There’s little that comes from the sea that I don’t love, but scallops are a particular fave, and their fresh, sweet, slightly briny flavor is always a delight, whether seared, sautéed, grilled, fried, or in a ceviche or crudo. One especially elegant approach is to serve them as a carpaccio, and that’s what this is. Sort of.

Like most seafood, scallops get along well with citrus, but it’s easy to go too far. Even in a ceviche, too much time in too much lime can easily overwhelm their delicate flavor, so it’s important to approach them simply, and with a light hand. Here, for that reason, the lemon is prepared separately in advance, sweetened and preserved by the application of a little sugar, a little salt. The scallops, sliced and lightly marinated with fresh orange juice, are served on top. The combination is fresh and delightful, making a wonderful little amuse bouche for a seafood supper.

Let’s get to it.

There are well over a million potato salad recipes on the net (seriously—I looked), so why am I publishing another one? Simple. This one brings some exciting flavours to the party, is healthful, vegan friendly, delicious and versatile. It can be put together quickly and served warm with a casual supper, or chilled for a picnic.

I use habanero chiles in the recipe because of their beautiful fragrance and delicious fruity flavors, but others could be substituted if these aren’t available, or are just too pungent for you. If you’re really a chile-wimp, you can leave the chiles out entirely, but a little spice really wakes things up. You can also add red or yellow bells to the basic recipe, and if fire-roasted, they add a delightful smokiness.

This is a great starting point for some serious kitchen-riffing, and, of course, I’d love to hear what you come up with.

Ingredients – Serves 4-6

For the potatoes

• 1.5-2 pounds potatoes – new red, fingerling, or similar [1], washed, cut into 1/2″ cubes, with skins on. Set aside in cold water.
• 1/2 red onion, small dice
• 1/2 cup cilantro, washed, dried and chopped fine
• 1/2 habanero chile, chopped fine [2] (Substitute other flavorful chiles if the Habaneros are too hot.)
• 1 tsp finely minced lime zest
• 1 tsp kosher salt

For the dressing

• 1 Tbsp Dijon whole grain mustard
• Juice of one lime, about 2-3 Tbsp
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp dill weed
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and finely minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method – About 20 Minutes

Prepare the potatoes by cutting washing, rinsing and cutting into approximately 1/2″ pieces. In a 4qt saucepan, add the potatoes, enough water to cover generously, and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until potatoes are fork tender, but not mushy, about 8 minutes. [3]

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing. In a bowl or measuring cup, combine the mustard, lime juice, garlic and dill weed. Whisk with a fork until well incorporated. Gradually add the olive oil, whisking as you go to make a nice emulsion. Salt to taste.

Combine the chopped cilantro, onion, lime zest and chiles in a large bowl, toss with the dressing, and set aside.

When the potatoes are done, drain (use the lid of the saucepan), and while still hot, add to the bowl with the dressing. Using a large spoon, gently fold the mixture together, coating the potatoes completely. As they potatoes cool, they’ll take up the dressing, so fold again after a few minutes. Adjust seasoning.

Serve warm or cold as a wonderful alternative to mayonnaise based potato salads!

Campanelle, little bells, are just so much fun, but even better than that, their funnel-like shape hangs onto a lot of this sugo fresco, so every bite will be a little explosion of fresh flavors. Campanelle are also sometimes known as Gigli, (lilies). If you can’t find campanelle, use fusilli or any pasta corta, like ziti, penne, or mostaccioli.

This is one of those things that isn’t really a recipe, but a place from which to jump off, to start riffing. It’s fabulous, fresh, delicious and quick, and perfect for improvisation. If you grow your own tomatoes and basil, even better, as you can build it right from the garden, and really experience the freshness. Add other greens for variety – fresh and peppery arugula is especially nice.

Ingredients – Serves 6

• 1 pound Campanelle
• 5-6 fresh, ripe tomatoes
• 10-12 fresh basil leaves chiffonnade
• 2 cloves garlic, fine julienne
• 4-6 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 Tbsp Balsamico
• 1-2 ripe chiles, seeded and minced (optional)
• Parmigiano Reggiano (Stravecchio if you can find it) to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method – About 20 Minutes

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for the past, and prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Chop the tomatoes, about 1/2″ dice. Fine julienne the garlic, and cut the basil into a fine chiffonnade. Mince the chiles if you’re using them. Put everything into a large pasta bowl, drizzle with a generous glug or three of good olive oil. Add balsamico, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook the pasta al dente, and transfer with tongs to the bowl, and toss. The heat of the pasta will release the wonderful aromas of the sugo fresco.
4. Serve immediately with a little crumbled or coarsely grated Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio, extra olive oil at table, and some crusty bread. Buon appetito!

