vietnamese shrimp

this is one of those fast, easy summer suppers that still has a lot of flavor and interest. somewhat kid friendly. my daughter does not like shrimp, so we cook some tofu for her the same way. she loves it. this dish works quite well with scallops or cleaned squid also.

vietnamese shrimp

1 pound medium to large shrimp, shelled, deveined

3 scallions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

2 TBSP minced cilantro stems

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 TBSP brown sugar or agave nectar

2-3 limes, cut into wedges

handful of cilantro leaves

mix fish sauce and sugar or agave nectar together. saute garlic, shallot, scallions, cilantro stems for 1 minute on very high heat. add shrimp, stir, add fish sauce mixture. throw in half the cilantro leaves. continue to saute until shrimp is just cooked, another minute or two at most. remove from heat. squeeze 1 of the limes over the shrimp. sprinkle on the cilantro leaves. stir. serve immediately with some jasmine rice, lime wedges and maybe a cool cucumber salad. so fast.

gazpacho

while we are talking about cool summer soups, let us remember gazpacho. the brilliant spanish, and also portugese, soup made from tomatoes, bread, peppers, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, etc. so easy. just chop, blend and chill. so refreshing.

if you have ever seen the movie women on the verge of a nervous breakdown by pedro almodovar, you will remember one of the few movies where a food is featured so heavily, it nearly becomes a character in the film. gazpacho, in the peak of tomato season, is a scene stealer. if you do see the film, you will enjoy the wonderful carmen maura and also antonio banderas when he was a very very young man, a great early film by one of my favorite directors. i could go on and on, but back to soup.

gazpacho has ancient origins and many variations. here is my favorite recipe. the secret is lots of cucumber and a good amount of olive oil. a great recipe when you need to eat but can't bear to turn on the stove or the oven. you can make it as simple, rustic, chunky, crunchy, smooth, or complicated as you want.

gazpacho

2 pounds ripe juicy summer tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced celery (optional)

1 large clove garlic (or two small)

1 cup cubed bread with the crusts cut off (rustic country loaves are best i find)

1/2 cup very cold water

1 large cucumber

1/2 cup parsley leaves

3 TBSP olive oil

seasoning

2 TBSP champagne vinegar (sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar could work here too)

2 tsp sea salt

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup organic mixed vegetable juice (optional, you won't need this if your tomatoes are perfecto)

garnish

chopped cucumber (essential)

chopped avocado (optional)

minced celery (optional)

chopped parsley (optional)

lemon wedges

another drizzle of olive oil

first, chop the garlic clove(s). place bread cubes, garlic and cold water in a bowl to soak and flavor, maybe a little salt or olive oil if you like. now coarsely chop the red pepper and celery, if using. place in blender and blend briefly until mixed. now chop the tomatoes and 1/2 the cucumber (reserve the other half for garnish), add these to the blender as well and pulse until blended but still a bit chunky. add in the bread, parsley leaves, olive oil, and now the seasonings. taste as you go to get the right blend, adding a little of each. when you've got it where you want it. chill for one hour, then serve. no cooking whatsoever. brilliant.

summer borscht

it's been slightly warm lately, have you heard? okay so the sweltering east coast is all over the news. we are roasting, sweltering, and even melting over here. today i think it is about 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or roughly the surface temperature of the sun. i couldn't even think at the farmer's market this morning because my brain had gone all soft and melty. everyone seemed to be having trouble making change and counting bills. it was a universal affliction. i did make it home with a couple of things, back into the safety of central air conditioning.

the result of all this heat, is that now, and for a long while, all i've wanted to eat are cool foods. and cold foods. smoothies, vietnamese summer rolls, sushi, gazpacho and cool, mineral-y, summery borscht. so refreshing. pretty easy too. let me walk you through it.

summer borscht

1.5 lb organic beets, scrubbed, tops removed

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

1 leek, chopped

1 small cucumber, finely diced or grated

2 cups chicken stock

1TBSP olive oil

1 or 2 tsp sea salt, to taste

1 TBSP wine vinegar

sour cream for garnish

first you will need to have a big bunch of organic beets. it really does pay to buy organic when you are talking about root vegetables like potatoes, beets, carrots and the like. they sit in the soil and absorb a lot of minerals, including the nasty ones in pesticides and chemical fertilizers, if you buy nothing else organic, buy organic root vegetables whenever possible.

