Watch and Learn - {Seafood Stew a la Provence (with an American Twist)}

About a year ago, I was contacted by the owners of Wolf Ranch Farmers' Market about helping out at the market. It was an open-ended proposition with a couple of different objectives; one was to write a series of posts in which I shop the market and use the purchased products to make a dish that would help other shoppers also use the seasonal bounty available to them; the other was to actually cook at the market. Over the course of the past year, I wrote a number of posts, and did only a couple of demos at the market. The position morphed rather quickly, and soon, I found myself in the titled role of Special Events Coordinator. In this role, I have recruited a few farm-to-table chefs to come and do demos at the market, coordinated the first chef battle at the market between 2 of those chefs, and organized the 1st Anniversary Farmer's Breakfast Celebration. 

One of my favorite parts of this work has been having the opportunity to watch the chefs create food on the fly using what is at the peak of freshness at the market. I've learned so much about cooking via this observational learning - from flavor profiles that work well together to how a chef sets up their station to knife skills. As is the goal of these demos, I've also walked away with some truly great dishes that I've replicated in my home kitchen for my family.  For instance, last weekend, Chef Jacob Hilbert from The Hollow in Georgetown, Tx. was our guest chef. He is an inspired chef who wholeheartedly embraces locally sourced ingredients. He is a true artist who works very hard to ensure that there is a reason for the ingredients he selects to be included in a dish or on the plate. He takes care of the ingredients. The dish that he was creating at the market was a Provencal-style Fish Stew. He selected traditional ingredients, such as tomatoes, sweet green peppers, onions, fennel, garlic, basil, olive oil, scallops and fish (drum from the gulf) and put a local, decidedly non-European twist with the addition of local, sweet corn. The results of his labor were absolutely divine. The stewed tomatoes made such a great base for all of the other flavors and the fresh fennel and splash of Pernod (an anise flavored liqueur) added a fresh, sweetness to the mix. I knew I had to make this at home - trouble however as El Syd has that inconvenient allergy to finned fish. After speaking with Chef Jacob, he assured me that eliminating the fish and subbing in other seafood with the scallops would be equally good. 

With that knowledge and watching closely, I set out to make this for El Syd's belated birthday dinner. Not a true recipe per se, but more of the type of cooking that I like best - cooking by suggestion. While this might not be exactly what Chef did, I feel it does it justice. Here's what I did: 

Seafood Stew a la Provence (with an American Twist)adapted from Jacob Hilbert

• 5 or 6 large ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 sweet green peppers, diced
• 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced (reserve fronds for use later in the dish)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 or 5 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned, kernels cut from the cob
• 1/2 lb dry scallops
• 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 lb mussels, cleaned  and washed
• a couple of splashes of Pernod (or other Anise-flavored liqueur)
• generous amounts of olive oil
• 1 C basil leaves, roughly torn
• 1/2 C fennel fronds, finely chopped

1. In a large dutch oven, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes cut side down into the hot oil. Sear until the tomatoes begin to break down and then lower heat a bit to allow the tomatoes to stew down until soft and crushable with a spatula. Add a couple of splashes of Pernod to de-glaze pan.
2. In a separate pan, lightly roast the corn cobs (reserved from removing the kernels) and then cover with water and simmer to create a corn cob stock. If you'd rather skip this step, use water at the end of step 3.
3. Add a splash more olive oil, return heat to med-hi, add the onion, peppers, fennel and garlic to the tomatoes and allow to cook until all items are softened and the onions are translucent. Add the cob stock(or water) to the pot (enough to get a loose stew consistency).
4. Continue to cook the mixture until all of the vegetables are tender. Add a bit more olive oil if you like and then add scallops - allow to cook a minute or so and then add mussels and shrimp. Seafood is done when the scallops and shrimp are no longer translucent and mussels have popped open (discard any mussels that don't open.)
5. Add torn basil, and fennel fronds and perhaps a splash more Pernod if you like. Stir well and serve with a delicious French bread (to sop up all of that delicious liquid).
6. Enjoy!

