, olive oil, lemon zest and garlic chile paste. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Pour marinade over the shrimp and allow to marinate for 2-4 hours.

Meanwhile, if you don’t have metal skewers, place 8 8″ bamboo skewers in water to soak. Roast the red peppers and remove skin and seeds. Place in a blender along with turmeric, cinnamon, olive oil, cayenne pepper and garlic. Quickly toast the coriander and cumin seed in a hot, dry saute pan over medium high heat. Add too the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

Season with salt and chill until ready to use. Wash the ramps, remove the root ends and most of the leaves, which tend to burn on the grill. Cut the lemons in half. Once the shrimp have marinated, heat a grill to high. While the grill is heating skewer the shrimp, placing 4 shrimp on each skewer. Prepare the couscous per the package instructions. Drizzle the ramps with olive oil and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Grill until softened and just slightly charred. While the ramps are grilling, brush the cut sides of the lemon with olive oil and grill just until the cut side is lightly browned. Finally season the shrimp with salt and pepper and grill until done (approximately 3-4 minutes on each side depending on how hot your grill is and how big the shrimp are).

Stir in about 1/3 cup of chopped parsley into the couscous and divide among 4 plates. Arrange shrimp around couscous and top with grilled ramps. Drizzle the red pepper sauce over everything and garnish with the remaining parsley.

Sponsored By Chef Talk

For the next installment of my new feature we meet Chef Ross Kaplan. Ross and I met through the forum boards over at Chef Talk. After quite a career in the world of restaurants and catering Ross decided to give up the Rat Race for a more laid back, more fulfilling career as a private chef. But I should let Ross tell you his story, in his own words. “I started out in the industry as a pot and pan washer in a hotel in Queens New York where we lived. The hotel made their own sausages so it was my job to clean the grinders and stuffers. Some of them were larger than I and I found myself having to crawl inside in order to clean them. I always came home smelling like fresh sausages. Mom was not amused. When we moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin I started high school and got a job as a busboy in a restaurant that my sister in-law’s parents frequented. I can remember watching the guys behind the line as they fried fish and sliced Prime Rib for service. I stayed there for a year and then went to a German restaurant where all I did all shift was fry potato pancakes.
After graduation, I decided to go to a technical college in town to get a culinary degree. At that time the classes were more like slave labor working with elderly woman and cooking quantities of chili, beef stew, or sloppy Joe’s for sale in the school cafeteria….At the time I was working at a bakery in a mall where I was a benchman, making several different breads, and yeast raised doughnuts. My boss would meet me at the door at 6:30 am and I would then go off to school.
In late 1979 I moved to Chicagoland and started out at the Hyatt chain as a Garde Manger. I stayed there for 2 years and abruptly left one day after our Chef knocked out the Food and Beverage Manager. The rest of my experiences include working in hospital food services, another country club as Garde Manger. I worked for Marriott corporation for 10 years in 3 different venues. First was as an executive services Chef creating 3 week cycle menus for the bigwigs of AT&T then I moved to Washington D.C. where I worked as Banquet Chef for their Conference center. I cooked for Senators, Kings and Queens, as well as Bill Clinton’s inaugural ball….I went to work for a dinner theater in Chicago where I was a banquet Chef again. On any given Thursday afternoon I fed between 700-800 people as part of their afternoon matinee. I had a crew of 20 guys and we rocked out the food. Besides dinner theater I also worked banquets for the place.
In 1998, I was gleaning the want ads and found a position for a Private Chef for a family…. I am presently one of 9 employees who work at their house. The place is huge and it is just the 2 of them. I cook dinner only 6 days a week about 245 days a year. They have homes in others parts of the country and when they are not on island, I am off work. I have flown with them and cooked at their other places in Napa, Ca Chicago, South Carolina, and St Augustine Florida.”

What is your favorite part about being a private chef?

