Today's Lunch - Local Tuna Nicoise Salad

I can't get enough of the local Montauk Tuna caught by the fishermen of the East End. So good, so fresh and so versatile. I do however, try to keep our consumption to once a week due to the mercury levels found in today's tuna.

This Tuna Nicoise was made from greens and potatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes just picked from the farm, farm fresh eggs, and a red wine vinaigrette.

Tonight's Dinner - Everything Local Vegetable Pasta with Homemade Pesto and Local Sea Scallops

You know its really summer when the entire meal can be made from local ingredients (except for the pasta and olive oil).

Tuesday at the farm we had so much basil I came home and immediately made a quick pesto.

Basil Pesto
I washed and dried a few handfuls of basil and then added it to the food processor with about 1/4 a cup of olive oil (you might need more, might need less depending on how much basil you are using), the juice of one lemon and one garlic clove minced and pureed. Then I added in about half a cup of cooled toasted pine nuts (I keep my pine nuts in the freezer so they stay fresh) and pulsed a few times. I prefer to pulse the nuts as opposed to just turning on the processor as I like a little chunkiness to my pesto, which is why I added the pine nuts after I had already pureed the basil mixture. Then I stir in about 1 cup of finely grated parmesan.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta
What you need (really any fresh vegetables will do, I used:
Corn
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Summer Squash

I grilled the corn in the husk for about 15 minutes. Turning every 5 minutes or so.

Then I diced 1 Zucchini and 1 Summer Squash drizzled a bit of olive oil over them, added a bit of salt and pepper and grilled them in my grill basket. After about 10 minutes I added in tomatoes cut in half or quartered (depending on their size). Then I removed the corn and allowed it to cool for a few minutes, pulled back the husks and then allowed to cool again for a few minutes and then cut off the kernels.

I mixed everything together, with cooked pasta, and a large spoonful of the pesto.

Grilled Sea Scallops
Season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 minutes (or less) each side. And then top with a small spoonful of pesto.

Today's Lunch - Local Raw Veggies Grated and Placed over Local Tuna Salad

Grate your favorite vegetables (use a food processor with the grater attachment) and place on top of a fresh tuna salad.

Fresh Tuna Salad
What you need:
Tuna Steak
1/4 Red Onion Minced
Celery Finely Chopped
1 Teaspoon of Dijon
1 or 2 Tablespoons of Mayo
Splash of Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
Splash of Red Wine Vinegar


Whisk the last 5 ingredients together till emulsified. Toss in red onion and stir and set aside.

Season tuna with salt and pepper and saute till cooked just cooked through. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Then using a fork, flake the tuna apart. Mix all ingredients together and enjoy.

Drizzle with a lemon vinaigrette.

Local Corn Marinaded in Local Water

If you happen to find yourself with fresh local corn while you are near the sea (or bay in this case) grab a basket and toss the corn right into the water for half an hour. The salt water will seep in and help to season and steam the corn. To cook the corn - throw it right on the grill or in a fire pit on the beach.

Today's Lunch - Local Tomato and Ricotta Sandwich with Local Greens Salad

So quick, yet so delicious. Smear farm fresh ricotta on toasted bread, slice a tomato, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. The perfect summer sandwich!

Local Sesame Crusted Tuna, Black Sticky Rice, and Asian Just Picked Zucchini Slaw

When shopping for fish its hard for me to pass up a locally caught Tuna. Look at these beauties.



Sesame Crusted Tuna
Pour sesame seeds on a large plate (sometimes I mix black and the white seeds) and then press each tuna into the seeds. Season with a little salt as well. Then either grill or sauté in a very hot pan to desired temperature.

Black Sticky Rice
After you have prepared your rice per the directions on the packaging, you can mix in any or all of the following for great flavor - 1 cup of coconut milk, handful of chopped cilantro, juice of one lime, and handful of chopped mint leaves.

Asian Zucchini Slaw

I have been making variations of this slaw, depending on the fresh veggies I have in my fridge at any given time. Tonight I used zucchini, but it also works with cabbage, carrots, radishes, and or celery.

