Casablanca – Mediterranean Food For Thought

Casablanca just celebrated 30 years open as a restaurant. The first celebrity chef it produced was Ana Sortun (of Oleana fame), and still pays homage with her signature Short Ribs appetizer. Ruth-Ann Adams took over the kitchen after honing her chops at Rialto – another Cambridge, Mediterranean mecca. She manages a consistent kitchen with little fan-fare. For better or worse, it conjures memories of other food experiences rather than creating its own.

The cocktails menu features a margarita with muddled sage. Finally, another use for the abundant sage in my garden! The medicinal earthiness of both the sage and tequila enhance the other without overpowering the fruity sweetness of the orange and pineapple juices.

The Mediterranean menu spans in flavors from Portugal to Israel. From Portugal, clam with sausages – a flavor combination that made its way to New England via New Bedford and Cape Cod. And to give the dish a New England flair it’s served with fried oysters. The briny clams reminded me of the best clam I ever tasted… standing ankle deep in Wellfleet harbor with Pat Woodbury, he dug into the sand to grab a few live clams. With a pocket knife, he pried them open and offered them up. They were still warm from the sun and salty from the bay water bath. No lemon or cocktail sauce necessary.

Dolmas, stuffed grape leaves that originate from Turkey, infuse Italian flavor with an Arborio rice filling. The less familiar musabaha is a chunky style hummos, which I first tasted in the Arab markets in Jerusalem…

I was looking for a rug to cover my dining room floor. I poked my nose into a few shops that were selling rugs. Most did not look appealing, so I walked away. In another rug shop, three Arab men were sitting in the back eating hummos and pita. They invited me to join them. They were clearly eating the food, and looked healthy, so I obliged their invitation. I was not as agile as they, picking up the hummos with pureed and fresh chick-peas, so one of the older men would scoop up little bits for me, and hand me the ready-to-eat morsel. When I was satiated, I told them that I was in fact looking for rugs, but didn’t really see what I wanted in their store. Of course, they had more upstairs. So I climbed up the rickety wooden stairs, took off my jacket, and began unrolling silk rugs. I found a few that I liked, and the owner of the shop came upstairs. Over freshly brewed mint tea, we began to discuss the virtues of hand-made, silk rugs. And of course we discussed price. He gave me a very “tempting” price. I had learned at a very early age that there is a game to bargaining. I was a bit rusty. Even though I knew I should be able to get him to drop the price by at least 50% I was only able to get a 35% reduction.

He quickly grabbed my hand and shook it, we had sealed the deal. Even though I know I overpaid, I had a wonderful morning of eating and drinking and talking. I also know that I couldn’t get these rugs in the US for less.

Alas, the Casablanca musabaha can’t compare to the memories of the first experience… and like the rest of the meal, it needed more salt.

Garden Updates - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I left for a week’s vacation a little apprehensive about my garden…. Would it rain enough? Had I controlled the bugs, will vegetables actually emerge from these leafy masses?

First, the good news… it rained. The soil was pleasantly moist. More excitingly, the first burst of bright color has emerged… several raspberries are deep red – ready to be plucked. Though not yet enough to make anything of substance, I could garnish a few cocktails if I managed to not eat them before guests arrived.

The cauliflower sprouted its first floret. The basil that was sickly two weeks ago (on the right) has recovered nicely (same plant on the left), and the Brussels sprout plant that nearly withered from aphids has recovered too.

The bad news…. Tomato plants that flowered two weeks ago have yet to produce fruit. Instead of a little bump of a tomato pushing the flower off, the flowers instead fell off without any fruit behind it. With my favorite resource (Brett) on vacation, I am left to wonder the reason. Is it not hot enough yet? Do the plants need more nutrition (in the form of compost or organic fertilizer)? Was it too wet? Dear reader, do you know the answer?

The ugly…. With so much rain and too little attention, the weeds have thrived this past week. A solid hour or two will be necessary to clean up the beds – not just for the aesthetics. If there’s a dry spell, I don’t want the vegetables competing with the weeds for water and nutrients.

With only a few raspberries, but plenty of mint, a raspberry-mint mojito seems like the perfect diversion.

Raspberry - Mint Mojito

yields 1 cocktail

4 tsp. sugar
1 ½ oz. rum
5 mint leaves
½ lime, juiced
Crushed ice
soda water or 7-up to taste
Raspberries and mint to garnish

Muddle sugar and mint with ice until sugar dissolves. Stir in rum, soda and lime to taste. Garnish with raspberries and mint sprigs.

