Tag Archives: peas

Grilled Shrimp in Snowy Denver

Posted on by

It’s only early October, but that didn’t stop the snow from falling on Friday night in Denver, Colorado. The locals called it frost, but this East Coaster called it snowfall.

My super-organized sister-in-law Sara keeps a binder full of  favorite family recipes. It’s a system that works much better than cramming cut-out recipes into cookbook pages, as I tend to do. During our weekend visit, Sara prepared this yummy Orange Thyme Shrimp dish that was thoroughly enjoyed by kids of all ages. She marinated large shrimp in a mixture of orange juice, orange zest, minced garlic, fresh thyme and olive oil. Then threaded the shrimp on wooden skewers, ready for the grill.

Tails in a row: Orange Thyme Grilled Shrimp

Brother-in-law Mark grilled the shrimp to perfection. Note the engineer’s attention to detail in that all tails are pointing in the same direction. 2-3 minutes per side should do it (much internal debate on cooking time).

The grilled shrimp were served on a bed of orzo (or substitute your grain of choice, like Freekeh), with peas on the side to round out the meal. Thanks again to Sara and Mark for a fabulous visit!

Lobster and Friends

Posted on by

Had a fun dinner out last night with Hubs and dear friend Luiz Biagiotti visiting from Sao Paolo. In the midst of a thunderstorm, we waited and waited for a table at the John Dory Oyster Bar. Happening spot, but the no reservations policy can be a drag. Apart from the great company, the highlight of the meal was this eye catching Lobster Thermidor.

Lobster Thermidor at John Dory Oyster Bar

I had never tried this dish before, so I was excited to find a willing partner in crime with Luiz. Lobster Thermidor has such a great old school ring to it – feels like a dish one would eat on a Pullman car back in the day when rail travel was civilized and elegant. Apart from being easy on the eyes, this dish was rich and very flavorful. The lobster meat from the tail had previously been removed, sauteed with a cream sauce, then replaced and sprinkled with bread crumbs and broiled. According to Wikepedia, the traditional French preparation also includes melted Gruyere cheese on top, so I guess this was a “lighter” version.

My thoughts: The lobster meat from the tail was very tasty – cream and bread crumbs added to already sumptuous lobster meat, how could you go wrong?? And I loved the  veggies in the skillet. They prepared fresh English peas and white green beans in a tasty butter sauce. The one critique I’d give is that the lobster meat itself was a tad overcooked. When we cracked open the claws to get to the rest of the good stuff, the lobster was rubbery and not worth the effort. The staff at theJohn Dory also neglected to give us tiny forks to scoop out the claw meat. Maybe they knew…Sorry, John Dory. Nonetheless, it was a festive departure from your standard boiled lobster.

By the way, did you know there is an overstock of lobster this season? It’s selling for $3.99/lb in Maine, perhaps less even now.

Bye Bye Birds Eye

Posted on by

20120707-061058.jpg
Have I mentioned that my CSA is awesome? Not only do I have the privilege of picking up a basket of thoughtfully grown and selected organic veggies every week, but June and Jim Wolfe also invite you to their house for workshops on preserving, pickling and conserving. Awesome!

June hosted a workshop on freezing fresh peas last night. We ran through the whole arc in about an hour. We started in the field picking peas, moved to the porch to shell the peas, and then on to the conservation part. I dragged my good friend Peggy Carrington with me and we had a great time chit chatting on the porch with other members of the CSA and June’s family. Did you know you can make a potable alcoholic beverage out of pea pods?

Back to freezing peas. Surprisingly easy and no special equipment requires. Here’s what you need to get started:
Fresh peas
Pot of Boiling water
Wire mesh colander
Tongs
Bowl of cold water
Ziplock freezer bags
Measuring cup

Once you have shelled the peas, measure 1 or 2 cups of peas and place in mesh colander (quantity is up to you). Immerse colander in boiling water for 1 minute. Use tongs to remove colander and then place in cold water bath for 1 minute. Remove from water, shake off excess water and place peas in ziplock bag. Remove air from bag and seal. Write date and quantity on exterior of bag and your peas are ready for the freezer. Repeat until all peas are bagged and freezer ready.
Use as you would store-bought frozen peas

Bye bye Birds Eye

On the Edge of your Seat: Veggie Rice Salad

Posted on by

I know you’ve all been on the edge of your seats WAITING to hear what I did with the rest of Saturday’s bounty. Here it is again:

I’ve already spilled the beans on the beets (that recipe could not wait), so let’s go through the rest of the veggies.
2 Birds with 1 Stone
I felt like a healthy grain-based salad that would mix some of the crunchy veggies and herbs, but would also take a minimal amount of cooking (again, recall beets recipe). I decided to riff on a recipe from last month’s Bon Appetit that I had previously experimented with. The recipe is very flexible – add/subtract veggies based on what you have at home. I’ve included it below with some of my modifications in italics and also simplified the prep.

Summer Veggie Rice Salad

  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups cooked basmati rice, cooled – I used Brown Basmati rice
  • 2 cups bite-size pieces assorted vegetables (such as radishes, tomatoes, peas, summer squash) or carrot ribbons- I used kohlrabi, peas, scallions, carrots and basil
  • 3/4 cup torn mixed leafy greens, sprouts, and herbs – I used arugula and mixed greens
  • 1/3 cup chopped red, yellow, or white onion or scallions
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

Preparation

  1. Mix first 4 ingredients in a bowl combined; season with salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in oil and use whisk to mix dressing.
  2. Place remaining ingredients in a large bowl; drizzle with 3 Tbsp. dressing and toss to coat. Pass remaining dressing alongside for drizzling over.
I modified the recipe based on what we picked up from the farm and also a desire to make it more nutritious. I used brown rice in place of white, and heavied up on the veggies, herbs and greens. This was a big hit and enjoyed by all family members and guests (even hubs). This is a great dish for a picnic, or to prepare in advance. We had this for lunch on Sunday.
Back to the List
Ok, so we already covered off on the beets, kohlrabi, sugar snap peas, scallions and greens. That leaves the broccoli, haricot verts and mixed greens. I decided on simple preparation for all 3 as I wanted to showcase the veggies themselves (and I, too, was losing steam).
  • Broccoli: Simple Asian-style dish. Steamed, then sauteed it with garlic and a dried, hot chili pepper, finishing it off with a dash of sesame oil.
  • Haricot verts: Sauteed garlic, then quickly stir-fried beans, keeping them green and crisp. Accompaniment for Saturday night dinner. Loved by all
  • Mixed greens: Used as a simple side salad with mustard vinaigrette for several meals
Oh, and the sunflowers went on the dining table.