Peruvian Food Favorites

There were so many high points to traveling in Peru…Machu Picchu and it’s many wonders, the neighborhoods and museums of Lima, the gorgeous beaches and interesting customs.

Another fond memory is of sitting in a bar in Peru. A Pisco Sour in one hand, crunchy corn nuts in the other…the bar snack of choice…while awaiting the house Seviche. In Peru, scallops are the norm for Seviche, however using shrimp, calamari or any mild, white fish fits in nicely especially when expertly seasoned and “cooked” in a spicy lime juice mixture. After a couple of Pisco Sours, it was hard to recall anything! They tell me I had fun.

Seviche, Peruvian  Style, with bay scallops, serves 6 to 8

1 lb bay scallops, quartered…or in Maine our sea scallops are perfect too!

1 cup rough chopped cherry tomato

1 red Serrano Chile, chopped finely

1 cup red onion, finely chopped

1 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup fresh orange juice

Salt to taste

2/3 cup fresh lime juice and a bit of lime zest

Combine all in a ceramic bowl, cover and plan to let it marinate for one day.

To serve, serve in small glasses, topped with more chopped cilantro, a wedge of lime and a side of tortilla chips

A little about Pisco….while the Pisco Sour is the national cocktail, or a mixed drink, real Pisco connoisseurs would never dream of mixing good Pisco with anything. Pisco comes in few variations including a floral variety or a more herbal flavor. While technically a brandy, it was developed to replace Spanish brandy in the 16th century and boasts an alcohol content of up to 100 proof. Nowadays it’s produced almost exclusively in Peru and Chile.
 

Beantime! What to do with your bounty of summer beans


Yellow wax beans, broad and meaty Romano beans, Haricot Verte, Rattlesnake or Kentucky Wonder Pole beans…..we love them all here at Laura Cabot Catering…..and we grow them all! 

We also grow summer and winter savory, which, if you’re not familiar with this herb, please get to know it. Savory is the perfect compliment to beans of all sorts.

We love the hearty pole bans cooked Southern style with “sidemeat” and onion.

When I tire of eating string beans simply cooked with savory and doused with good olive oil and salt, I often turn to the picnic-y side dish called three bean salad.

Here’s my favorite recipe:

Prep time: 15 minutes, serves eight or more…

2 cups fresh, blanched green beans, cut into  2 inch pieces

2 cups wax beans, blanched and cut into 2 inch pieces

1- 15 oz can of dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1-15 oz can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 c. Red onion, diced small

1 tb chopped, stemmed flat parsley

Place all these ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

Now combine:

2/3 cup cider vinegar

1/4 c. Sugar

1/2 c. Olive oil

Salt, pepper and summer savory to taste

Combine all and pour over mixed beans, tossing gently.

This salad will benefit by a couple of hours in the fridge, before sharing with your friends. 

What a great addition to a chicken barbecue!

Callaloo / An Island Delicacy Comes To Maine


What I know about Beth’s Farm Market is that they employ many Jamaican farm workers. Having spent ample time in Jamaica, I know that it’s a culture that eats well and their diet is very vegetable forward.

I was delighted to learn that the good people at Beth’s have begun to grow this delicious leafy green, a member of the Amaranth family. I look for it every July. The entire plant is good to eat, although the larger stems may need to be peeled and chopped smaller than the leaves. A high fiber vegetable, Callaloo helps to prevent obesity,control blood sugar and lower the risk of heart disease. Being high in vitamin C is another bonus and the reason it should be cooked lightly, until a jewel-like green.

Below is my favorite treatment for this nourishing vegetable, taught to me by an Ital chef, Dice:

Serves four, as a side dish. Prep time 30 minutes.

One large bunch callaloo, the larger stems peeled and chopped fine, leave chopped larger

Coconut oil

Fresh thyme springs

One peeled chopped carrot and 1 chopped white onion

Four chopped Roma tomato, half a Scotch bonnet pepper

1 TB chopped garlic. Salt and peter to taste

Begin by heating 3 TB oil in a heavy bottom pot, add the onion,carrot, garlic, thyme,tomato, S and P. Cook until the carrot is tender.

Add the Callaloo stems first, salt lightly and toss to coat, when half cooked add the leaves and toss again, cover the pot, stir once or twice as it finishes cooking.

Take the dish off the flame while the colors are still vibrant, remove hot pepper and serve immediately.