Four Burgers

I probably like a good burger more than the average person. With proper cooking and simple seasoning, little else is needed to achieve burger nirvana. You can imagine my excitement when “Four Burgers” opened in Central Square. The name suggested a simplicity to the offerings, which could either be very good (a juicy burger with a salty, meaty flavor), or very bad (that would require a post-cooking bath in ketchup and salt to make up for where the kitchen failed). The menu lets you know that the meat is of high quality – purchased from the same farm as Grill 23. In the back of the dining room are bins labeled from composting and recycling. Even with a friendly price point ($6.50 per burger, $10 average check with fries and a drink), you know that this will be a fresh, high quality experience.

The four burgers: salmon, beef, veggie or turkey, come on either whole wheat or white buns. The beef is a classic – no fancy condiments, just simple pickles, lettuce and tomatoes. The romaine lettuce is shredded so it fits nicely inside the bun, without over-expanding the sandwich which would have made the burger difficult to eat. The burger was cooked perfectly to our specifications, which sadly is a rare feat for most joints.

The turkey plays off the traditional Thanksgiving (autumnal flavors). Apple bits are folded into the meat, yielding a slightly sweet and crunchy texture. The burger was cooked perfectly – 95% on the grill, 5% from residual heat – the patty was moist and tender. The apple bits would have compensated well if the burger was overcooked, but oddly, in this case it was superfluous. The cranberry chutney was bright and was a nice diversion from the standard ketchup. My only complaint was that as we head into the heat of summer – I want to think of summer flavors and would have preferred a more seasonal flavor.

The sweet potato French fries posed an interesting culinary challenge. While they tasted like sweet potatoes with a lovely enhancement of salt, they were a bit limp. In speaking with the owner (Michael B. of Paramount and 21^st Amendment fame) he agreed. He noted that the only crispy sweet potato fries come frozen from Sysco and are sprayed with some food-like substance. If you go naturally, as Four Burgers does, the fries won’t get that fast-food crispy.

Four Burgers is not alone in its quest to naturally achieve crispy sweet potato fries. A little research shows that no one has yet to find a solution (and publish it on-line).

In thinking about the problem… regular French fries typically use Idaho potatoes – a high starch, low protein, and lower water tuber. You never see Yukon gold fries, and certainly not red bliss. The starch content is low (which has its benefits for other preparations…) but does not yield a crispy fry. What makes the potato oxidize quickly also produces a crispy fry. (also thinking about potato latkes, they get crispiest when you squeeze all the water out of them)

Michael B. and I decided to do a little experimenting in the kitchen. With a nod to Chinese cooking, we tossed the sweet potatoes in a dusting of corn-starch. They fries stayed crisp longer, but soon met the same limpy fate of the original batch. I think we were on the right track, and I bet potato starch would be worth a try. In thinking of the crisp tempura batter, a blend of flours – in that case corn starch and wheat flour, might also work.

For sure, you'll find me back there again. But I might wander back into the kitchen to play around with sweet potato fries in a quest to perfect burger nirvana. Stay tuned for more culinary experimentations…

Farmer's Markets - Chevy Chase DC

This week’s market report comes from the Chevy Chase Farmer’s Market in Washington, DC.

This farmer’s market was founded just 4 years ago in the side yard of an elementary school. The look and feel is far different than the more urban markets in Boston, Cambridge and even Dupont Circle in downtown DC. The school and the market are in the middle of a shaded, residential neighborhood at the northern point of the city. Only 3 farmers sell produce. To round out the offerings, there’s a meat stand, bakery, cheese stand and a woman selling fresh pasta. The market has a decidedly mellow feel to it… as the neighbors meander from one stall to the next. And because the market is so small they only allow organic farmers that sell their own products (Shockingly, some farmers sell produce from other farms and call it their own).

My friend Brett was one of the original farmers at this market. This week, his crops capture the essence of the shoulder season – the last of the spring greens and a glimmer of the summer harvest. The tomatoes he planted in the fields the first week of April are yielding its first ripe fruit. Corn that started in the greenhouse in March, and transplanted to the fields in May, now is so sweet and crisp you can eat it raw. Four kinds of basil sit next to parsley and squash blossoms. The last of the spring greens and fennel fill out the table. In Boston, the tomatoes we’re seeing at the market are still from the greenhouses. If Brett, 450 miles south of Boston, is just starting to harvest, we can expect to wait another 4 weeks in New England.

