Surf and Turf with Creamed Corn and Spring Vegetable Medley

Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home Creamed Summer Corn Recipe
serves 2, generously

2 ears of supersweet corn, shucked
1 large lime
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons heavy cream (Derek used whole milk)
pinch of cayenne
3/4 tablespoon finely chopped chives

With a sharp knife, cut vertically down each ear of corn to slice off the kernels. Put the kernels in a large bowl, then hold each cob over the bowl and use a spoon or the back of a knife to scrape any remaining corn and the milk from the cob.

Grate the zest of the lime and set aside. Cut the lime in half.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the corn, squeeze about 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, or to taste, over the corn, and season with salt.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, concentrating the flavour, and the corn is beginning to sizzle, 15 to 17 minutes.

Stir in the cream, the cayenne, and lime zest. Continue to cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cream is absorbed by the corn. Add salt to taste, stir in the chives and enjoy hot.

Springtime Pasta with Fava Beans and Herbs

2 cups shelled fava beans
1 cup shelled english peas
2 teaspoons fresh mint, minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh basil, minced
2 tablespoons spring garlic, minced
juice from 1 small lemon, to taste
2-3 tablespoons herbed quark mix (recipe below)
2-3 servings whole wheat fettucini
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, to taste
1-2 slices proscuitto, torn into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon toasted breadcrumbs

Heat a large pot of water to boil. This water will be used for the fava beans/peas and cooking the pasta, so it needs to be big enough for both.

Shell the fava beans and peas. Pop the beans into the boiling water for a couple minutes and pull them out. Let sit until cool enough to handle while you prep the herbs.

Peel the outer covering of the fava beans to reveal beautiful bright green little fava beans. Set aside. Combine the prepped herbs together including the salt. Reheat the "fava bean" water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook it according to the box directions while you make the Herbed Quark Cheese Mix. Drain the pasta.

Heat a saute pan with a little olive oil and saute the herbs for 1-2 minutes until aromatic, and add the favas. Toss together and add the lemon juice and additional olive oil if necessary. Turn off the heat and add the pasta and toss together in the saute pan. Toss in the torn proscuitto pices and top with the breadcrumbs.

Herbed Quark Cheese Mix:

1/4 cup quark cheese
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon spring garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint minced
Pinch salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Individual Strawberry Clafoutis

Individual Strawberry Clafoutis
serves 2

6 fresh strawberries
2 tbsp + 2 tsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
pinch cinnamon
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425F.

Wash and dry strawberries, then trim leafy tops off. Take out six 6-oz ramekins or oven-safe custard cups and place 3 strawberries in the bottom of each.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in milk, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts and whisk very vigorously until mixture is smooth and lump-free. This can also be done in the food processor.

Divide custard evenly into ramekins, filling each about 2/3 – 3/4 full. Strawberries may float up a bit, which is fine.
Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Turn the oven temperature down to 350F as you put the baking sheet in the oven.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted into the center of each clafoutis comes out clean.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Clafoutis will fall somewhat during cooling.

Makes 2

Sesame Soba Noodles with Cucumber, Bok Choy, and Mixed Greens

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper, divided
1/3 cup canola oil
8 ounces soba noodles
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 cups (loosely packed) mixed baby greens
2 heads of baby bok choy, cored, thinly sliced crosswise
1 English hothouse cucumber, cut into matchstick-size strips
3 green onions, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Salted roasted peanuts
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preparation

Puree first 9 ingredients and 1 teaspoon red pepper in blender until smooth. With machine running, gradually add canola oil through opening in lid. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.

Cook soba noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Using kitchen shears, cut noodles crosswise in 2 to 3 places. Drizzle noodles in strainer with sesame oil and toss to coat.

Place greens, bok choy, cucumber, green onions, chopped cilantro, and mint in large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon red pepper, dressing, and noodles; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and peanuts and serve.

Roasted Chicken with Summer Vegetable Gratin

Summer Vegetable Gratin
(adapted from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home)

2 Roma (plum) tomatoes
1 medium zucchini
1 Japanese eggplant
Canola oil
2.5 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1 T plus 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbsp. EVOO (approximately)
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice vegetables with a mandoline as close in size as possible and toss with olive oil and a lite sprinkling of sea salt.

Heat some canola oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, reduce to low, add onions and garlic and season with salt. Cook without browning stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 20 minutes. Stir in 1 tbs of the thyme.

Combine parmesan and bread crumbs and remaining thyme in a small bowl.