Notes: 

• Just about any combination of fish and seafood will work well for this stew - or even all one type.
• There are other substitutions for Pernod - any anise-flavored liqueur would work in a pinch (eg. Anisette or Herbsaint)
• When buying sea scallops, they should be fresh, large (U10- meaning there are under 10 scallops per pound), and slightly sticky to the touch. The best kept scallops will be designated as "dry", and that's really the only kind you want. If the scallops you see are in a white liquid, then they've been dipped in phosphates to extend their shelf life and to add water weight. These scallops will also appear pure white when the natural color of sea scallops range from white to off-white to pale shades of orange, pink and tan. When cooked, these wet scallops will seep out all of that retained water and fill up your pan with that liquid, resulting in a steamed type item(more important when searing than when adding to a stew, I suppose, but who needs extra chemicals?) and a less than satisfactory result.
• Mussels are alive when purchased. Thus, it is imperative that they not be sealed off from fresh air. Be sure that you carry them home on ice and with the bag partially open. Once at home, place into a bowl, cover with a damp towel and place in the fridge until ready to use - recommended the same day as you're cooking. Follow this link for great info on mussels. 

This dish was very well-received and will definitely earn a place in our Summer dinner rotation.  El Syd loved it and paired it with a lovely McPherson Cellars Roussanne. This recipe makes a healthy amount of stew - we had enough for 2 nights worth of dinners and a lunch portion left over. To reheat, do so slowly over lower heat as to not rubberize your seafood.

Happy Cooking!
sld 

Farmers' Market Friday - Southern Favorites {Fried Green Tomatoes & Black-eyed Peas}

Although Texas may not fit the textbook definition of the geographic, or even the cultural, South, you will find commonalities in some ingredients and dishes. Fried green tomatoes and black eyed peas are two such dishes. If you have any Southern cultural heritage in your family, you may be well-versed in both of these standard dishes. In my family, we didn't really do fried green tomatoes, but black eyed peas were a must have on New Year's Day. 

This New Year's tradition is said to date back to the Civil War. At that time, these legumes were planted as a feed crop for livestock. It is reported that when Sherman's troops arrived and took food crops to feed the troops and destroyed the rest, they ignored the black-eyed peas. Thus, these field peas were left and became a major food source for the surviving Southerners. Over time, eating black-eyed peas took on a symbolic meaning of good luck. There are many varied traditions related to this New Year's dish - some say you must eat them with greens (symbolizing coins and paper money); others say you must eat them with cornbread to symbolize gold as well; others say that your luck is compounded for each pea you consume; still others say that you must eat the peas with tomatoes to symbolize health and wealth.

With that last tradition in mind, while putting a bit of a spin on it, this dish pairs tomatoes (fried green and ripe red) on a bed of stewed black-eyed peas - finished with a sprinkle of cheese and cilantro and you've got a touch of Texas to round out this dish.

Items from the market for this dish: 

Black-eyed peas with snaps
Ripe tomatoes
Green tomatoes
Olive oil
Bacon or pork belly
Instead of cotija, you could pick up some feta (not marinated) from Brazos Valley Cheese (contact them in advance to ensure availability)

Fried Green Tomatoes and Black-eyed Peas

adapted from Southern Living Magazine

Black-eyed Peas

• 1 C onion, chopped
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 C fresh black-eyed peas
• 1/2 lb. bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 (12oz) bottle of Shiner Bock Beer (or other amber beer)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until glassy (about 4 minutes). Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in fresh peas, bacon, beer, tomato paste and bay leaf. Add about 3 cups of water. Stir well and bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. 
2. Simmer for about 1.5 hours, making sure to stir occasionally. Uncover and cook for an additional 30 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate and the mixture to "tighten up". Discard bay leaf; add salt to taste. Cover and keep warm while you prepare the tomatoes.

Fried Green Tomatoes

• 1.5 C all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 C cornmeal
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 C buttermilk
• 3 large, firm, green tomatoes (sliced into 4 slices each)
• canola oil for frying

1. In a shallow dish, stir together 3/4 C flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. In a second shallow dish, whisk together the remaining 3/4C flour, cornmeal, and remaining salt and pepper. In a third shallow dish, whisk together eggs and buttermilk.
2. Dredge green tomato slices (1 at a time) in the flour mixture. Shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture and then, dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
3. Pour oil (about 1 in deep) in a large, heavy skillet (cast iron if you've got it). Heat over medium-high (if you have a candy thermometer, you can use it to check temp - you want to to be around 375F). Fry dredged green tomatoes in batches for about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towel lined baking sheet.

