Lemon Pasta With Artichoke Hearts, Tuna, Sundried Tomatoes And A Cream Pesto Sauce

Pin It

I know that by now you must be thinking that this has turned into a gardening blog instead of the food blog you originally subscribed to.  The truth is that since I had back surgery last August, my interest in food has all but evaporated.  I have lost almost 20 lbs and I am delighted to meet up with my old size 10 clothes.  These days, I eat to sustain.  It's all about calories folks, and eating less is a sure bet to weight loss.  Don't over think it.  Listen to your stomach and eat when it tells you.  Just a little will keep it content.  I am not hungry until mid afternoon when I have a small snack.  I eat a normal dinner, including a sweet, if I feel like it,  and that's it until the next day.  The only exercise I do is in the garden or going up and down the stairs that separate us from Madame Mere's apartment.

Yesterday I got inspired... at Homegoods, of all places.  It was a jar of sun dried tomatoes that made me want pasta.  They often have wonderful artisanal pasta made in Italy and I always stock up when a new shipment comes in.  The one that got my attention was the lemon linguine.  I thought it would go well with the sun dried tomatoes and....tuna! I also remembered the jar of artichoke hearts in the pantry that I had noticed was getting near expiration.  Voila, a new dish was born!  From there it was just a matter of tweaking with herbs.  Very soon I was going to be enjoying a dish and memories of the South of France.

By the time I got home I was starving and ready for an evening of creativity.  My daughter had just made a Costco run and there on the counter was a jar of what would make this dish sing, basil pesto.  And crunch, Parmesan Crisps! No matter she had forgotten the napkins which was the reason she had gone there in the first place!

I encourage you to make the recipe as is.  Don't substitute for the Sherry with white wine.  It needs the sweetness and body only Sherry can add.  If you can't get lemon pasta easily, don't sweat it.  Add a TB finely shredded lemon peel or chopped lemon balm.

I only used half the package of pasta and it was enough for four people.  I tend to like more "goodies" and less pasta and these are the right proportions.  If you make the whole package, double up on the rest of the ingredients.

This would be a great ladies lunch in Summer or Spring or a quick dinner any time of the week.  Put your feet up, enjoy the garden and imagine you are in the South of France!

Lemon Pasta With Artichoke Hearts, Tuna and Sun Dried Tomatoes In a Cream Pesto Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 TB butter
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot chopped
1/2 cup Dry Sherry
2 TB basil pesto
8 oz. heavy cream

1/2 lb Lemon pasta, linguine or fettuccine, cooked al dente*
1 can artichoke hearts
1 can tuna, packed in oil and drained
4 or 5 sliced sun dried tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste ( I added a few flakes of Aleppo pepper)

Parmesan cheese, shredded
Parmesan Whisps

Chopped basil or parsley for decoration (optional)


Directions:

Pre warm the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta as per package directions. Leave a little al dente. Drain and save some of the cooking water.

Saute the garlic and shallot in the oil and butter until translucent.

Add the Sherry and reduce to half.

Add the basil pesto.  You can use homemade or ready made.  Stir

Add the cream and let it simmer for a bit until it thickens.

Add the artichoke hearts, roughly chopped, the tuna and the sliced sun dried tomatoes.

Add the cooked pasta and stir until the noodles are fully coated.  If you find it is too thick (you won't) add a little of the pasta water.

Place in a casserole dish, sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese and top with crunched Parmesan Whisps.   Cook covered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and cook for another 5 or until it browns.  Don't let the pasta dry up!

Add chopped parsley or basil on top before serving (optional).  I was too hungry!

* you can use plain pasta but add about 1 TB finely shredded lemon peel.

All photos Lindaraxa

Lunch With Madame Mere...Mediterranean Tuna Salad On Roasted Red Peppers

Pin It

This weekend MM and I were on our own.  My daughter flew up north to visit friends and I got to take care of Mother, Madison, Lily and Coco.  Just us girls, by ourselves, with Lindaraxa to feed us.

Yesterday was a race against the clock to fertilize the azaleas and fumigate the roses before the storms came in the late afternoon.  It was unusually hot and humid and, by noon, after a final sweep of the garage,  I was ready for bed.  But there was lunch to prepare for my mother has no help during the weekend and she does look forward to her meals.  Usually my daughter pitches in, but this time I was flying solo.