I enjoy the ability to cook anything I want and have Carte Blanche to make my own menus as well. My position is quite unique in that I am able to grow my own food. I live on a working farm as part of my living arrangement. It is over 500 acres and contains an orchard, a vineyard, and a huge garden. There is also a maple syrup “sugar shack” to process maple syrup each spring. In the fall I attend a 4-H animal auction at the county fair where I bid on a lamb and a hog. I will send them to slaughter and butcher them myself. I vacuum pack the meat and place it in the deep freeze. I can and preserve fruits and vegetables from the orchards and garden. I also smoke my own fish and meats in the smokehouse that is on the property. (continue reading…)

In my effort to try eating healthier meals on a more regular basis, to please my doctor, I’ve rediscovered miso paste. For those of you not familiar with it, miso paste is a fermented soybean product, from Japan. There are many varieties of miso paste, many made from rice or various grains, though the white and red soybean miso is probably the most popular. Most Americans are probably most familiar with miso in miso soup, a dish often served at sushi bars, in this country, as a first course.

Like many fermented products, miso contains live cultures that are said to be very beneficial. As such miso is often added to dishes at the end of cooking so that the live cultures are not killed. In this recipe salmon is marinated in a miso based marinade and then cooked, killing any live cultures that might be present, but it still makes for a really tasty marinade.

While this marinade works great for salmon, I also have used it on halibut and tilapia as my wife doesn’t care for salmon.

Miso Marinated Salmon with Soba Noodles

3 Tbsp. miso paste (preferably white miso)
2 Tbsp. mirin (sweet rice cooking wine)
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 lime, juiced
2 portions salmon (5-6 oz. each)

2 Tbsp. vegtable oil
1 head bok choy, leaves torn and stems sliced
3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and julienned
6 oz. soba noodles, cooked and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup green onion, minced

Combine miso, mirin, honey and lime juice and mix together until honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a zip lock bag, add marinade, and close. Rub marinade into fish and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile prepare the rest of the ingredients. Just before fish is done marinating turn your oven to “broil.” Line a sheet try with foil and spray with vegetable spray. Place fish, bottom side up, on try and broil for 3 minutes. Flip over and broil another 4-8 minutes depending on how you like your salmon done. While fish is broiling, heat a large saute pan and add the vegetable oil. Add the mushrooms and saute for 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger, cook for 30 seconds longer then add the bok choy stems. Cook for 1 minute then add the bok choy leaves, green onions and soba noodles. Cook until bok choy leaves are starting to wilt then add the remaining ingredients and cook until heated through. Divide among 2 plates and top each mound with a piece of the broiled salmon.

I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of Chinese food. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike it, but when given the choice it is usually not my first choice. If going Asian my first choice is always Indian or Japanese. I’d also rather eat Thai if that is a choice. Again, it’s not that I dislike Chinese food, I’m just not that enamored of it. Of course, there are exceptions and with a cuisine as diverse as Chinese can be, one would be very hard pressed, indeed, to not find something one likes. My wife, on the other hand, would probably eat Chinese almost every day, if she could, so occasionally I like to surprise her with a homemade Chinese meal.

The other day, I was in the mood for seafood and had one of those rare cravings for Chinese. I’m a big fan of Kung Pao Chicken and figured it would adapt well to shrimp. Countless others most have had the same thought as the internet is full of Kung Pao Shrimp recipes. Unfortunately, they vary greatly in their content with some recipes only having shrimp and soy sauce in common with others. After reading a number of recipes I decided the best thing to do was pull out what I liked from various recipes and combine them into a dish that I would be happy to serve. The recipe below is the culmination of my research, and pretty darn tasty, if I do say so myself.

The ingredient list looks rather long, but most of the stuff is pretty easy to find and, believe it or not, this recipe comes together rather quickly. This recipe makes a mildly spicy dish. Feel free to bump up the heat if you like it a little hotter.

Kung Pao Shrimp

1 Tbsp. rice wine
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (sambal)
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sugar
salt
pepper

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (tail on or off-your choice)

3 Tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil
1 1/2 tsp. ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 dried chili peppers, whole
1/2 medium onion, large dice
1/2 red bell pepper, large dice
1/2 green bell pepper, large dice
1/2 cup cashews, roasted
1/4 cup green onion, chopped

Combine the first set of ingredients, to make sauce, and mix well. Set aside. In a large bowl combine the second set of ingredients and mix. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and allow to heat briefly. Add the ginger, garlic and dried chili. Cook for 30 seconds then quickly add the onion and bell peppers. Cook for 2 minutes then add the shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn opaque and are cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Add the sauce and cook just until thickened. Toss in cashews. Divide shrimp among 4 plates, garnish with the green onion and serve with a side of rice.

