I didn’t plan it that way, but last night’s dinner looks very much like a summer meal. All of its major elements however came fresh from local producers, and had been in the Union Square Greenmarket this week. Not quite making that cut were the tomatoes, which came from Maine, meaning that, while they weren’t quite local, they didn’t come from thousands of miles away. Otherwise, the real locavore exceptions were the olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, lemon, and vinegar.

The pole beans were a big December surprise, and they were delicious. I managed to gather up the last of them from inside the farmer’s bucket yesterday.

• two 8-ounce flounder fillets from Pura Vida Seafood, lightly seasoned, sautéed  with the flesh side down for about 3 minutes in a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter inside a heavy old, tin-lined copper pan over medium-high heat, turning once and cooking for another 2 minutes or so, placed on the plates, a couple of spoonfuls of ‘tomato butter’ [see the bullet below] arranged on each fillet
• tomato butter, begun by melting 3 tablespoons of melted butter inside a 19th-century enameled cast iron porringer, adding 2 finely-chopped small Japanese scallions from Norwich Meadows Farm until they were slightly soft and fragrant, letting the flavored butter cool slightly before being poured over 4 ounces of Backyard Farms Maine ‘cocktail tomatoes’ from Whole Foods, cut into eighths, adding 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped tarragon from Willow Wisp Organic Farm, the mix seasoned with salt, and adding a few drops of good Spanish Rioja wine vinegar
• some leaves from a live mesclun plant from Two Guys from Woodbridge, dressed with a bit of a very good Sicilian olive oil, Maldon salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and a small squeeze from an organic Whole Foods Market lemon
• yellow pole beans from Norwich Meadows Farm, blanched, reheated as later as the fish was finishing cooking in a bit of olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper and finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of micro scallion from Two Guys from Woodbridge
• the wine was an Argentinian (Cafayate/Salta) white, Amauta Torrontés 2016 from Phillipe Wines
• the music was Lully‘s 1674  tragédie en musique, ‘Alceste‘, Christophe Rousset directing Les Talens Lyriques, with Judith van Wanroij, Edwin Crossley-Mercer, Emiliano Gonzales Toro, Bre Williams, Etienne Bazola, Bénédicte Tauran, Lucía Martín-Cartón, Enguerrand de Hys, and the Chœur de chambre Namur

It was one of those times when I left the meal without a decent image of it. I still wanted to write something, so I decided to upload images of the 2 main ingredients that I might find on line, as a fallback, something I had occasionally done in the past. Then I learned that one of our guests had snapped a picture of the more unusual course, a whelk salad, and this is what you see above.

If the plate looks a little spare, it’s because it is a little spare. I now know that 12 ounces of raw whelks do not equal 12 ounces after they are cooked. Four days earlier I had assembled ingredients similar to the ones I used here, purchasing 5 ounces, enough for two servings, but using whelks already cooked. Yesterday I had started with 12 ounces, thinking that would be enough for 4, but unaware of the shrinkage that would give me far less than the equivalent serving of the mollusks after I had cooked them.

Next time I’ll be better prepared, and there will definitely be a next time; this is a great dish, and I’m going to want to find other ways to use a shellfish so under-appreciated in its own natural environment.

The main course was a dish I’ve prepared many times, although it never seem to look or taste the same. The recipe is a bit tricky when you have to cook enough for 4 people (especially if when I bring home a little more fish than I actually have to). I solved the immediate problem of the limited area of the largest enameled pan I had by cutting each half of the 2 fillets in half crosswise. It worked perfectly; it also made turning and transferring the delicate flounder much easier.

last night’s version of ‘flounder with tomato butter’ was as delicious as it was beautiful to look at: The fish was perfectly golden, and the mixed-size tomatoes were very colorful, giving me more reason to regret my failure behind the camera.

Still, there is compensation: I get to use this extraordinary 1978 Günther Grass etching, ‘Mann im Butt‘ (Man in Flounder), in lieu of some dumb photo. [cf. ‘sautéed flounder; asparagus, ramps; potato, savory‘]

The flounder wasn’t on its own: There were tomatoes.

The meal began with some Mario Fongo whole wheat and black rice grissini from Buon Italia.

• the wine with the breadsticks was a California (Sonoma) sparkling white, W. Donaldson Rose 2014, from Naked Wines

The first course was a conch salad.