about a pound and a half of beets should do it. scrub them and cut off their tops. set in a medium size stockpot with cool water to cover and bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes until fork tender.

meanwhile, finely chop an onion and two carrots, and a leek. set aside.

when the beets are done, reserve the beet broth, at least 3 cups of it. then drain the beets and allow to cool for 5 minutes. when slightly cooled, rub off the beet skins with your hands and chop into a small dice (about 1/2 inch). your hands will now be an awesome color of purpley-fuchsia.( it washes off with soap and water, mostly).

saute the onions and carrots in 1 TBSP of olive oil until soft, 5 minutes. add in the leek and saute another 3 minutes. now add the chopped beets and 3 cups of reserved beet stock plus 2 cups of fat free chicken stock. add 1 or 2 tsp salt and 1 TBSP wine vinegar. simmer for 10 minutes so flavors will blend. meanwhile wash and peel 1 small cucumber. chop half of it into a fine dice. or grate it with a small grater. prepare an ice bath. when the soup flavors have blended and you've adjusted the seasoning, place soup in an ice bath to cool for 10 minutes or so. alternatively, refrigerate. to serve, ladle soup into small bowls, place a spoonful of diced or grated cucumber in the center of the bowl. add a dollop of sour cream on top of that and maybe a parsley leaf, or 1 small sprig of fresh dill. serve and enjoy the cool, refreshing, mineral-y taste. so good for you too.

seared tuna, vietnamese style

internet was down for a day and a half, so i had to fill my time packing and readying for our trip to europe later this week. but now the internet is back up, and our really easy summer super series can continue. 

take some tuna steaks, sustainably caught, cook up some three ladies brand vietnamese rice in the rice cooker or your favorite brand of fluffy long grain rice. make a bit of nuoc cham sauce (1/4 cup fish sauce, 2 garlic cloves minced. 1 shallot, minced, 3 TBSP minced cilantro stems, 1/3 cup lime juice, 2TBSP organic brown sugar). maybe some green beans cooked in salted water or stir fried vietnamese style with garlic, cilantro and fish sauce. cut the tuna into attractive hunks. sear in a copper or other skillet (things sear so beautifully in copper). when attractively, gorgeously browned, yet the interior still quite red, remove from skillet. allow to rest a minute. thinly slice the tuna. arrange on a platter, pour the nuoc cham over the fish. sprinkle on a generous supply of cilantro leaves and dig in. my kids never used to like tuna, but served this way they thought it was really tender pork at first. now they love it, and we never have any leftovers (to my great dismay). but every time we do eat pork they ask whether it is tuna. good to keep them guessing.

salade nicoise

it was so hot and humid yesterday. really awful. bad air. (cough cough.) no one felt like cooking anything. but as we've been training for the kids fall sports we needed a meal to sustain us. lovely old salade nicoise came to the rescue. there are many versions of this salad. the traditional one has olives, tomatoes, canned tuna, anchovies, hard cooked eggs, artichoke hearts, sliced red peppers and a dijon vinaigrette. ours was similar, but maybe a more garden fresh version, with the additions of new potatoes, snow peas and no artichoke hearts. often it is served with green beans, which work great. snow peas are certainly non traditional but really worked well here. it was really enthusiastically devoured, so much so that my youngest declared it his new favorite food, after lasagna, of course.

garden fresh salad nicoise

serves 4 at least

6 hardcooked eggs (i prefer david tanis' recipe from his a platter of figs book)

8 new potatoes, sliced and boiled for 10 minutes or so in salted water, allowed to cool to just warm

24 kalmata olives, sorry had no nicoise on hand, and kalamata are larger and juicier at any rate

2 large ripe garden fresh tomatoes, sliced in thin wedges, salted lightly

20 snow peas, boiled for 2 minutes or so in salted water, (i put them on top of the potatoes for the last two minutes)