I am telling you all this so you can appreciate how easy this recipe was to put together.  I had all the ingredients on hand, including half a big jar of Italian roasted red peppers.  I placed the salad on a plate  in the freezer and a French rose in a bucket full of ice while I went upstairs to take a shower. By the time we sat down it was so cold MM asked when I had made it.

What makes this salad different and Mediterranean are not only the roasted red peppers, but the addition of capers and scallions to an everyday tuna salad.  It may become the standard in this house when tomatoes are not available or out of season.

This recipe feeds four, which means we get to enjoy it for lunch again today!

Mediterranean Tuna Salad On Roasted Red Peppers
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 can white tuna, oil or water packed, drained
4 TB mayonnaise
2 celery stalks, peeled and finely chopped
4 hard boiled eggs
2 TB finely sliced scallions
1 to 2 TB drained capers
Black pepper to taste
Salt if needed

2 canned roasted red peppers, cut in half
Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Boil the eggs for 15 minutes and chill in an ice bath.  In a bowl, mix the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, scallions and capers.  Add the black pepper and one boiled egg, chopped. Taste for salt.  You will find that you don't need any.

In a plate, open one red pepper half, add some tuna salad.  Sprinkle with parsley on top, if using, and decorate each plate with the rest of the eggs, sliced.

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers With Salmon And Yellow Rice

Pin It

Stuffed red bell peppers are one of my favorite comfort meals.  There are many variations but the one we usually think of has beef, cheese or a combination of both with rice.  They are delicious but can be a bit heavy for lunch or on a warm summer night.  Last week I made them using leftover baked salmon and saffron rice.  If you can believe, they were the leftovers of leftovers.

Costco sells a  ready to bake salmon with basil pesto that comes in handy when you are pressed for time.   The first night we had it with boiled potatoes and asparagus with Parmesan cheese.  Nice and healthy.  The second night we had the leftovers cold with yellow rice and asparagus vinaigrette.  I mixed dill and chives with mayonnaise to go with the salmon.  And on the third night, I stuffed three of the six red peppers I had also bought at Costco.  Talk about averaging down on the price of a meal...

I have always splurged on food (and shoes) but these days, with the price of meat and seafood in the stratosphere, I have become an artiste in the kitchen.  We all need to start thinking this way for it's only going to get worse.

I will probably repeat this exercise very soon but next time, I will save the stuffed peppers for a lady's lunch.  A cold soup and a light dessert is all you need for a delightful ladies lunch.

I strongly recommend that you make the salmon the night before and enjoy it with the yellow rice for dinner.  If you want to make the stuffed peppers from scratch, here's the recipe.  I would still make the yellow rice the day before and keep it in the refrigerator.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked yellow rice from about 1 cup raw white rice*
4 large red bell peppers
1 1/4 lbs salmon
6 large basil leaves
2 TB butter softened
olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 TB mayonnaise
1 tsp dill
Parmesan cheese


For the rice:

1 TB butter
2 TB chopped scallions
2TB chopped red pepper
1 cup white rice
1 3/4 Chicken broth
pinch of saffron or use turmeric to color the rice

Procedure

If you haven't made the rice do it now so it can cool..Saute the scallion and pepper in the butter.  Add the rice and combine.  Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until rice is done, about 20 minutes.  If the rice is not done you can always add more broth, cover and continue cooking. Set aside to cool.

Now bake the salmon. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the chopped basil leaves with the softened butter and place on top of the salmon.  Bake the salmon for 30 minutes or until done.  Do not overcook. When the salmon is done, take it out of the pan and let cool.

Cut the top off the peppers.  Remove and discard the stem and seeds.  Cut a small slice off the bottoms of the peppers so they sit level in the pan.

Oil the peppers all over with olive oil and set on an oven proof Pyrex or baking pan.  Cook at 375 for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

 Flake the salmon before adding to rice.

Combine the rice and salmon in a bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix the dill and the mayonnaise and add to the rice and salmon.  Check again for salt and pepper.

With a dessert spoon gently stuff the peppers.  Top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Replace the top of the peppers and drizzle olive oil over the stuffed peppers, along the outside of the peppers, and into the pan.   Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until the peppers are cooked but slightly firm.  They should look like this.