I don’t make salmon often since my wife can’t stand it, but when I got my new smoker I knew I had to do a batch of hot smoked salmon, as it is one of my favorite things in the world. I also really like the more traditional cured/cold smoked salmon that often accompanies bagels, but hot smoked salmon just can’t be beat, in my opinion.

As luck would have it, as I was shopping, last weekend, for things to try out in my new smoker, I came across some wild sockeye salmon at my local grocery store. Despite its having been previously frozen (not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to hot smoking salmon), the fish looked great and I knew immediately that I would have to buy a side and smoke it.

Unlike cured/cold smoked salmon, that takes days to make, hot smoked salmon can be done in a single day, and is a rather simple process. One thing to remember though is this salmon is not fully cured to the point of preservation so it should be kept under refrigeration when done and should be eated within a week.

The brine for this recipe is pretty straight forward. Feel free to add any other flavorings that you feel would go well with salmon. Replace the brown sugar with maple syrup, cane syrup or even plain white sugar. Add coriander and/or various other spices and herbs such as tarragon or dill.

I slightly overcooked my salmon as you will be able to see in one of the photos, but because the wild salmon I used had such a high fat content it still came out nice and moist.

Hot Smoked Salmon

1/2 gallon cold water
3/4 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. freshly cracked pepper

1 side wild caught salmon (use a smaller fish, 1-2 pounds for this recipe. Any larger and you might need to increase the brine)
freshly cracked black pepper

Combine 2 cups of water, the salt, sugar and pepper in a pot and bring to a boil to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once dissolved stir this into the remaining cold water. Make sure the temperature of the brine is 40°F or lower. Pour into a large pan, big enought to accommodate the side of samon. Weigh down the salmon to ensure it is fully submerged. Brine for 1 hour per inch of thickness of the fish, with a minimum of 1 hour brining.

Once brined removed from liquid and quickly rinse off under cold, running water. Place on an oiled rack, skin side down and gently dry the surface. At this time you can add addtional seasonings such as spices or herbs. I chose to add freshly cracked black pepper. Place in front of a fan and allow to dry for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until the surface is dry and slightly tacky. This is called the pellicle and it is a layer of proteins that will help protect from too much moisture loss during smoking. It also creates the ideal surface for smoke to stick to, and, in instances where smoking is used as a preservation method it also helps to keep the fat from rising to the surface and spoiling. For us, it is the first 2 reasons, for forming the pellicle, that matter.

Once dried place the salmon in the cold smoker. By starting in a cold smoker you run less of a risk of drying out your salmon and will achieve a better flavor. Start your smoker, and if possible set it for 160°F. Once your smoker reaches this temperature, which should take about 20-30 minutes, start monitoring the internal temperature of you salmon and pull it when it hits between 155-160°F

I allowed the temperature of my salmon to get away from me (sorry got caught up in a TV show!), and it cooked a little too far. The white you see on the surface of the fish is protein that is being squeezed out of the fish. This usually results in a dry product, but I caught it just in time, barely, and it turned out fine. Monitor the temperature of your salmon to make sure this doesn’t happen. This can also happen if you are smoking your fish at too high of a temperature so monitor the temperature of your smoker.

From start to finish this project took me approximately 4 hours, with only about 30 minutes worth of actual work, so this can easily be accomplished in an afternoon. Of course, if you don’t have a smoker you can still create great tasting hot smoked salmon on your covered grill, using just enough charcoal to maintain that 160°F temperature.

Last Saturday I took my daughter out to the woods. Not only would I get a chance to spend some time with my 3 year old as we stomped through the woods, but it also gave my wife a little quite time without the 2 of us. Besides, though a little early, conditions seemed pretty good for hunting down some morels. The trip was both a success and a failure. No morels were found, but the land around the creek was bursting with ramps (wild leeks) of which I grabbed a few handfuls. I’m planning on heading back sometime this weekend to dig some more.

I also got to spend some time in woods with my daughter, which was a delight. She bounced along the paths, stopping at every other flower to point it out to me and to tell me how beautiful it was. Squirrels and birds of various sizes and colors captured her attention at every bend, though it’s surprising that anything ventured within 1/2 a mile of us as she babbled constantly and squealed and laughed with delight at every step. We spent 10 minutes following a toad I had scared up while hunting for morels and another 5 inspecting a dead fish that had washed up on the banks of the creek, though not too closely. She threw rocks at the water and chased after the occasional lone duck, finding fun and delight at every step. I found myself thinking about what a huge difference just a year makes in the life of one so young. Last year at this time, the woods, though wondrous to her, definitely did not hold the same allure that they do now. She explored, but never strayed to far. This time I had to race to keep up and constantly warn her about getting too far ahead. Oh, to be 3 again and once again view the world with awe and wonder, instead of the eyes of a jaded, relatively cynical 40 year old.

