Little Neck Clams with Sun Gold Tomatoes

Every year in September, Mark & I go out to Montauk to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We were married out there on a cliff overlooking the ocean and it’s been our tradition to go back every year to the very spot where we exchanged our vows. But this year, we aren’t able to go and it’s a little bit of a bummer for us.

But today there was a little ray of sunshine. Joseph Fisheries, who are based out of Montauk just joined the Rhinebeck Farmers’ Market. Today was their first day and we are so fortunate that they will be bringing their fresh catch up to the Hudson Valley each Sunday.

I picked up some Little Neck Clams for our Sunday night dinner and I love those little Sun Gold tomatoes, so I picked up a pint of them too and decided that I would make a pasta dish using both. It came out so good. The kind of good that makes you unashamed to make a slurping fool out of yourself, sopping up every last bit of sauce with a crusty piece of bread.

The clams were so fresh and those little sun gold tomatoes were bursting with sweet juices that combined with the olive oil, butter and briny ocean liquid from the clams to make an remarkably good sauce. So, even though we couldn’t get to Montauk this year, we feel like a little bit of Montauk came to us.

Ingredients:

• 2 Dozen Little Neck Clams
• 6 oz Dry Spaghetti
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 Garlic Cloves – thinly sliced 
• 1 Shallot – thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 Pint Sun Gold Tomatoes – rinsed and sliced in half
• 1/2 Cup White Wine
• 1 Cup Basil Leaves – chopped

Directions:

Soak the clams in a pot of cold salted water for an hour. Then scrub them to remove any sand on the shells.

Bring a separate large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until done. Drain and set aside.

While the spaghetti cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet with the garlic, shallot, red pepper flakes a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Saute until the shallot and garlic have softened and are golden, 3-4 minutes. Swirl in the butter. When the butter has melted, add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the clams and wine. Shake the pot, put the cover on and allow to cook until the clams open, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the basil over the top. Add the spaghetti and stir to coat the pasta with the sauce. Divide into 2 bowls. Serve with crusty bread.

* Discard any clams that are cracked or do not open.

Serves 2

Sources:

• Little Neck Clams – Joseph Fisheries
• Olive Oil – Dancing Ewe Farm
• Garlic – Keith’s Farm
• Cipollini Onion – Rogowski Farm 
• Butter – Ronnybrook Farm
• Sun Gold Tomatoes – Taliaferro Farm
• Seyval Blanc “Tribute” – Clinton Vineyards
• Basil – Migliorelli Farm
• Baguette – Tivoli Bread & Baking Co.

Shrimp & Orzo Salad with Tomato, Basil & Feta

A nice and easy summer salad to make right now, while the tomatoes are at their peak. Pick up an heirloom variety or two. Don’t be afraid of the ones that aren’t the traditional red color. The orange, green, black and yellow varieties are all delicious too.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Dry Orzo Pasta – cooked, drained, tossed with a little oilve oil & chilled
• 12 Large Shrimp – poached, chilled & sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 Cucumber – peeled, seeded & chopped
• 2 Heirloom Tomatoes – cored & chopped
• 1 Handful Fresh Basil Leaves – chopped
• 1 Slice Red Onion – chopped
• 1 Tbsp Capers – *optional
• 2 oz Feta Cheese – crumbled
• 1 Lemon – juiced
• About 1/2 Cup Olive Oil or about double the amount of juice you were able to get from the lemon
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the orzo, shrimp, cucumber, tomato, basil, onion, capers and feta cheese. Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a jar, cover and shake well. Pour some of the dressing over the other ingredients and toss to combine. Adjust the amount of dressing to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.

Sources:

• Cucumber – Migliorelli Farm
• Heirloom Tomatoes – Four Winds Farm
• Basil – Brittany Hollow Farm
• Red Onion – Little Seed Gardens
• Olive Oil – Gigi Hudson Valley

Thai Roadside Grilled Chicken

One of my favorite things about Thailand is all of the incredible street food. It seems as if someone is cooking up something unbelievably delicious on just about every square inch of available roadside space.

We discovered this grilled chicken slathered with a deliciously mysterious coating on a trip to Doi Inthanon National Waterfall Park in Northern Thailand. Vendors set up their wood-fired grills all along the road leading to the park which makes it so convenient to stop off on your way to pick up a picnic lunch. You get a whole  grilled chicken – cut up, a bag of sticky rice and a tangy dipping sauce, then off you go with some finger lickin’ goodness.

I remember sitting there on the rocks, pleasantly surprised by how wonderful this grilled chicken was and in awe of the stunning natural beauty of the waterfalls surrounding us when a group of young monks came running past us to jump off the cliffs into the water.

Now that’s divine.