Serve them hot or room temperature if serving them as part of a buffet.

A Ladies Lunch In The Garden

Pin It

Here in the South, the irises are blooming, the lilacs are blooming, the peonies are blooming and the roses and clematis are starting their show.  What else do you need for a ladies lunch?  Yes, this is it.  If you have a decent garden, this is your time to host a ladies lunch and shine.  The temperature is perfect and the menu...the season for asparagus and strawberries and Meyer lemons.  What's not to like?

Don't be intimidated by the crab cakes.  Trust me, this is a no fail recipe.  You can fry them about an hour before the guests show up and crisp them up in a hot oven just before serving them.

The asparagus vinaigrette can be prepared way ahead.  It is just steamed asparagus in a vinaigrette sauce served cold.  You can substitute Meyer lemon for the vinegar and add finely chopped hard boiled eggs on top for decoration. The biscuits and the pickled shrimp can and should be made two to three days before and the soup and the tart the day before.

I like to serve Bellinis because they are easy to make and different.  When white peaches are not in season, you can substitute with a ready made peach puree mix you can buy at the liquor or grocery store.  I know its not the same but it's good.  Substitute your own favorite cocktail if you wish. Just don't get too complicated.

There is nothing like a French dry rose for a Summer or Spring lunch  Click on the link below for some suggestions.  If you must choose a white wine, go with a Fume or Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley such as a Sancerre.  They are dry, crisp and elegant  and go better with fish than a Chardonnay .

This really is an easy and elegant menu, one that will leave you free to enjoy your lunch and your friends on the day of the party.  Have fun.

A Spring Lunch In The Garden

Bellinis

Cocktail Cheese Biscuits

Pickled Shrimp

Chilled Spring Pea Soup

Maryland Crab Cakes

Cold Asparagus Vinaigrette

Meyer Lemon Tart
 or
Chocolate Torte With Walnuts*

 Fresh Strawberries

********

Domaine Houchart, dry rose

Homemade Iced Tea

*I have given you two desserts to choose from in case you cant find Meyer lemons.  Both go well with this lunch.  Notice I have omitted the word Bourbon in the torte.  To accompany with the strawberries it is best to make the original recipe with vanilla extract.  Serve with home made whipped cream on the side.  It can be made the day before and refrigerated.

Pickled Shrimp Two Ways

Pin It

As far as Southern recipes are concerned, pickled shrimp ranks up there at the very top.  There used to be a time when no Southern table would be complete without a chilled bowl of this iconic appetizer, and why not? They are obsessive, easy to make, great for a buffet or picnic and make for a great presentation.  I will have to say, though, that I had a hard time finding the recipe I was looking for and the one I used to make from the legendary food critic of the New York Times, Craig Claiborne, a Southerner himself.

In scrolling through the New York Times archives, I did find an article he wrote in 1967, Way Down South In The Land of...the Piquant Pickled Shrimp which featured the recipe of Mrs. Roy Hodges of Montgomery, Alabama.  Mr. Claiborne was known for getting behind a recipe and publishing it giving credit to the original source.  I thought that was really admirable of him, a real Southern gentleman.

There are many recipes for pickled shrimp, just as there are many for shrimp and grits.  Two of the ingredients that were missing from the ones I found in my cookbooks were two "staples of authentic Southern cooking, Worcestershire Sauce and Tabasco sauce." * When I read this in the New York Times article, I knew I had found my long lost recipe.

The only secret to this recipe is that the longer it sits, the better it tastes.  Plan on making it ahead of time so it can marinade for a couple of days in the fridge.  There is also a reason for making it in two steps or, better said, two layers.  With this amount of shrimp you want to make sure all of it gets coated evenly with the marinade.

*Craig Claiborne

Mrs. Rodgers Pickled Shrimp

3C vegetable oil
3 tsps. dry mustard (I use Coleman's)
4 tsps. sugar
2/3 cup vinegar (I used white)
2/3 cup catsup
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 to 6 cloves of garlic (I mash them and chop fine)
4 tsps Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco Sauce to taste
5 to 6 lbs of shrimp, cooked, shelled and deveined
3 medium size sweet onions, sliced wafer thin (I use Vidalia)
6 Bay Leaves

Directions:

Combine all the marinade ingredients, including the Tabasco sauce.  Blend half the mixture in a blender.