What you need:
Zucchini
Ginger
Handful of Mint
Handful of Cilantro
6 Radishes
1 Red Pepper

Using the grater attachment for your food processor (or grate by hand):
zuchini or cabbage
carrots thin
green, red or yellow peppers

Then chop 2 or 3 tablespoons of ginger (save 1 tablespoon for the dressing) of cilantro and mint.

For the dressing:
1 tablespoon of the ginger
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoon of rice vinegar
juice of one lime
half a teaspoon asian red chili sauce
splash of fish sauce
olive oil

Mix the above together and whisk.

Toss (wait about 5 minutes) and serve on the same plate as the tuna and rice. The dressing from the slaw will make a nice sauce for the fish.

July at the Farm

Garlic!

and the Zucchini Keep Coming!

The First Potatoes of the Season!

Eggplant are coming!

a Bird's Nest in the Raspberry Bushes

Cucumber, Rainbow Chard, Onions, Cabbage, Kale, Potatoes, Zucchini, Radishes, Fennel, Tomatoes, Cucumber, and big Grape Leaf!

Cucumbers

Tonight's Dinner - Grass Fed Strip Steak with Freshly Made Chimichurri and Just Picked Iceberg Wedge Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

When I see fresh parsley (as I did at the farm yesterday) I really only think of one thing - chimichurri. In my opinion, nothing beats this classic Argentinian steak sauce. My girls love steak, but this one they enjoyed even more than usual because of the sauce. Chloe originally turned down the salad because of the blue cheese dressing, but then asked for a salad halfway through the meal and she dressed hers with the chimichurri - turns out she was on to something.

Steak

What you need:

Grass Fed Strip Steak (or your favorite cut)

Salt

Pepper

Season steak and grill (or sear in a pan and finish in the oven) to your desired temperature.

Chimichuri

1 Bunch of Flat Leaf Parsley

1 Large Handful of Oregano Leaves

2 Garlic Cloves

1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/2 Cup of Olive Oil

Red Pepper Flakes (to taste)

Combine the above in food processor and mix until pureed. Serve over steak.

Grilled Fennel

Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill. Drizzle a little reduced balsamic over the fennel right before plating.

Blue Cheese Dressing

1/4 Cup of Sour Cream

1/4 Cup of Mayo

1 Tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Juice from 1 Lemon

Crumbled Blue Cheese to taste (buy a slide and crumble yourself)

Pepper and Salt

I find the addition of the white wine vinegar really gives this dressing a nice flavor. An alternative is to make a white wine vinaigrette and lightly toss your wedge in this dressing before adding the blue cheese dressing on top of your salad.

Today's Lunch - Zucchini Frittata

Lately I have been swimming in zucchini! I actually got out every cookbook I own and scanned the index of each book for all recipes that included zucchini. This recipe is easy, delicious, and is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The modifications I made to this recipe - I added in some chopped oregano and topped frittata with a mound of caramelized onions.

Tonight's Dinner - Local Montauk Swordfish, Just Picked Sauteed Swiss Chard, and Grilled Bread topped with Fresh Ricotta and Grilled Vegetables

There are several staples that I always have in my kitchen.

Dairy:
Fresh Ricotta
Sour Cream (I like the Hudson Valley Sour Cream the best)
Farm Fresh Eggs
and Unsalted Butter

Citrus:
Lemons
Limes
and a few Oranges or Tangerines

Dried Nuts and Fruits:
Pepitas
Pine Nuts
Almonds
Walnuts
Dried Cherries
Dried Cranberries

Herbs:
Basil or a Pesto that I keep in the freezer (make a quick pesto if your basil is starting to go)
Thyme
Mint or Mint Chutney (make a mint chutney if your mint is starting to go and keep it in the fridge)

Bulbs:
a few Red and Yellow Onions
Garlic

Pork
Pancetta or Bacon (I always keep mine in the freezer)

Beans:
White
Black
Garbanzo

Dried goods:
Pastas
Grains

and of course an assortment of Vinegars, Honey, Olive Oil, and Dijon.