Haroon, is still selling spring crops – bushy heads of lettuce and plump walla walla onions. Susan the orchardist has bushels of fresh white cherries and gooseberries. At $6/pound, this is less expensive than what’s being sold in the “supermarkets.” The large stone-fruits – peaches, plums and nectarines – won’t be ripe for another month. In the meantime, the raspberries are just coming into full force. This lets me know that the raspberries in my garden – are right on time with a few weeks to go until ripeness.

Casual Summer Dining

For much of my culinary career, I prepared elaborate dishes, often with more garnishes than there were components: Seared Sea Scallop Appetizers were garnished with (1) balsamic sauce, (2) arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, (3) fried capers, and (4) fried parsley leaves. It was a running joke in my kitchen when a server would try and take a seemingly complete plate to the diners… “Wait wait, not yet” as I placed more garnishes. All the different garnishes offer color and flavor contrasts.

Now when I entertain at home, I try to simplify as much as possible. I’d rather spend time with my guests than embellishing a dish with layers of flavors. I prepare each dish in advance thinking about interesting flavors, colors and textures that complement the other dishes.

The other night I hosted colleagues at my house. Since I knew we’d be talking business it was especially important that everything be prepared in advance. I had to balance the fact that they all knew I used to cook professionally, so they were expecting an impressive meal.

Hors d’œuvres – Instead of preparing labour intensive canapés, I served a trio of dips: Homemade ricotta with garden fresh basil, green goddess dip with tarragon, parsley, scallion and arugula (also from the garden) and smoked chicken salad. For scooping and dipping, I laid out carrots, cucumbers and crostini. All could be assembled in advance and set out when the guests arrived.

For the main meal, I opted for simple, quintessential spring. I brushed salmon with the green goddess and roasted it, roasted new potatoes with fresh thyme and lemon zest, steamed fresh shelled peas with butter and mint, sautéed morels with sherry and thyme, and roasted asparagus and fiddleheads with garlic and olive oil.

Everything was cooked in advance. By cooking during the relaxed hours before the guests arrived, each vegetable received proper attention: all were bright green and well-seasoned. The salmon roasted to a perfect medium rare. Too often with last minute cooking, we get hurried and forget to taste for seasoning. For this dinner, I threw all the sheet pans the food was resting on into the oven. The salmon cooked a little more to medium and the vegetables warmed through while maintaining their color.

Lucky for me, one of the guests offered to bring dessert -- the quintessential spring strawberry-rhubarb pie. With a beautiful lattice top this epitomizes elegant, do-ahead dishes.

Central Square Farmer's Market Report - Kohlrabi and Scapes

Despite glooming gray skies of imminent rain, the farmers market was decidedly busier this week than last. Bushels of asparagus, baskets of strawberries, bunches of beets and radishes spread out as a cornucopia of colorful spring. I was also pleased to see the Jamaican farmer. His stand does not have a banner announcing the name of his farmer but he has a lively banter with the customers encouraging them to buy from him – usually a vegetable, like callaloo, only seen in ethnic, corner markets or in his native country…uncharacteristically, this week it was the recognizable rhubarb and greenhouse tomatoes.

What I cherish most about the farmers markets is that often I find vegetables simply not available at regular supermarkets. Farmers continually experiment with what grows best in their soil and microclimate. They balance this with growing the more marketable greens, tomatoes and berries. All this experimentation challenges the locavore to try new vegetables and experiment with new recipes.

At Hutchinson Farm green garlic and garlic scapes, both derivates of young garlic, spring from the table. Green Garlic is round like a scallion, but long and fibrous like leeks. The young bulb has not yet developed the papery skin that would divide it into cloves (and add a protective layer for long storage). The scape is a long, squiggly shoot from the garlic bulb with a tip that looks like it’s ready to flower. Both have mild flavors and can be eaten raw or sautéed like regular garlic.

I was especially excited to see Kohlrabi. I have seen this brassica – a member of the cabbage family – at Whole Foods before, but had never tried it until I visited Costa Rica this past winter. At a yoga retreat in the mountains outside of San Jose, they simply roasted it with olive oil and garlic. I loved the simultaneously soft and firm texture, the mild sweetness that’s refreshingly moist. The flavor is subtle which makes its appeal perhaps limited, but the texture adds a nice balance to a (raw) coleslaw or (cooked) roasted root medley. The kohlrabi in my garden looks healthy but still has at least 4 weeks before harvest.

By coincidence, at Oleana Restaurant that night, they had a special of fried oysters on a bed of cucumber-kohlrabi salad. If I had to guess the recipe, it would go something like this.

