Ingredient 18 – Blue Crab

I am slightly annoyed to admit that this is the second week in a row my blog plans have been ruined by ingredient unavailability.  I was going to make a salad with pea shoots, but when I arrived at the farmers’ market on Tuesday the vendor informed me that some lady bought the entire bag of shoots.  After hearing this news, my brain went into overdrive / panic mode.  I bought some baby greens and some blue crab meat, figuring I could create a salad with the two.

Fun fact, blue crab is the official crustacean of Maryland.  While this news was hardly surprising, I was surprised to learn that female blue crabs only mate once in their lifetime.    Also of note, male and female crabs can de distinguished by the shape of the abdomen, known as the apron.  Male aprons are long and slender like the Washington Monument.  The female apron is round and wide like the dome of the United States Capitol.  Cooking breaks down the pigments responsible for the shell’s blue hue.  Thus, if you order blue crab at a restaurant, the crab that makes it’s way to your plate will appear reddish orange in color.

Blue Crab Salad
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse
Serves 2 to 3 as a meal
16 oz lump blue crabmeat
4 tbp mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
4 tsp tarragon leaves
2 plum tomatoes
2 avocados
3 to 4 cups mixed baby greens
2 tsp chives
Salt
Black pepper



Begin by washing the lettuce and washing and chopping the tarragon and chives.  Place the herbs in a large bowl with the lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt and pepper.  Combine the contents of the bowl with a fork.




Next, prepare the avocados and tomato.  Pit and slice the avocado.  If you do not own an avocado tool, buy one.  They make neatly slicing avocados a breeze.   Seed and chop the tomatoes.  Place the chopped avocado and tomatoes in the bowl with the herbs and mayo and gently combine with a fork.





Last but not least, place the crab meat in the bowl and gently mix with the fork.  Place 1/2 to 1/3 the mixture atop a plate of the baby greens and enjoy.




I am sad to report that this salad was not the hit I was expecting.  I really love salads with crab and I thought this one was just ok.  Dave gave it a thumbs down.  He said the crab mixture was too goopy and lacked flavor.  Upon reflection, I think he is right.  If you make this salad, reduce the avocado and mayo by half.  Maybe increase the lemon juice too.  Overall grade: C.      

I Tried Kombucha

Kombucha, pronounced kom-BOO-cha, is a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast.  It originated in Manchuria and later spread to Russia.  The tea first received attention in the United States during the 1990s and has gained popularity with the health conscious crowd in the last few years.  Fans of the drink believe its consumption results in numerous health benefits, improved digestion and immunity are the most commonly cited.  However, these claims have yet to be fully vetted by the scientific community.  The Mayo Clinic suggests caution with homemade brews.  Illness may result from non-sterile brewing conditions or production in ceramic pots; acids in the tea may leach lead from the ceramic glaze.

In the last month I have tried two kinds of kombucha, GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha and Barefootbucha.  I purchased both at Whole Foods.  The GT’s original flavor was nasty.  I had to choke it down.  It tasted like stinky gym sock soda.  The Barefootbucha ginger flavor was a different story.  It reminded me of ginger beer, a less sweet version of ginger ale.

       

I like kombucha because it is a healthy alternative to soda.  A serving has roughly 30 calories and, to my knowledge, no artificial sweeteners.  I am looking forward to to trying another Barefootbucha flavor and would be open to trying another brand.

Ingredient 17 – Pacific Cod

This week I made Pacific Cod.  I was going to make Rockfish but there were no filets available at Whole Foods.  I considered making a whole Rockfish, but I didn’t want to pay $35 for the smallest whole fish.  Cod, Red Snapper, Halibut, and Sea Bass are all substitutes for Rockfish.

Pacific Cod, Gadus macrocephalus, also know as Gray Cod or Alaskan Cod, is considered a sustainable seafood choice.  Abundant in the waters near Alaska, this cod can be found as far south as Southern California.  
 
I marinated my cod in sparkling wine and fresh herbs, per a recipe I found on the Food and Wine website.  The recipe called for 4 and 1/2 pounds of filets and served 12, needless to say I made a few adjustments.

Pacific Cod with Sparkling Wine and Herbs
Serves 2 to 3
1 lb Pacific Cod or Rockfish
1/2 cup sparkling white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small shallot
1 and 1/2 tbp chives
1 and 1/2 tbp parsley
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp lemon zest
Salt
Pepper



Begin by chopping the shallot, parsley, and chives and removing the thyme leaves from the sprigs.  Place the herbs in a small bowl with the olive oil, wine and lemon zest.  Stir ingredients to combine.  




Place fish in shallow baking dish and cover with 2/3 of the herb and wine mixture.  I had to cut my fish into a few pieces to make it manageable.  Let the fish marinate for 20 minutes.