• twelve ounces of raw channel whelks (3) from P.E. & D.D. Seafood (a mollusk which is described here), boiled slowly in unsalted water for 2 hours (I’m not convinced they had to be cooked that long, but that’s what I was told), removed, drained, the 3 operculum removed, cooled, sliced thinly, mixed in a bowl with some finely-sliced fresh spring shallots from Alewife Farm, minced garlic from Norwich Meadows Farm, crushed dried pepperoncino Calabresi secchi from Buon Italia, olive oil, juice from an organic lemon from Whole Foods Market, a bit of Columela Rioja 30 Year Reserva sherry vinegar, a few chopped stems of baby fennel bulbs from Alewife Farm, chopped mint and summer savory from Stokes Farm, chopped parsley from Norwich Meadows Farm, tarragon from Keith’s Farm, a bit of sea salt, and Freshly-ground Tellicherry pepper, the served on flat plates on top of leaves of two kinds of purple-leaf salad lettuce, a purple frizzy oak leaf lettuce from Norwich Meadows Farm and a bibb lettuce purple leaf lettuce from Eckerton Hill Farm, everything finished with a drizzle of olive oil
• accompanied by slices of a French-style organic whole wheat and whole spelt miche from Bread Alone in the Union Square Greenmarket

• the wine with the whelk salad was a beautiful French (Savoy) white, Philippe & Sylvain Ravier Vin de Savoie Les Abymes 2015, from Chelsea Wine Vault

The main course followed, after a decent interval determined entirely by the labors of the cook in the kitchen.

• two flounder fillets (totaling 25 ounces) from P.E. & D. D. Seafood, lightly seasoned, the halves of each each separated and each of those cut in half crosswise, making 8 pieces in all, cooked over high heat with the flesh side down for several minutes (4?) in a mixture of olive oil and butter inside a heavy enameled rectangular cast iron pan, turning once and continuing for another 2 minutes or so, arranged on the plates, a couple of spoonfuls of  ‘tomato butter’ [see below] arranged mostly between the 2 sections of fish, finished with a garnish of micro nasturtiums leaves from Two Guys from Woodbridge
• tomato butter, begun by cooking one finely-chopped small fresh shallot from Alewife Farm inside a small pan with 3 or 4 tablespoons of melted butter until the shallot was slightly soft and fragrant, the flavored butter cool slightly before poured over 6 or 7 ounces of a mix in size and color of miniature tomatoes, some left whole, others cut in halves or thirds, adding 2 tablespoons of genoves basil from Windfall Farms, a few drops of good Spanish Rioja wine vinegar, the mix seasoned with salt, set aside and kept warm until ready to be arranged on the flounder
• a combination of green and yellow Romano beans from Norwich Meadows Farm, parboiled for a few minutes, drained, dried, reheated in olive oil (butter would be an alternative) inside a heavy tin-lined copper pan, tossed with chopped lovage from Central Valley Farm, seasoned with sea salt and freshly-chopped Tellicherry pepper, arranged on the plates and sprinkled with some chopped fronds from the baby fennel stems used with the salad

• the wine with the flounder was a California (Central Coast) white, Rick Boyer Coastal White Blend 2016, from Naked Wines

There was a dessert (no image)

• a good portion of a pint of gooseberries from Wilklow Orchards, gently heated in a small high-sided pot with a few drops of fresh water and a few tablespoons of turbinado sugar until the berries had softened and the sugar dissolved into their juices, spooned over scoops (one for each serving) of Lā Loos ‘Vanilla Snowflake’ goat milk ice cream from Whole Foods Market that had themselves been centered on the top of 2 slices a delicious ‘cream cheese pound cake’ from Wilklow Orchards, the farm which had also been the source of the berries

[the first image is from one of our guests; the second is from the de Young Museum/Legion of Honor]

Some of our plates are looking a little brighter these days, like spring, if not summer.

It helps that I can find great tomatoes, almost local (from Maine, near Skowhegan, and pretty ‘green’), all winter long.

I chose this ‘tomato butter’ treatment for the fish last night because it can be prepared pretty quickly, and because, not needing a breading, it doesn’t involve several extra bowls and processes; also, it ends a delicious recipe.

There were other vegetables as well.