I’m sure I don’t have to say this, but I will anyway, just in case there is one single reader holding out for “convenience” at the expense of flavor and aroma: Throw away the jar (or, worse, the tin) of pre-ground pepper that’s been sitting on the shelf since great aunt Maude gave it to you as a house-warming present when you got your first apartment. It was as useless as a unicycle to an earthworm when it was “fresh,” and after it had seen the dawn of the new millennium, it became even more so. Bin it. Buy a decent pepper mill, some fresh peppercorns, and never, ever look back. Really.

Now that that’s sorted (and the single holdout has either stopped reading, or has gone on a quick spending expedition to get a shiny new Peugeot mill and a glass bottle of tellicherry peppercorns), we can talk about Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper), a classic Roman dish that’s almost as old as Rome itself, and universally loved. It’s quick, delicious, satisfying, and cheap as old chips to make. Go wild!

There are probably hundreds of recipes for this on the web, so why am I bothering with another? Because this one is true to its roots, containing only Pecorino Romano, pepper and spaghetti as its main ingredients—no oil—and because there are some little twists that make it even better.

The keys to this one are dry toasting the peppercorns, invigorating their already wonderful flavor with added depth, while taking off just a bit of their pungency (so you can use more!), and using the starchy pasta water, not oil, to help bind everything together. For the adventurous who aren’t bound by the purity of tradition, lemon zest and chopped parsley are included in the recipe for more layers of goodness. Give it a try both ways, and don’t forget to explore on your own.

Ingredients – Serves Four

• 1 pound of dry spaghetti
• 4 oz Pecorino Romano [1] (about 1 cup), shredded [2]
• 2 Tbsp peppercorns, toasted and crushed (see Method)
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest, finely minced (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Method – About 20 Minutes

This is a delightfully simple dish, but one that rewards careful attention during the assembly. Work quickly, but not hastily, or you’ll end up with a lumpy, clumpy mess. It’ll still taste good, but would you really want to serve it? When done carefully, this is wonderfully creamy and delicious.

1. While preparing the rest of the ingredients, put a large pot with 12 cups of water and 2 Tbsp of salt over high heat, and bring to a boil.
2. In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the peppercorns, moving the pan constantly, until they are fragrant and just begin to pop and crackle, about two minutes. Remove from heat. Place peppercorns between two paper towels to keep the little rascals from getting away, and crush them with a rolling pin (or a wine bottle on its side) until the equivalent of a coarse grind. (Take a taste, now. Why wouldn’t you toast them first?) Don’t do this too early. Once the peppercorns are toasted and crushed, they’ll begin to give up their volatile oils quickly, losing flavor and aroma in the process. (And, have I mentioned before? Never use pre-ground pepper from a spice bottle. Ever.)
3. Cook the spaghetti to just al dente, about 7 minutes. From this point, you’ll need to work quickly. Take the pot off the fire, and ladle some of the pasta water into a large bowl, preferably glass, to warm it and coat it with the starchy liquid. Then, pour the water back into the pasta pot.
4. Transfer the spaghetti (with tongs), taking some of its liquid along for the ride. Gradually add the shredded cheese and toss with the spaghetti until evenly distributed and the pasta is well coated. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the pasta water, a tablespoon at a time; the starch in the water will help keep the cheese from clumping. Then, sprinkle with the pepper, and optionally the lemon zest and chopped parsley, adjust seasoning, give a final toss, and serve at once, enhanced with a few grinds of fresh pepper.

There are plenty of summer weekends left ahead of us, so the opportunities for getting outside to cook are plenty. Grilled trout is one of those things that I love, but after a while, we’re all looking for ways to give it a little more gusto. Here’s one. It’s quick, simple, and best of all, absolutely delicious.

Start with beautifully fresh, cleaned and scaled trout, with the heads on so you can see their still-bright lil’ eyes. And, if their eyes are not bright, find a fish monger who isn’t trying to sell you Tuesday’s fish on Friday. Figure on one fish per person.

