Each Saturday afternoon I look forward to listening to MPR's The Splendid Table, hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. I also receive the program's newsletter. Greek Salad with Char-Grilled Salmon was the featured recipe this week. Since my husband had requested salmon for dinner and I had all the ingredients for the salad in my garden and refrigerator, I thought I'd give it a try. We loved it and I'm hoping to make this one more time before my tomatoes and lettuces are history. The only change I made was to substitute baby lettuces from my garden for the romaine called for in the recipe. Greek Salad with Char-Grilled Salmon adapted from Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone by Curtis StoneServes 4 Salmon:• 4 6-ounce salmon fillets • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 teaspoons garlic-infused extra-virgin olive oil • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • Olive oil, for brushing grill Salad:• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • Salt and freshly ground black pepper •1 head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces • 3 or 4 small Heirloom tomatoes (I used Red Siberian) • 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise • 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives • 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced • 4 ounces feta cheese • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1. To make the salmon: Prepare a barbecue grill for medium-high heat. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Rub the garlic oil and the oregano over the salmon. Brush the hot grill with olive oil. Place salmon on the grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until it is just cooked through and pale pink in the center. Gently peel away the skin from the fillet. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the salad: Place the red wine vinegar in a large bowl. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly to blend. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste. In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and onions with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. 3. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Crumble the feta cheese over the salads. Top each salad with a grilled salmon fillet, and sprinkle with the parsley. Drizzle some of the remaining vinaigrette over the salmon, and serve immediately.
I have been making Bistecca alla Florentina (Tuscan Porterhouse) ever since our neighbors served it to us a couple of years ago, after returning home from a vacation to Italy. It's a snap to make and wonderful served with any fresh produce from your garden or the farmers' market... especially a tomato caprese salad! Porterhouse, New York Strip or T-Bone is the suggested cut of meat, but I have been using Top Round recently; the thicker, the better.
Prepare the grill. Over high heat, sear the steak, reduce the heat (or raise the rack) and continue to cook until medium-rare. Have waiting, a platter of chopped fresh rosemary, chopped fresh sage and lots of finely-diced garlic. Pour over this at least one-third of a cup of extra-virgin olive oil (the more, the better, as far as I'm concerned). The moment the steak is pulled off the grill, plunge into the herb and oil mixture and start flipping the steak. Add a good dose of salt (it is impossible to over-salt once the steak is seared); continue to flip, then add freshly ground pepper.
Simple, and absolutely delicious!
Every summer when my haricot verts bush beans are ready, I will make a large Salade Nicoise. As you can see -- they're ready! Enjoy with a chilled bottle of French Rosé.
My Salade Nicoise
adapted from a recipe in The New Basics Cookbook
by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins
Recipe adjusted to feed 6 to 8 people
• 16 new potatoes
• 1 pound haricot verts, trimmed, or if using regular green beans trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 6 cans (4 1/2 ounces) tuna (packed in olive oil), drained
• 8 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 4 tablespoons tiny capers, drained
• 7 tablespoons, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 7 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon BEST quality, mild extra-virgin olive oil (for this salad I use my favorite French olive oil)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 generous tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 cloves minced garlic
• Coarse (kosher) salt, to taste
• 4 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
• 1/2 cup Nicoise olives
• 1 head Boston Bibb lettuce
• 1/8 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
2. Prick the potatoes with the tines of a fork, and place them in a baking dish. Bake for 1 hour, or until tender. Set aside to cool.
3. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the beans. Simmer until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain. Wrap in a dish towel and set aside.
4. Place the tuna in a mixing bowl, and break it into large chunks. Add the red onion, capers, 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and pepper. Toss gently until well-combined and set aside.
5. Cut the cooked potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and place them in a mixing bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, pepper, and coarse salt. Toss to combine, and set aside.
6. Place the halved grape tomatoes in a bowl. Sprinkle with pepper, coarse salt, and the parsley.
7. Just before you are ready to serve, toss the beans with the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Season with coarse salt.
8. Place the head of Boston Bibb lettuce in the center of a large platter. Make the Vinaigrette: Mix together the red-wine vinegar, shallot, Dijon, and garlic mashed with salt. Whisk in the olive oil and fresh basil. Drizzle the lettuce with some of the vinaigrette. Arrange the tuna, beans, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and tomatoes around the lettuce. Sprinkle the Nicoise olives over the salad. Serve with lemon wedges.
With the 4th of July practically upon us, I thought you might like this marinade recipe for beef and chicken. Last night I grilled kabobs of beef, red peppers and sweet onions that were eaten along with rice. My favorite tho', is to marinate cubes of boneless chicken and thread it onto skewers with green peppers, sweet onions and big, juicy pieces of fresh pineapple; great if you are expecting a crowd.
MARINADE for beef or chicken
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Combine all of the above ingredients in a shallow bowl or a zip-lock bag. Add cubed beef or chicken and marinate over-night; although I have done it for as little as 3 hours with great results.
Asparagus Risotto
adapted from Bon Appétit, May 1995
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed to 2-inch lengths
• 5-6 cups organic chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons butter
• lemon zest, optional
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Blanch asparagus in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes; drain. Rinse asparagus under cold water; drain.
