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.

My Grandmother and I would pick the wild asparagus and eat much of it raw, right on the spot.  If you’ve never had just picked asparagus, it has any amazing sweet/green flavor, something that you don’t get with cultivated asparagus.  Raw is still one my favorite ways of eating asparagus but it must be just picked to take advantage of its natural sweetness.  Of course there are all kinds of ways to prepare asparagus beyond just steaming the spears whole. We’d have it every day until its short season was over.  The following recipe, and all of the recipes in this series have their genesis in dishes my Grandmother created with asparagus, so this is really an homage to her!

SHAVED RAW ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH PECORINO AND HAZELNUTS
Serves 6 – 8 as a side salad
You could use this same approach with artichokes or Brussels sprouts.  Once dressed, the shaved asparagus shouldn’t marinate for more than 15 minutes or so because it loses it crisp texture.  If your asparagus has a tough skin then you’ll want to peel it completely before shaving.  If not then follow instructions below and just shave off and discard 2 sides of it.

3/4 pound fresh asparagus (preferably larger rather than smaller), woody ends discarded                                                                                                                                 Honey lemon vinaigrette (recipe follows)
3 cups young arugula and/or upland cress (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup peeled, toasted and chopped hazelnuts
2 – 3 ounces thinly shaved pecorino (use a vegetable peeler)

Cut off tips of asparagus and set aside in a large bowl.  Lay asparagus flat on cutting board and shave one side of it with a vegetable peeler and discard this first shaving.  Turn to other side and repeat.  Now shave remaining thinly and place in the bowl.  Dress generously with some of the vinaigrette and let it sit for 10 – 15 minutes for flavors to marry and asparagus to soften just a little.
Add arugula and hazelnuts along with a little more dressing and toss with asparagus.  Arrange attractively on plates and top with the shaved pecorino.  Serve immediately.

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
Makes 1 generous cup
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fragrant honey
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.  Store covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.

Photo from Serenejournal

Longtime Sonoma County residents, and even those who have traveled to Sonoma County through the years, may remember Ingram’s Chili Bowl. It was a very simple place that opened in 1951 on Old Redwood Highway in Santa Rosa. The seats were always filled and you’d often find lines of truck drivers and construction workers waiting to get a good, hearty lunch. It was a piece of America that hardly exists any more, a simple “mom and pop” restaurant making good food.

I was sad when I heard the news a few months ago that owner Jack Ingram died. Memories have taken me back to September of 1997 when I teamed up with fellow Sonoma County chefs Michael Quigley, Dan and Kathleen Berman, Mark Dierkhising and Michael Hirschberg for a fundraiser to help the Ingrams avoid being eliminated by a development plan by Home Depot. We turned the chili diner into a fine restaurant for the night, with white linen tablecloths, fancy silverware and wine glasses, and it was a lot of fun. We did manage to help the Ingrams survive that battle, but in 2000, Jack’s son had taken over the restaurant and decided to close it.

In honor of Jack, and small independent restauranteurs everywhere, I am posting this great chili recipe. It is very similar to the one that was served at Ingram’s Chili Bowl.

30 MINUTE CHILI WITH (OR WITHOUT) BEANS

Serves 8 – 10

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 medium onions, chopped

6 large garlic cloves, chopped

Salt and freshly black ground pepper

1/2 can (3 ounces) tomato paste

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 pounds coarse ground beef chuck (85% lean)

3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice

1 bottle (12 ounces) mild lager beer

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained (optional)

Garnishes: Shredded pepper jack cheese, chopped cilantro, avocado, lime wedges and corn chips

In a Dutch oven or large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste, chili powder, chipotles, cumin and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until mixture has begun to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking it up with a spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes with their juice, and beer. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook over medium heat until chili has thickened slightly. Add beans, if using and cook till they are tender, about 5 minutes. Serve in bowls passing garnishes separately for guests to add at will!
John Ash © 2008

A gorgeous night for learning to cook with Chef John Ash at the Dry Creek Peach & Produce Company

One of my favorite events each year is a class and dinner that I do with Dry Creek Peach Company in the middle of their orchard in the beautiful Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg, California.  I do this in partnership with Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg, a very fun cooking school that offers a wide range of classes throughout the year.

One of the recipes we made at this event: Grilled Coconut Chicken, Peach Chutney and Sesame Spinach

Historically, the Dry Creek Valley was a place in which all manner of fruits and vegetables were grown.  Dry Creek Valley, an official AVA, is now planted almost entirely with wine grapes and Dry Creek Peach is the last outpost for some of the most delicious peaches, nectarines and plums that I’ve ever had in my life.

