Category — Recipes

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

Since this month’s printed article focuses on preparing a delicious all-natural Thanksgiving feast, I didn’t to leave you hanging without a great beverage. So, here is a recipe for my spiced cider, which I always find is the perfect drink to kick off the holidays and celebrate Autumn:

O’Hara Family Spiced Cider

5 allspice berries

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 orange peel (whole)

1 lemon peel (whole)

2 quarts apple cider

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Ground nutmeg, to taste

10 cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum (substitute Papagayo Organic Spiced Rum, if you can find it)

Directions: Place the spices, salt, and fruit peels in the center of a 12-inch square of cheesecloth. Gather up the corners and tie with butcher’s twine to create a small packet. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the cider until steam begins to rise off the surface. Add the brown sugar and stir until melted. Add the spice packet to the pot and steep or 10 minutes, or until the cider is infused with spice. Serve in mugs with a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg on top, and a cinnamon stick stirrer. If you liked it spiked (like me), add a generous dollop of spiced rum to each serving. Serves 10

This recipe originally appeared in Hot Toddies: Mulled Wine, Buttered Rum, Spiced Cider, and Other Soul-Warming Winter Drinks (Clarkson Potter / Random House).

Dig up an organic meal with local flavor

Written by: Chris O’Hara

One of the advantages to being the largest island in the United States is the accessibility to great seafood. With several hundred miles of shoreline, and plenty of protected waters on both the north and south shores, it is easy to see why Long Island was one of the major clam producers in the world. The hard clam (also called the northern quahog) used to be found in abundance all over Long Island where the water is shallow and the bottom sandy. Clams like to burrow into the sand, leaving only their “siphon” above the sand, allowing them to gather nutrients from the water, and dispose of waste. In clean water, left to their own devices, clams take about three years to get to eating size. On Long Island, littleneck clams dominate, but cherrystone, chowder, and soft-shell (steamers) varieties are also found where the intrepid clammer searches.

According to Roger Tollefsen, the director of the New York Seafood Council, in 1975 more than 675,000 bushels of hard clams were harvested from Great South Bay alone, and there were more than 8,000 licensed baymen. Since then, the commercial harvest of hard clams in New York has declined by more than 90 percent, and the number of baymen harvesting clams has decreased to several hundred. “This dramatic decline means that New York is no longer be able to export its clams,” says Tollefsen, adding, “The entire clam harvest is now consumed in New York.” Where clammers used to measure their catches by bushels and weight, the smaller amounts are now counted by number, giving an indication of the steep decline in recent harvests. Whether the decline in clam harvests is attributable to global warming, pollution, natural growth cycles, or a combination of these factors is being studied.

Tollefsen is not overly appreciative of current efforts to revitalize the industry. “Despite millions of dollars in research, reduced fishing effort, and significant progress in reaching environmental water-quality goals, the cause for the decline of the hard clam is still not clear,” he says. “Some groups maintain that ‘overfishing’ of the resource was the cause, and they have promoted sanctuaries as a way of encouraging recovery. However, baymen generally accept the fact that while the remaining shellfish do spawn, few of that next generation survive. A likely bottleneck in the reproductive cycle involves a lack of food for the baby shellfish to eat. This food deficiency seems to be tied directly to ‘successful’ efforts to reduce the nutrients that enter our waters. While too many nutrients may be harmful to a bay, too few nutrients will result in the starvation of the next generation of shellfish and finfish.”

That being said, almost no matter where you are on Long Island, you are within striking distance of a good clam. Islanders living on the South Shore are in proximity to what was once the United States’ biggest clam bed: the Great South Bay, where miles of protected inshore bays and waterways should make a perfect home for raising clams. Good clamming waters can be found from Nassau County all the way to Southampton Town. Out East, the Peconic Bay and Gardiners’s Bay systems offer a range of active clam beds. On the North Shore, the inshore areas of the Long Island Sound are also active. In my hometown, Cold Spring Harbor, you can see local clammers working their rakes in the harbor on a
daily basis.