1 red pepper, sliced in straight, thin strips, marinated briefly in the dressing to soften them up ever so slightly

1 can of the best dolphin safe high in omega 3 tuna you can find

6 lovely anchovies

large platter full of a mixture of mache and spinache (any favorite lettuce will do, red and green leaf would be nice, loved the mache spinach combo though, tender and yet sturdy enough for the weighty top layers)

parsley dijon vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tsp organic dijon mustard

1 large handful freshly picked parsley leaves, some stems okay

1/4 cup champagne or other slightly sweet vinegar such as red wine or fruited

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

touch of salt, touch of pepper, tiny pinch of sugar, honey or sweetener if you need it after tasting

blend well for 45 seconds in blender

alas, i was out of anchovies, only because i've been making so much caesar salad lately. was perfectly fine and less canned tasting without them even though i love them dearly. served it with our ubiquitous summer side dish, steamed farmers market sweet corn.

to assemble: first arrange the lettuce on a large platter, then top with the potatoes, peppers, olives, snow peas, tomatoes, egg and lastly the tuna. drizzle the vinaigrette over the top as generously or lightly as suits you, and enjoy. everyone gets to take a bit of what they like most this way. loads of protein and vitamins in this dish. yet sumptuous. trying to keep cool despite this muggy weather. to your health then, xo, g

easy summer suppers: blt

serve yourself blt bar. doesn't get much simpler (lazier) than that. minimum of heat in the kitchen. my only advice is get the best bread you can find. we use organic no nitrate bacon, and organic mache lettuce and just any old gorgeous ripe tomatoes will do. a little (organic) mayo. an ear of farmer's market local sweet corn. one of our favorite summer dinners. no fuss. 

garlic scapes

oh my. every food blog in the universe has done a post on garlic scapes this year. the it ingredient of 2009, it seems. at first, intrigued, i read with great interest, fascination, curiosity. after all, i love garlic. and people were raving about them, smart foodies everywhere. an underutilized product of the garlic plant.  of course they are not new and have always been around, as long as well, garlic. but after a time, i grew weary, tired of the hearing about the trend. (it was starting to seem like the fennel craze of the early 90s). until, of course, one day, in a whimsical mood, i spied them for sale at the organic stand at my town's farmers market. and so expensive. $10/pound. they looked so gorgeous all green and curled. tempting, very tempting. on an impulse i bought them. i figured i would figure out what to do with them later. why not find out what everyone was talking about?

well, once i got them home, i liked them even more. something appealed. i had read somewhere that they cooked up a little like asparagus. i thought they might go well with pasta. so i chopped them up with some cremini mushrooms i had on hand and seared them. then tossed them with the pasta, a few tablespooons of cream and some freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano. they really were delicious and despite their price, worth raving about. i loved them. so did both my kids and my husband. sharp and bitter raw. when sauteed, they sweeten and have a juicy delicious yet fresh tasting mild sort of crunch.

a fresh garden salad, and some farmers market sweet corn rounded out the meal. really nice. i should have known they'd be great. so i give you fair warning, you may love them too, if you don't already.

veggie potato salad and burgers

sorry, lovely readers, to keep you in suspense as i tardily post the recipe that goes along with these photos. summertime is full of distractions, and this week is no exception. lovely breezes, sunshine, gardens, the beach and most of all my children. yesterday after beginning this post, i was way laid a dozen times, busily taking those same children places and picking up and dropping off their friends and having friends over for dinner, as well as taking them to see the latest release in the harry potter series. but that is what summer is all about around here, wonderful distractions. the ease of following a lighthearted impulse and not sticking to a rigid schedule. in any case, without further ado, here we are:

potato salad with green beans, cherry tomatoes, red onion and parsley

2lbs yukon gold and new potatoes, mixed, sliced as above in half moons 

(cook faster this way, less heated moments in the kitchen)

2/3 pint organic cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 lb haricots verts or other long beans such as green or waxed, even broad beans would work here, i do like haricot verts best

1/2 red onion sliced reasonably thin, then soaked in ice water for 15 to 30 minutes (removes the bite, sweetens, while maintaining, even enhancing the pleasing crunch)