24 Wellfleet Oysters from Pat Woodbury, shucked

Deep Fry Dredge:
½ cup fine corn meal
½ cup flour
½ tsp. zaatar (or mix of dried thyme, sesame and sumac)
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. fresh black pepper

Oil for Deep-Frying

Kohlrabi-Cucumber Salad
1 kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
1 english cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
1 tbs. freshly grated horseradish
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 tbs. fresh mint
1 tbs. fresh parsley
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

1. Prepare salad by combining all ingredients together. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
   
2. Pour plain oil in a deep cast iron skillet until it reaches 2 inches deep. Heat over medium high heat.
   
3. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients for the dredge.
   
4. When oil is hot, toss oysters in the dredge. Shake off excess and gently drop into oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn over, and continue cooking until crispy all over.
   
5. Drain oysters on a paper towel and serve immediately with Kohlrabi salad.

A special thanks to David for supplying the pictures of this week's farmers' market.

My Garden's Going to Seed & My Secret Source

Much of what I’ve learned through gardening has come from my friend Brett (who hams it up for the camera). I met Brett 15 years ago, in my native Washington, DC, when he was working as a chef at Restaurant Nora and I was a grill cook in my first job out of culinary school. When we met, he lived in Arlington, VA with his wife Christine. In his backyard he grew big heads of romaine lettuce, chilies and tomatillos along a chain-link fence and tomatoes in a sunny bed in the middle.

We both left Nora’s at the same time – he moved to Southern Maryland and bought an organic farm and I moved to Boston to work as a cook at Biba’s under the tutelage of Lydia Shire and Susan Regis. I visit Brett and Chris (and Allesandra who is now 9!) at least twice a year.

Like most professions, there’s also something to be done when running a farm. And like cooking in a restaurant, the to-do list has a timing that cannot be altered. In a restaurant, for example, you must serve a guest his dinner within 30 minutes of the order, not the next day or even 2 hours later. Similarly, on a farm, the produce and weather dictate when certain chores need to be done. Fields can only be plowed within a certain window before or after a heavy rain, tomatoes must be picked two days before full ripeness, and eggs must be gathered within 12 hours to prevent the chicken from demolishing them. Since Brett’s to-do list is always full, the only way to spend time with him is to work the land along with him – planting seeds, harvesting greens, sorting eggs or staking tomatoes. Over the years, our friendship has grown as has my knowledge of farming, soil management and organic seed genetics.

Much of Brett’s produce is familiar – tomatoes, watermelons, sweet potatoes and lettuces. Often he has a varietal that is not found in American markets – for example, the Courge Long de Nice – a French squash that resembles zucchini in the summer and butternut squash in the fall. The flavor has more depth than either of its American counterparts. But my favorite is the Peachy-Mama chili. Native to Brazil, this mild chili looks like a habanero, but tastes like a florally, sweet bell pepper. Since no seed supplier carries this line, he is careful to protect the seeds and the gene line.

Peachy- mamas take about 5 months from seed to fruit. Last summer some plants ripened a solid 3 weeks early. Brett was careful to harvest and save these seeds. This year, he is planting them with the expectation that this gene line will have a shorter maturation time.

Last summer Brett also sent me home with some broccoli raab seeds. I planted them in the fall and barely had a chance to enjoy the plants before the first snow fall came. When the snow finally melted this spring, a few plants began to emerge from the soil – winter tolerant raab. I shared with Brett this exciting news and promised to save the seeds for him. In Cambridge, we get too much snow for a winter hardy plant to survive in the fields, but Brett’s land does not get the amount of snow we do, so he can harvest in the fields (as opposed to greenhouses) throughout the winter months. With a seed that can survive sub-freezing temperatures, he will be able to grow the more flavorful field variety rather than the milder greenhouse.

The broccoli raab has taken since April to go from plant to flower to seed. Once the seed pods develop they must dry and cure before they are ready to be harvested. If harvested too soon they are green and wet, and will mold. When properly cured, the seeds are black and last for several years in the freezer. See green (uncured seeds) in the pods and black (cured seeds) in the background

Organic Vs. Conventional... The Debate Rages On?

Cost aside, most people would choose organic over conventional. The pesticides and chemical fertilizers may produce flawless looking produce, but I’ll take my bug-holed arugula over conventional because I know the flavor will be better and more importantly, I won’t be ingesting chemicals whose long-term effects I still don’t know.