Rub the cavities with a little garlic, then season with a little squirt of lemon juice, and some freshly ground black pepper, and stuff them with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Then, massage the fish, front and back, with olive oil, and crust with coarsely ground sea salt. The salt will actually seal the juices in, season the flesh, and help keep the fish from sticking to the grill.

Over hot coals, or high heat if using gas, pre-heat the grill for ten minutes. You want a good sizzle when fish hits iron, so get it hot. Place the fish at an angle on the grill, cover, and sear for about a minute or so, until the fish releases easily. (If using coals, or you’ve got a heat diffuser over your gas burner, throw on some rosemary sprigs, dipped in water, to get a nice smoke going.)

Then, lift the fish carefully, and rotate them about 60˚, and sear, covered, for another minute or so. We’re looking for a nice grill tattoo. Turn the fish over, and repeat.

Remove to a warm plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for a few minutes. Fabulous! The flesh will be moist and wonderfully flavored. You can fillet them before serving, or teach your guests how to do it themselves. The whole fish, prepared this way, makes a lovely presentation. (The skins will be far too salty for all but the truly salt obsessed, so don’t serve the fish on a bed of anything, other than perhaps some sprigs of rosemary, or the bed will get salty too.)

Serve with a side of polenta and a Minted Cucumber and Tomato Salad for a lovely summer supper. Enjoy!

1. Rice
2. “If it flies, it dies.”
3. The Holy Trinity (2 parts diced onion, 1 part diced celery, 1 part diced bell pepper).

Down bayou way this dish is called Dirty Rice. In the Low Country it is called Purloo (pronounced per-low). It is also similar to Jambalaya. Once again there are serious African and Caribbean influences at work in the creation of this wonderful one pot meal or side dish. Meager amounts of meat are stretched with rice and vegetables, making for good, filling and cheap eats and a complete meal. This dish also lends itself to endless improvisation with ingredients; it’s not uncommon to see meats and seafood combined with all manner of vegetation; eggplant, squash, mushrooms, okra, tomatoes (especially green tomatoes), peas…the garden’s the limit.

Ingredients of the critter persuasion are also limited only by the cook’s imagination. Many recipes include shrimp, oysters, chicken, sausage, ham and/or bacon. The locals add whatever game that may have had the misfortune to cross their path, and livers, hearts and gizzards add a certain rustic authenticity.

The Cajun term “Ya-Ya” has roots in the sound/noise one encounters in a room full of drunk Cajuns (is there another kind?). In culinary terms, it fits the common Cajun cook’s saying “Yah, dat’l fit.”

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons bacon fat
• 2 pounds chicken thigh meat, cut into 1” pieces
• 2 pounds Andouille Sausage, cut into 1” pieces
• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• The Holy Trinity:
• 2 cups diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 cup skinned diced eggplant
• 2 cups okra sliced ¼ inch thick
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cups long-grain white rice
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed, with juice
• 6 cups chicken stock

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside in the refrigerator.
3. In a very large cast iron Dutch oven (with lid) heat bacon fat over high heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
4. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
5. Add The Holy Trinity, garlic, eggplant and mushrooms and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
6. Add rice and cook about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, basil, thyme and bay leaves. Stir well.
7. Add tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
8. Fold in seasoned shrimp.
9. Cover and bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
10. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes, fluff with a fork and serve with hot sauce, chopped scallion, chopped parsley and/or lemon wedges.

This makes a great entrée with a simple salad, a side dish with just about any main dish and also makes a dynamite stuffing for fowl. If you want, add gizzards, hearts and livers, and definitely use any game birds you’ve got kicking around. I like wild turkey (the bird and the beverage), duck and quail in my version.

The thousands of miles of beaches and pleasant weather have helped create a unique coastal lifestyle and cuisine; a beach-side Low Country Boil is an institution that incorporates all the bounty of the region. Usually prepared over a driftwood fire with a huge pot full of corn, potatoes, sausage, crab and shrimp…all simmered in a spicy broth. The appetite seems to increase with the sea breeze, clear blue sky and the gathering of friends.