Once finished marinating, heat a grill pan or skillet, medium-high heat.  Place a touch of butter or olive oil in the pan.  Season the fish with salt and pepper and place in the pan to sear for 4 minutes.  Turn the fish and sear for an additional 2 minutes.  Once cooked, plate the fish and drizzle with remaining marinade.

 

Be sure to enjoy your fish with a nice glass of sparkling wine, don’t let those bubbles go to waste.



I enjoyed this simple fish preparation.  It is a great option for a warm summer night.  Make sure to use this recipe with very fresh fish.  The marinade is light and is designed to let the freshness of the fish stand out.  Overall grade: B.   

Ingredient 16 – Chia Seeds

When I was 9 or 10 I convinced my parents to get me a Chia Pet for Christmas.  I was seduced by the catchy jingle.  Sadly, that pet never grew much “fur’ because I couldn’t remember to water the poor thing.  Now, 20 years later, my interest in chia has been rekindled.  This time as a food source.  Chia seeds are not only edible, they are quite nutritious.  The seeds are a good source of omega 3 fatty acids and fiber.

Chia, Salvia hispanica, is a flowering plant that belongs to the same family as mint.  Its cultivation in Mexico dates back to Pre-Columbian times.  The Aztecs believed the seed bestowed supernatural powers.  Today, the majority of chia cultivation occurs in Mexico and Bolivia.

Blackberry Chia Pudding
Adapted from Monica Reinagel
Makes 1 serving
2 Tbp chia seeds
1/2 cup vanilla almond or soy milk. If you prefer to use an unflavored milk, add a touch of honey for a little sweetness.
1/3 cup blackberries



To make the pudding, place the chia seeds, milk, and berries in a small dish.  Stir the ingredients gently before covering the dish with plastic wrap or a lid.  Let the mixture rest in refrigerator for at least two hours.  When you return the chia seeds will have absorbed the milk, leaving you with a creamy tapioca like pudding.
             



I liked this pudding.  It was easy to make and reasonably healthy.  The original recipe said to let the pudding set for 30 minutes.  However, when I took my dish out of the fridge at the 30 minute mark, not all of the liquid had absorbed.  I am looking forward to more experimentation with chia seeds.  Overall grade: B. 

Ingredient 15 - Rhubarb

This week's ingredient was rhubarb and I made strawberry-rhubarb crumble.  I have been waiting weeks to type that sentence.  I thought I would cook with rhubarb in March, an ode to the arrival of spring.  However, Mother Nature was feeling spiteful this year and delivered a March that was miserable.  Thankfully, the weather these last few weeks has been consistently nice and I was finally able to feature rhubarb without feeling like a total fool.

Before I lovingly discuss the recipe, a little information on rhubarb.  Rhubarb is a vegetable known for its tart flavor.  Originally considered medicinal by the Chinese, its use dates back to 2700 B.C.  The two main varieties found in grocery stores are bright red or more green in color.  The traditional, greenish, variety has a milder flavor.  Regardless of variety, select rhubarb with smaller stalks that are dense and shiny.  Avoid stalks that feel rubbery or dry.

The recipe listed below is a slight variation on Deb from Smitten Kitchen's crumble.  The main difference being, my version has more rhubarb.  Deb is a genius.  Everything I have made from her site has come out really well.  Her dishes are approachable yet sophisticated.  Instant pudding and cream of mushroom soup are not the common denominators of her recipes.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Topping:
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbp sugar
3 tbp Sugar in the Raw
Zest of 1 lemon
1 stick salted butter
Filling:
2 cups chopped rhubarb
2 lb strawberries
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbp cornstarch


Begin by making the topping.  Place flour, baking powder, and sugars in a mixing bowl.  If you don’t have or care not to purchase Sugar in the Raw, you can substitute in an equal amount of regular sugar.  The raw sugar just diversifies the texture of the topping.

Next, grate the zest of 1 lemon into the bowl with the flour and sugar.  Gently mix contents of bowl with a fork.  Place the stick of butter In a separate bowl and melt it in the microwave.  Do not melt on high, 50% power works just fine.  Pour melted butter into bowl with flour and gently mix with fork until ingredients are thoroughly combined.  The topping will have a sand-like texture when complete.    



Once the topping is made, pre-heat the oven to 375 and start on the filling.  Wash and trim the ends from the rhubarb, just like you would celery.  Slice the stalks into 1 inch pieces.  Wash and quarter the strawberries.  I cut the tops of my strawberries before quartering. 

 

Place strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl.  Add sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice to bowl and gently stir.  Use a strainer to keep the lemon seeds out of the bowl.



Place the filling in a large baking dish and cover evenly with topping.  Bake for 45 minutes.




I served my crumble with some fancy vanilla gelato.



This crumble was ridiculously good.  The cornstarch kept the filling from being a sloppy mess and the addition of lemon juice and zest was divine.  The dessert was flavorful and not too sweet.  An A for Deb from Smitten Kitchen.