Arrange half the shrimp in a layer in a deep serving dish.  Arrange half the onions and the bay leaves.

Combine the other half of the marinade ingredients.  Repeat the layer of shrimp, onion and bay leaf. Pour the rest of the marinade over the whole dish. Cover and chill for at least a couple of days.

Serves 15

And here's the other from one of my favorite new Southern cooks, Frank Stitts. As you can see, it is hard to choose one or the other;  but I like the use of coriander, lemon, and celery seeds which is what I am used to in pickled shrimp.  Both are authentic versions of this iconic recipe and that is my main concern.

I only have two suggestions...marinade in the refrigerator for at least one day.  Serve in a chilled bowl with toothpicks and leave the bay leaves in.   It's easier, unless you are thinking of serving it as a first course.  It works.

Frank Stitts Pickled Shrimp

Time: About 20 minutes with cooked shrimp, plus 6 hours’ marinating (I highly recommend at least one day)

3 pounds shelled and deveined shrimp, boiled or steamed just until pink

2 medium onions, quartered and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

4 lemons, preferably organic, thinly sliced

14 bay leaves

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

4 dried hot chili peppers

1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss thoroughly. Transfer to a serving bowl or glass crock, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

2. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Remove bay leaves. Serve on small plates or with toothpicks.

Yield: 15 to 20 servings.

Adapted from “Frank Stitt’s Southern Table” by Frank Stitt (Artisan, 2004)
Photo Evan Sung

Both of these recipes can be halved or doubled.

Mommy And Me Crab Cakes

Pin It

This was one of the very first recipes I posted five years ago.  It is as good today as it was then.  The only difference is we are five years older and the price of crab meat has gone from $16 per pound to $21.  We now live together, we fight and we laugh and she still calls me Mommy. 

If you want a special yet easy recipe to make for your Mom, this is a good bet!

 Have a nice Mother's Day.

My favorite kitchen mate is my daughter, Christina. She will be great cook one of these days. Whenever we get together, we gravitate towards the kitchen; like this afternoon, when she decided to show off my crab cake recipe with a few additions of her own. The ingredients are the same, except she gives it a final dredge in Panko and fries them in sesame oil. I loved it...but what I love the most about my 36 year old daughter is that after all these years and in spite of her independence, she still calls me Mommy. (May 2009)

Ingredients

1 lb lump crab meat

2 TB red or white onion

1 Egg

2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

2 TB Mayonnaise

1 tsp.lemon juice

1 TB mustard

1 TBS melted butter

1 tsp. Parsley Flakes

1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 cup Bread Crumbs

Panko for dredging

Crisco or Sesame oil for frying

Combine all ingredients except for crab meat. Gently fold in crab meat. Shape into 8 cakes. Pass through Panko. Pat well. Fry in regular or sesame oil. Serve with tartar sauce.

Tartar Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

2-3 tsps. relish

Serves 4

Cook's Note: Make sure you get good crab meat, such as Alaska King crab in lump. Otherwise, you will have mediocre crab cakes and will blame the recipe. The quality of the crab meat is 90% of making good crab cakes. Serve with a salad and a dry white or rose for lunch.

All photos Lindaraxa

Char-Grilled Broccoli Salad With Sweet Tahini

Pin It

This salad is loved even by those who claim not to like tahini.  It is delightful as part of a cold buffet or a picnic.
   

I am on an adventurous streak these days, experimenting with new flavors and cuisines instead of falling back on that which is familiar.  Perhaps it has to do with Spring and its association with new beginnings.  Maybe it's just a phase or an "itch", but the truth is I want to feel excited again about cooking.

Discovering Yotam Ottolenghi has opened new doors for me and has introduced me to new dishes, new flavors and spices  I had never heard of.  It has also pushed me to go out on a limb and experiment with the unknown.  It has been almost as good as having an affair!

Take tahini paste.  First time I tried it was three years ago in hummus.  It took me awhile to like hummus but once I did, I couldn't stop eating it.  A couple of months ago, I bought my first bottle of tahini and made Roasted Red Pepper Hummus from scratch.  Little steps...
 
