Tonight's Dinner - Linguine with Pancetta and Local Peas, and Local Zucchini Fritters served with 2 Dipping Sauces

Peas, peas, peas...

I can't stop myself from picking peas this year. There are still so many in the fields that I fear they will go to waste - not if we can help it.



Today I was looking for a quick dinner that would please everyone...it was a success.

Linguine with Pancetta and Local Peas

What you need:
Peas
A few ounces of Pancetta Diced (Since you probably can't go local here, at least go American with a La Qureica)
2 White Onions sliced thinly
3 Minced Garlic Cloves (or a large spoonful of garlic scapes ground)
1 Cup of Dry White Wine
2 Lemons Juiced (if they don't have a lot of juice, add a third lemon)
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream (if this is too fatty for you, use chicken broth instead)
Butter on hand
Linguine
Peas shelled
Parmesan

Boil water for the linguine.
Brown the pancetta in sauté pan. Remove and place on a plate topped with a paper towel. Add the onions to the pan and brown. Add garlic.

Add the pasta to the boiling water.

Add wine and reduce till the liquid is reduced in half - stirring constantly. Add in peas. Add in the cream and lemon juice.

When pasta is ready drain and add to the sauce with a tablespoon of butter and a splash of olive oil (if you think you need those last 2 ingredients).

Mix in the pancetta and toss with the parmesan.

Zucchini Fritters


You need:
2 Zucchini
1 red onion
a food processor with grater attachment (or grate by hand if you have the time)
2 handfuls of bread crumbs
handful of grated parmesan
1 egg
splash or 2 of milk

sea salt

pepper

Grate the zucchini and onion.

Beat the egg lightly and add the milk, salt, pepper and zucchini and onion to the bowl with the egg mixture. Stir. Add in parmesan, pepper and bread crumbs.

Add oil to sauté pan. Form fritters into small balls and add to pan. Fry on medium until both sides are brown and the zucchini has had a chance to cook through. Season with sea salt.

Sauces
Tomato Sauce warmed (your own or your favorite jar will do - I used the Rao's Marinara)

Squeeze the juice of a lemon into fresh ricotta and the add in some black pepper and stir.

Great NY Times Article - 101 Fast Recipes for Grilling

Click here to read the article.

Tonight's Dessert - Lemon Pound Cake with Local Berries and Fresh Whipped Cream

An easy dessert you can pull together in minutes. Seriously.

What I used:

Lemon Pound Cake
Just Picked Local Strawberries and Raspberries
Heavy Cream
1 Lemon Juiced
Sugar
Confectioners Sugar

If you have a local baker you trust, buy a lemon pound cake or lemon poppy seed cake earlier that day. Or make your own. Here is my favorite recipe. Slice.

Wash and slice the berries. Juice the lemon and add to berries with a dusting of sugar.

Make the whipped cream by adding to a mixer (or whisk by hand) until soft peaks form. Stir in confectioners sugar to taste.

Plate and dust with confectioners sugar.

Today's Lunch - Penne with Kale Pesto and a Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella, and Arugula Salad

I was making a garlic scape pesto and it dawned on me that kale would be a nice addition to the traditional basil pesto. So I threw two handfuls of kale from the farm into food processor with a spoonful of pesto and a splash of olive oil and tossed it with whole wheat penne and grated parmesan.


I added some arugula to the traditional tomato, basil mozzarella salad since we have so many great greens from the farm right now and I thought it would be a shame to make a salad and not include some of the fresh arugula we picked this morning.

Tonight's Dinner - Grass Fed Beef Burger, Local Zucchini Carpaccio a la "Exile on Main St" and Just Picked Arugula Salad

I have been making variations of this burger for about a year now, but it didn't dawn on me until tonight to add fresh herbs to it. It really worked. This was a great burger!

What you need (this serves 4 people):

1/3 lb of Ground Sirloin for each person (If you can get local grass fed ground beef, I would suggest it. My guy has no more beef left and is raising 2 cows now for slaughter at the end of the summer. Tonight I had to go with grass fed beef from Australia.)

2 Tablespoons of Organic or Homemade Ketchup (reason being - try to avoid ketchup with high fructose corn syrup)

1 Teaspoon of Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons of BBQ Sauce (again make your own, or try and find one without high fructose corn syrup.)

4 Shallots

Leaves from 5 sprigs of Thyme

15 Rosemary leaves

Salt

Pepper

Aged Gouda

1 Jalapeno Quartered (I used a yellow one)

Tomato Slices

Scallions

Brioche Rolls

Add everything above listed before the gouda (except the beef) into the food processor or blender (use your 1 cup processor if you have one). Blend until herbs and shallots and totally ground up. Mix this liquid into your beef and form into burgers. Set aside.

