Category — Bites

The chefs at Grace’s Marketplace share their favorite springtime foods

Written by: Maria & Rusty Pacheco

Spring signifies new beginnings and fresh starts. As we leave the chill of winter behind, we eagerly look forward to seasonal blooms, and this holds true for those of us in the food industry as well.

Spring in the food industry heralds the arrival of plump artichokes, hearty asparagus, fresh fennel, rhubarb, and swiss chard—just to name a few vegetables. Fruits we look forward to include apricots, casaba melon, fresh currants, figs, and luscious cherries.

Local fish is abundant and readily available. Flounder, tuna, monkfish, and skate caught off the shores of Montauk all make for healthy and delicious meals. Oyster Bay yields a wealth of shellfish including clams and, of course, Blue Point oysters.

Spring also signifies the arrival of holidays celebrated over meals that call for lamb. At Grace’s Marketplace, we carry organic baby spring lamb that is raised nearby in Pennsylvania. Here’s a recipe for our favorite way to prepare it.

Roast Baby Spring Lamb

1 organic baby spring lamb, cut in pieces
Extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced
6 sprigs fresh organic rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Zest and juice of one organic lemon
1 bunch organic parsley

Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the lamb in a baking dish. Generously coat the lamb and the baking dish with olive oil. Using the point of a sharp knife, make small incisions in the lamb pieces and push in the slices of garlic. Roughly chop the leaves of three of the rosemary sprigs and sprinkle over the lamb along with salt and pepper. Tuck the remaining sprigs of rosemary under the lamb. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the lamb, then pour the lemon juice over the lamb. Roast the lamb in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Baste regularly with the pan juices, using the bunch of parsley as a basting brush.

Since every month is National “something” Month, this month, we honor the Soybean!  Many people ask us how to incorporate Soy into their desserts, hoping to balance the “devilish” sugar with the “angelic” benefits of protein perhaps? Well, this time we think we have come up with a delicious cupcake that is so yummy. Not only are they made with soy, they are also vegan.

Vegan Cupcakes

1 cup soy milk

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin pan with baking cups.

2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil and extracts to the soy mixture and beat till foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add in two batches to the wet ingredients. Beat until creamy. Fill baking cups 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan five minutes and transfer to rack to cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

1/4 cup margarine softened

1/4 cup shortening

2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 Tbl. soy

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Cream together the margarine and the shortening until well combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar in about 1/2-cup batches and beat well, adding a little splash of soy after each addition. When all ingredients have been well incorporated, add the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Use to frost the vegan cupcakes.

They’re Soy Yummy!!!

—Lisa Wrage
Caffe’ Portofino

The philosophy and health benefits of eating raw foods (Part I)

Eating a simple raw carrot or celery stick may not be a flavorful experience for most. Dipping it in a mixture of hummus or avocado is an improvement, though the average person may find it difficult to maintain this habit for all three meals of the day. This is the notion most people have about the raw food diet: a tasteless meal without the warmth and smooth textures that most cooked foods provide. If you take a closer look, it’s not just a diet of eating salads and unsavory vegetables. Yes, it requires a challenge on one’s palate, but considering the possible health benefits of eating raw foods can lead to a positive and powerful lifestyle change.

Raw Life Benefits
So what does it mean to eat raw? What are the benefits? Changing ones diet and eating habits is a gradual journey. Our palates have been programmed since childhood to feel the texture and temperature of cooked foods plus our bodies have a digestion process to get used to. The main appeal of eating raw foods is the health benefits. Raw foodists publicize that the diet improves chronic conditions, efficiency of digestion, internal body cleansing, and maximum nourishment by maintaining live enzymes in fruits and vegetables. The byproducts of the diet include increased alertness and feeling of rejuvenation, therapy of mind, body, and spirit, and promoting a cleaner planet by saving energy.

The raw diet is about intense nutrition of uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. If the food is cooked or when the food temperature reaches beyond 118 degrees (depending on the source, some state 104 degrees), enzymes die and vitamins can be depleted. Digestion relies on these lost enzymes and as a result the body expends unnecessary energy to digest the food. Because of the added energy use, people feel more lethargic and sleepy, which has been known to occur after eating a big meal. Raw foodists claim otherwise.

The Raw Pantry
Since foods are eaten raw it’s important to include organic ingredients. If some ingredients are not available in the supermarket they are most likely found in a health food store.

Nuts/Seeds
cashews (raw)
flaxseed
pecans
pine nuts
pumpkin seeds
walnuts
sunflower seeds

Spices/Flavoring
black pepper, freshly milled
cayenne
cinnamon, freshly ground
cumin
curry powder
nutmeg
nama shoyu
miso
oregano
sea salt
ginger, freshly grated

Herbs
fresh basil
fresh cilantro

Oils/Vinegars
apple cider vinegar
olive oil

Other Ingredients
Almond butter
carob powder (raw)
tahini
coconut, shredded
dates
garlic
raw honey (rich in enzymes)
maple sugar
maple syrup
prunes
raisins
water, distilled

The Raw Tools
Aside from a good chef’s knife the following are some common appliances that replace the use of a stove.