1/4 cup flat parsley leaves, lightly chopped

 

dressing

6 TBSP olive oil

4 TBSP champagne vinegar

1 small shallot, minced

2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

fleur de sel

pepper

a bit more chopped parsley

adjust dressing seasonings, it should taste delicious before you add it.

okay then. first slice up the onions and leave them to soak in the ice water. next, boil the potatoes. set a large pan of cold water on the stove, salt liberally. add the potatoes. bring to boil. while the potatoes are cooking slice up the cherry tomatoes. wash, and trim up the beans, slice in two. the potatoes will be tender in 5 to 10 minutes, so you've got to work fast. when potatoes are just tender, drain thoroughly. reuse the potato water to cook the beans. they'll be tender in 3 to 5 minutes. place potatoes in a large ceramic bowl. add tomatoes, onions, green beans on top. don't stir just yet. mix dressing, pour over the top of the salad, let soak in for a moment and then mix all the ingredients. it is important that the potatoes still be quite warm while the mixing and dressing take place. it brings out the flavor of the tomatoes and sweetens up the shallots and onions to give you a nice sweet/salt/tart  balance. serve at room temperature. really good cold the next day.

i always think some capers or olives might be nice in here. but i never get to it, finding it irresistible as is. maybe one day i'll try it. will let you know. xo, g.

relaxing summer suppers

this week i want to focus on some relaxing summer suppers we've enjoyed lately. 

lucky are we with farmer's markets and local organic produce, life is bursting with great options at the moment. the living is easy. the weather delightful. i could live out on the terrace with a glass of something cold and some light fresh appetizers all summer long. 

found some gorgeous very dark purple eggplant the other day at the japanese market. picked up some soba noodles (buckwheat), fresh tofu, scallions and our favorite dashi-based tsuyu sauce and put together a relaxing summer supper of warm eggplant salad, a mixed up version of sunumono with cucumber, carrot, radish, avocado and scallion, cool soba noodles with tofu and scallion. light and cool yet somehow earthy and satisfying. 

eggplant salad

serve warm or cool

serves 4

4 to 6 japanese eggplants, the small ones, cut into bite size cubes

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup dashi tsuyu sauce, all natural, such as morita brand

(in japanese markets)

soak cut eggplant in cold water for 5 minutes

steam eggplant for 8 to 10 minutes until tender, bamboo or other steamer

strain and allow to drain and cool slightly

squeeze eggplant gently if appears water-logged otherwise proceed to next step.

place in individual serving dishes.  sprinkle cut scallions over the eggplant. pour tsuyu sauce. serve.

cucumber, carrot, radish, avocado sunumono

1 japanese cucumber, sliced thin

1 carrot, sliced thin

4 radishes, sliced thin

1 avocado

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice 

scallion, thinly sliced

assemble ingredients in ceramic serving bowl. toss with vinegar and lemon. mix thoroughly but gently. sprinkle with sliced scallion

vietnamese steak salad

been wanting steak lately. it's corn season. (when it's warm outside i only want to eat vietnamese/cambodian food for some reason). in vietnam and cambodia, they are expert at salads and grilled meats, warm weather foods. the table salads and dipping sauces make vietnamese and cambodian dishes an incredible sensation of salty sour sweet hot and fresh and crunchy. liberal use of cilantro, shallots, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic and lime in this cuisine. some of my favorites. 

anyway if you put all this into my menu generating computer (brain) you will come up with vietnamese steak salad. my family goes crazy for this. in fact they just eat and murmer "this is so good this is so good" over and over again. (they are easily pleased).

important note: in this recipe marinate the meat AFTER it is grilled or seared

vietnamese steak salad

serves 4

12 oz mixed salad greens, Tat Soi is my favorite, similar in appearance to baby spinach, yet sweeter and more tender. butter lettuce, baby romaine, green leaf, mixed blends, lots will work here, you need something a little sturdier than mache and something not quite so crunchy as full grown romaine, even baby spinach can be a bit tough, i use it in the mix sometimes, but not as the main green. 

