Photo from adactio

ZUCCHINI SOUP WITH CINNAMON, CUMIN AND BUTTERMILK

Serves 4

This is a quick, and simple soup. It’s a wonderful base to which you can add all manner of things including cooked shrimp, sautéed mushrooms, spring peas, etc. I often will drizzle on a little fragrant nut oil as a garnish. Serve the soup chilled or at room temperature. We don’t always think about room temperature soups but it’s a nice variation on a warm day.

1 pound trimmed zucchini
2-1/2 cups rich chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon seeded and minced serrano chile, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 cups good quality buttermilk
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro or mint and lime or lemon wedges

Chop zucchini in large chunks. Add broth to a soup pot, bring to a boil and add zucchini. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until zucchini is barely tender but still bright green. Off heat and cool.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small, non-stick frying pan. Add onion, chile, fennel, cinnamon and cumin, and sauté until onion is soft but not brown and spices are fragrant.

Put both mixtures into a food processor and pulse until well chopped but still with some texture. Pour into a bowl and stir in buttermilk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve garnished with a sprinkling of cilantro and added drops of lemon or lime juice to taste.

Recommended Wine: The tart buttermilk, fresh herbs and spices would go best with a crisp, clean chilled white wine with similar flavors such as a Sauvignon Blanc. Italian whites such as Pinot Grigio and Spanish whites such as Albarino would also work fine.

COLD CUCUMBER AND HONEYDEW MELON SOUP WITH CRAB

Photo from Robert Verzo

Serves 6 – 8

The combination of the cucumber and honeydew is an intriguing flavor combination and also visually interesting. Being a west coast boy, I think Dungeness crab is the best, but use whatever you like. I’ve used cream here to add richness to the soup. You could also leave it out or substitute buttermilk if desired. All are good. I recommend serving this in wide shallow bowls for best dramatic effect!

2 quarts roughly chopped peeled and seeded English (burp less!) cucumbers
1 quart roughly chopped and seeded ripe honeydew melon
3 tablespoons or so fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt
Drops of hot sauce
10 ounces fresh picked crab meat (1 cup or so)
3/4 cup seeded and diced yellow and/or red tomatoes
1/2 cup diced firm ripe avocado
2 teaspoons each chopped fresh chives and tarragon (or basil)

Garnish: Fresh herb sprigs and/or chopped nasturtium flowers and leaves, if available.

Add cucumbers, melon, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and sugar to a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain through a medium strainer pushing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in cream and season to taste with salt and hot sauce. You should end up with about 1 quart of soup. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Gently combine the crab, tomatoes, avocado and herbs. Season to taste with salt, hot sauce and lemon juice. To serve: Gently press crab mixture into a 1/4 cup or so measuring cup and unmold in the center of a large, flat soup plate. Ladle chilled cucumber mixture around and garnish with herbs and/or nasturtiums.

Recommended Wine: There is a bit of sweetness in this soup and you’d want to try to find a nice chilled white with a similar level. Look for a Chenin Blanc, Riesling or Gewürztraminer that has a bit of residual sugar in it.

Photo from Norwichnuts

Grunts are one of those great “Grandma” desserts that trace their history back to colonial times.  They are in the large family of cooked fruit desserts that include crisps, cobblers, betty’s, pandowdy’s, and slumps that are distinguished by cooking fruit in combination with some sort of crust (on top, on the bottom or both) or dumpling.

Although there is a great debate on what makes a “grunt”, the consensus seems to be that both grunts and slumps are simmered on top of the stove rather than baked in the oven like crisps, cobblers.  The most famous “slump” no doubt is the recipe for Apple Slump which Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, prepared in her home in Concord Massachusetts.  The fruit was cooked and then pieces of yeasted dough were placed on top. It was then covered and cooked until the dough was done.  The name Slump came from the fact that when spooned out onto the plate it “slumped” and had no recognizable shape. Grunts are very similar.  They usually are made with berries and topped with a baking powder dumpling.  The name supposedly comes from the sound the berries make as they simmer in the pot!