Using July’s Garlic Scapes / Green Goddess Dressing

If you’re a garlic lover, it’s nice to know how to use the super pungent shoot, or scape of the garlic. Typically they’re cut off before they form a flower, so as not to allow the garlic’s energy to move upward…but to focus the plants energy down to the head or bulb that’s trying to form.

Scapes are often made into pesto or a compound butter, but my favorite use for garlic scapes is a tasty Green Goddess dressing. Her’s my favorite recipe, terrific on the garden salad greens so prevalent right now in gardens everywhere:

3/4 cup either mayo or full fat Greek yoghurt

1 cup flat, leaf parsley, leaves only

1/2 cup fresh tarragon leaves only

4 garlic scapes, tender parts only, rough chop

1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted

1 tbsp. White wine vinegar

Juice of one lemon

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine all and mix by hand until desired consistency

Toss with your favorite lineup of summer salad greens….Bibb lettuce for me!

Enjoy!

Ital Cooking / The Rastafarian Cuisine of Jamaica

My first trip abroad, at the tender age of 19 was to the magical island of Jamaica. The year was 1976, the times were heady.

Jamaica was a visual feast in every way. I recall my first night there, a full moon glimpse of the coast…trusting my native guide who excitedly led the way through a dense tropical forest with a narrow path breaking out onto the beach. The vision of moonlit, swaying palms and pristine seven mile beach, heaped with mounds of conch shells, water shimmering with moonbeams…this was my home for some months. I settled into the rhythm of the surf in a sleepy seaside town called Negril.

Going native meant getting my hair done up in braids with coral beads, taking too much sun, gathering herbs, reveling in tropical flowers, learning to snorkel and to use a spear gun. Also much time was spent over a camp cook stove with Dice, my Rasta buddy and Ital cooking mentor.

What exactly is Ital cuisine? I-tal, as it’s sometimes spelled is a derivitive of the word VITAL, it’s typical for the emphasis to be on the ‘I’ in much of Rasta lexicon. It’s not the traditional cooking of Jamaica, but the Rasta version who’s chief features are that it’s Vegetarian, no salt or sugar cooking, largely Vegan and juice forward. It’s aim is to conserve and elevate the energy of the ingredients. Ital food can be highly spiced, with influences drawn from many cultures, such as Spain, China, Africa, India and the Middle East. Allspice features largely in Ital cooking (think Jerk seasoning), as do Scotch Bonnet peppers and coconut….and the ubiquitous callalloo, which is a green, an amaranth, eaten almost everyday, as are rice and peas, sometimes called “coat of arms.”

Rastafarians are also fond of medicinal herb and root concoctions as tonics, use curtain weeds as a smokeable sacrament and never touch their hair with scissors. My impression was that many locals viewed the Rastas the way folks at home viewed the hippies in the early 60’s and 70’s.

But I loved their affinity for nature, the wholesome cooking, their commitment to their religious beliefs and their “live and let live” lifestyle. While on the island, I learned a lot about keeping the essential energy in foods by conscious cooking methods.That’s still a valuable tool, maybe now more than ever!

Here is my favorite Ital soup recipe, courtesy of Chef Dice:

Pumpkin Soup (Serves six)

Ingredients

2 tb coconut oil
1 cup, minced white onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup celery and leaves, chopped
1/4 cup Chopped parsley, I hot pepper (scotch bonnet if you like it hot)
1 large sprig fresh thyme, a grating of nutmeg, and dash allspice, salt and pepper to taste
4 cups chunked Calabaza squash or Buttercup squash
2 cups each, diced white potato and carrot
1 qt vegetable stock and full fat coconut milk to consistency

Instructions

Choose a large heavy bottomed pot and heat oil, sauté onion and garlic.

Add carrot, pumpkin potato and celery and seasonings, stock and some coconut milk.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until veggies are cooked through. Remove hot pepper and thyme.

Puree half of the soup, correct seasonings and add more coconut milk to consistency.

Garnish with slivers of green onion and put on some Reggae!

COVID Cooking From Home At Laura’s House

Thoughts on Cooking During COVID Times / The Power of the Pantry

Hello and a big “hug from home” during this pandemic of 2020. Staying home saves lives. Cooking from home follows…
 
It’s been a remarkable, confrontational, sad and often difficult time for individuals and families, students and those of us in the hospitality industry. Everyone, really. It’s been like one continuous therapy session….and since when has that been comfortable? That said, it seems far from over.
 