The debate hit home this week, when I inspected my three cauliflower plants and noticed that one was decimated, and those little bug holes in the other two didn’t seem so quaint anymore.

The question of “organic or conventional” is rather simplistic. So many factors go into the equation including the rising cost of organics (and food in general), the tedium of achieving “organic status” and where the food was grown. Given the choice of a local, conventional tomato versus an organic tomato shipped in from California, I’ll take local! The added benefit is that I can talk with the farmer about his growing practices. He may not, for example, have the organic certification, but he works the land sustainably. My (organic farmer) friend Brett recounted to me the hoops he had to jump through to maintain his organic status after the laws recently changed. He admitted that he would rather forgo the certification than deal with the bureaucrats. As he states it, his practices won’t change and his customers are loyal and don’t need a seal to prove it.

On a personal note, I had to decide how to deal with my aphid problem. I rationalized that I’d rather have non-organic cauliflower than no cauliflower at all! When I went to Weston Nurseries I found several organic pesticides. The oily spray coats bugs’ wings and prevents them from flying. It also works on bees. I thought this would be a good thing since I’m allergic to bees. No, I was scolded. We need bees to pollinate flowers and plants and maintain an important balance in our gardens. Besides, bees don’t sting… it’s the wasps that do. Therefore, I can only spray after 5pm when the bees have gone to their hives for the night.

Organic vs. Conventional - Side Note

As a side note, meat and dairy fall into a different category of concern. Think about the young girls that are going through puberty younger and younger, sometimes as early as 8 years old. It used to be thought that this was a result of better nutrition. The truth is that these girls are getting heavy doses of hormones (and antibiotics) through the milk and meat they’re eating. These animals were injected with growth- hormones in order to have them reach slaughter weight more quickly, or produce milk more rapidly. Want to let your children grow up at a slower rate? Feed them foods without hormones.

Ted Turner: Media Mogul and Green Restaurateur

When CNN merged with AOL/Time Warner, CNN founder Ted Turner lost his job and about $7 billion. Since he was down to his last $1.5 billion, he couldn’t afford to buy CBS and continue to compete in the media industry. Instead, he chose to open a restaurant.

How did he get from TV to restaurant? As he tells it, he previously satiated cravings for entertainment, and now he’s satiating cravings for food. He’s in the cravings business. (Next up, he asks, a chain of brothels?) And he did have some experience in the food business – from buying the Atlanta Falcons and Hawks came along food concessions stands.

This morning, I attended a lively “discussion” between famed chef Todd English and Ted Turner. The focus was the greening of the restaurant industry. Since Ted’s Montana Grill was built green from the ground up, Ted and his partner George McKerrow, Jr. shared insights and experiences that both the seasoned restaurateur and diner can gain from.

Here are some of the highlights and tips:

1. “War is bad because it’s killing off our diners.” – Paraphrased quote from Ted Turner.
2. Drink stirrers and straws are a hidden culprit of plastic waste. Consider not using a stirrer and use a spoon instead. Paper and wooden stirrers offer another option. And what about bamboo? They did not mention this option, but bamboo is a highly renewable source.
3. Switch light bulbs to energy efficient fluorescent. They cost more upfront, but use less energy and last longer. Depending on usage, you can recoup costs in two years or less. Fluorescent light bulbs do need to be recycled. Here’s a link for a company in Massachusetts that handles the recycling of light bulbs.
4. Get a water extractor for your garbage waste. It will reduce the amount of waste and the expense of rubbish removal.
5. Reduce plastic use. And always recycle glass, paper, and plastic.
6. Eliminate bottled water as this increase the amount of packaging needed. Consider options for filtered water.
7. Use recycled and compostable paper and plastic products. These disposable products will decompose in 50 days in landfills instead of 50+years.
8. In order to incentivize employees to take public transportation to work: pay for public transit cost as an employee benefits. Those who choose to drive are on their own.
9. Buy locally to reduce the food miles.
10. Buy organic and all-natural foods because it does not introduce harmful chemicals into our land systems.

The Central Square Farmers' Market

A visit to the Central Square farmers' market shows that my garden is right on cue with local farmers. The lettuces are winding down, and there really is not much else. After many years of going to this market, I’ve come to recognize the usual vendors. Many were missing this week, (most notably Steve Parker who I’ve known for years because he sells to local restaurants) probably because they don’t have much to sell yet.