Photo courtesy Donna Del Rey, Relish Culinary Adventures

I try to work peaches into every course and it’s always fun to see what the favorites are.  This year the “winner” was a very simple salad course, the recipe for which I’ve included below.  If you make it, let me know what you think of it!

ARUGULA SALAD WITH GRILLED PEACHES, MORTADELLA AND ROBIOLA
Serves 6

Robiola is considered by many to be Italy’s best cheese.  It comes from the Piedmont in the north and is a blend of cow, goat and sheep’s milk.  True Mortadella is sublime.  It hails from Bologna.  Seek out the real versions of both the meat and the cheese for this recipe.  It will make all the difference in the world!

12 thin slices of mortadella
12 ounces fresh robiola
12 basil leaves
3 ripe peaches; halved, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons or so fruity extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups packed baby arugula leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

On a work surface, lay out the slices of the mortadella. Divide the robiola in the center of each one and top it with a basil leaf. Fold the mortadella over the cheese and then fold in the sides to form a neat packet.  Secure with toothpicks.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Lightly coat the peaches with olive oil and grill until nicely marked.  Slice each half attractively and set aside.

Grill the packets over high heat for about 1 minute per side, until they are lightly marked and the cheese has softened. Discard the toothpicks.

In a bowl, toss the arugula with olive oil and vinegar and season to your taste with salt and pepper. Arrange peaches and dressed arugula attractively on 6 plates.  Top with warm packets and serve right away.

The cranberry, along with blueberries and the Concord grape, have a unique and special place in American cuisine.  They are the three North American native fruits that are grown in commercial quantities.  There are of course, many other fruits native to North America such as the paw paw and the Saskatoon berry, but these aren’t grown commercially.  Native Americans used wild cranberries extensively as a food and also as a fabric dye and healing agent.  When the European settlers landed, they adopted the versatile cranberry and used it as a valuable bartering tool. Because they are full of vitamin C, American whalers and sailors also carried cranberries on their voyages to prevent scurvy.

The name “cranberry” is thought to come from the Pilgrim name for the fruit, “crane berry”.  It apparently was called this because the small, pink blossoms that appear in the Spring resemble the head and bill of a sand hill crane. It has also been called the “bounceberry” because they will bounce when ripe.  This is in fact a good way to test for ripeness when you buy them in bulk.

The USA still is the place where much of the world’s supply of cranberries comes from.  Wisconsin is the largest producer accounting for over half of the production.  Maine is next with 25% or so followed by New Jersey, Washington and Oregon who make up the rest.  Canada also produces a large crop of cranberries mainly in Quebec, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia.

One of the common misconceptions about cranberries is that they are grown in or underwater.  They do require water in the beginning, and typically, end of their growing cycle. The season begins in winter when growers flood the bogs with water that freezes and insulates the vines from frost. As the winter snow melts, and spring arrives, the bogs are drained and the plants grow in dry beds.  Blossoms soon appear and in mid-July, petals fall from the flowers leaving tiny green nodes which, after weeks of summer sun, become red, ripe cranberries. Cranberries are typically harvested in September and October. Most cranberries are harvested using the wet method when growers flood their bogs with water.  They then use harvesting machines that loosen the cranberries from the vine. With small air pockets in their center, the cranberries float to the water’s surface. Growers corral the berries onto conveyers that lift them from the flooded bog onto trucks and into processing plants. A small percentage of cranberries are dry harvested. This process uses mechanical pickers, resembling lawn mowers with comb-like conveyer belts that pick the berries and carry them to attached burlap bags.

Storing Cranberries
If you buy cranberries in a plastic bag, the bag can go directly into the freezer. Bulk cranberries can be frozen in a freezer bag or container.  Cranberries will last up to nine months in the freezer. Frozen cranberries can be used in recipes without thawing since frozen berries will be soft when thawed, it is easier to chop or grind them while frozen.

Health Benefits of Cranberries
During the last decade or so there have been several research studies that suggest cranberries are not only a healthy, low-calorie fruit, they may also help prevent urinary tract infections and reduce the risk of gum disease, ulcers, heart disease and may have anticancer properties.  Cranberries contain significant amounts of flavonoids and polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants. To put it simply, antioxidants protect our bodies from harmful molecules that we are exposed to every day of our lives.

CRANBERRY SORBET
Makes about 1 quart

This makes a not-too-sweet palate cleanser when served by itself, or a nice foil for fresh tropical fruits like pineapple and mango.  My favorite use is to scoop a small ball into a martini glass and then splash a little vodka over.  It’s a fun version of the classic “Cosmopolitan”.

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1-1/2 pounds (5 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup fresh lime juice (or to taste)
2 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur such as Grand Marnier*

Add sugar and water to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved.  Add cranberries and simmer covered until berries have burst, about 10 minutes.