 

If you shop at the farmers’ market, you’ll often see herbs with the roots still on. This is a great use for those cilantro roots! Just rinse them really well, give them a rough chop and then rinse them again.

Ingredients for the Chicken:

• 3-4 lb Chicken – cut up into 8 pieces
• 2 tsp Black Peppercorns
• 6 Garlic Cloves – roughly chopped
• 3 Tbsp Cilantro Roots & Stems – roughly chopped
• 3 Tbsp Fish Sauce

Ingredients for the dipping sauce:

• 1/2 Cider or Rice Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 Clove Garlic – minced
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Chile Pepper Flakes

For the chicken, pound the peppercorns, garlic and cilantro roots into a paste with a mortar and pestle, add the fish sauce and blend it in. Smear this mixture all over the chicken pieces, then place them in an airtight container. Chill for several hours turning and re-smearing (is that a word?) occasionally.

For the dipping sauce, bring the vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Simmer 5 minutes. Work the garlic and salt into a paste using the back of a knife or a mortar and pestle. Combine the garlic paste with the chile pepper flakes and vinegar. Set aside to cool.

When ready to cook the chicken, remove the chicken from the fridge about 1/2 hour prior to cooking while you prepare a charcoal fire. When the coals are hot, place the chicken on the grill bone side down for about 8 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until the chicken is cooked through, 6-8 minutes or until 165°F on a meat thermometer.

Serve with the dipping sauce and sticky rice…eat with your fingers.

Sources:

• Chicken – Quattro’s Poultry
• Garlic – Keith’s Farm
• Cilantro – Migliorelli Farm

Recipe adapted from:

Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

Basil Infused Olive Oil

It’s that time of summer when there seems to be more basil available than we know what to do with. Olive oil infused with fresh basil is so easy to make and can be used in so many ways.

It’s perfect drizzled over a plate of fresh mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. I’ve been picking up a variety of heirloom tomatoes every week from Four Winds Farm at the Woodstock Farm Festival. Jay Armour has an astounding selection and their flavor is absolutely incredible so you don’t need to do much more to them than this.

You could also try it drizzled over these Smash Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. A little bit on a plate with a pinch of sea salt and a grind of fresh black pepper is perfect for dipping some crusty bread into. Splash a little on a piece of grilled fish or chicken to add a nice burst of bright summer flavor. Or, you can use it as the oil for making a basil vinaigrette. Have a blast. Get creative…and let me know if you come up with some other ways to use it.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves
• 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the basil leaves for 15 seconds. Remove them from the water and lay them out on a clean dish towel. Place another clean dish towel over the top and press all of the moisture out. Transfer the basil leaves to the blender and add the olive oil. Blend until completely smooth.

Pour the oil through a fine mesh strainer with a bowl underneath or through a colander lined with four layers of cheesecloth. You could also try using a coffee filter but the process will be pretty slow. Repeat the straining process 2 more times. Pour the basil oil into a clean jar, cover and chill. Take the oil out of the fridge about a half an hour before you want to use it so that it will become fluid. Use within 2 weeks.

Sources:

• Basil – Four Winds Farm
• Olive Oil -  Gigi Hudson Valley

Shaved Fennel Salad with Arugula & Herbs

Fennel is one of my favorite salad ingredients. It’s crisp & light and adds a pleasant, mild anise-like flavor that complements a number of salad combinations.

A few years ago, I planted a few borage plants that I picked up from Monkshood Nursery. They keep popping up here and there in the garden. I love the intense blue color of the blossoms and they add a mild cucumber like flavor.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Handfuls Arugula
• Juice of 1 Lemon ~ about 1/4 cup
• 1 Tbsp Shallot – finely minced
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil – or a tad more than the amount of lemon juice that you were able to squeeze from the lemon
• 1/4 Fennel Bulb
• 2 Radishes
• 2 Tbsp Mixed Herbs – Such as Tarragon, Chives, Basil, Parsley, Chervil, Borage or Nasturtium Blossoms- chopped

Directions:

Place the arugula in a large mixing bowl.

Squeeze the lemon juice into a jar, add the shallot, salt and pepper. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, shave the fennel and radish into paper thin slices. A mandolin works great for this. Add to the bowl with the arugula. Sprinkle the herbs over the top.

Add the olive oil to the lemon juice in the jar, place the lid on and shake well. Add just enough of the dressing to lightly coat the greens. Cover and store the rest in the fridge.

Serves 2

Sources:

• Arugula – Sky Farm
• Shallot – RSK Farm
• Olive Oil – Gigi Hudson Valley
• Fennel – Little Seed Gardens
• Radish – Migliorelli Farm
• Basil – Four Winds Farm
• Tarragon, Chives, Borage Blossoms– My garden

Dark Maple-Walnut Ice Cream

I love having my own ice cream maker. What could be better than getting creative with fresh, local ingredients to whip up a custom batch of ice cream or sorbet?