For me, the above are the fundamentals of a great meal.

In tonight's dinner I am using fresh ricotta, butter, a nice balsamic, honey and dried cherries to turn an ordinary meal into something special (and easy to make).

Swordfish
What you need:
Swordfish Steak
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic
Butter
Honey

Season the fish and either grill or saute for about 10 or so depending on the thickness of the cut of fish.

While the fish is cooking make your sauce. Brown the 3 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan. Be sure not to let it burn. Remove from heat and whisk in about half a teaspoon of honey and about a teaspoon or so of balsamic. Set aside.

Swiss Chard
What you need:
1 Bunch of Swiss Chard chopped
1 Yellow Onion 2 if they are small thinly sliced
2 Apples peeled and thinly sliced
Olive Oil
Balsamic
Dried Cherries
Salt
Pepper

Saute the onion in olive oil until brown then add apples and continue to cook until the apples are brown as well. Add in swiss chard, and stir until wilted. Remove from heat and drizzle in balsamic. Top with dried cherries and season with salt and pepper. (This side dish is a big hit with my kids! Sometimes I pulse it a few timesn in a 1 cup food processor before adding in the cherries just to make it easier for them to chew up.)

Grilled Bread topped with Fresh Ricotta and Grilled Vegetables
Grill a few slices of zucchini or eggplant and a tomato. Grill baguette or bread of your choice. Remove from grill and spread fresh ricotta on the bread and top with grilled vegetables.

Today's Lunch - Just Picked Grilled Kale Caesar Salad and Just Harvested Potato Salad

Grilled Kale Caesar
I found this Kale Caesar Salad recipe in the NY Times article I posted a few weeks ago 101 Fast Recipes for Grilling.

This salad is so delicious and so fast and easy. If you dont have a grill, no worries this would work really well with kale baked at 400 for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Toss grilled kale leaves in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and grill in a grill basket turning frequently. Then toss with with a little Caesar salad dressing (or olive oil, lemon and Parmesan) and grilled croutons.

Potato Salad

What you need:
Potatoes
a Handful of Fresh Dill - Chopped
1 Tablespoon of Dijon
1 Tablespoon of White Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of Mayo (make your own if you have the time)
1 or 2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
Fresh Scallions, or Chives - Chopped

I boiled the potatoes. Start by placing whole baby potatoes into cold salted water. Boil until you can easily pierce with a fork.

The above recipe was for 5 to 6 people.

Mix everything together and toss with warm potatoes. Enjoy! This recipe is a real crowd pleaser!

Tonight's Dinner - Local BBQ Chicken, Local Corn Fritters, and Grilled Local Zucchini

Nothing says summer around our house like BBQ Chicken and Corn Fritters! Its nice to be able to cook an entire meal with almost all local ingredients.

I grilled my favorite local chicken from Iacono Chicken Farm in East Hampton. Each time we have guests, they apologize for eating so much of this chicken. No apology necessary! It really is the best chicken I have ever eaten.

BBQ Chicken

Tonight I kept it simple and used a little salt, pepper and my new favorite BBQ sauce Hoboken Eddie's. Once the chicken was on the grill I brushed it with the sauce using a silicone grill brush.

Corn Fritters
I have been making this recipe for years, but tonight I left out the arugula salad. My husband just reminded me that the first time I made this recipe was in 2003 when we were in Maine with our friends Keith and Ellen. I prepared it with lobster right of the the trap.

Truck Farming 2.0 | NYC’s Mobile C.S.A.

For all you NY'ers - check out this article! A mobile C.S.A. in NYC!

Tonight's Dessert - Just Picked Black Raspberry Tart

This year the raspberries came early!

My girls love to pick fresh raspberries and eat them right in the fields. It's a wonder I was able to keep enough to make this amazing berry tart.

I love a vanilla pastry cream, so I used this recipe but used vanilla beans instead of the extract. Here is the recipe I used for the crust. It was amazing!