Low Country cooking also shares many common elements with Cajun cooking; the bayous of Louisiana provide many of the same ingredients, especially rice, and there are significant cultural influences from Africa and the Caribbean. Combining meats and poultry with seafood in a variety of dishes, all brought to a new flavor level with the “Holy Trinity”; onions, peppers and celery, are also similar traits in both regions. About the only difference that I’ve experienced is one of climate. Instead of a cool sea breeze, the Cajun version is served in the humid bayou country, or as the locals say; “Air You Can Wear”. Also, you’re more likely to hear the strains of accordion and Zydeco in bayou country; in the Low Country it’s apt to be music with a bit more country twang. Ice cold beer is another common element — lots of it.

Another item of interest are the names of some of the dishes and the lore behind the names; Hoppin’ John, Limpin’ Susan, Frogmore Stew, Purloo, Seafood Muddle and Shrimp Bog. Each will get its turn in the spotlight in due time. For now we want to explore perhaps the most familiar dish in the Low Country repertoire: Shrimp and Grits.

For the Grits – Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 1 cup stone ground grits (“instant” grits are a culinary crime)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Grits – Method

Bring milk to a boil, add remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer and cook until soft and creamy, about 45 minutes. Stir every ten minutes, and add additional milk if needed to prevent sticking. Set aside and keep warm.

For the Shrimp – Ingredients

• 2 pounds Jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• Kosher Salt and Pepper to season
• ¼ cup country bacon, rind removed, julienned
• ¼ cup country ham, julienned
• ¼ cup Andouille sausage, diced
• 1cup onion, diced
• ½ cup celery, diced
• ½ cup bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup white (dry) vermouth
• 1 T Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into 3 pieces

Shrimp – Method

Season shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature for about ten minutes. In a sauce pan or wok over medium heat, cook bacon, ham and sausage until lightly browned. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper, the Holy Trinity (bowing in the direction of Louisiana), and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the vermouth and Worcestershire; cook for about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Do not overcook the shrimp. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper, add butter, one piece at a time to finish, off heat.

Final Assembly

Spoon the grits into the bottom of a deep plate, and form a ‘well’. Top with the shrimp mixture. Garnish with chopped green onion, parsley and rosemary if desired. Serve with lemon wedges, crushed red pepper and your choice of hot sauce.

Our CSA farm has been providing beautiful tomatoes and cucumbers over the past couple weeks, and though there’s never really a shortage of ideas for things to do with them, here’s a great, simple summer salad that’s cool and refreshing. It’s brightened with fresh mint leaves, and a little oregano gives it a touch of the mediterranean. Don’t worry about measurements with this one, and add or subtract other ingredients as the spirit moves you.

Ingredients – Serves 4

• 4oz pancetta, diced, fried crispy and drained
• 1 large ripe cucumber [1], diced
• 3-4 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 4-5oz feta or queso cotija, diced, or shave some parmigiano!
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small, sweet onion, chopped (optional)
• 2 Tbsp capers
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 10-20 mint leaves, chiffonade [2]
• Olive oil, lemon juice or sherry (or champagne!) vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method – A few minutes

While the pancetta is frying, prepare the remaining ingredients, adding them to a bowl large enough to hold everything with a little breathing room. Drizzle with enough olive oil (I like a nice, assertive peppery oil from southern Italy for this) to coat, about 2 Tbsp, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a little vinegar. Toss to coat, and adjust seasoning. Add the pancetta and toss to combine.

Let the salad stand in the fridge for at least 20 minutes for the flavors to combine. When serving, garnish with some shaved parmigiano and fresh mint sprigs.

Make more than you think you’ll need, because it seems to get devoured pretty quickly. Any leftovers can be refrigerated and added to a green salad the next day!

Every summer, it happens. Someone you know arrives at your door with an immense paper sack and a terrifying story to tell. Their soil is really rich, they explain; they’ve been cultivating it and amending with all the compost from the kitchen scraps and chicken coups. The weather has been especially good, you know. And, they forgot to prune before going on holiday, and the plants went totally out of control, stimulated by freak sunspot activity and increased gamma radiation from ozone layer depletion. And, their kid just discovered these while retrieving the dog’s ball after it had been thrown into the green danger zone where Fluffy won’t wander for fear of being devoured herself.

Yes, it’s the attack of the giant summer squash, the immense zucchini and yellow crooknecks that are almost apologetically presented to every co-worker, friend, and neighbor that can be reached by bicycle-drawn wheelbarrow. And, now, the zucchini that ate Cleveland sits menacingly on your kitchen counter, staring at you relentlessly with its unblinking green eye. What to do with it?

