Thursday, December 6, 2001

Cucumber Relish

 

from John Ash

2 pounds English cucumbers
2 teaspoons sea or Kosher salt for sprinkling over cucumbers
⅔ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
⅔ cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
salt and a pinch or two of cayenne pepper, to taste

Peel and cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the cucumber into paper-thin slices, sprinkle with salt and toss. Let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse, drain, and gently squeeze out the excess water.

Whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, salt, and cayenne and mix into cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Pairs with Miso-Grilled Salmon.

Miso-Grilled Salmon
with Cucumber Relish

 

from John Ash
via Mary and Dick Lonergan
serves 6

6 five-ounce skin on salmon filets
¼ cup white (shiro) miso
¼ cup Mirin (sweetened sake)
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons minced scallions
1 ½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger
Cucumber relish
steamed Basmati rice for 6
toasted sesame seeds and slivered nori for garnish


Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the salmon. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours) turning occasionally.

Grill the salmon over a medium fire on both sides until just cooked through. Fish should still be translucent in the very middle.

Place each fillet skin side down on a bed of Basmati rice. Top with cucumber relish. Garnish with sesame seeds and nori strips.

Pork Braised in Milk and Herbs

 

from the San Francisco Chronicle

via Jeanne Milligan

serves 6

 

one 2 ½ pound boneless pork loin, tied

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon

2 ¼ cups (about) whole milk

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place pork in a Dutch oven. Sprinkle with oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. Add enough milk to come halfway up side of roast. Cover. Roast for 1 hour, or until meat is pale and about 160 degrees on a meat thermometer and there is a lot of milk in the pan. Uncover and continue to roast until milk solids form little clusters and pork turns golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer meat to a cutting board, tent with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving into ¼ to ½ inch slices.

Arrange slices on heated serving plates. Spoon some of the strained sauce over the meat. Serve with roasted potatoes.

Secret of success: The milk. Braising pork in milk gives the meat a creamy, tender texture. The milk also doubles as a sauce for the finished meat. There are many pork roast recipes braised in milk…this is the very best that I have ever found. And it is simple!!

If you don’t have time to cook this dish, then go to the L’Osteria del Forno, 519 Columbus Avenue in San Francisco. This is their recipe, and you can enjoy it there as well as at home.

Tomato Basil Soup

 

from Charles Holmes
via Anne Halsted
serves 6 to 8

1 ½ pounds ripe plum tomatoes cut into half lengthwise

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

14 ounce canned plum tomatoes with their juice

1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed

1 ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup cream

pesto (for garnish, optional)

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in one layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes cut side up.

In a 5-quart stockpot on medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent without coloring. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.

Purée with immersion blender or in blender. Return soup to pot, stir in cream. Check for seasonings. Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature, garnished with some pesto.

Saturday, December 1, 2001

2001 Recipe List

** Individual recipe links coming soon! **
In the meantime, recipes can be located using the year tabs above.


SOUPS and STARTERS


Tomato Basil Soup
Lotus Root with Soy Sauce Dressing
Guacamole en Molcajete
Buckwheat Blini
Crescent Rolls
Pumpkin Bread

DRESSINGS, CHUTNEYS AND SIDES

Chez Panisse Brine
Herbfarm Vinaigrette
Fat Free Pesto
Cranberry Chutney
Fresh Pomegranate Chutney
Mint and Cilantro Chutney
Warm Cabbage Salad
Layered Mexican Salad
Penne with 3 Herbs, Capers and Tuna
Black Bean Salad
Parmesan Cheesecake with Truffle Oil, Served with Arugula Salad
Potato Frittata with Goat Cheese, Red Onion & Bacon
Pasta with Grilled Vegetables

MAIN DISHES

Hawaiian Chicken
Miso Grilled Salmon
Cucumber Relish
Grilled Snapper w/ Black Bean-Roast Banana Mash Coconut-Serrano Broth, and Mango Tortilla Salad
Moussaka
Beef and Basil Daube with Flageolets and Haricots Verts
Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Chard and Pork
Mushrom Marsala with Polenta
Pork Braised in Milk and Herbs
Oxtails in Red Wine with Orange Peel

DESSERTS

Baklava
Crema Rovesciata All’Arancia
Raspberry Meringue Roulade
Peach Cobbler
Mousse de Tequila
Italian Prune Cake
Plum Pudding
Pumpkin Pie Brulée