Tonight's Dinner - Wild Salmon Burger with Asian Marinade, Sticky Rice and Grilled Radishes

Today I was in the mood for a burger, but not the traditional kind. Wanting a bit of a change, I bought a non-local fish, wild salmon. The quality of the fish was excellent. So good that I was hesitant to grind it up for a salmon burger, but it actually worked so well that I will make this recipe again and again!

What you need for 4 people:
2 lbs Wild Salmon
Juice of 2 Limes
A Heavy Splash of Low Sodium Soy Sauce
A Heavy Splash of Rice Wine Vinegar
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
Handful of Cilantro
Handful of Mint
1/4 Red Onion

Put everything except for the Salmon into the food processor and liquify. Then add half of the salmon cut into small pieces into the food processor and pulse. Then chop up the remaining salmon. Mix everything together and form burgers. Put into the fridge or freezer for 5 minutes and then grill immediately. I grilled on a piece of foil for 3 or 4 minutes on each side. The flavor of the marinade is enough that you really dont need a sauce for these burgers. Add the burger to a toasted whole wheat bun with a sliced tomato and fresh arugula.

Grilled Radishes

Push radishes through a grill skewer. Grill for a few minutes and then dip in butter and sea salt.

Today's Breakfast - Zucchini Muffins and Zucchini Bread

Have more zucchini than you know what to do with? Make a Zucchini Bread (and a few muffins to keep the kids happy)!







I played around with this recipe. I used butter instead of oil. I added more cinnamon. I used half the sugar. I added in about 1/4 a cup of honey. And I used organic whole wheat flour.

Tonight's Dinner- Local Montauk Blackfish, Just Picked Zucchini Slaw, Just Picked Favas, and Mushroom Risotto

Yesterday my 3.5 year old daughter asked me what we were having for dinner that night. I told her I had no idea. She asked me to make a "mushroom dissoto." I laughed. I didn't have the heart to correct her mispronunciation of risotto - it was too cute - "dissoto."

Lets start with the zucchini slaw. Not only had I never tasted a zucchini slaw till today, I had never even heard of one. It was so much better than I could have ever imagined.

Zucchini Slaw

2 Raw Zucchini

a Handful of Raw Radishes

1/4 Red Onion cut into a small dice

a Handful of Basil chopped

a Handful of Cilantro chopped (if you are a Cilantrophobe then leave it out)

a Handful of Mint chopped

1 tablespoon of mayo

1 teaspoon dijon

1 tablespoon of olive oil

teaspoon of white wine vinegar

Salt

Pepper

Run the zucchini through the grater attachment of your food processor (or grate by hand). Then put in a colander over the sink or a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for half an hour.

Whisk mayo, dijon, olive oil, and white wine vinegar (dont worry if its clumpy) and then add in salt, pepper and diced onions.

Grate the radishes.

Stir everything together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mushroom Risotto
Tip for the best mushroom broth: Each time you are using mushrooms and you are removing the stems, instead of throwing them out, wash and then put in a ziploc in the freezer. Then if you are going to make a mushroom risotto, pull them out and add to either a vegetable broth, a chicken broth, or water with chopped carrots, onions and celery and simmer for half an hour before you start the risotto.

Prepare the risotto according to the package and top with caramelized mushrooms and onions.



Local Montauk Blackfish
This dinner had a lot going on, so I wanted to make the fish in a simple easy way that would require little attention.

So I baked it for about 8 minutes with lemon, salt, pepper, paprika and chopped garlic scapes. Then I broiled for a minute or 2 after topping with my homemade breadcrumbs. Squeezed a bit more lemon on before serving. Turned out really nice.

Today's Breakfast - Berry Smoothie

Buy as many fresh berries when they are in season and freeze them for smoothies.

The girls have been asking for smoothies every morning lately and I usually throw in berries, banana, kiwi, mango, etc. Today we decided on a pure strawberry smoothie.

All you need:
Yogurt
Frozen Strawberries
a Splash of Milk
a Blender