What do we do to sustain and comfort ourselves and our families? We bake. We cook. We share our food and ideas. Now that going out for groceries has become something we need to “gird our loins” for, more often than not, I turn to my own well stocked pantry for guidance.

Just some of the meals I’ve been cooking!


This entire need to pivot, as they say, was and is a process of bumping up against some pretty established habits, like running to the store for every little thing I thought I needed. The art of using what’s available and the feeling of gratitude for having what we need: like it’s all enough, though maybe not perfect. Put into perspective, it’s back to gratitude and simpler times.
 
Perhaps happiness during this new normal has something to do with our own internal changes, the willingness to choose contentment and satisfaction, happiness, multiple times a day,. The impulse to feel gratitude and extend helpfulness to those less fortunate.



Yes, some of this internal change is a daily challenge, intertwined with schedules, meals, commitments and our own habits. The question is will you rise to the challenges or be one of the ticked off, defensive ones that may well be missing an opportunity to be a better person…and maybe even a more inventive cook.
 
Here’s what’s in my pantry:
 
Several high quality oils
An array of vinegars
Soy sauce, sake, wasabi, toasted sesame, Mirin, miso, lemongrass and ginger/tumeric roots
Several types of olives
Anchovies and sardines
Artichoke hearts, dried fancy mushrooms
Many types of pasta
Good tomato sauce, whole and chopped tomato
Tuna fish, canned clams and juice
Mushroom soup (I’ll admit it)
Red and green salsa ,pesto
All kinds of dried beans, canned beans
Every herb and spice known to man
Peppercorn melange, several sorts of salt
Rices:black, red, brown, risotto (arborio) Jasmine
Farro, kasha, bulgur, rolled oats, quinoa
Sugars: brown, white, dots, stevia
Nuts; walnuts, hazelnut, pecans
Quality vanilla, chocolate chips, flours, wheat and corn, semolina
 
All you need to supplement a well stocked pantry is a CSA from one of your local farms, or better yet grow a garden….and several trips to get curb side pick up from your fave restaurant! Your farmers and restauranteurs deserve our support at this most difficult time.
 

Minted Pea Soup – A June recipe

I love this recipe for the present moment, because I have so many of these ingredients coming along in my garden in mid-June….chives, mint, peas…..sounds just as refreshing as it tastes. Give this easy recipe a try….it’s good enough for company!

Ingredients

3 tb. salted farm butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 qt. vegetable broth
6 cups fresh or frozen, thawed green peas
1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves stemmed
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, stemmed
1/4 cup creme fraiche or a non dairy substitute.
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives for garnish

Preparation

Melt butter in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring until translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add half the broth and bring to a boil. Add the peas and simmer until just cooked through, if fresh just about 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and add herbs, seasonings and add remaining broth to pot.

Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender, correcting the seasonings and amount of liquid until you get to a perfectly smooth consistency.

This soup may be served warm or cool and topped with creme fraiche and chives or left dairy free and Vegan.

A Visit to Beth’s Farm Market, Warren, Maine

Long a local hang of area chefs, Beth’s Farm Market is distinguished by it’s sparkling fresh produce, grown, and picked or foraged right on their farm. The most delicate of baby radishes, the greenest young garlic, earthy parsnips, fiddleheads by the pound, a rosy heritage rhubarb named Valentine and thick, heady asparagus all grace the shelves in the merry month of May. Did I mention dandelion greens, my personal favorite? Beth’s is an institution where you may see dyed-in-the-wool elderly Mainers shopping alongside of hipsters, foodies and chefs.

Fiddleheads, (shown left) these spring darlings, available in May, are supplemented by over wintered carrots, beets and potatoes and their compliment of pies, donuts and other freshly baked goods, making it a one stop shopping experience. You can also procure the stinkiest “store cheese”, Cheddar, of course, and pots of fresh kitchen herbs. Or perennials, of the dependable sort, for your flower border.

A bit later in the season expect Beth’s sweet corn, a local favorite, said to be the sweetest around! Several varieties of oysters and live lobster are also in the house, on vats of crushed ice.

One interesting aside is that Beth’s employs many Jamaican workers in high season. There are very talented Jamaican pastry chefs in the kitchen, consistently turning out the favorites like their fresh strawberry shortcake.

