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.

Today at Quail Hill Farm

Fennel in center of picture (not quite ready to harvest).

From top to bottom: Mezula Greens, Mustard Greens, and Arugula.

Tonight's Dinner - Grilled Local Swordfish topped with Local Greenhouse Tomato Salad and Farm Fresh Greens, With Stewed White Beans and Red Rice

I love the colors on the plate from tonight's dinner. When I make this meal again I will skip the stewed white beans and replace with a grilled vegetable perhaps zucchini, or eggplant or even corn. Tonight I included the beans because my daughters (ages 2 and 3.5) really like this dish and I was unsure how this swordfish would go over with them, as they prefer local cod.

Grilled Swordfish
Rinse the fish in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel and then salt and pepper the fish and return to the fridge

When you are ready to grill (or saute) the fish, add it to the grill (or pan) for about 4 minutes or so on each side depending on the thickness of the fish.

When its ready plate and spoon the tomato salad on top.

Prepare the Tomato Salad
Cut 2 shallots into a small dice
Dice Tomatoes (I used 3 tomatoes for this dish 2 red and 1 green)
Finely chop 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano

In a small bowl add one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, one tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar, juice from half a lemon, half teaspoon of honey, the chopped oregano, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once emulsified, add in the diced shallots and set aside. Keep tomatoes in a separate bowl until you are about to plate the dish at which point you will mix in.

Bhutanese Red Rice
I used this recipe as a starting point. But I deviated in these ways. I didn't need to wash my rice, so that saved a lot of time. I added turnips (we have a lot from the farm right now) to the vegetables used in the dish. After I cooked the vegetables, I removed them from the pot and ground them in the food processor. I did this mostly because my little one needs to be tricked sometimes into eating vegetables and also because I was using water instead of vegetable stock. I then added the ground vegetables back to the pot with the water and rice. And cooked according to the box, in my case 20 minutes.

Ian's Stewed White Beans
A friend, Ian, made this dish a few weeks ago when he had us over for dinner and my girls loved it. Thanks Ian. So easy to make and very tasty, this can easily become the perfect side dish to your favorite meals.
Dice a white onion and add to a sauce pan with a little olive oil. Open a can of white beans and rince and then add to the onions. Open a can of diced tomatoes and add to the pan as well. Add 3 garlic cloves minced a little salt and pepper as well as a teaspoon of fresh thyme and a teaspoon of chopped oregano. Cook for 20 minutes and then stir in a tablespoon of butter when about to plate.

As a side note, when buying canned food, look for the labels that read "Not lined with BPA."

This Morning's Breakfast - Slow Scrambled Iacono Farm Eggs with Scallions, The Amagansett Baguette, Local Radishes and Local Berries

Just Picked Scallions


Slow Scrambled Eggs are amazing and once you have them you will never be able to eat fast cooked scrambled eggs again.

Slow Scrambled Eggs
For 5 adults and 2 kids I used 12 eggs.
Chives or greens of scallions (as you can see, I used scallions here)
2 splashes of milk
Salt and Pepper

I rarely use non-stick pans, but in the case of slow cooked scrambled eggs a non-stick makes the clean-up much easier and also none of the eggs will stick to the bottom of the pan when cooking.

Mix all ingredients together with a whisk or in your Kitchen Aid Mixer with the whisk attachment on low. Heat to medium heat and add one tablespoon of butter. Add eggs and reduce to med-low or low heat depending on how hot your stove cooks. Its better to reduce to the lowest possible setting and then increase the heat if you need to. Fold the eggs frequently and after they begin to come together add your chopped herbs. Cook to desired doneness.

The Amagansett Baguette was baked by Carissa Waechter of the Amagansett Farmers Market. Her amazing baguettes rival even the best baguettes in Paris.

The Radishes and Scallions are drizzled with a little olive oil and sea salt.

Served with a wedge of Constant Bliss, a soft cow's milk cheese from Lucy's Whey in East Hampton.

Afternoon Snack - Juicy Apricot

Mae enjoys a juicy organic apricot from the Amagansett Farmers Market

Tonight's Dinner - Grilled Iacono Chicken Southeast Asian Style, with Sticky Rice, Grilled Local Oyster Mushroom, and Kale Salad

I make this salad whenever I have fresh kale. I first ate this salad at Alias on the LES in New York about 8 years ago. Then years later read a NY Times article giving Dan Barber credit for the recipe found here.
I use whatever type of kale I have around for the salad. I also squeeze some fresh lemon into my vinaigrette. Also, if I don't have currants, I use raisins, or dried cranberries, or dried cherries ( as seen here).