My favorite Grunt is one my Grandmother made using blackberries.  She would make it in the summer when the wild berries were plentiful.  However you can make and enjoy this year round since most markets carry frozen IQF (individually quick frozen without sugar) berries.  These are often better than fresh in most markets because they are picked and frozen when they are fully ripe and at the peak of flavor.  The price is usually very good too.  Too often the fresh berries we see have been picked under-ripe so that they’ll travel better.  Blueberries make a nice alternative here.

BLACKBERRY GRUNT
Serves 6 – 8

For the berries:
8 cups fresh or IQF (individually quick frozen) blackberries
3/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/2 cup red wine or water
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

For the dumpling dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup buttermilk (or a mixture of plain yogurt and skim milk or water), plus more to make a soft dough
2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or sweetened yogurt

Method:

Place the berry mixture in a heavy, deep casserole and bring to a simmer over moderate heat.

While berries are cooking make the dumpling dough by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.  Stir in the melted butter.  Add enough of the buttermilk to form a soft dough. For reference it should be wetter than a biscuit dough.

Using a soup spoon, place heaping spoonfuls of the dumpling dough on top the fruit.  Make sure you have at least one per person.  Sprinkle the dumplings with the cinnamon sugar.  Tightly cover with a lid or a sheet of foil and cook the mixture over medium-low heat so that the fruit just barely simmers. Keep covered until the dumplings are puffed and set and the surface is firm when touched with a fingertip.  This will take about 12 minutes or so.

To serve:  Spoon the warm grunt into serving bowls and spoon on whipped cream, ice cream or sweetened yogurt.

Wine Recommendation:  Although I usually think desserts are best served without wine because of the problem of balancing the sugars in the wine and the dessert.  If the dessert is sweeter than the wine then the wine will taste thin and acidic.  However, the not-too-sweet ripe berry flavor here could be a nice match with a ruby style port.  In California a number of producers are making nice port-like wines (true Port comes from Portugal) from grapes like Black Muscat, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah that I’d love with this dessert.

At the retreat, my assignment was to create a couple of simple dishes that attendees could make at home and that matched to the earthiness and complexity of Kosta Browne’s amazing Pinot Noirs.  Below are the recipes.  I hope you’ll enjoy!

WILD MUSHROOM PATE

Makes enough to fill a 3-cup mold or dish

The simplicity of this recipe belies its great taste.  Serve with crisp little croutes, toasts or crackers of your choice and, as the French do, with some little cornichons and grainy mustard on the side.

1 ounce dried wild mushrooms such as porcini
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots or green onions (white part only)
1-1/4 pounds thickly sliced fresh wild or exotic cultivated mushrooms*
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons curry powder or to your taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup toasted, preferably unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons toasted nut oil such as walnut or olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed herbs such as parsley, chives and/or basil
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Rinse the dried mushrooms quickly and let soak in warm water to cover for 15 minutes.  Drain, squeeze dry and chop.

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat.  Add the shallots, all mushrooms, garlic, curry and cumin and sauté and stir until mixture is just beginning to brown and all liquid has evaporated.

While mushrooms are cooking add the cashews to a food processor and process till finely chopped.  Add oil and continue to process to make a paste or butter.  Add the mushroom mixture and process till almost smooth.  Stir in the herbs and zest and season with salt and pepper to your taste and place in a 3-cup pate mold or other ceramic dish.  Can be stored covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.  Allow to return to room temperature to serve.

*A caution here – - only use wild mushrooms that you are certain are edible.  If you are not a hunter you can certainly substitute wild or cultivated mushrooms found in the market such as chanterelle, shiitake, cremini, portabella, oyster, etc.

COUS COUS RISOTTO WITH OLIVES, ARUGULA AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Serves 4 – 6 as a main course

This recipe uses a kind of cous cous known as moughrabiye or Israeli cous cous.  It is made from the same toasted semolina as the regular granular Moroccan cous cous with which we are most familiar.  Israeli cous cous is larger in size and round- about the size of whole peppercorns.  There are even larger ones made known as Lebanese cous cous which can also be used in this dish.  They are about the size of petite peas and take longer to cook.  This also makes a nice side dish or base for simply cooked meats, fish and poultry.  The great thing about cous cous is that you can make a risotto in half the time of a rice-based version.  Additionally, cous cous is a little more “forgiving” in that it doesn’t completely mush out as it sits!