Strain mixture through a medium mesh strainer, pressing down gently on solids to extract the juices.  Discard solids and chill the mixture covered for at least 2 hours.  Stir in the lime juice, liqueur and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.  Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

*If you prefer a non-alcoholic version you can use one of the orange flavored syrups used to flavor coffees that are now widely available.

My secret for flavorful, moist and juicy shrimp is to brine them ahead. This is a technique that works equally well for other fishes and poultry. Basically a brine is a salt-water solution. Other things can be added for more flavor, but salt water is the starting point. You’d think that adding salt in any form would dry things out, but here’s what happens, (you may remember this from your high school science class!). The action of osmosis comes into play. Things like salts will, over time, equalize on both sides of a semi-permeable membrane. In this case, the membrane is the cell walls of the fish or poultry. The salt on the outside migrates into the cell bringing along with it the water from the brine and so when you cook them, there is actually more moisture in the meat than if it had not been brined at all. The end result is meat that is a lot more moist, juicy and succulent!

The only caution with brining is that leaving it in too long will give you too much salt flavor. You CAN rectify this by soaking in changes of unsalted water to reduce the salt content. An important caveat here: Use either sea salt or kosher salt. Ordinary table salt is just too sharp and “chemical” tasting to make a good brine. Here is one of my favorite grilled shrimp recipes that starts with a brine.

GRILLED BRINED SHRIMP WITH A GRILLED CORN SALSA

Note that we’re cooking the shrimp in the shell. This, in addition to the brining, also keeps them moist plus the shell imparts a lot of flavor to the shrimp meat. You want to use good hardwood charcoal to impart a sweet smoky flavor. Avoid briquettes if you can because they often contain petroleum products.

Serves 6

For the Brine

1/3 cup each sea or kosher salt and brown sugar

1 quart water

For the Marinade

1/4 cup light olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped or pressed garlic

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1 ¼ pounds large shrimp (16 – 20 size) or enough for 4 shrimp per person

Grilled Corn Salsa (recipe follows)

Garnish: Avocado slices and sprigs of cilantro

Prepare brine by stirring salt, sugar and water together until dissolved. Add shrimp in their shells and refrigerate for 1 and up to 4 hours. With a pair of scissors cut the shrimp down the center of the back all the way to the next to last tail section. With a sharp knife, butterfly the shrimp in their shells making an incision along the length on the back where the shell is cut. Remove sand vein and rinse. Combine the marinade ingredients and coat the shrimp. Grill shrimp on both sides over medium hot coals until they are just cooked through and shells are slightly charred, about 4 minutes total.

Place shrimp on plates and top with prepared grilled corn salsa, avocado slices and cilantro sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grilled Corn Salsa

Makes approximately 3 cups

2 large ears sweet corn

1 each large red bell and poblano peppers, halved with stems and seeds removed

1 small jalapeno pepper; halved, seeded and stemmed

1 medium red onion, peeled and halved

4 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice (or to taste)

2 teaspoons honey (or to taste)

1/3 cup chopped cilantro or basil leaves or a combination

Brush the corn, peppers and onion with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place vegetables on a medium hot grill and cook on all sides until just beginning to color. Remove, cool and cut corn kernels from cob and place in a bowl. Pull as much of the skin as possible from the peppers, chop and add to corn. Chop onion and also add to corn along with rest of ingredients including remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stir and allow flavors to marry for at least 30 minutes before using. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

WATERMELON, GRILLED FIG, ONION AND FETA SALAD
Serves 6

This brings together 4 of the “basic flavors”: sweet, sour, salty and pepper.  As with all recipes, adjust these elements to your own taste.

1 medium sweet red or white onion, peeled, cut in 1/2″ thick slices
6 large ripe fresh figs, halved
Olive oil
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups young watercress or other peppery greens such as arugula, woody stems discarded
Raspberry vinaigrette (recipe follows)
6 cups chilled seeded watermelon, cut into 2 inch cubes or triangles (use both red and
yellow watermelon, if available)
6 ounces or so drained feta, preferably Bulgarian or California
Garnish: Mint springs

Brush the onions and figs with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Grill over a medium heat until nicely marked and softened.  Set aside (can be done an hour or two ahead).

Arrange a bed of watercress and top with the watermelon.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over and arrange onions and figs attractively around.  Place feta on top and garnish with mint sprigs.

Raspberry Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon finely minced shallots or green onions
1/4 cup raspberry or other fruit vinegar
1/4 cup raspberry puree made from either fresh or IQF frozen berries, strained to
remove seeds
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons honey (or to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk the shallots, vinegar, raspberry puree, orange juice, honey and oil together to make a smooth mixture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.