Clammers (or “baymen,” as they are sometimes called) use a variety of methods to put clams on your table, but all of them involve extremely hard manual labor. Harvesting clams essentially involves using a hand rake and plenty of elbow grease. Depending on the depth of the water and the composition of the bottom, a bayman will employ different styles of rakes to scour the bottom in search of live clams, and bring them to the surface. Certain conditions call for tongs, which consist of two metal baskets connected to long handles, which are used to scoop up clams from softer bottom surfaces. Both raking and “tonging” clams requires a good deal of physical effort and skill—and balance, considering that the work is done from small open boats that range from 20 to 30 feet in length.

Other techniques include “donkey” raking, which is done while standing in shallow water, and “hacking,” where garden rakes are used to pry clams up from exposed mudflats at low tide. “Treading” is the method by which a clammer will use his feet to detect clams under the surface, and dig them up. This is the preferred method for the amateur clammer  to employ in the summer. (Please note that many communities on the Island require a shellfish permit to rake clams, so make sure to check with your local town hall). Like the game Othello, the successful treading technique takes a “minute to learn, but a lifetime to master.” Essentially, you walk backwards slowly through shallow water, feeling with the ball of your foot for hard objects sticking slightly above the sand. If you step on something smooth, you reach into the water, and find out whether you have a clam, a shell, a rock, or possibly a crab. Do this enough times, and you may come home with enough for dinner.

Despite the dramatic decrease in clamming on Long Island, there are still enough clams left to provide a the intrepid clam digger with a few dozen for dinner—if you can find them! If you manage to dig up a few dozen littlenecks (or, failing that, can get to the local fish market), my wife Jennifer’s linguine recipe is a great way to use them.
More Info

New York Seafood Council, nyseafood.org
Information on our State’s fisheries, hard clam and lobster industries, and where to find great seafood.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, dec.ny.gov
Recreational clam harvesters should check this site for local area closures, to make sure harvesting is safe.

Jennifer’s Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Serves  4

2 dozen fresh littleneck clams in the shell
½ cup white wine
¼ cup olive oil
6 tablespoons butter
½ small onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped basil
½ cup chopped parsley
1 pound linguine, cooked al dente
White wine or chicken broth as needed

Soak the fresh clams in a brine solution (1/3 cup salt to 1 gallon of water) for 15 minutes. Using a stiff brush, scrub the clams thoroughly. Put 1 inch of water and the wine into a kettle or pot, place the clams on a rack above the water, and bring to a boil. Steam the clams for approximately 5 to 10 minutes, until they open. Using cheesecloth, strain about a cup of the clam broth into a bowl and set aside. Cover clams and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter. When hot, sauté the onion and garlic until softened. Add the reserved clam broth and clams (you can add them whole, with the shell, or remove them from the shell and chop them). Simmer for about 1 minute, and then add the basil, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. If more broth is required, a small amount of white wine and/or chicken broth may be added. Serve over linguine.

Chris O’Hara is a Huntington resident and the author of six popular cookbooks. His wife, Jennifer, is rumored to make Long Island’s best white clam sauce.

Mindfulness during meals helps us appreciate food and the art of slowing down.

Written by: Elyce Neuhauser

It’s 11 a.m.; the house is still and I’m hungry. Normally I would have a snack while reading the paper, listening to some music, or checking my emails. But after a recent visit to Kripalu (www.kripalu.org), the center for yoga and health in Stockbridge, MA, I have discovered a new way of eating: consciously. It doesn’t mean I’m falling asleep in my soup, rather that I’m paying attention to the moment, to the task at hand, to the sights, smells, and textures of eating before I even lift my fork. And I have found that when I take the time to notice what’s on my plate, really experience it with every sense, wondrous things happen . . .

“We so often eat amongst the business and rubble of our habitual lives,” says Aruni Nan Futuronsky, program advisor for the Healthy Living and Integrative Weight Loss programs as well as a faculty member of the Institute of Integrated Healing at Kripalu. “We push away the clutter and then put our plates down amongst it.” Indeed, most of us eat in such a state of disconnect to the signals of our bodies, we so often don’t realize that maybe it’s really thirst that needs quenching. Conscious eating starts even before you take a bite, before you put the meal on the plate. Before you take the food out of the pantry . . . ask yourself, what are you really hungry for? Maybe it’s attention, perhaps a hug, some good conversation, a creative outlet, or even a healthy walk.”