Spread onion mixture in the bottom of a 13.5x9.5 gratin dish or 13 inch round shallow baking dish. Arrange a layer of overlapping slices of 1/3 of the squash around the outside edge of the dish. Sprinkle 2-3 tbs of the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Add a row of tomatoes, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini until you the pan is filled adding a layer of breadcrumbs ontop of each layer. Sprinkle the top with any of the remaining breadcrumb/cheese mixture and a light sprinkling of salt.

Bake for 60-90 minutes until the vegetables are completely tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Strawberry Limoncello Granita with Whipped Cream and Candied Basil

Strawberry Limoncello Granita with Whipped Cream and Candied Basil
Fresh Strawberry Granita
Makes about 6 cups

1 cup hot water
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons limoncello
3 cups sliced hulled strawberries (1 pound whole berries) plus additional berries for garnish

Stir first 3 ingredients in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Blend 3 cups strawberries in processor until smooth. Add sugar syrup and blend until combined.
Pour mixture into 13x9x2-inch nonstick metal baking pan. Freeze until icy around edges, about 25 minutes. Using fork, stir icy portions into middle of pan. Freeze until mixture is frozen, stirring edges into center every 20 to 30 minutes, about 1 1/2 hours. Using fork, scrape granita into flaky crystals. Cover tightly and freeze. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.) Scrape granita into bowls. Garnish with berries

Candied Basil

Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tablespoons water
8 fresh basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175ºF.
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool so that it’s just warm (not hot, or the basil will discolor). Soak the basil leaves in the syrup for 5 minutes.
Remove the leaves from the syrup and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, or until crystallized.
Preparing an Ice Bath:

Fill a large bowl halfway with water and ice, then nestle a smaller bowl in the ice water that’s in the larger bowl. Be careful to ensure that none of the ice water drips into the smaller bowl.

Broiled Sake-Marinated Black Cod with Shrimp Dumplings in Shiso Broth

My version of my favorite San Francisco dish from Ame restaurant. I'm lucky enough that they published the recipe - or at least something that results in a similar product. Their version is slightly more dense in flavors and smaller in serving size.

Unfortunately we don't really have a real broiler so I wasn't able to get that beautiful caramelization on the fish. Oh well. It still tasted fantastic. Surprisingly, one of my favorite parts was the dumpling. At the restaurant, critics often mention that this is not a necessary component of the dish and is forgettable. I have to say - my version (which is more hearty - filled with more filling) was certainly not forgettable - they were fantastic!

Though this meal has a few different components, it's not too difficult to assemble. I did it in various steps throughout the day which made the final preparation pretty easy.

I served it with some sake and also a dry riesling that we had open from the night before. I would like to try it with the recommended pairing - Etude Pinot Gris, which I know is a pretty nice wine - especially with food.

My only regret with making this meal is that it makes ordering it at the restaurant for $34 + tax and tip slightly less appealing since I was able to basically re-create it at home for around $35-$40 for a two person hefty serving.

Broiled Sake-Marinated Black Cod with Shrimp Dumplings in Shiso Broth

from AME Restaurant in San Francisco

Suggested Wine Pairing: We suggest a very dry wine, with a floral, fruit forward nose that has a hint of caramel. Try Etude Pinot Gris. It also goes great with Sake-preferably a Japanese regional sake like Kubota Hekiju.

Yield: 4 servings

Note: I used 2 black cod filets - both probably 7-8 ounces but made a full batch of the broth and vegetables. Everything else was halved (dumplings and marinade) but I served three dumplings per person rather than two.

4 (6- to 7-ounce) Black Cod fillets, about 2 by 2 by 4 inches each
¾ cup sake marinade

Sake Marinade:
Yield: about 3/4 cup

¼ cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons mirin
2 Tablespoons sake
¼ teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon grated garlic

In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.

Shrimp Filling:
5 ½ ounces rock shrimp, deveined
2 ½ ounces scallops
1 tablespoon egg, beaten
¼ teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon grated fresh garlic
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons mirin
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
1 egg yolk
¼ teaspoon water
20 wonton wrappers

Shiso Broth:
2 cups chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons mirin
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic, grated
1/8 teaspoon ginger, grated and peeled
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
¾ ounce shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and thinly sliced
20 thin slices peeled carrot
¼ cup leek, julienned (white part only)
1 cup spinach leaves

Garnish:
4 shiso leaves, cut into chiffonade
1 ½ teaspoons white sesame seeds, toasted

To marinate the cod, put the fillets in a non-reactive container and pour the marinade over the top, making sure the fillets are completely covered by the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

To make the filling, combine all the ingredients except the sesame oil in a food processor and process until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the sesame oil through the feed tube and process to mix.

In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk with the water to make an egg wash for the wonton wrappers. To assemble the dumplings, see the instructions for making ravioli. Use 1 scant tablespoon of the filling for each dumpling.