Shown above: spinach, Jamaican-style pickled peppers, dandelions

One of the farm foremen, John, has had a hand in growing and popularizing the most remarkable green, an amaranth, called callaloo, available in mid-season and a staple vegetable in Jamaica. Deeply nourishing, it’s a breeze to cook, the entire plant being edible. You simply wash it and shake it dry, then chop the entire thing, leaves, stems and all. It’s all very tender and toothsome. I blanch the chopped callaloo in boiling, salted water and drain it in a colander when it turns bright green. Season it with good salt and olive oil. You’ll be surprised how much you can eat and how good it makes you feel.

Beth’s brings together a few different worlds…Mainers, restauranteurs and Jamaican farmers. “So…for those about to cook, we salute you!”

Meyer Lemon Lobster Salad with Spring Greens

This recipe feeds four.

2 pounds of picked whole lobster body meat, tail, knuckle and claw

Homemade mayo …or Hellman’s with a touch of grated Meyer lemon zest mixed into the mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Two Meyer lemons, which are less tart than the usual lemon…still in the market in late spring

The freshest spicy blend of farmers market greens you can find, 1/2 pound

Cut the lobster meat into manageable chunks.

Dress very lightly with the lemony mayo and season to taste. Add a squeeze of Meyer lemon juice and mix lightly.

Arrange your seasonal greens on an attractive plates and add 1/2 pound dollop of lobster salad on top. Garnish with a Meyer lemon wedge.

A dusting of paprika and a wedge of baguette is all that’s needed, and maybe a glass of Rose. Couldn’t be easier or more luxurious….and that’s what summer entertaining is all about. Luxuriate.

Easy Five Ingredient Mayonnaise

Ingredients:
1 large egg, room temperature
1-1/4 c light olive or avocado oil
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt and a grind of white pepper
2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice, in this case use Meyer lemon

1) Put 1/4 cup oil in food processor or blender, add egg, mustard and salt

2) Process for about 30 seconds, until light yellow in color

3) With blender on low, slowly add remaining oil very slowly until the mixture is emulsified and thickened

4) Finally add the lemon juice until incorporated

Your homemade mayo is good for a week under refrigeration. This is a great way to layer the Meyer lemon flavor into this recipe.

Claytonia, a little something about summer farm stand greens:

My favorite grower often adds claytonia, sometimes called miner’s lettuce in the west, into her mix. It’s said that this humble little green saved the early gold miners from scurvy back in the Gold Rush days. It’s one of my favorite addiotns because of it’s great look, with a flower in the middle (See lobster salad image) and for the fact that it’s loaded with vitamin C.

Soft, buttery and with unmistakable good looks, look for claytonia in your mid season farmer’s market.

Los Angeles – Nopales, grilling cactus paddles

Last winter I was fortunate to be invited to the home of very good friends in the Los Angeles area. Being the consumate hosts that they were, we were on the go 24-7…and believe me there’s a lot to see. We covered ground from their beautiful hillside home in Long Beach to the expansive beaches of Ventura and the Mid-Century Modern neighborhoods nearby. We saw every museum and road side attraction from LA to Palm Springs ( date shake anyone?), ate primo Ethiopian food, sampled street tacos and crushed the food trucks ( Hey, there’s Cousin’s Maine  Lobster Truck selling lobster rolls!)


But the sight that really piqued my interest was a street vendor selling cleaned nopales, or prickly pear cactus paddles. He was masterful in his cleaning technique as you’ll see in the video. You do not want to run into a stray cactus needle, trust me. It was easy as pie to follow his instructions for a grilled nopale and we ate them the same day. The nopales are distinctively tart, soft yet crunchy and make a perfect foil for fatty meats. Think about pairing with BBQ pork tacos, like a relish or vegetable side dish. I’ll bet they’d also make a good salsa verde.

 Here’s the method:

Bring home your cactus paddles cleaned (ideally).

Mix up some avocado oil with good salt, fresh pepper and baste both sides of each paddle.

Get your grill medium hot and place paddles on the fire. Do not move them until they’re nicely and deeply scored, or marked, then flip them and score them again.

Grill until soft. Pull the nopales off the fire and let them rest a moment before slicing them . Finish with a good salt like Maldon and serve with almost any meat.

You’re welcome!