When these alien space squash and near-geriatric marrows reach such biblical proportions, they’re no longer really suitable for steaming or sautés, the preparations preferred for younger fruits. As they grow, they toughen and much of their sweetness is replaced by stronger, slightly more bitter flavours. But, all is not lost. Don’t just think of zucchini bread and baseball bats when these monsters invade. Roast them! It’s a great technique for imparting both tenderness and sweetness to the great beasts.

Ingredients – Serves 4-6

• 1 summer squash monster, cut into approximately 1″ cubes
• 1 or 2 sweet onions, cut into wedges (see method)
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled – cut large ones in half crosswise
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• A few sprigs of fresh herbs from the garden, or 1 Tbsp of dried thyme, oregano, lavender, or Herbs de Provence
• Salt, pepper to taste
• 1-2 Tbsp of Balsamic vinegar

Method – Active time, 10 minutes; Total time, about an hour

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Cut the squash into roughly 1″ cubes. Cut the blossom from the onion, and trim the roots, but leave the root end intact. Slice it into 8 wedges; the root end will hold the wedges together.

Put the squash, garlic and onion into a roasting pan large enough to accommodate. Toss with the oil, salt, pepper, and herbs to coat.

Roast for 40-50 minutes until the onions are nicely caramelized and the squash is tender. Check ever 15-20 minutes, and give the veg a toss to ensure even cooking.

Remove from the oven, and add the balsamic vinegar, tossing to distribute evenly. Work quickly, since the pan is still hot, and the liquids will evaporate.

Adjust seasoning, and serve.

For variety, add tomatoes, fresh or tinned, peppers, or chiles. Experiment and enjoy!

Cooking, eating, entertaining should be fun. For all the fuss, for all the serious talk about celebrity chefs, competitions, all the haute couture in food that’s dominating the media, it seems that a lot of people may have forgotten that what really matters is that we have fun in the kitchen, and at table. And, what’s more fun than a little surprise? So, when some friends were coming to dinner the other night, I figured I’d surprise them with something fun and simple for dessert.

Those who know me fairly well will understand that it’s already a bit surprising anytime I volunteer to take on the dessert course, as well as the rest of the meal. I tend to spend most of my time on the savory side of the kitchen, where I’m most at home, and leave the sweeties to someone else. “What can we bring?” will almost always get the same answer. “Oh, let’s see. Hmm. Hey, I know! Why don’t you bring something for dessert. I’ll take care of the rest.” It gets me off the hook.

So, yeah. Surprise! I’ll do dessert! I’d just picked up a big basket of beautiful organic blueberries that were filling me with ideas. What follows is one of them, the dolce I served that night. (Honestly, I don’t even remember the main anymore, which may have something to do with the empty wine bottles that mysteriously appeared in the kitchen the following morning. I think it had something to do with scallops and Alaskan cod, but it may have been hamburgers. I do remember the dessert and its wine, though.)

This is one of those wonderfully delightful things that’s dead simple, but makes a great impression. French Vanilla ice cream is scooped over fresh blueberries, then smothered in a blueberry tequila coulis that is rich and wonderful, and, yes, a little surprising. Lime brightens the flavors, and just a skosh of chile (optional, but highly recommended) brings cheers of joy to the table.

Ingredients – Serves 4

For the sauce:

• Juice of two limes
• 2 oz good tequila – don’t be a cheapskate, here!
• 2 cups fresh blueberries – organic preferred
• 2 Tbsp turbinado or brown sugar
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/8 tsp minced habanero chile – seeds and membrane removed [1]

To serve:

• 1 pint French Vanilla ice cream – make your own if you’re up to it!
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• Zest of one lime, finely chopped

Method – About 25 minutes

Put the ingredients for the coulis into a 1qt saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries break down, and the sauce thickens to coat a spoon – about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

While the sauce is cooling, scoop the ice cream into serving bowls or dessert glasses, after adding a few fresh of the blueberries to the bottom of each.

Spoon the warm (not hot!) coulis over the ice cream, sprinkle on the lime zest, and serve at once.

Serve with a cool, sweet white, a Sauternes or Barsac, a TBA or an Eiswein, or any late harvest beauty with depth and character. If you can get a bottle or twelve, I highly recommend Anaba’s 2008 Late Harvest Vioginer, which is the first wine I’ve ever referred to as sexy, and it really is.