• blenders and mixers to whip up soups, sauces, and dressing
• coffee grinders to powder spices
• dehydrators and dehydrator sheets used to dry vegetables and fruits. Used for preparing breads, jams, and jellies.
• food processors to pulverize large batches of ingredients such as converting nuts into flour or vegetables into chopped-sized pieces
• juicers for fruit smoothes and ice cream
• molds and pans to create beautiful presentations of various shapes
• mandoline slicer to create strands of pasta from vegetables
• water distiller for high quality water

Raw Food Resources
Raw food is an artistic cuisine that rediscovers the intensity of natural flavors with the main focus on maximizing nutrition. It has slowly entered the culinary mainstream with the opening of restaurants, availability of cookbooks, and skilled chefs. Like any other diet, this is not for everyone. Many were initially introduced to “un-cooking” because of weight issues, chronic ailments, and other health issues. The following are some online resources with a chockfull of recipes and blogs. You’ll also find cookbooks in your local library, online bookstores, health food stores and supermarkets such as Whole Foods or Wild By Nature.

Recommended websites:
http://www.goneraw.com/
http://www.rawfusionstore.us/

Recommended books:
RAW: The Uncook Book: New Vegetarian for Life (Regan, 1999) by Juliano Brotman and Erika Lenkert
The Complete Book of Raw Food, Second Edition: Healthy, Delicious Vegetarian Cuisine Made with Living Foods * Includes More Than 400 Recipes from the World’s Top Raw Food Chefs (Hatherleigh, 2008) by Victoria Boutenko, Juliano Brotman, Nomi Shannon, Matt Amsden, and Julie Rodwell

Read Part II here

Luella Semmes is a personal chef for Your Kitchen Companion. Visit her website at www.kitchencompanion.org or email her at kitchencompanion@gmail.com

Ok, you may find the subject of this blog completely gross, and my husband can’t believe I’m even writing about it, but here’s one more dilemma that wannabe eco chics (and dudes) face every time that leftover pot of meat sauce lingers too long in the fridge.

Is it better to toss it in the garbage, or flush it down the toilet? My husband and I argued over this point recently (in fact, he was aghast when I said  I would blog about it) one night when he saw me scraping too-old meat sauce into the garbage and told me to just flush it down the toilet. “Down the toilet?!?” I exclaimed? Isn’t that polluting? Though, given what else gets flushed, his argument may hold merit. My technique of tossing in the trash isn’t any better—the meat will rot in the landfill—which is just as polluting . . . or is it more?

What is the right way to handle this daily past-its-prime dinner dilemma? Meat cannot be composted. I wouldn’t serve bad meat to my dog (and the garlic and spices might not be the best thing for his digestion). I’m not about to set it outside for the raccoons or other animals to scavenge in my suburban backyard.

You are probably thinking “this girl’s got to get a life,” which may be true, but that doesn’t mitigate the fact that every single day we face life’s little challenges and need to decide what the right thing to do is. Sometimes those answers aren’t so easy, even if the task at hand is a simple one. So, what do you think? The trash or the toilet?

–Diana Murphy, editor in chief of canvas

Fishing season is just heating up, and I have been spending every available minute I can out on my boat or surfcasting from the shores of Lloyd Neck, looking for fish. Last week was a great prelude to the season. We were fortunate to be in Hyannis Port at my friend Vince’s, and we hitched an early morning ride on his 28-foot Chris Craft, hoping to give our kids some fishing action, trolling the bottom for inedible (but easy to catch) “scuppers.” Instead, we lucked into a frothing pod of bluefish, which practically flew onto the boat.

Back in Long Island, the other night found my brother-in-law and I out near the jetty by the “Sand Hole” in Lloyd Neck, tossing out silver poppers into the surf. The night was perfect, with a light, cool breeze keeping the majority of mosquitoes away, and a few cold beers to keep our elbows well lubricated for casting.

Paul’s third cast resulted in a 10-inch small striper, which we released back into the sound. We fished the same lures for another hour. I got a tremendous hit, which resulted in my line snapping (note to self: change your line more than every 5 years!) and much cursing. Although no more action was to be had, the take-away was clear: the stripers are definitely on the North Shore right now, and the action is only going to get hotter as September rolls along and the water cools down. Once you catch that big “hog” of a striper, you need to know what to do with it. Here is my recipe for a simple and delicious fillet of striped bass:

Broiled Striped Bass

Striped bass is a delicious fish, and needs little seasoning. For my money, there is nothing better than a filet of freshly caught striped bass roasted under the broiler. Serve with rice, sautéed spinach, and a jaunty Chardonnay for an easy, healthy meal.

2 pounds striped bass, filleted (about 4 portions)
½ cup white wine
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon wedges and parsley, for garnish

Mix the wine, orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Place the bass filets into the marinade, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour. To cook, place the marinated filets on a buttered broiler pan, and cook about 5 inches from heat for 5 minutes. Turn the fish over, and cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedge and parsley.