The recipe below is the second time I use tahini, this time to make a delicious drizzle for a broccoli salad.  The Ladies Who Lunch (and travel to London) will be most impressed.  They have heard of Ottolenghi.
 
Tahini  is a paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds used in North African, Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is served as a dip on its own or as a major component of hummus and other dishes.  Nowadays you can find it in most supermarkets.  I found mine in the Jewish section at Publix.

I promise you I am not going to turn this blog into a Middle Eastern affair but I will, from time to time, introduce you to new flavors and spices.  I hope you enjoy delving into the unknown and the unexpected, once in awhile, and join me on this culinary adventure. I can't think of a better guide than Yotam Ottolenghi.

 

We had the broccoli salad last night, together with grilled chicken and royal basmati and wild rice.   We both loved it but agreed that it would show off best if served as part of a cold meal or buffet.

Char-grilled sprouting broccoli with sweet tahini

Serves four.

550g broccoli (1 head)
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 1/2 oz/40g tahini paste
1½ tsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp each black and white sesame seeds, toasted (or just 2 tsp white)

Trim any big leaves off the broccoli and cut off the woody base of the stems. Blanch for three minutes in boiling, salted water until al dente, refresh, drain and leave to dry.

Toss the broccoli in the oil, a teaspoon of salt and a large pinch of pepper, then cook on a very hot ridged griddle pan for two minutes on each side, until slightly charred and smoky. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the tahini, honey, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt, and slowly start to add water half a tablespoon at a time. At first, the sauce will look as if it has split, but it will soon come back together.

Add just enough water to make the sauce the consistency of honey – around three tablespoons in total. Arrange the broccoli on a platter, drizzle with sauce and scatter with sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature.


Recipe Yotam Ottolenghi
All photos Lindaraxa

 

Spring is Here!...Fettuccine With Smoked Salmon And Dill Sauce

Pin It

 

 

 

 

Yes it's really here, finally...Spring!  The daffodils are blooming, the weeds are coming out and tonight we set our clocks forward to Daylight Savings Time.  Whoever thought of that is a genius!

 

 

 

 

 

We have spent the day laying mulch in the flower beds, cleaning around the azalea bushes, which were full of dead leaves, and spraying Roundup around the paths (and other places)  without my daughter knowing I am doing such a criminal enterprise.  Yes, she gets mad at me but I'm certainly not going to spend all my time digging up weeds where I don't need to.  I am a tired puppy and I hurt all over, but it feels good.  Nothing a couple of Tylenol and a vodka on the rocks, or two, can't cure.

 

 

I feel safer working in the garden now that I have Coco guarding the yard!

 

When the daffodils come out and the clock gets moved up one hour, it is time to think Spring and shelve all those comfort food cold weather recipes.  Good bye stews, goodbye braising, hello grills and welcome asparagus, strawberries and...you know the rest.

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of nights ago, in anticipation of a warm spell, we had this iconic Spring pasta.  Well, at least, iconic to me.  For some reason, when I think of Spring I think of salmon, smoked or otherwise.  It is a wonderful recipe for a midweek dinner or for a ladies lunch.  Your pick.

 

I used Spinach fettuccine but regular will do.  The cream sauce is light but nicely coats the pasta and salmon.  A teaspoon of grated lemon rind is the icing on the cake, a suggestion from my daughter.  I know you will enjoy it as much as we did.

 

 

 

 

 

FETTUCCINE WITH SMOKED SALMON AND DILL SAUCE

 Ingredients:

4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon or mild lox
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons minced shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup whipping cream
6 ounces fettuccine
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
Small sprigs of dill, for garnish
1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Procedure:

Cut the smoked salmon in lengthwise strips about two inches by three- eighths inch, cutting with the grain, so strips hold together better.

Combine the shallots and wine in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook over low heat about five minutes or until the liquid is reduced to about two tablespoons.

Stir in the cream, and return to a boil. Cook over medium heat about six minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the pasta. Cook, uncovered, over high heat, separating strands occasionally with a fork, for 30 seconds to two minutes for fresh pasta or two to five minutes for dried, or until tender but firm to the bite. Drain well. Transfer to a heated platter.