When ready grill for 3 minutes, flip and add sliced gouda. Add jalapeno quarters and scallions. Grill for 3 or 4 more minutes depending on the temperature you desire and the thickness of your burgers. I left them on for about 4 more minutes for a medium burger. Remove from the grill and set aside on a plate. Add the rolls to the grill for a few minutes to toast. Remove and assemble your burger.

Zucchini Carpaccio a la "Exile on Main St"

So easy and so delicious! We ate this at a local restaurant earlier in the week and it was amazing!

1 large zucchini, sliced on a mandolin or very thin

2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts

1 handful of shaved parmesan

2 lemons juiced

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Pepper

Slice the zucchini and arrange nicely on a platter or large plate. Squeeze the lemon on top of the zucchini and then drizzle with olive oil. I ended up using more olive oil than I thought I would as the zucchini really soaks it up. Set Aside for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the salt, pepper, toasted pine nuts and parmesan.

Simple Arugula Salad

Baby Arugula (we got ours at the farm on Tuesday)

Radishes and Turnips (I used the mandolin tonight since I had it out and its so quick)

Handful of Raw Pepitas

Handful of Dried Cherries

Scoop of Fresh Raw Milk Ricotta

Toss with salt, pepper and a red wine vinaigrette.

Tonight's Dinner - Fish Tacos, Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash, Black & White Beans, and Guacamole

This dinner was inspired by my favorite "local-ish" tortillas out of NYC made by Hot Bread Kitchen. Their tortillas are hearty and hold up when filled with taco or enchilada fillings.

Tonight's Fish Tacos were made with:
Cod (you can buy a little bit less than you would when serving as the main / per person)
1 Small Fresh Bibb Lettuce (just picked yesterday)
3 Fresh Local Greenhouse Tomatoes
1 Bunch of Cilantro
1 Red Onion
Spicy Crema Fresca (recipe to follow)
1 Lime
Corn Tortillas

Turn on your grill.
Slice the onions. Season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside.
Wash the fish in cold water and then pat dry with a paper towel. Rub the fish with olive oil and the season with salt and pepper.
If you have a fish grill basket - use it and then add the fish to the grill. (Mine looks like this.) Also Add onions to your vegetable grill bowl or basket and grill until brown (stirring every couple of minutes).
While you have the fish and onions going, chop the cilantro, tomatoes, and lettuce mix together and then set aside. Squeeze the juice of the lime into the lettuce mixture and drizzle in a bit of olive oil and toss again.

Turn over your fish.
Now you are ready to make what I am calling Spicy Crema Fresca.

Spicy Crema Fresca
I just made this up tonight.

1/1 a Jalapeno (Grilled - through it in with the onions)
1 Small Container of Sour Cream
Juice of 2 limes
A Few of the Grilled Onion Slices From Above
Half a Teaspoon of Tomato Paste

Throw it all in your food processor (I used my 1 cup mini processor) and blend.

The onions should be off the grill by now. Check the fish. Wrap your tortillas in foil and add to the grill.
Once its all ready, fill each taco to your liking with the fish and salad and then top with the spicy crema fresca and guacamole (if you made one).

Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash
Slice, add olive oil and salt and pepper and then add to grill. When ready, squeeze a fresh lime and drizzle over the top.

Tonight's Dinner - Grilled Local Tuna with Clementine Relish, Grilled Local Oyster Mushroom, Snow Peas and Scallions with Sushi Rice

I got the tuna from my local fish shop - The Amagansett Seafood Store (in the IGA parking lot).

I adapted this recipe from a recipe in Bobby Flay's Grill It! What I really love about this cookbook is that he uses very simple vinaigrette's in almost every meal to give such amazing flavor to very easy to make dishes. Also, almost everything he "grills" can be made inside on a grill pan, on the stove or in the oven.

Here's what you need:
Tuna Steaks (1 per person)
4 Clementines or Blood oranges peeled, segmented
1 Shallot chopped into smal pieces
1 white onion sliced in half moons
6 radishes thinly sliced
1/8 cup White wine vinegar
1 tsp Honey
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Fresh mint leaves chopped
1/8 cup Olive oil
Handful of Raw Pepitas

Mix together the clementines, shallots, vinegar, honey. mint and olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill. Season each tuna steak with salt and pepper. Add the onions tossed in olive oil to a grill basket and grill for 10 minutes stirring every few minutes. When ready, remove and add to relish.

Season with salt and pepper and grill for 3 minutes on each side for rare or longer for desired doneness. Remove Tuna from grill. (I also grilled the snow peas and oyster mushroom in a grill basket while the tuna was on the grill. I seasoned with olive oil and salt and pepper and then removed at the same time as the tuna.)

Mix radishes and pepitas into the relish and then top each tuna steak with relish.