1 generous cup tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, sliced 

1 cup cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, washed and dried, stems removed

wash and dry greens. lay out on a large platter.

arrange cucumbers, tomatoes, onions on top of greens

top with cilantro leaves

set aside while you prepare the steak

next, mix the dressing in a measuring cup

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 TBSP minced cilantro stems 

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

2 TBSP brown sugar

next get out the steak

16 to 20oz of filet mignon (could use flank steak here or rib eye, or a few other cuts that are tender enough when sliced thinly across the grain after cooking)

cut the filet into pieces, generously sized hunks, at least 2 inches wide and 2 inches long. salt and pepper. heat a copper or other saute pan or grill. sear meat on all sides until nicely browned. center can be left quite rare or medium rare, as the lime juice in the dressing marinade will "cook" it further. as soon as meat is browned, remove from heat and allow it to rest briefly. slice into thin slices on a cutting board and then place it in a bowl. 

pour the dressing/marinade over the meat. allow to rest for 3 to 4 minutes in the marinade/dressing. while last minute table preparations are done. remove from dressing, arrange on top of salad greens. drizzle the remaining dressing over the greens. 

serve at once. maybe with some fresh sweet corn and mini brown jasmine rice, or something else lovely. enjoy the sounds of your tablemates enjoying the salad.

fisherman soup

restorative, easy, delicious, brightly-flavored. fisherman soup. simple and rustic. a great soup all year long, but especially during the growing season when zucchini, leek and parsley are local and fresh. of course my version has more veg than fish, but that is me. plus des vegetables sums up my food philosophy in three words.

kids and fish. now my kids eat fish, they love salmon terriyaki for example, but are not so crazy about many other fish dishes. but they do love this soup. why? (as if childhood taste buds could ever be predicted or easily explained) i think because it reminds them of the mexican chicken soup with it's light tomato-y broth. with children in general, it is all about the familiar.  in any case the official word around here is, kid-approved. it is much much simpler to prepare than a cioppino or bouillabaisse, and can easily be made on a weeknight if you have 45 minutes or so for preparation, a little chopping and a little stirring, a little seasoning, that is all. and the vegetables are sliced nice and thin, so cook week-night quick.

1 large onion, cut in thin slices and then lightly chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 TBSP olive oil

2 and a half quarts chicken or fish stock or water (i use the ubiquitous chicken stock)

28 oz crushed or diced canned tomatoes (fresh would work beautifully but should be peeled and seeded first)

3 carrots, chopped

4 potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced and cut into half moon shapes

1 lb to 2 lb same or assorted fresh fish cut into 1 - 2 inch cubes (monk fish, or sea bass, or halibut, or almost any thick fish will work well)

(i used only 1 lb fish this time, sea bass, kids prefer it with less)

1 lb mussels cleaned and scrubbed (optional, i didn't use them this time, kids again)

bunch of parsley stems tied with string for the broth

3 leeks, sliced

3 zucchini sliced, then sliced in half into half moon shapes

salt and pepper

2 lemons, i sliced to serve as garnish on the table, the other juiced and added to the soup during final tasting/seasoning

1/4 cup chopped parsley for garnish

place the onions and celery in a stockpot on high with a bit of olive oil, saute for 2 minutes. add stock, parsley stems tied tightly in a string, and tomatoes and bring to boil. add in the potatoes, carrots. simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender. add in the zucchini, leeks and the cubes of fish. simmer 5- 7  minutes more until fish is cooked through. if using, put the cleaned and scrubbed mussels (having discarded any that are cracked or do not shut immediately when tapped) in a skillet over high heat until opened. discard any that do not open. season the soup with salt and pepper. add in the juice from 1 lemon. taste and adjust seasoning. to serve, place the mussels in the bowls, pour the soup over the mussels to fill the bowls. add garnishes of chopped parsley a light sprinkling of sea salt and pepper. place a bowl of lemon wedges and a bowl of chopped parsley on the table as garanishes. of course, if not using the mussels, skip that step and transfer the soup to bowls, then garnish. enjoy with a large loaf of fresh bread and butter, olive oil or marinated goat cheese. love the simplicity of it.