A glass of lime seltzer, an orange, and a handful of almonds sit in front of me. I stick my finger in the liquid and watch the tiny bubbles collect on my finger like little children crowding around a new puppy. The first sip reveals the tangy, limey scent and a little tingle on my tongue and lips as the bubbles ricochet down my throat like silver balls in a pinball machine. I pause and put the cup down, seeing the orange on my plate. My mouth waters without even touching it, thoughts running through my head of each section, pregnant with juice, and the little pulpy sacs just waiting to burst over my teeth. I notice the different variations of color on the skin, feel the pebbly texture with my fingers. I remember a moment eating an orange with my daughter last year—she was studying plant biology at the time, and as we were nibbling she remarked, “Did you know you are eating plant ovaries?” Suddenly eating becomes erotic. I rub my fingers along the flesh, seductively squeeze the fruit, then slowly peel the skin off and put little pieces of fruit in my mouth, savoring the texture before I bite in. As I chew, there is an immediate tiny explosion of juice that completely changes the quality and intensity of the flavor. I breathe a little deeper, allowing my breath to enhance the aroma and tactile sensations . . .

“It’s a metaphor for life,” Futuronsky continues, “to be there for the deliciousness, to savor the bite . . . it’s a profound way to think. We begin to slow down, to eat, to chew, and we get so much more satisfaction from the meal—it’s the gift of taste and texture.” Once we begin to slow down and notice what’s in front of us, we start to become connected to the process of eating as enjoyment. There is nothing more intimate than our connection with food; it becomes us.

The little pile of almonds is next. I pick one up, inhaling its sweet, nutty scent. It looks like a tiny peach pit—barky texture, pointy end. I take a second one and notice that the nuts are completely different, with ridges and lines along their surface like fingerprints, no two ever alike. With the first bite, the skin peels off on my teeth to reveal the creamy white interior. It’s crunchy in my mouth—without the newspaper and music to distract me I observe that the crunch is louder than I expected. I eat a few almonds this way and notice it’s enough . . .

“If we don’t eat consciously, taking the time to taste and enjoy our food, we miss out on the intrinsic satisfaction,” says nutritionist Bonnie Witler, of Weigh to Health, in Plainview (weightohealthinc.com).“This often leads to overeating because the food is just “there” and we may mindlessly take even more. This mindless eating leads to weight gain.” Food is right at hand; instead of just piling it onto our plates, and even worse, into our mouths, take the time to pick it up, smell it, feel it, taste it. Think about not just what you eat, but how you eat. Go slowly, chew more, move things around in your mouth so you can feel and experience all sensations.

“Being conscious brings the scattered threads of attention to what you are doing at that moment,” says Suzanne Cardinal, director of Into This World yoga teacher training (www.intothisworld.net). “Eating in this way draws the attention inward.” Cardinal runs workshops on Teaching Meditative Techniques for yoga teachers and includes a segment on conscious eating within her program. “It is in the actual experience of conscious eating—in the moment-by-moment depth of presence with each sensation of what is being taken in—that integration takes place between what we take in and what we become,” Cardinal says. “There is a direct relationship among the quality of what we take in, how we feel, and what we ultimately put out into the world.”

I linger, looking at my plate, orange peel next to almonds, and I breathe, waiting for my body to tell me whether I want more, or maybe something else. Chocolate . . .

The process of conscious consumption resonates with Linda Villano, the co-owner and co-founder of Manhasset-based SerendipiTea (www.serendipitea.com), an importer, wholesaler, and retailer of loose-leaf tea, which, unlike typical bagged tea, features whole leaves. “The preparation and drinking of loose-leaf tea simply and beautifully embodies the idea of slowing down, breathing consciously, and stepping out of the madness, even if just for a few minutes,” says Villano, who is currently writing a tea-centered book based on the idea of tuning in to the process. She likens this process of preparation and imbibing to a mini-meditation. “Those few moments of waiting for the tea to steep offer an opportunity to be still, to stop the chatter in our head for a brief moment, and relax our body,” says Villano. “Taking several tea time-outs a day not only adds to our physical health but our mental health as well.”

Allow this rising consciousness at the table to stay with you all day. Instead of multitasking, focus on the activity at hand. “When you do two things at once, eating being one of them, you are often not aware of how much or even what goes into your mouth,” says registered dietician Staci Leavitt Kobren, of Staci Leavitt Mind and Body, in Plainview (www.stacileavittmindandbody.com). She suggests trying these simple changes: Don’t snack while driving; put your fork down during serious conversations; stay away from the big bucket of popcorn at the movies.