Putting it all together

• 3 large ripe tomatoes (sliced into 4 slices each)
• 1/2 crumbled cotija cheese (or feta)
• 1/4 C chopped cilantro
• hot sauce for adding at the table

1. On individual shallow bowls, dish a scoop of black-eyed peas (about 1/2 cup or so). Top with 2 each:  ripe and fried green tomato slices; starting with ripe and ending with fried green. Sprinkle with a bit of cotija and cilantro over the dish and serve with hot sauce (like a tabasco or Crystal). Enjoy!

This was such a good dinner just as is, but would make a great side dish to a nice, thick, fried pork chop as well. You're sure to have leftover black eyed peas as we did. Enjoy them as a side later in the week, or put them in a freezer safe container and freeze them to enjoy later. Enjoying this dish made me wonder why we seem to save black-eyed peas just for New Year's - this is one dish that we'll try to have more often - it certainly couldn't hurt our chances for good luck!

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

Farmers' Market Friday - Crisp, Fresh, and Savory {Fattoush Salad}

When last we met here in this space, we were spending a little time in the Levant - that geographic and cultural area of the Eastern Mediterranean - what I like to refer to as Medi-Eastern. The farmers' market is full of tomatoes and cucumbers and they are the central components of this most delicious, refreshing salad. Paired with last week's FMF dish of Baba Ghannouj and perhaps some grilled kabobs and you're set for a Medi-Eastern inspired feast.

For this recipe the items from the market include:

• luscious, ripe tomatoes- I used a mix of both yellow and red
• crisp, juicy and flavorful cucumbers
• onions and garlic - I used some garlic and some purple onions that I had picked up at the market a while back and hoarded stored in a cool, dry, place; unsure of current availability status - if you can grab some of that glorious garlic and super fab. onions.
• whole wheat pitas from Artisan Oven
• Olive oil from Central Texas Olive Ranch

Fattoush Salad 

• 2-3 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 3-4 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 C minced onion (your choice what type)
• 1/2 C fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1/3 C Olive oil
• 1/4 C fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 pita breads (about 7 in diameter)
• 4 oz crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F and bake pita breads until crisp and lightly browned to make crispy chip. (about 10 minutes).
2. Toss together in a large bowl: cucumber, tomatoes, onion and herbs.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt to taste. Whisk until completely emulsified (mixture will appear creamy yellow).
4. Pour dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss well. Add crumbled pita toasts and feta cheese. Toss again and enjoy immediately.

We love this salad. The fresh vegetables and herbs are delicious when highlighted by the brightness and zinginess of the lemony dressing. Add the crispiness of the toasted pita and the salty tang of that feta and I could just eat truck loads of this stuff! I have taken to making a big giant batch and only adding the toasted pita bits to each individual serving so that it is crisp and ready to go and totally avoids the sogginess that can happen if you toss it together ahead of time. Also, as I've mentioned before, the recipe for this dish varies by family in the region. With that in mind, feel free to leave out herbs that aren't your favorites or to add other appropriate vegetables - diced green pepper would be a great addition, for example.

Try out this Summer cooler at your home and take an imaginary trip to an exotic land.

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

Farmers' Market Friday ~ Cheesy and Delicious {TGK Mama's Eggplant Parmesan}

Eggplant is in all its glory at the market right now. A member of the genus Solanum, it is related to both the tomato and the potato. A native of the Indian subcontinent, it was there that it was domesticated from wild nightshade which is highly poisonous. This relationship is why it was once believed to be extremely poisonous too. Today, it is known that the the leaves and blossoms can be poisonous due to their solanine content (the same chemical that is responsible for the green tint and sprouting of potatoes, and the reason those green potatoes shouldn't be eaten). However, the amounts present in the blossoms and leaves is so small that one would have to consume enormous quantities of them to feel any ill effects.