The farmers that were there primarily offered seedlings and lettuces. Seedlings are perfect for those who have not yet had a chance to plant vegetables in their own gardens. The tomato plants are vibrant and full, the herbs billowy and aromatic, and lettuces sprouting a few leaves. Wait… lettuces??? After all this heat, I was surprised to see farms even suggesting that we should start growing the cool weather plant. I questioned this… the gal from Kimball farm says they plant new lettuce seeds every 5 – 10 days. This makes sense: The standard method of harvesting lettuces, “cut-and-come-again,” does not work in this heat, necessitates successive planting if you want a steady supply throughout the summer.

One farm was selling hot-house tomatoes, but I’m still not buying. Though this betters the California hothouse because they could ripen on the vine longer, I’ll hold out for the drippingly juicy field tomatoes.

The Herb Lyceum at Gilson Farms specializes in herbs. Herbs grow easily in pots as well as in beds, and have a great cost/benefit ratio. Garden fresh herbs are better than store bought because the aromas are more pungent. Better still, you can harvest just what you need for a single meal – unlike the predetermined pack sizes at the supermarket. Better flavor, less waste - another point in the no-waste column.

Gilson Farms also owns two restaurants, including the local Cambridge favorite: Garden at the Cellar. This gastro-pub features locally inspired, European-styled cuisine. The perennial favorite is the creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese. The three-course tasting menu highlights local farmers.

Garden Updates and Micro Climates

With the record temperatures of this past weekend, I eagerly inspected the garden for transformations from a spring garden to a summer garden.

The arugula and mizuna decidedly prefer cooler weather. In this heat, they feverishly bolt and go to seed. Unlike basil, in which you can trim the flowers to prevent this process, lettuces develop thick stalks that are impossible to retract. At the top of the stalks are the buds and flowers that are the precursor to the seeds. Leaves continue to grow, but they become bitter as the season continues. I decided to harvest as much lettuce as possible – the lettuce at this stage will keep longer and better in my refrigerator than in the ground.

In the off-chance that I have a few more salads to come from these plants, I harvest in the “cut-and-come-again” method. That is, I cut the leaves just above the smallest leafette – about 2 inches above the soil line. The smallest leaves are spared and given the chance to mature.

The first of the tomato plants started to flower last week. I’m guessing that I have to wait another 4 weeks until the first fruit is ripe.

The biggest curiosity of the garden is the basil. Four weeks ago, I purchased a six-pack of basil plants. Since the garden has various degrees of sun and shade, I decided to hedge my bets and plant in different locations. Some plants get more morning sun, others afternoon sun.

Here are two of the plants:

I had heard rumors that morning sun is better than afternoon sun. But intuition told me that afternoon sun would be better for “full-sun” plants like tomatoes and basil because the light is more intense. Given the huge disparity in these two plants, I decided to do a little research.

In the pro-morning sun column: The morning sun is better as it evaporates the morning dew and prevents leaf rot. Afternoon sun can be too intense and burn the plants. In the pro-afternoon sun column: plants that like full sun do better with the intensity of afternoon sun. The best sun is between 11am and 2pm.

More important, I discovered, are the micro-climates. Believe it or not, in my little swatch of land in Central Cambridge, there are at least 10 micro-climates. The variations and sun and temperature come from the obvious: shade providing trees and structures such as houses and fences, and the position in the garden. The bit of garden on the side of the house where the lettuces grow have 4 regions. As witnessed by the vigor of the plants, the center path gets the most sun. On the right side, closest to my house, gets slightly less sun. On the left side, closest to my neighbors gets the least. The front portion gets more than the back.

Less obvious are the reflections from windows. My neighbor behind me has windows that act like mirror to the sun onto my garden. Especially the morning sun hits at just an angle that the plants along the back fence get double duty – direct natural sunlight and the reflection from the windows. The plants in the “afternoon sun” section only get a single dose.

Determining the micro-climates of your garden is a matter of trial and error. You can observe the sun’s patterns across your yard. Another option is to plant and see what happens. Based on what thrives and dies, you can figure out what works best where.

In case you didn’t figure it out, the sickly looking basil was in the afternoon sun section, and the thriving basil was in the morning sun section. Over the weekend I moved the smaller plants to what I hope to be a better location in the morning sun section.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

All this salad is great to ensure that I get my 5 recommend daily servings of fruits and vegetables. But salad dressing quickly cancels out the benefit with all the fat and calories. Here’s a reduced fat version of the classic balsamic vinaigrette (unlike bottled dressings, this is all natural).