Bring sauce to a boil. Remove it from heat and stir in the snipped dill. Pour the sauce over noodles and toss. Gently stir in the salmon, using a large fork. Add salt and pepper to taste (salt may not be needed, depending on the saltiness of the smoked salmon or lox). Garnish with dill sprigs, lemon rind and serve. Makes four servings.

Recipe adapted from Faye Levy Sensational Pasta
All photos Lindaraxa

 

 

 



Winter Citrus Salad With Shrimp,Goat Cheese And Beets

Pin It

It seems everywhere I turn in the blogosphere, or in the world of printed media, there is yet another recipe for a citrus salad.  If it's January/February in the world of food, it is citrus.  Nothing else is as exciting as oranges, pomelos or grapefruit, or variations thereof.  No more soups...that is so January.   So here's Lindaraxa's take, and that's just because she found herself cleaning her refrigerator in the middle of a major ice storm, and a citrus salad in February is de rigeur.

I don't know about you, but I have this wonderful can opener, made by a German company, that opens a can and pretty much seal it at the same time.  Things stay fresher that way and, right now, I find myself with lots of sealed cans in the refrigerator that have to be dealt with... like mandarin oranges, Le Seur peas and beets.

It is freezing today, this is Georgia, and we have already two inches of snow on the ground where I live.  Nobody is going to work, and that includes my daughter.  Lunchtime is approaching and I want to make something special, for lunch, on a snowy day, for my daughter.   So here's killing two birds with one stone:

Citrus Salad With Shrimp, Goat Cheese And Beets

Lunch For Two

Ingredients:

1  large navel orange, mandarin or  tangelo
2 hard boiled eggs
6 steamed shrimp
8 black imported (kalamata) black olives, pitted

Vinaigrette

½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 heaping teaspoon freshly chopped fresh cilantro, or more

1 head, or more, Butter Lettuce
Thin slices of red onion
Pickled sliced red beets
1/2 cup goat cheese
thinly sliced red pepper
chick peas (optional)

Directions:

Trim off the ends of the orange, mandarin or tangelo. Peel them, then cut into quarter inch slices and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the olives and steamed shrimp.

To make the vinaigrette, place the garlic, vinegar and oil, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper in a small jar with a tight lid and shake well. Pour half the vinaigrette over the oranges, shrimp and olives and toss well.

In a big salad bowl, break the lettuce leaves in medium bites, add the red onion, beets, sliced red peppers and chick peas (if using) and toss well.  Add the shrimp, orange mix, the additional vinaigrette and toss again.  Correct for seasonings and dressing.  Sprinkle the goat cheese and the hard boiled eggs.

 Easily doubled or tripled. For a more formal lunch, add a hot soup to begin with and a crusty baguette.

Photos and recipe Lindaraxa

On A Cold Winter Night...Crabmeat And Roasted Red Pepper Quiche

Pin It

After all the holiday food of the last month and a half, I was ready for something new and radically different to make and post...something without the word pie, cookie, leftovers or peppermint bark.  Looking through my drafts for future posts, I came across this quiche.  I looked no more.

This recipe has been in my archives for a long time, waiting for Spring and a ladies lunch.  Together with the Mandarin Salad, and its slightly sweet and sour dressing,  it is the perfect menu for the Ladies Who Lunch any time of the year.  Instead, it was made yesterday, for dinner, on the coldest day we have had so far this winter.

Although there were no ladies in attendance this time, except for us five chicks, we really enjoyed it.  Under the lights of the Christmas tree, a roaring fire and The Remains of the Day on TV it was a great menu for a quiet Friday night.  If you have "real men" in the family who don't eat quiche, call it a pie.  They'll bite.

Tomorrow we have Season Four of Downton Abbey and the possibility of snow here in North Georgia.  If you want something lite and special for dinner, run to the store and grab what you need.  Don't forget a good bottle of white wine, preferably a Sauvignon Blanc, although a French Chardonnay would do well if you are serving the Mandarin Salad.

Make sure you buy fresh crabmeat, although you can use  Lump which is more reasonably priced than the Jumbo Lump.  That is what I used and it was perfect.  The recipe calls for six ounces but the container I bought had eight and I used all of it.