Taking small first steps is important. “It’s an incremental ladder of actions,” Futuronsky suggests. “When you are trying to do the whole deal, the radical change, it’s a setup for failure. Instead, practice conscious eating during just one meal a week.” Like yoga or meditation, conscious eating is a practice—it’s not like you get it and you’re finished. “That’s the Western understanding of learning. Notice when the mind starts to wander. That’s the time to return,” she continues. “Food becomes the focal point of meditation. Remember that wandering is not bad or wrong; notice when the mind is wandering and practice coming back; come back to taste. That is a gift.”

At Kripalu, guests can find the meditative moments during required silent breakfasts. “Silent dining gets rid of all the distractions so you can begin the practice of focusing, of being there,” Futuronsky concludes. “It’s a profound metaphor for life: to be there for the deliciousness, to savor the bite. We begin to slow down, to notice the eating and the chewing and we get so much more satisfaction. It’s the gift of taste, flavor, and texture.”

I unwrap a Lindt truffle, extra-dark 60 percent cocoa. My mouth is watering and I can sense the richness, the smoothness, the depth, before it even approaches my palate. Slowly it goes into my mouth and I feel the chocolate melting with the heat of my breath. My hand greedily begins to reach for another one, but I tell myself to breathe, relax, and savor the sensations of now. I turn the candy over with my tongue; coat my mouth with its bittersweet succulence. Without chewing I simply let it dissolve all over my tongue, my teeth, my palate, and the insides of my cheeks. My senses are alive. Then with a lofty swallow, it’s gone. I sit back completely satisfied

Ways to raise your Consciousness

CD:

• Life-Works with Aruni Nan Futuronsky is a compilation of guided meditations that harness the mind to focus in the moment. Choose from meditations that will guide you while Waking, Eating, Walking, Healing, and Releasing. Order from kripalu.org

Books:

• Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings (Riverhead, 1998), by Edward Espe Brown, is a wonderful collection of recipes and reflections of a Zen Buddhist. The recipes are simple but it’s the reflections that resonate. Great inspiration for creating your own meals and recipes. Order from amazon.com
• If the Buddha Came to Dinner (Hyperion, 2004), by nutritionist Hale Sofia Schatz with Shira Shaiman, teaches readers to listen to their body, individual needs, and inner wisdom. Balancing emotional, spiritual, and physical needs is vital to our life force, and Schatz and Shaiman address all three. Order from amazon.com

Events:

• Slow Food Nation: The first annual exposition includes a film festival, taste workshops, interactive events and more. Held at Fort Mason and City Hall, in San Francisco, CA, on Labor Day weekend, August 29 through September 1, this four-day celebratory event is geared to providing experiences for participants that will transform their perception of food, engaging them in Slow food USA’s work to create a food system that produces healthy and delicious products that are ecologically sustainable, with fair labor practices. Visit www.slowfoodnation.org for more information.

Foods:
A meal doesn’t have to be elaborate or complicated to be completely satisfying to all the senses. Try combining the simplest, freshest, mostly organic ingredients and you’ll start to find that your need for complex recipes diminishes. Try this easy-to-prepare main course and then be inspired to create your own meals, no recipes required.

Pan-seared Lemon Sole with Fresh Oregano and Thyme

Serves 2

1 pound wild-caught lemon sole
2 teaspoons grapeseed oil (or experiment with other high-heat oils such as avocado, almond, or apricot kernel)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon organic fresh thyme
1 tablespoon organic fresh oregano, chopped
Celtic sea salt and/or freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Rinse fish and pat dry. Notice texture of fish, its translucence, and the feel of it in your hands. Heat a sauté pan to medium-high heat and swirl oil in pan. Sauté garlic for about 30 seconds. Inhale the enticing scent. Place fish in pan and sear for about 2 minutes; flip carefully to the other side and take a pinch of thyme and oregano. Rub the herbs between your fingertips, noticing the texture and scent; then sprinkle on top of the fish, covering it completely with herbs. Inhale the fragrant, earthy aroma from your fingers. Sear fish for an additional 2 minutes or until opaque and cooked through. Season with sea salt and pepper if desired. Serve with fresh steamed string beans and a side of lentils and roasted onions.