2 shallots
½ cup olive oil
1 tbs. fresh thyme
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. pepper

1. Peel shallots. Mix with ¼ cup olive oil and wrap in tin foil. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until soft, and nicely roasted

2. In a blender, puree shallots, thyme and vinegar together. If it’s too thick, add a few tablespoons of water. Slowly drizzle in remaining olive oil. Season taste with salt and pepper.

My Ten Favorite Dishes: #4

All this talk of Pad Thai, besides making me hungry, was really a lead-up to the fourth dish on my 10 favorite dishes in Boston.

Believe it or not, on this trip to Thailand, I did sample a few other dishes including my new favorite vegetable “Pok Bong,” morning glory leaves. Crunchy with a slight “creaminess” to it in a light brown sauce: it was the perfect balance for all the noodles I was eating. Upon my return to Boston, friends told me that Brown Sugar Café not only has the most authentic Thai cuisine, but it also serves Pok Bong.

Once in the door, I forgot about vegetables and immediately went for the noodles section of the menu. I quickly discovered the “Country Style” Pad Thai, and all memories of other Thai noodles faded away. The slippery noodles balance the sweet, salty, sour and spicy. They are not dry, but a little saucy. The heat pleasantly builds as you work your way through the plate. Peanuts do not dominate the way so many American versions can. And as someone who does not like nuts (though I manage through most Pad Thais), this is an added bonus. The piece de resistance is the 5-spice tofu used in place of regular tofu. Little bits wiggle through the noodles, adding a depth of sweetness and warmth that make this dish irresistible. Just the right touch of bean sprouts adds texture and brightness. If it were possible to improve, I would use more scallions.

And while you’re there, be sure to try the Brown Sugar Roast Duck and, of course, the Pok Bong (when it’s in season).

Pad Thai Obsession

The national dish of Thailand… there are as many variations as there are temples in Bangkok. My quest for the perfect pad Thai began after I tried the noodle dish for the first time (about 12 years ago). I lived in the Fenway and there were at least 4 Thai restaurants within a 1 block radius. Within a week, I had tasted them all and picked my Bangkok City’s version as my favorite. Though the restaurant’s other dishes were not as good, the pad Thai was far superior and that was all I needed.

The obsession continued as I tried to refine the dish at home. I went on-line and found hundreds of recipes. Though I had never studied Thai cuisine (save a one hour lecture in culinary school), I could decipher the pattern of sweet, salty, sour and hot. I created a little spreadsheet that laid out all the variations. Based on intuition and further research, I decided that fish sauce was more authentic than soy sauce, and ketchup just had no place at all. And so I began testing recipes. My friend Paul Sussman, who owned Daddy-O’s, let me use his prep kitchen during dinner service to test out recipes. At the end of the shift, I would serve his staff oodles and oodles of noodles. Though they were delighted, I was not pleased with my results – the flavor was always a bit off, and the texture of the noodles was never right either.

After many failed attempts at trying to unlock the secret of good pad Thai, I realized the only solution was to travel to Thailand and take a cooking class. I had been forewarned that Thai pad Thai was very different than American pad Thai.

While vacationing, I ate noodles at most every meal – at street stalls, at restaurants and cafes. Each one a little different – most used the fresh rice noodles, some were spicy, some were not. In the cooking class, the mystery of the cooking technique was revealed. After a brief pan frying, the noodles were softened with the addition of water. The sauce, I was surprised, did in fact have soy and oyster sauces.

When I got home, I experimented a little more with the sauce, and ultimately, omitted the soy sauce altogether, but kept the oyster. I call my version “Pad Thai – Type A” (and I’m sure you can guess why…). This is what I came up with:

Pad Thai - Type A

7 oz. dried rice stick noodles

Sauce
3 tbs. "prepared" tamarind pulp
2 tbs. palm sugar
2 tbs. oyster sauce
2 tbs. fish sauce
1/4 tsp. (or to taste) thai chili powder or cayenne

3 tbs. oil
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 oz. firm tofu, diced, dried well on a paper towel
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 shallot, dice (opt.)
1 tbs. ground preserved turnip
6 oz. shrimp or chicken or combination (opt.)
4 scallions, cut into 2” pieces
¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely ground
1 ½ cup bean sprouts, soaked in cold water
1 lime quarter
1. Soak the dried noodles in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain.
2. To make the sauce: combine tamarind with palm sugar, oyster sauce, chili powder and fish sauce.
3. Heat 2 tbs. oil. Add drained tofu, and cook without stirring for 2-3 minutes, until tofu develops a brown crust on the bottom, and doesn't stick. Add garlic and shallots, and stir fry until soft. Add shrimp/chicken (opt) and preserved turnip.
4. Add noodles. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water to soften noodles. Stir fry until the water has evaporated. Add sauce, scallions and peanuts, and stir fry.
5. Push noodles to the side of the pan, and push that part of the pan off the heat. In the open space, pour in the eggs. Let eggs set for 1 minute before stirring into the noodles
6. Cook until noodles are soft and pliable. Add in sprouts and toss.
Garnish with lime and remaining sprouts.