There is a recipe for the pie crust below but Mrs. Smith's ready made crust will save you lots of time.  As to the roasted red peppers, ditto, but buy good ones in a jar. We've cooked enough this past holiday season and a few short cuts here and there are well deserved.

 

 Crab Meat And Roasted Red Pepper Quiche

 

YIELD

4 to 6 servings
One 9 and 1/2-inch tart crust

 Ingredients

• Short-crust dough (see recipe), rolled and chilled in a 9 1/2-inch tart pan
• 1 small red pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Pinch cayenne
• 1 and 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 teaspoons slivered chives
• 6 ounces cooked crab meat, or use chopped cooked shrimp or lobster

Preparation

1.

Bake prepared dough at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Patch any small holes with leftover dough. Cool.

2.

Set red pepper in the flames of a stovetop gas burner turned to high. Turn with tongs until skin is blackened, 5 to 7 minutes, then cool. Peel, remove seeds and veins, and slice into 1/4-inch strips.

3.

Make the custard: in mixing bowl, beat eggs, mustard, salt, black pepper, paprika and cayenne. Whisk in cream and herbs. Set aside.

4.

Set tart pan on a baking sheet. Spread crab meat evenly over bottom of pastry. Arrange red pepper strips over crab meat. Beat custard once more and carefully pour into tart shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until top is golden and custard is set. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 Basic short-crust pastry

Ingredients

• 145 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter (1/4 pound), cut in 1/8-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons ice water

Preparation

Put flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor. Add butter and quickly cut it into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add ice water and mix briefly, about 30 seconds, to form a soft dough. Remove dough, shape into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Bring to cool room temperature before rolling.

To roll, lightly flour dough and counter. Roll out gradually, periodically letting dough rest for a moment before continuing. This makes rolling easier and will keep dough from shrinking back during baking.

Roll dough to a thin round approximately 13 inches in diameter, then trim to make a 12-inch circle (refrigerate and save trimmings for patching). Lay dough loosely into a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, letting it relax a bit. Fold overlap back inside to make a double thickness, then press firmly against the pan so the finished edge is slightly higher than the pan. Refrigerate or freeze for an hour before pre-baking.

Adapted from David Tanis New York Times
All photos Lindaraxa

Cool Summer Menus For A Ladies Lunch

Pin It

One of the most visited posts on Lindaraxa's Garden is An Elegant Summer Lunch For the Ladies Who Lunch published three years ago.  I can gather from this that most of my readers are ladies who like to entertain other ladies, for lunch, in the summer.  Surprise.

With that in mind, I have given much thought to this post and the heat that has been prevalent throughout the country this summer. I, for one, don't think much about food and entertaining these days and haven't seen a soul since the heat started.  The dogs, which used to go out around noon for their late morning "stroll", now hide under the bed when I call them and won't budge until their bladders are ready to burst just before dinner time.  I have been staying indoors for most of the day, only venturing out to take care of my poor plants and an occasional trip to the grocery store for the essentials.  The rest of the time has been spent glued to my computer screen watching Mad Men episodes from the beginning.  Great show for those who haven't watched it and highly recommended.  I did two seasons in three nights and then I realized the dishes were piling in the sink and I couldn't continue to go to bed at four a.m and rise at noon.  As my daughter told me one morning, I was behaving just like a teenager.

Now, I do understand that most people are probably not affected by this heat as much as my dogs and I so for all of you with a social life, I am posting these two lunch menus.  The first is a fairly informal one, perfect for a ladies card party or get together.  The second is slightly more formal and appropriate for when you have to entertain an out of town guest or your best friend's engagement or birthday.  Here you would bring out grandma's tablecloth and silver service and your Limoges table setting.  Both are easy, simple, balanced and cold.  In this heat, the simpler you eat the better you will feel.  Both are appropriate to be served inside if the heat is bad or outdoors if you live in Alaska.    Everything, except for the popovers, can be made ahead.

The hor's d'oeuvres in both are the same.  They are summery, cool and simple.  A French dry rose such as Domaine Houchart, which is very reasonably priced and widely available, or the more expensive Chateau Romassan will be excellent with either lunch.  If it is very warm, though, you might want to have a pitcher of iced tea or lemonade as well.

For the menus, click after the break.