Not to worry, no leaves or blossoms are used in the Texas Girl Mama's simple and delicious recipe for Eggplant Parmesan - just the rich, meaty eggplant fruit which is fried in a cornmeal batter (which fooled me when I was a kid into thinking this was some sort of fried fish fillets), layered with fresh Parmesan, tomato sauce and spices and topped with mozzarella and then baked to bubbly perfection. Because this is one of those handed down things which hasn't ever been written down, this recipe is a series of guideposts, a suggestion of the process for making a dish of deliciousness rather than a lockstep, carved in stone, recipe. (Which is pretty much how all cooking goes in my kitchen.)

For this recipe, here's the market shopping list: 

• Eggplant

• Eggs

If making your own sauce, you'll also want: 

• Olive oil

• Tomatoes (if you want to make your own sauce)

• Garlic (coming to the end of its season but still might be able to get some)

TGK Mama's Eggplant Parmesan

• 4 medium eggplants

• 6-8 oz of fresh shaved Parmesan cheese (Currently, I'm liking a product in the HEB product line called Bellafoglia (which means beautiful leaves in Italian) it is thin sheet-like pieces of quite good Parmesan cheese and can be found with the hanging bags of shredded cheeses.)

• 8 oz of grated mozzarella cheese

• 1 to 2 C of tomato sauce (either purchased, canned or make your own sauce - I'll provide a quick recipe below)

• cornmeal

• white flour

• garlic powder

• Italian herbs (either fresh or dried) oregano, basil

• canola oil for frying

1. Prepare eggplant. Cut off stem and blossom ends. Slice eggplant into 1/2 in thick slices (either cross-wise into rounds or length-wise into oblong ovals - your choice). In a shallow dish mix approximately one cup cornmeal, 1/4 cup flour, and 2 tsp garlic powder. In another shallow dish, beat 2- 3 eggs until frothy. 
2. In a large skillet, add enough canola oil to reach a depth of 1/2 - 3/4 inches. Heat over medium high heat. While waiting for oil to warm, dip several eggplant slices in the egg wash and then dredge in the cornmeal mixture. Place eggplant slices in the hot oil and fry until golden brown (about 2 minutes) flip and brown on other side. Remove cooked slices to a pan lined with papertowels. Continue until all eggplant is fried. (If you run out of eggwash or cornmeal dredge, mix up a bit more.)
3. In a 9x13 baking dish, pour a bit of tomato sauce and spread to cover entire bottom of pan. Add one layer of fried eggplant, top with a sprinkle of the Parmesan, a sprinkle of Italian herbs, a sprinkle of mozzarella and more tomato sauce. Continue layering and finally top with a generous layer of the shredded mozzarella.
4. Place baking dish into a 350F oven and bake until cheese is melted and tomato sauce is bubbly and entire dish is heated through (about 30 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to rest 10-15 minutes and then cut into squares for serving. Enjoy!  

Quick & Easy Tomato Sauce

• 2 Cups tomatoes cut into chunks with juices saved

• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 5 Tbsp olive oil

• basil, salt and pepper to taste

1. Put tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into a saucepan, turn on heat to medium high. Cook for 20-25 minutes (it is ready when the oil floats free from the tomato). 
2. Off heat, if using, mix in the torn basil leaves and stir well.
3. Sauce may be chunky, if you prefer a smoother sauce, blend with the blending device of your choice (immersion blender is mine.) 

This dish makes for a wonderful freeze now - eat later dish as well.  Just add a fresh Caprese salad of tomatoes and you're all set for a delicious dinner!
Happy Cooking! 
sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

It's a Good Year for the Tomatoes {Cold Basil-Scented Tomato Tart}

As long as I can remember, my family always had a vegetable garden. While my father, Honey, might experiment a bit with different vegetables and varieties like okra, squash and peppers, the main focus was always tomatoes. When El Syd and I married, one of the first things I did in Massachusetts was to insist on a raised tomato garden. That summer we planted 24 tomato plants, and due to the super soil we had delivered and carted into the raised bed and the fabulous NE summer weather, a bumper crop would be an understatement. Some of those tomatoes were enormous and we ended up giving away loads and even carting some home when we visited Texas.

When we moved back to Texas, again, I insisted on another raised bed vegetable garden. In the 10 years or so that we've lived here, our success has been variable - some years have been rather horrid either due to the drought, heat or general neglect from the gardeners; other years have been rather good and this happens to be one of those years. We've been enjoying the output of our entirely tomato garden in a variety of ways, but mostly Caprese salad (sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese & basil topped with a little balsamic and olive oil.) In an effort to switch it up, I did a little searching and found a great recipe for a cold tomato tart in (of all places) the William-Sonoma catalog that landed in my mailbox this week.