To make the broth, whisk together all the ingredients in a medium bowl.

To cook the cod, preheat the broiler. Take the cod fillets out of the marinade and place on a baking sheet pan. Broil 3 inches from the heat source for about 10 minutes, or until a deep mahogany in color outside, and opaque throughout. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp dumplings and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent; drain. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil and add the shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and leek. Lower the heat to a simmer, then add the spinach and dumplings and simmer just to warm, about 5 seconds.

To serve, divide the dumplings, vegetables, and broth among 4 warmed large shallow bowls and sprinkle with the shiso. Place a fillet in the center of each bowl and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

Spring Vegetable Pasta Primavera

Spring Vegetable Pasta Primavera

Ingredients
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups sliced zucchini
• 2/3 cup vertically sliced carrots
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups hot, cooked whole-wheat spaghetti or linguine
• 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan (we omitted this ingredient - did not have on hand)
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions

Instructions
Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add broccoli, squash, carrot, and garlic; stir-fry for 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in basil. Add broth and wine to vegetables and bring to a boil Add the pasta to the pan; toss to mix well. Serve, sprinkling with the Parmesan (or fleur de sel).

Seared Sea Scallops with Spring Pea Soup

Spring Pea Soup

1 carrot, diced
1 spring onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
EVOO
2 cloves garlic
1 lb fresh spring peas, removed from pod
3 to 4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
roasted corn kernels, for garnish

Saute carrot, spring onion, celery in EVOO until soft. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add peas and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until peas are tender and cooked through (you will still taste a bit of starch if the pea isn't full cooked).

Add mint leaves. Using a hand immersion blender, blend the ingredients into a thin puree, adding more liquid if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with corn kernels and fleur de sel. You may choose to serve the scallops on top of the soup or alongside.


Thomas Keller's Caramelized Sea Scallops

1 cup kosher salt
1 cup hot water
4 cups cold water
6-7 U7 sea scallops (about 1 lb), tough side muscle removed from each one
1 tablespoon Clarified Butter

Line a small baking sheet with paper towels. Combine the salt with the hot water in a large bowl, stirring to dissolve the salt. Add the cold water.

Add the scallops to the brine and let stand for 10 minutes (no longer, or the scallops may become too salty). Drain the scallops, rinse under cold water, and arrange in a single layer on the paper towels.

Heat the clarified butter in a large stainless steel frying pan over medium-high heat until it ripples and begins to smoke. Sprinkle the scallops lightly with salt and add them to the pan, without crowding. (If necessary, cook the scallops in two pans or in 2 batches; if they touch, they will steam rather than caramelize.) Cook, without moving the scallops, until the bottoms are a rich golden brown, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Turn the scallops and caramelize the second side. (note: actual timing may vary depending on desired doneness. I prefer my scallops barely cooked inside)

Pork Chops with Chipotle Peach Sauce and Quinoa Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Rub for the pork chops:
Cumin
Coriander
Brown Sugar
Salt
Pepper

Grind spices and blend.

Chipotle Peach Sauce:
Peach, peeled and chopped
Chipotle puree and pepper
EVOO

Cook over medium low heat until the peach has softened. Puree.

For the pork chops, rub generously with spice mixture. Heat EVOO in a pan and pan sear both sides of the pork chops until golden brown. Stick pan in 350 degree oven until the pork has reached about 140 degrees. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving with the peach chipotle sauce.


For the Quinoa Stuffed Poblano Peppers:

Quinoa cooked in vegetable broth according to package directions
Zucchini, finely diced
Onion
Garlic
Poblano Peppers, roasted, peeled and slit open
Cilantro, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

Cook zucchini, onion, and garlic in a pan over medium heat until tender. Add in quinoa. Season to taste. Divide quinoa mixture between roasted peppers. Garnish with lime and cilantro.

Southwestern-style Quinoa Salad

4 Tbsp EVOO, divided
3/4 cup finely diced zucchini
3/4 cup finely diced green papaya (or cucumber)
1/2 onion, finely diced (ideally red onion)
3/4 cup corn kernels (fresh corn if in season)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1.5 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes (about 2-6 slices per cherry tomato - depending on the size)
1 avocado, finely diced
1 cup dry quinoa, cooked according to package directions
1.5 cups chickpeas
handful of cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper

Heat EVOO in a large pan. Add zucchini, green papaya, onion and corn. Saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Stir to mix evenly. Stir in cherry tomatoes, avocado, quinoa, chickpeas, cilantro, and lime. Season to taste with salt and pepper and adjust seasonings accordingly.

But really, put in whatever you want!