2. Simmer chicken broth. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add rice and stir to coat the grains evenly with the oil. Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid evaporates. Continue to cook in this manner, adding warmed chicken broth, 1/2 cup at a time, and stirring constantly. Do this until the rice is creamy and tender, with a bit of a bite remaining. Stir in the reserved asparagus and cook until heated through. Add the butter and lemon zest, if using. Stir in the Parmesan. Taste, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
It was our turn to host "gourmet", the term we've all been using for the dinner that six of us partake in several times a year. Too chilly to be outdoors for more than our appetizers, we ate three courses in our dining room. I served the main course in my favorite bowls, made in Spain, that I hauled back from Aix-en-Provence last summer.
The shrimp almost seemed camouflaged within the marbleized red and yellow glazed swirls. Prepared in a spicy herb butter, we ate the unpeeled shrimp with our hands and soaked up the sauce with French breads.
This is a fantastic dish that does not involve much time and the results are hugely delicious! The shrimp were excellent... large and meaty. I figured 1/2-pound per person and that was really pushing our limit. From a Sunday New York Times magazine, "This Southern recipe, altho' called "barbecue", is actually prepared in a hot cast-iron skillet".
PAN-BARBECUED SHRIMP
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 5 thyme sprigs, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt to taste, if desired
• 2 pounds unshelled large shrimp, approximately 20 to 24, rinsed briefly in
cold water
• 1/2 cup bottled clam juice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
1. In a large cast-iron skillet or frying pan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Add all the remaining ingredients except the remaining eight tablespoons of butter, the shrimp, clam juice and wine. Stir well and add the shrimp. Cook about three minutes, stirring and shaking the pan.
2. Add the remaining eight tablespoons of butter, clam juice and wine. Cook, stirring and shaking the pan, until the shrimp are cooked through. Remove from heat and serve immediately with the hot butter sauce from the pan and French bread or rice. YIELD: Four servings.
I have been making this marinated grilled chicken for years. Usually, we eat it plain, along with a salad or vegetable, but occasionally we will have it like this -- in a grilled bun spread with honey mustard, and a slice of fresh, grilled pineapple. However you choose to serve this chicken, it will become a favorite during this grilling season. I am always being asked for the recipe.
GRILLED CITRUS CHICKEN
adapted from a recipe by Linda Zey Davis
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• juice of 1 lime
• juice of 1 large lemon
• 6 tablespoons mild olive oil
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large zip-lock bag. Add the chicken breasts and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or at least several hours, turning bag several times to marinate evenly. Bring chicken to room temperature one hour before grilling (discard marinade).
CHICKEN SALAD with GRAPES
• 6 cups poached chicken breasts, cubed
• 3/4 - 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• a good drizzle of half & half or heavy cream
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 to 4 cups red grapes, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Combine chicken, mayonnaise, lemon juice and cream. Add salt and pepper. Gently toss with grape halves and serve. Sprinkle each serving with toasted almonds.
Served with seared French Haricot Verts: Bring water and salt to a boil in a large sauté pan. Add the green beans and cook for approximately 4 minutes. Drain. Return to sauté pan and dry bean momentarily over heat before drizzling with a really good extra-virgin olive oil. Stir beans and sear slightly. Remove from heat and sprinkle with fleur de sel. This is my favorite way to eat green beans!
We eat a lot of salmon at our house; both fresh and canned. Any Alaskan canned salmon is wild-caught and full of Omega-3's, making this tart a healthy addition to any lunch, dinner or brunch menu.
I have been adding cornmeal lately to the crusts of my savory tarts. I love that grittiness you get with cornmeal!
SAVORY SALMON TART
Crust Ingredients:
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed
• 3-4 tablespoons ice water
Salmon Filling:
• 3 6-ounce cans Alaskan wild salmon, drained
• 3-4 green onions, finely sliced, white and some of the green included
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 organic eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• black Greek Kalamata olives (amount is up to you), sliced
• salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• chopped fresh chives, for garnish
1. Combine the flour, cornmeal and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly until combined. Add the COLD butter and pulse until the size of small peas. Add 3 tablespoons of the ice water while pulsing. If the dough has not started coming together, add a little more water. Put the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap, press into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
2. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to fit into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the edges and place in the freezer while mixing the salmon filling.
3. Combine the salmon, green onions and cheddar cheese in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Set both aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line the tart shell with foil and fill with rice or beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and its contents and continue to bake the tart shell until golden and dry. Take the shell from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375˚F. Fill the shell with the salmon mixture; carefully add the egg mixture, and scatter the olives over the top. Return the tart to the oven and bake approximately 20 - 25 minutes, or until the egg custard is set and the top of the tart is beginning to brown.
5. Remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle chopped chives on top.
Big cubes of poached salmon would be a delicious substitution for the chicken in this wonderful spring salad.
MAPLE-MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 shallots, peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1. Put all of the ingredients, except the oil, into a blender. Blend on high. Then pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream and process until thick.
CHICKEN, ASPARAGUS, and WILD RICE SALAD
adapted (I believe) from a British House & Garden Magazine
• 1 pound asparagus, rinsed, trimmed, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 pound skinless, boneless poached chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
• red leaf lettuce, washed and dried
• 1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bright green and tender, but still slightly crisp. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again.
2. Toss together the asparagus, wild rice, and poached chicken with the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with sea salt if needed. Line a platter with the lettuce and mound the salad onto the lettuce. Garnish with the toasted walnuts.
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