Eclecdish

Spring Menus

Greetings from Eclecdish! Spring is officially here and the produce at the Farmer’s Markets is starting to look amazing. I have attached some menus inspired by the recent warm weather for your review. Please note these menus are just a sampling of what I can provide for lunches and I can always customize menus for your catering order.

 

Baby Greens with Local Radish, Blue Cheese, Pecans, and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Grilled Spring Asparagus with Cherry Tomatoes

Best Ever Sweet Mashed Potatoes

Grilled Chicken Breast with Blackberry Sauce

Acme Breads and Butter

Buttermilk Pound Cake with Farmer’s Market Berries

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Thai Style Green Papaya Salad

Indonesian Fried Rice

Grilled Jumbo Shrimp over Baby Bok Choy

Thai Style Chicken Curry with  Seasonal Vegetables

Brownie and Strawberry Parfait with Whipped Cream

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Fennel and Orange Salad and Red Wine Vinaigrette

Green Beans with Wild Mushrooms and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Penne Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Spicy Italian Sausage

Chicken Braised in Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

Ciabatta and Olive Breads

Individual Tiramisu

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Cesar Salad with Balsamic Roasted Onions and Croutons

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Grilled Chicken Marinated in Rosemary and Lemon

Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Peppers and Grilled Spanish Onions

Panna Cotta with Citrus Compote

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 Organic Mixed Greens with Jicama, Radish, and Toasted Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

Spanish Rice

Shrimp in Chile Verde Sauce

Chicken Breasts in Mole Negro

Tres Leches Cake with Fresh Berries

 

Bon Appétit!

 

Wild Salmon is Worth the Wait

Less is more. This is a fitting description for my feelings regarding eating salmon. I prefer to eat salmon only when it is wild and fresh. This means getting the chance to eat salmon much less often and at a far greater cost then farmed salmon but the flavor of a nice piece of wild salmon makes it worth the wait and expense. I recently was lucky enough to to some fresh wild salmon from British Columbia and prepared it with great veggies from the Farmer's Market at the College of San Mateo.

Pan Seared Wild Salmon with Potato Hash and Asparagus

4 six-once wild salmon filets, bone-out and skin-on
1 bunch medium red or yellow beets with green tops attached
2 medium size leeks
1 pound small yukon gold creamers
4 pieces good-quality bacon
1 bunch asparagus
1 small shallot
2 T heavy cream
1 T unsalted butter
salt and pepper
Optional: 1/2 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Roast the beets. Remove the greens on top of beets. Discard any greens that do not look fresh, wash the rest and set aside. Rinse the beets and scrub off any dirt before patting them dry and placing them in a glass pyrex casserole dish. Rub the beat with a little olive oil and season genoursly with salt. Add 1/2 cup of very hot water to baking dish and quickly cover with aluminion foil. Place in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes. Using a wooden skewer or small knife check that the beets are done and allow to cool for 5 minutes. When the beets are still hot peel the skin and cut each beat into about 8 pieces.

2. Parboil the Potatoes. I great technique for preparing potatoes for a hash is to first parboil them first. Clean the potatoes by scrubbing them under running water and then place in a medium size pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water comes to a rolling boil lower the heat slightly and keep a close eye on the potatoes. It is crucial that they are not cooked all the way but rather that they are al dente and have some resistence when pierced with a knife. Strain potatoes and allow to cool by spreading out on a baking sheet. If you think you have cooked them a little too long then quickly put the baking sheet in the fridge to help the them cool down faster. When the potatoes have cooled completly, cut each one into a large dice and set aside.

3. Carmalize the leeks. Cut off the dark green part of the leeks and discard or compost.  Dice the leeks into thin 1/4" pieces and place in a large bowl of cold water. Shake the leeks to wash off the dirt and then strain through a colandar and allow to drip dry. Over very low heat heat the butter with 1 T olive oil and add the leeks when the butter is almost completly melted. Keep the heat very low and cook the leeks for about 30 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes. When finished they should be just browned and very soft. Set aside.

4. Cook the Salmon. If you turned off the over after roasting the beets make sure it is preheated again to 375 degrees. Season both sides of the salmon fillets with salt and black pepper. Heat about 1 T olive oil in a saute pan over high heat until the the oil is smoking steadily. Carefully place the fillets skin side up in the pan and sear for rougly a mintute and a half. The idea is not to disturb the fillets as they sear so that they develop a nice brown crush. Flip the fillets over to the skin side and continue cooking for another 30 seconds. At this point the salmon is ready to be finished in the over and if you want add the 1/2 cup of white wine to the pan before it goes into the oven. The wine will help keep the fish moist as it roasts. The time in the over entirely depends on how you like your salmon and the thickness of the fillet. If the fillet is of average thickness and you want medium go for about 6 to 7 minutes in the oven.

5. Finishing. When the salmon go into the oven, heat 1 T olive oil in a large saute pan over heat heat. When the oil is starting to smoke add the parboiled potatoes and stir frequetly to prevent sticking. When the pototoes have browned add the roated beets, carmalized leeks, and heavy cream. Continue cooking until the cream has evapoporateed- about 30 seconds.

Saturday at the Market

I feel quite lucky to live in San Mateo and be only about three miles from a bi-weekly Farmer's Market at the College of San Mateo. The Wednesday market has less vendors but plenty to choose from while Saturday has almost double the vendors and many more people shopping.  Last Saturday my six-month old Sophie and I braved a blustery day and were rewarded by getting some great mussels that I steamed for lunch and served with a sourdough baguette. Simple food served family style is always a treat when the all the components are of high quality and prepared honestly.

Steamed Mussels

2 pounds of mussels
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large stalk of celery, roughly chopped
10 sprigs fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
½ C. dry white wine
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon good quality butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 sourdough baguette

 

1. Clean the mussels. As with oysters and clams, mussels should still be alive when they are cooked. Clean the mussels under running water and discard any mussels that are open as they can make you very sick if eat them. Mussels have what is commonly referred to as a “beard” attached to the mussel and this needs to be yanked off. Set the cleaned mussels aside.

2. Cook the mussels. In a large pot heat the butter and oil over medium high heat until the butter begins to foam. Add the garlic, shallots, and celery and sauté for 2 minutes (be careful not to burn the garlic!). Next add the thyme (yes sprigs and all), bay leaves, and chili flakes. Wait 30 seconds (stirring everything with a spoon would be useful at this point) and then add the mussels and white wine. Cover the pot and cook for about 3 minutes or until all the mussels have opened. If a few don’t open but the rest have then discard those unopened ones out as they were also DOA and you don’t want to eat them.

3. Cut the bread and serve. While the mussels are merrily steaming away cut the baguette in 1/2 inch slices. Grab a bowl big enough for the mussels and the accumulated “juice” to fit into without making a big mess and empty the entire contents of the pot into the bowl. To make this easier you can lift the mussels out with a big spoon and then pour the juice into the bowl last. Don’t worry about the thyme sprigs or bay leaves being in the bowl because this is a rustic dish meant to be served family style in the center of the table.

4. Eating the mussels. If you have those dainty little forks available this is the time to get them out because they are perfect for plucking the mussels from their shells. The bread as you most likely know is for dipping into the “juice” in the bowl which is intensely flavored and some would argue better eating then mussels themselves.

 

Chef’s Note: The most important thing is that you buy nice fresh mussels from a fishmonger you trust. There are literally hundreds of variations you can make of this recipe. In the summertime you can use basil and diced tomato in place of the thyme and bay leaves or the mussels can be steamed in beer instead of wine.