I picked up a big jug of extra dark maple syrup from the folks at Oliverea Schoolhouse Maple last week, so I thought I’d try to make a dent in it and Maple Walnut Ice Cream seemed like a nice, summery way to do it.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Dark Maple Syrup
• 1 Cup Whole Milk
• 2 Cups Heavy Cream
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts – chopped

Directions:

Place the maple syrup in the fridge for two hours. Combine the maple syrup, milk and heavy cream and pour the mixture into an ice cream maker. Follow the manufacturers instructions for your machine. Add the walnuts during the last 5 minutes of churning. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for a couple of hours.

Sources:

• Extra Dark Maple Syrup – Oliverea Schoolhouse Maple
• Whole Milk “Creamline” – Ronnybrook Farm Dairy
• Heavy Cream – Ronnybrook Farm Dairy

Shakshuka Breakfast Pita with Zatar

 

If you’ve ever been to the Rhinebeck Farmers’ Market on Sunday mornings or the Woodstock Farm Festival on Wednesday afternoons, then you’ve probably treated yourself to the falafel at Abas’ Falafel. If you haven’t yet indulged, then you’ve probably at least seen the long line of people waiting patiently in front of their booth for one.

Cathy Naor and her family have quickly developed a reputation for serving authentic, made-to-order falafel using fresh, local ingredients with a laugh and a smile, no matter if the sun is shining or if it's pouring rain.

One day, not long ago, Cathy handed me a container of her homemade sauce for Shakshuka. It was so delicious that I asked her if she would allow me to share it with all of you. She told me that she didn’t have it written down neatly anywhere or in English but that she’d sit down with me and give it to me verbally. Aren’t those always the best kind of recipes?

Ingredients for the sauce:

• 2 Lbs Tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion – chopped
• 4 Cloves of Garlic – chopped
• 2 Green Peppers – chopped
• 2 Jalapeno Peppers –chopped
• 1 Small Bunch Cilantro –chopped
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil – chopped
• 1 28 oz Can Peeled Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 6 oz Cans Tomato Paste
• 1 Tbsp Hot Paprika
• 1 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
• 1 “Pregnant” Tbsp Ground Cumin
• 1 Tbsp Salt

Ingredients for the Breakfast Pitas:

• 12 eggs
• 12 Pita Bread
• 1/4 Cup Zatar * optional

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Score an X in the bottom of each tomato and drop them into the pot of water for 15 seconds. Remove the tomatoes and run under cold water. Peel off the skin and discard, then finely chop the tomatoes or pulse in a food processor for a minute or two.

Heat the olive oil in a big soup pot, add the onion, garlic, peppers, jalapenos, cilantro and basil. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, both paprikas, cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes.

At this point you can portion out half of the sauce to freeze for later use. With the sauce remaining in the pot, use a ladle to create 6 dimples in the sauce, each one big enough to fit an egg in. One at a time, crack the eggs into a small bowl and gently slip the egg into one of the dimples. Continue until all of the dimples are filled. Put the cover on the pot and allow the eggs to poach in the sauce for 3-4 minutes. 

Meanwhile, warm the pita in the oven or on a hot cast iron skillet. Lift each egg along with some of the sauce out of the pot and place on top of the pita bread. Sprinkle a little Zatar over the top of the eggs.

Repeat with the remaining 6 eggs.

Makes 12 Breakfast Pitas

Sources:

• Tomatoes – Migliorelli Farm
• Onions – Rogowski Farm
• Garlic – Keith’s Farm 
• Peppers – Taliaferro Farms 
• Jalapenos – Brittany Hollow Farm
• Cilantro – Little Seed Gardens
• Basil – Four Winds Farm
• Paprika – Bradley Farm 
• Eggs – Northwind Farms 

Fingerling Potato Salad with Fresh Herbs

This potato salad is easy to make and is perfect to take on a picnic since it’s tossed with a vinaigrette, not mayonnaise and is delicious at room temperature. Use whatever herbs you have on hand.

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb Fingerling Potatoes
• Salt
• 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 6 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Fresh Herbs, such as Basil, Chives, Tarragon, Parsley or Dill
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the lemon juice to a small mason jar with a pinch of salt. Let that sit for a few minutes then add mustard, olive oil and a few grind of black pepper. Shake vigorously. When the potatoes have cooled, slice them in half lengthwise and pour 1/4 cup of the dressing over them. Chop the herbs, add them the bowl and give everything a toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.

Sources:

• Potatoes – Brittany Hollow Farm
• Herbs – My Garden