This recipe calls for making your own tart crust, and that's what I did, but I believe that a purchased "bake it yourself" crust or puff pastry would fill in just as well. (The crust that was included in the recipe is quite divine - flaky buttery light and delicious.)

Cold Basil-scented Tomato and Cheese Tart

adapted from William-Sonoma

Crust (or store-bought pie dough or puff pastry)

• 2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small (1/2 in) pieces.
• 1/4 C ice water (more if needed)

Filling

• 1- 16 oz container ricotta cheese
• 8 oz freshly grated parmesan
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 1/2 lbs garden fresh tomatoes, sliced to 1/4 in thickness
• a bit of salt and small basil leaves to garnish

1. In a large bowl, combine flour and butter. Using pastry blender, blend butter and flour until the mixture is coarse meal. Add 1/4 C of ice cold water and bring the dough together using a spatula. The dough should hold together but not be sticky. If it is too crumbly and doesn't seem to want to hold, add more water 1 tsp at a time, mixing well after each addition. Turn dough onto a work surface and pat into a 5 inch disk. Wrap with plastic and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hrs).  
2. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400F.
3. Roll out dough (or purchased pie crust or puff pastry) to 1/8 in thick to fit a 10 1/4 in pie pan or tart pan (Chilled dough will be a bit tough to roll at the start; be patient.) Press dough into the pan and trim off excess but leave 1/2 overhang. Fold overhang into the sides and press to make sure sides are thicker than the bottom. Return dough to fridge for at least 10 minutes to firm up butter.
4. Put tart pan on a baking sheet. Place parchment on top of dough and fill pan with pie weights. (I don't own any of those so I used rice - it won't be hurt by baking in the oven like beans would be so it can be used to make a toasty rice pilaf after serving its purpose.)
5. If using purchased dough, follow package directions for blind baking. For this dough, bake for 12 minutes, then remove weights and parchment and bake for another 10 minutes or so (Crust should be light golden brown and baked through.) Allow tart crust to cool completely in the pan.
6. In a bowl, mix the cheeses and the basil well. Spread cheese mixture, evenly into the cooled tart shell. Top with tomato slices and sprinkle with a bit of salt and the basil leaves (and cracked black pepper if you like). Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Because this tart isn't baked after filling, it made for a lovely, cool, refreshing light supper. The crust making is a bit time consuming, but well worth the effort. Again, if you don't have the time, use a purchased short cut and you should have delightful results as well.

Happy Cooking!

sld

Gems of Summer

Okra. This vegetable, furry and green on the outside, filled with large seeds and goo on the inside, can strike fear in the hearts of many who are unfamiliar with it. Because of its mucilaginous attributes, it is almost never cooked and eaten by itself, but rather as a component to a multi-ingredient dish. Most folks know it only in its fried form or as part of a gumbo, both of which are delicious. As a kid, summer okra season meant a sort of stewed okra, onion and tomato dish that my Mama and our family called "gumbo" but was in no way the traditional gumbo ala New Orleans. I decided to try a variation on a theme and take our gumbo and add another star of summer - sweet corn.  

Sauteed Okra, Corn, Tomatoes and Onions

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 to 1 1/2 C chopped onion
• 2 C okra - washed, stem ends removed, and cut into 1/2 in rounds
• 3 ears of corn - shucked, and kernels cut from the cobs
• 3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped

1. In a large enough skillet to hold all of the ingredients, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and beginning to caramelize.
2. Add okra and continue to cook for about 7-10 minutes; stir frequently until okra becomes tender (but not too soft and mushy).
3. Add corn and tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook about 10 minutes more until the okra and corn are tender and the tomatoes have cooked down and released all of their juices
4. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

We served this along side of some Boudin sausage and it was a great combination. The sweet corn and onions were perfect with the slight acid of the tomato and the tender, but still crisp, okra. It would go equally well with any type of sausage or alone as a vegan entree.

Don't be afraid of the okra - give it a whirl!

Happy Cooking!

sld