Are you a "Locavore?"

You’ve heard of carnivores, and perhaps even omnivores... but do you know what a locavore is? I can tell you, I am the first two and working towards the third. Yes, I eat meat (carni-) and everything (omni-) and I try to eat local (loca-). With Boston area farmers markets opening up this month for the season, my locavore efforts increase.

The Locavore Movement was founded by “a group of concerned culinary adventurers who are making an effort to eat only foods grown or harvested within a 100 mile radius of San Francisco for an entire month.” This was August 2005. The notion was that local foods are better for the environment, the economy and our health. In just a few years, the challenge has spread across the country, and people are thinking about local foods year-round. By now, we know why local foods are better for the environment. The statistics are in every paper on a weekly basis: the average American meal travels 1,500 miles from farm to table. To get the food to the table, it must be processed, packaged (think about those 3-packs of tomatoes that are in a plastic webbed container wrapped in yet more plastic), shipped (in refrigerated trucks) and warehoused (in climate controlled storage facilities). And this process of “farm to table” can take up to 3 weeks – each step adding to our “global consumption” of petroleum. By purchasing foods from local farmers, we minimize the environmental impact of each step in this literal food-chain.

Sometimes it’s hard to see how buying local is better for the economy. After all, local produce often costs more than the Californian and even Chilean counterpart. Cambridge Local First compiled a top ten list for buying from locally owned business: this can easily be applied as general reasons for buying local. I will summarize for you now: When you buy locally, the money you spend stays within the local economy. The business owners spend their profits in Massachusetts (or wherever local is for you), and those taxes go towards local infrastructure: roads, schools, police, etcetera. By supporting local farmers, you keep jobs in your local community. When you shop at large chains the profits go to the economy of the large chain’s headquarters.

The health benefits are straightforward. When food travels less, it can stay on the vine longer. The longer it stays on the vine, the more time it has to absorbed essential nutrients from the soil and sun. Further, the minute produce is picked it begins to leach out its nutritional value (this also speaks to why frozen vegetables can sometimes be better than fresh).

Let’s be honest, though… being a locavore in California is much easier than in Massachusetts… And August, the agricultural jackpot, is less oppressive than taking this challenge in February. But when I think about the resources in New England, we are really quite fortunate. We can get seafood from Maine to the Cape even in the depths of winter. King Arthur Flour is based in Vermont. And local meat and dairy suppliers abound from Massachusetts to New Hampshire. The real issue is getting fresh produce in the darker, colder months. From November to April, we’re mostly reliant on farmers farther afield.

If you want to buy local in Massachusetts, the best resource is The Federation of Massachusetts Farmers’ Markets website. The site lists all the area farmers’ markets with dates, times and locations. More importantly, all the vendors are mentioned with links to their websites and/or contact information. Many vendors will also list their product offerings to make menu planning easier. If you can’t get to the markets during the allotted times, you can always visit the farms!

Right now, strawberries, asparagus and salad greens are at their peak.

For a recent dinner party, I wanted to serve roasted asparagus (requiring a 450F oven), but was also baking the strawberry rhubarb pie (at 375F). I opted to put the asparagus on the floor of the oven for a searing heat that caramelized the spears without overcooking them. This impromptu method worked so well, it is now my standard method for roasting asparagus.

Strawberry shortcake showcases the sweet berry. This variation puts an Italian spin on the American classic.

Balsamic Glazed Strawberry Short cake

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 quarts strawberries
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

1. Put sugar in a sauce pan. Add 1/4 cup water. Put over high heat, stir sugar to dissolve. Continue cooking for about 7 minutes or until sugar turns amber brown. Add balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat. Just before serving, add strawberries. Serve Biscuits with strawberries and cream.

Biscuits:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. yeast
4 tbs. butter
2/3 cup milk

1. Dissolve the yeast in milk. Combine dry ingredients. With a knife or fingers, cut in the butter. Mix in milk.

2. Roll out to 1/4” thickness. Cut into desired shapes.

3. Bake for 12 minutes at 450.

Tis the Season to Buy Local!