Corn and Kale Panzanella

Corn and Kale Panzanella

There was a point a few weeks ago when I just wanted to call a timeout.  What was already a pretty packed July was rapidly getting busier.  The e-mails, the requests, and the invitations kept coming in.  I have trouble saying no. This is especially true when it comes to work, but it occurs with other engagements as well. A dinner? Sure! A trip? Of course!  I want to agree to it all, afraid that declining will result in a missed opportunity.  But I hit a point when I just had to politely inform folks that I was booked for the next month.

Today, however, marks a number of deadlines for me.  I've been working on a few marketing campaigns and a cookbook shoot for the last month and a half and the majority of the work wrapped this past weekend.  I'm taking the day off before I gear up for three full days of work.  Despite the heat and humidity, I'm heading outdoors, picnicking in the Boston Common where a music festival is currently underway.

Before leaving you with today's recipe (or, in this case, a link to a guest post I did), I wanted to direct you all to the summer issue of FoodieCrush Magazine.  If you don't already know about it, stop whatever you're doing and check it out.  It's a beautifully designed publication from my friend Heidi and I'm so honored to have contributed photography for the last couple of issues.  Oh, and it's FREE! Check it out here (and page 42 for the article I contributed to).

Now, onto the guest post! The folks at Better Homes and Gardens asked me to take one of their recipes and give it a twist.  Originally, I had thought that a lightly dressed panzanella with some kale thrown in would do the trick, but I found that it actually wasn't all that interesting.  Shaved corn and some chopped roasted red pepper added the sweetness (not to mention a shock of color) that the dish needed.

Click over to see the original panzanella recipe from Better Homes and Gardens and to check out some of my alterations.

Kale and Corn Panzanella7

Grilled Bluefish Salad

Grilled Bluefish Salad

Grilled Bluefish with Curry and Lemon

Grilled Bluefish with Curry and Lemon

Isn't it neat how the weather directly effects our eating habits?  A month ago, a dinner of soup or stew or pasta wasn't out of the question.  But now the mere thought of turning the oven on makes me sweat.  Thankfully, I have a talented grill-master of a husband who knows how to cook fish perfectly, so we've taken most of our food preparation outside.

Over the last few weeks, we've been preparing a lot of bluefish.  Caught along the East Coast, bluefish is meatier and more oily than a lot of other seafood from this region.  It's a turn off for some, but I find that grilling it takes care of the "fishiness."  The price of bluefish, which is usually found in local stores for $7 or $8/lb, makes it very appealing as well.  We'll often buy an extra portion or two to make this salad, which we enjoy for lunch throughout the week.  Credit must be given to our friend, Kat, who served a bowl of this when we were together on the Cape last month and had mixed in some minced lemon slices.  It's a wonder I hadn't thought to do the same before, since I'm known for adding lemon zest or juice to almost everything I make.  It provides a surprising amount of zip, which is exactly what I want in summer fare.

Grilled Bluefish Salad

Grilled Bluefish Salad

Servings Grilled Bluefish (alone): Serves 4 for dinner Grilled Bluefish Salad: Approximately 8-10 people for lunch

Ingredients

For the grilled bluefish 2 - 1 lb bluefish fillets, bones removed 4 tablespoons olive oil Coarse ground black pepper 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1 tablespoon minced ginger Curry powder 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds, seeds removed Soy sauce

For the salad 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1/4 cup chopped cucumber 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped 1/2 shallot, minced 1 teaspoon minced flat-leaf parsley 2 grilled lemon slices, minced

Pita bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Prepare the bluefish for the grill.  Place the fish fillets in a large glass baking dish. Rub each fillet of fish with 1 tablespoon olive oil, curry powder, and black pepper. Spread and gently smoosh (yes, smoosh) garlic slices and ginger into the flesh of the fillet.  Top with lemon slices.  Pour 3 tablespoons of soy sauce over the fillets. Let sit for 30 minutes.

2. While the fish is marinating, prepare the grill.  Pour some canola oil on a paper towel and rub this over the grates of the grill.  Preheat the grill to medium heat.  Once it has preheated, place each fillet, skin side down, on the grill.  Close the cover of the grill and cook for approximately 10-12 minutes until the fish is firm and starts to flake as you lift it.  If necessary, cook for an additional 3 minutes and check again.

3. Transfer the fish to a large platter.  At this point, you can eat some of the fish as a meal and just use leftovers for bluefish salad, or you can make one large batch of bluefish salad.

4. Before you make the bluefish salad, make sure the fillets have cooled. Once they have cooled, remove the skin from the fish.  Don't worry if a little remains.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and flake the fish with a fork.  Add the cucumber, carrot, shallot and minced grilled lemon slices.  Add the mayonnaise and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and, if necessary, add salt and black pepper.

Apricot and Cherry Crumble

Apricot and Cherry Crumble

“All men are created equal. Now matter how hard they try, they can never erase those words. That is what America is about.” - Harvey Milk

How far we've come.

Last week, when the Supreme Court announced it's decision to strike down DOMA and to allow same-sex marriages to resume in California, I sat at my computer, stunned.   I wasn't exactly speechless.  In fact, I screamed so loud I'm pretty sure our neighbors heard me. I hadn't expected to be so emotional, but it hit me hard.  As much as we've tried to tell ourselves that our marriage (which took place four years ago on June 20th)... our love... our life... was no different than anyone else's, DOMA was always there to point out that it wasn't real.  At least that's how it felt... and it hurt terribly.

When the decision came in, I knew we had to do something to celebrate.  Maybe lobster and champagne. Something decadent.  I spent the afternoon buying groceries to prepare a nice meal.  By the time Eric got home from work that evening, I had the table decorated with wine glasses, cheese and cut up rounds of baguette. As he entered the kitchen, I rushed over and threw my arms around him.  "We're married... again!" I said. He laughed and gave me a kiss.  "Yay," he replied. "Now let's pop open some vino!"

Apricot and Cherry Crumble

Apricot and Cherry Crumble

Apricot and Cherry Crumble

Apricot and Cherry Crumble

Apricot and Cherry Crumble

Servings 6-8

Ingredients

For the filling 2 pounds apricots, pits removed 1 cup pitted cherries, sliced in half 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg Juice of 1/2 a lemon

For the topping 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup sliced almonds 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Vanilla ice cream Lemon verbena, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Using 1 tablespoon of butter or cooking spray, grease a 9 inch glass pie plate.

3. Place the apricot and cherries into a large bowl, toss with sugar, flour and nutmeg and spread across the pie plate.  Drizzle the lemon juice over fruit.

4. In another bowl, add the dry ingredients for the topping.  Using a fork, mix the topping ingredients while drizzling the butter in, until it begins to come together. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit and pat it down until it has completely covers the pan.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top has turned a slightly golden-brown.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream topped with fresh lemon verbena.