Crab Stuffed Shrimp with Linguine and Ramps
serves 4

6oz crabmeat
2 Tbsp. onion, minced
1 Tbsp. celery,minced
1 Tbsp. red bell pepper, minced
8 Club crackers, crushed (or 12 Ritz crackers)
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
salt
pepper
12 shrimp, large (U-10′s are best)
2 Tbsp. butter melted
12oz linguine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1-2 Tbsp. tarragon, minced
1 cup ramps, cleaned and chopped
1 1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Combine, crabmeat, onion, celery, pepper, crackers and mayo together in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta, per the directions on the package making sure to cook it al dente. Peel and devein the shrimp, making sure you cut only deep enough to remove the vein. Flip the shrimp over and cut open the shrimp from the underside, being careful not to cut all the way through.

Divide the crabmeat mixture into 12 portions and form into a loose ball. Place crabmeat on butterflied shrimp and curl tail over to hold the crab in place.

Once pasta is done drain in a colander and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Place the shrimp on a cookie tray, drizzle with the butter and place in the oven cooking for 7-9 minutes or until the shrimp is done. Meanwhile, in a large, nonreactive skillet place the wine and the garlic. Reduce over high heat until the wine is reduced by 2/3′s. Add the cream and reduce by 1/2. Add the tarragon and ramps, cook for 1 minute then add the pasta. Heat through, add the parmesan cheese and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide the pasta among 4 plates mounding it in the center. Place three stuffed shrimp around the pasta and serve.

I will never be mistaken for one of the more prolific bloggers around, but this month, so far, has seen less than usual activity from me. I apologize, work and family has kept me pretty busy the last few weeks, and I haven’t had a chance to do much serious cooking, let alone writing. But I’m back now, though I never completely left, and hopefully I’ll have a chance to blog on a more regular basis.

In the last few weeks, we’ve been ordering in pizza quite a bit, eating leftovers and reheating homemade soup. I felt it was time I make a special dinner for my wife. She tends to eat a lot of pasta and noodles so I wanted to stay away from those, but I was craving carbs so I figured I do a rich, creamy risotto, and since my wife loves shrimp I would make a shrimp risotto.

This version of risotto is not for the weak of heart. It’s got plenty of butter, cheese and cream to stop a horse, but as long as you aren’t eating like this regularly, then this is worth splurging for. This recipe serves 2-3 people. Don’t be alarmed. The portions aren’t huge, but because this dish is so rich the servings are plenty big!

Shrimp Risotto

1/4 cup Olive Oil
3 large cloves Garlic, minced
1 each Shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
5 cups Stock (shrimp* or chicken) or water
1/2 cup White Wine
3/4 cup Peas
12 each 16/20 Shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into thirds
1/2 cup Cream
4 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 each Tomato, pulp removed and flesh diced
1/4 cup Green Onions, minced
Salt
Pepper

Bring stock or water to a simmer. Meanwhile in a large pot heat oil over medium high heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until starting to turn translucent. Add the Arborio rice and cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Add wine and cook until fully absorbed. Start adding broth or water, about 1/2 cup at a time, and stirring until almost fully absorbed before adding more liquid. Continue this process until rice is al dente. This should take about 18 minutes. You might not use all the stock or water or you might need a bit more. The rice should be cooked but still firm, not soft, and it should be creamy but not loose or soupy. When the rice is about 3/4 of the way done add the peas. 2 minutes later add the shrimp. When the rice is done add the butter cheese and cream. Cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and stir in the diced tomato. Divide among plates and garnish with the green onions.

*To make a simple shrimp stock. Reserve the shrimp shells from the shrimp you peeled to make this dish. Place them in a pot with 1/2 onion, diced and 1 rib of celery, diced. Fill with enough water to cover, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 minutes. Drain off the stock, pressing on the solids to release as much liquid as possible.