These oyster mushrooms were purchased today the the East Hampton Farmers market from Dave the mushroom guy. Amazing mushrooms.

Tonight we went for a local white from Bedell Cellars our favorite vineyard on the North Fork. "First Crush White is designed for the table and for the everyday enjoyment of white wine fans everywhere. Produced of 82% Chardonnay and 18% Viognier, entirely in stainless steel - free from oak aging. Full of bright, green apple-y aromas, as well as a floral, lightly spicy, and fresh citrus notes."



Dave's Grilled Oyster Mushrooms:
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder (I skipped the garlic powder this time as I didn't have any because I rarely use it).

Once you drizzle the oil and season, then grill for a few minutes on each side.

Vietnamese Grilled Chicken
Season with Salt and Pepper and then Grill the chicken. (It goes without saying that you should use chicken with the bone in and skin on for grilling otherwise you will end up with a very dry chicken.)
While its on the grill, make the sauce:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 or 4 tablespoons of sugar (I used raw) depending on how sweet you like your sauce
3 Garlic cloves minced
sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Add the vinegar and sugar on medium heat in a small sauce pan. Once the sugar is dissolved then add the garlic, and red pepper stir and remove from heat.

This sauce is packed with flavor and is a perfect dipping sauce for grilled chicken.


Sushi Rice
Rinse rice and make according to the package.

Afternoon Snack - Homemade Hummus

The girls love to help me in the kitchen and this is the perfect recipe because I am using 2 appliances - a spice grinder and a food processor - so they each have their own appliance and button to press!


Nothing local here...just a healthy afternoon snack with a zing.

I always make this recipe:

1 can of chickpeas rinsed
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of 1 or 2 lemons (Squeeze the first one then decide if you want the other one)
Toasted Cumin Ground (You can toast the whole cumin seeds, cool, then grind using a spice grinder, or just use the pre-ground cumin)
A few dashes of paprika
1/4 cup of Olive Oil

Put everything into the food processor and then blend to your liking (we like it pretty smooth).

As a side note, this NY Times article is so upsetting. Why do we have to "Americanize" everything?

Tonight's Dinner - Local Weakfish with a Homemade Mayonnaise, Salad of Local Greens and Radishes & Easter Pie

I am not usually a leftover person at all, but last nigh't Easter Pie was so good, I wanted to incorporate it into another dinner.

This time I stopped by Amagansett Seafood for some weakfish. I know, I hadn't heard of it either until last year when we moved out here. Here it is an article from our local paper about the little guy. They are actually delicious and very mild. I decided to pan fry it and serve it with a homemade mayonaise (that I intentionally left rather liquidy and added a bit more mustard than is typically used).

Pan Fried Weakfish Recipe:
1 cup of Homemade Bread Crumbs (I always save the little pieces and ends of the bread we don't finish before it goes bad. I put it in the refrigerator in a bag in the back and about once every month or so I get the bag of rock hard bread out of the fridge and throw it into the food processor until its finely ground. I then just store it in a ziploc in the cabinet.)
1/4 cup of corn meal
1/8 cup of parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup of Flour & 1 egg lightly beaten for dredging

Combine the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, parmesan and salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix, then transfer to a plate. Lightly beat the egg in a shallow bowl. Put the flour on a separate plate.

Heat a pan on high and add a tablespoon of an oil that will not smoke easily (i.e. safflower oil). Then prepare the fish. Take each filet and dip it in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. When the oil is hot (throw in a breadcrumb and if it starts bubbling and cooking in the oil then its ready) then add the fish in the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side.

Tonight's Dinner - Easter Pie, Fried Egg and Slow Roasted Tomato

Easter Pie

Whenever I make Easter Pie I adapt the recipe from the Silver Spoon and use greens that I have an abundance of - right now its spinach from the farm- so that is the only green I used in tonight's pie. I cut the amount of eggs in half (5 instead of 10) and I used thyme as the herb.

I have to credit this recipe to a friend from the farm that told me about it last year when we were in the field picking peas one Tuesday evening in June.

I also use the same recipe from my whole wheat pizza dough for crust found here.

And here is the slow roasted tomato recipe. These were "local" hothouse tomatoes from Riverhead, NY.

The eggs are from Iacono, my favorite chicken farm located in East Hampton, NY.