Let's Do Lunch In Cap Ferrat...Pasta Provencal

Pin It

Right about this time of the year I start thinking about light pastas,  fresh tomatoes,  anchovies and capers, and so many other things typical of the South of France;  but more than anything, I start thinking of tuna.  No, not tuna as in sushi, just plain tuna as in tuna fish.   I also switch my cocktails to French dry roses and start wearing espadrilles and striped t-shirts.  It must be time to move to the Riviera...physically or otherwise.

Cap Ferrat

La Leopolda, Cap Ferrat

If you are part of the well healed LWL (Ladies Who Lunch) you will be readying your home in Cap d"Antibes or Cap Ferrat  (Marbella and Ibiza are okay too),  drawing up your guest list and thinking of some menus for practically every day of the week.  The season, which goes from July to the end of August, is just around the corner.  Better stock up on Campari and plenty of dry Rose.

Restaurant Eden Roc, Hotel Du Cap, Cap D'Antibes

If you are not part of that upper echelon, you will be readying your house in the Hamptons, Newport or Maine, maybe in Litchfield County or somewhere along the Hudson Valley.  Everyone else will be hiding in their closet come the weekend.  No matter where you are, there better be water around and if there isn't, don't bother even mentioning you have a summer house even if it is a country house.  Case in point, now that our house is not directly on the lake, our weekend visitors have gone down by 90%!

Pastas in the Riviera are very popular in the summertime; but it's more about the main ingredient than the pasta itself.  A popular combination is pasta with tuna, anchovies, olives, tomatoes and olive oil.  As long as everything is in season, you can add or subtract anything you wish. Subtract the tuna or the anchovies and you have a good pasta, but not a great pasta.

To complement your lunch, don't forget a fresh tomato salad, some of those thin Italian breadsticks and a bottle of French rose from Provence. A lemon sorbet would be perfect for dessert.  Then espresso and a well deserved nap!

I guarantee you will like this pasta, but only if you have it by the water, any water....turn on the sprinklers if everything fails.

Something like this would do 

It's been awhile since I've visited any of those summer resorts but I still have the memories and the palate to try to reproduce some menus at home.  Just close your eyes, smell the roses,  listen to the birds and you could be anywhere! For the Pasta Provencal recipe click below.

Poolside With The Ladies Who Lunch

Pin It

An Elegant Summer Menu for the Ladies Who Lunch was such a popular post that you will definitely be hearing from these ladies again, as in right now.

There is no question that we plan differently when we have our girlfriends over than when it is a mixed bag.  Although it's been proven to be incorrect, supposedly men don't eat quiche. Ha! Wrong! it was a favorite of husband #2.  And girls, eh ladies, don't like to bother with ribs or Sausage, Peppers, and Onion Sandwiches.  Wrong again! This lady loves both.  But I have to admit that there are some menus that definitely are more apropos not only for the different sexes but for the time and place.

The ladies who lunch usually take a break in the summer when they relocate to the Hamptons, Newport, Maine, the Riviera and other marvelous summer getaways.  Some husbands have to work and get only to enjoy their summer houses on weekends;  but we don't worry about them, we know they too look forward to their yearly vacation* in the city (*wink).  So, on these summer days, when it's too hot to get out of the house, why not have a fun group of close friends over for a simple and casual lunch by the pool?  This is your chance to show off that new bathing suit (Size 0), bring out the big floppy hat, lather yourself with the new sun block #250 and get ready for some fun time.

I know I'm taking a lot for granted, like you don't work, have no children, have a pool and can take a few hours to loll away the afternoon eating and gossiping with your friends.  Well, if you live in Georgia and are on your 53rd day of mid 90's degree weather, even if you are not part of this lucky group,  you are entitled to that and more.   Now remember, this is a very casual and intimate lunch, the gossipy kind!

Poolside Lunch

Campari Orange Spritzers

Pimiento Cheese Spread

Shrimp With Avocado Mango Salsa

Chewy Butterscotch Bars

Espresso

Other menus you might want to check out:

An Elegant Summer Menu For The Ladies Who Lunch 
Let's Do Lunch In Cap Ferrat
Poolside With The Ladies Who Lunch
An Elegant Fall Menu For The Ladies Who Lunch
Mother's Day Lunch, Retro Style  

Images Getty (McKellar)