1/2 cup chopped shallots or green onions (white part only)
1 tablespoon slivered garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups large Israeli type cous cous
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups rich chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted olives such as Cerignola
2 cups or so baby wild arugula
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Garnish: Fried basil sprigs and drops of truffle or smoked olive oil, if desired.

Sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil until lightly colored.  Add the cous cous and sauté for a minute or two longer.  Add the wine and 1/2 cup of the stock and stir occasionally until liquid is nearly absorbed.  Add remaining stock in half-cup increments and continue to cook and stir until stock is nearly absorbed.   Continue in this manner until the cous cous is tender but still has some texture (about 10 minutes total).  Stir the olives, arugula, tomatoes, zest, chives and cheese into the risotto. Serve immediately in warm bowls topped with the basil sprigs and the truffle oil.

Chef John Ash shares culinary tips and tricks during a Food & Wine Adventure at Cooking for Solutions © Monterey Bay Aquarium

I will be joining the Monterey Bay Aquarium for its tenth Cooking for Solutions celebration, May 20-22, 2011. In a weekend of celebrations, live cooking demonstrations, intimate salons and culinary adventures you’ll discover how I   and some of the nation’s top chefs find delicious ways to protect the health of our soil, water and ocean wildlife.

Cooking for Solutions 2011 will feature live events with special guests and celebrity chefs including:

Alton Brown – Be Square Productions, Atlanta, Georgia

Robert Irvine – host of Food Network’s Dinner Impossible

Lynne Rossetto Kasper – Author/host, The Splendid Table, St. Paul, Minnesota

Nathan Lyon - Chef/host, Growing A Greener World, Los Angeles, California

Rick Moonen – Rick Moonen’s rm seafood, Las Vegas, Nevada

Cindy Pawlcyn – Mustard’s Grill, Go Fish and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, Napa Valley, California

P. Allen Smith – P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, Little Rock, Arkansas

Joining this all-star weekend roster will be 40 other celebrity and regional chefs, as well as leaders in the sustainable and organic food movements.

The signature Cooking for Solutions Gala on Friday night is the feel-good

Photo from ©Monterey Bay Aquarium

celebration of the year with more than 70 restaurants and 60 wineries serving sustainable cuisine amid the aquarium’s award-winning exhibits and galleries.

Cooking for Solutions supports the Monterey Bay Aquarium respected Seafood Watch program. Seafood Watch is recognized as the leader in creating science-based recommendations that help consumers, chefs and businesses choose seafood that is caught or farmed in ways that contribute to healthy oceans.

Buy tickets for all Cooking for Solutions events at www.cookingforsolutions.org or call 831-647-6886 (toll-free 866-963-9645).

Friend the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Facebook

Follow the Monterey Bay Aqurium on Twitter – Use hashtag #CFS11 when you tweet about Cooking for Solutions!

Aquarium members enjoy exclusive Cooking for Solutions events and discounted tickets! To learn more, or to become a member, call (831) 647-6886 or toll-free (866) 963-9645.

Photo from ©Monterey Bay Aquarium

Every year I look forward to the annual “Cooking for Solutions” get together in May at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  It’s always a sell out and folks tell me that they wish they would have signed up for some or all of the awesome events.  Well here’s a little insider tip: Tickets go on sale right after January 1, 2011.  Go to www.cookingforsolutions.org and you’ll have the first pick.  This year’s event takes place May 20-22.  Look forward to seeing you there!

I learned that day the most important rule about enjoying wine:  It should also be seen as FOOD.  It’s just another part of the plate of flavors in front of you, all to be enjoyed together.  It’s why I have such a problem with “wine weenies” that insist on rhapsodizing about the wine and ignoring the food.  Or, competitions in which wines are compared without bouncing them off against food.  The two are meant to be enjoyed together with neither being more important than the other, and they do change in each others company.

When I discovered how much I loved wine with my food, I began to collect like a mad man.  I got on everyone’s mailing list and went to endless tastings.  I plunged in, tried everything and kept a few notes so that I could document what it was that I liked.  One of the great tragedies I think is trying to recall a great meal with wine and because the memory fades after a while, not being able to recall the specifics.  It’s why I think the practice of keeping a daily journal is such a good practice.  It helps you recall life’s adventures more vividly, including your most memorable food and wine pairings.