I remember 10 years ago when hardly anyone knew what ceviche was.  Unless you were well versed in Latin American cuisine or were following the pioneers of Nuevo Latino cuisine in the US then it was not a word or a dish that you came across.  Nowadays, the dish is everywhere and on the verge of being passe.  Just look at the last few episodes of “Top Chef.”  There have been numerous ceviches offered up.  It’s too bad that the dish is in danger of becoming a cliche because it is a wonderful, light dish, full of vibrant, fresh flavors.

At its heart ceviche is seafood that is marinated in an acid, most usually some form of citrus juice, lime juice being the most popular.  The seafood is diced into small pieces and allowed to marinate in the citrus juice (acid) which denatures the protein in the flesh, “cooking” it.  While this is typical, it is not the case across the board.  Most shellfish ceviches start with cooked shellfish, though not always and ceviches that include octopus usually use cook the octopus first.  The preferred method for cooking the shellfish is usually poaching though grilling can bring new layers of flavor to the dish.

Additions to the ceviche are numerous and regional variations are endless. Some countries like to use coconut water or cream of coconut in their ceviches, others wouldn’t dream of making it without American style ketchup. Chile peppers range from jalapenos, in Mexico, to Aji peppers of Peru and the Andes mountains, to fiery habaneros, across the region. Some ceviches are white, some red, and others a cacophony of colors and can include the addition of avocados, tropical fruits, onions, garlic, etc. The list is virtually endless.

Grilled Shrimp Ceviche

6 oz. Shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail off
1 each Lime, juiced
1/2 each Orange, juiced
2 Tbsp. Red Onion,
1/2 each Tomato, ripe
1/2 each Avocado
1/2 each Mango
2 each Jalapeno, seeded
Salt
Pepper

Skewer the shrimp on bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for 1 hour (you don’t have to do this but it makes grilling the shrimp much easier). Place on a preheated grill and grill just until barely cooked through, about 3-5 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp. Remove from skewers and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Place in a bowl and toss with the lime and orange juice. Place in the fridge and allow to marinate at least 1 hour and not more than 3 hours. Just before serving dice the onion, tomato, avocado and mango into 1/4 inch pieces. Finely mince the jalapeno. Toss these with the marinating shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Taste and add a little more lime juice if necessary. Serve alone, with tortilla chips or as they do in South America, accompanied by popcorn. This makes enough ceviche to serve 2 as a first course or about 8 people as part of a spread of hors d’oeuvres.

The other day I received, from one of the supervisors who works for me, a bunch of fresh herbs from her garden. She gave me some sweet Basil, cinnamon basil, and fresh oregano. I was thrilled, as just that morning I had been out in our flower beds, at home, picking a few tomatoes. We don’t have room for a full garden we my wife usually plants a few tomato plants in among the flowers and my herbs. That morning I had picked a rainbow’s worth of tomatoes.

My mind wandered all day, at work, thinking of what I could do with the tomatoes I harvested. There weren’t many. Certainly not enough for canning or turning into relish. I didn’t even have enough for a tomato tart. With the addition of the fresh herbs I received I made up my mind to make a simple, summery pasta. Nothing spectacular, just a simple dish highlighting the fresh flavors of summer that I had sitting before me. Toss in a few shrimp and a good dose of garlic and I had the makings of great little dinner.

Shrimp & Heirloom Tomato Pasta
(serves 2)

6 oz. Fettuccine
4 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 each Shallot, minced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
20 each Shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail off (I used 31/40s, but you can use whatever size you like)
1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 cup White Wine, preferably something unoaked, a Sauvignon Blanc would be great
2 cups Tomatoes, roughly chopped (the more varieties and colors the better)
1 Tbsp. Fresh Oregano, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, roughly chopped
Salt
Pepper

Cook the fettuccine, in boiling water, per the directions, making sure that the pasta is cooked al dente and not overcooked. When the pasta has about 4 minutes left, place a large saute pan over high heat. Add the butter and as soon as it is melted add the garlic and shallots. Cook quickly, without browning and add the shrimp and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper Cook 2 minutes then add the wine. Meanwhile, when pasta is finished drain but do not rinse. Simmer shrimp, in the wine 1-2 minutes longer, until the shrimp is done. Toss the pasta into the saute pan. Add the tomatoes, oregano and basil, tossing to mix well. Continue to cook, only until the tomatoes are heated through. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary. Divide between 2 plates and serve.