• two 8-ounce flounder fillets from American Seafood Company, lightly seasoned, cooked with the flesh side down for about 2 minutes in olive oil and butter inside a heavy enameled cast iron pan over medium-high heat, turning once and cooking for another minute or so, placed on the plates, a couple of spoonfuls of ‘tomato butter’ [see below] arranged down the center of each fillet, finished with a sprinkling of halved lengths of chives from Phillips Farm
• tomato butter, begun by cooking one finely-chopped small shallot from Norwich Meadows Farm inside a small pan with 2 or 3 tablespoons of melted butter until the shallot was slightly soft and fragrant, letting the flavored butter cool slightly before being poured over 4 ounces of Backyard Farms Maine ‘cocktail tomatoes’ from Whole Foods, cut into eighths, adding 2 tablespoons of a mix of almost each of the fresh herbs on hand, chopped (red thyme from Phillips Farm, mint, sage, and Italian parsley from Eataly), the mix seasoned with salt (I usually add a few drops of good Spanish Rioja wine vinegar, but did not do so this time)
• a handful of ‘French Breakfast’ radish greens from Eckerton Hill Farm, wilted in olive oil in which 2 small garlic cloves (very much not local: from Argentina, via Trader Joe’s, but it is March, and I hadn’t put up any preserves last year) had been allowed to sweat for a bit, the greens seasoned with salt, pepper and a bit more olive oil
• four banana fingerlings from Norwich Meadows Farm, scrubbed, left unpeeled, boiled in well-salted water, drained and dried in the warm pot, rolled in butter, salt, pepper, and one chopped spring garlic from Norwich Meadows Farm, scattered with some micro purple radish from Two Guys from Woodbridge
• the wine was a California (Lodi) white, David Akiyoshi Reserve Chardonnay 2015
• the music included brilliant works by 2 women, Kristin Norderval’s album, ‘Aural Histories’, and Olga Neuwirth’s ‘Lost Highway’, and with that report for March 8, we will note that every day is Women’s Day!

I’ve used it before, but, like all recipes, or at least the ones we amateurs play with, it turns out at least a little differently each time. Last night I worked that part even more by picking tomatoes I had never used before in this preparation.

The recipe was one which I had found on the LA Times site 2 years ago; I made only a few adjustments.

As usual, all of the ingredients (save for the oil, butter, salt, pepper, and vinegar – and the wine), came from the Union Square Greenmarket. The tomatoes were wonderful, and the small okra was a real find.

• one 12-ounce flounder fillet from P.E. & D.D. Seafood, lightly seasoned, cooked for a few minutes in olive oil and butter in a heavy oval copper pan over high heat, turning once, divided into two servings, placed on the plates, a couple of spoonfuls of ‘tomato butter’ [see below] arranged on and around the fish
• tomato butter, begun by cooking, inside a small pan with a generous amount of butter until slightly soft and fragrant, one large fresh red scallion from Norwich Meadows Farm, then letting the flavored butter cool slightly before being poured over 4 ounces of halved sun gold cherry tomatoes from Lani’s Farm, chopped, adding 2 tablespoons of fresh papalo leaves [porophyllum ruderale], also from Lani’s Farm, the mix seasoned with salt, pepper, and a few drops of good Spanish wine vinegar (Rioja)
• small okra from Norwich Meadows Farm, sautéed over a high flame in a large cast iron pan with a little olive oil and a good part of one small red Calabrian pepper from Campo Rosso Farm, seasoned with sea salt
• the wine was a California (Monterey/Santa Barbara/Sonoma/Napa) white, Joel Gott unoaked Chardonnay 2015
• the music was Q2 Music, streaming, from their ’24-hour Steve Reich Marathon’

Home alone. I don’t always cook a proper meal for myself on the rare occasions that happens, and unfortunately I hadn’t arranged to share my meal with a friend. But at least by Monday morning I had thought ahead enough to purchase some very fresh fish for 2 successive meals, one solo (the Union Square Greenmarket isn’t open on Tuesdays).

That night, before I actually began thinking about what I would do with my one flounder fillet, I had assumed that whatever I did it would be very minimal, and end with an unusual herb or micro green. Then I noticed that a few of the heirloom tomatoes on the breakfast room windowsill had become as ripe as they could possibly get, so I turned to an only-slightly-more-complex recipe I had used a number of times in the past, and I jumped off from there, with a few variations.

 

I have usually used good cherry tomatoes for the ‘butter’, but the version I composed last night included very ripe heirlooms, almost entirely, and I think it was the best one yet.

Note: After the photo at the very top was taken, I drizzled some of the tomato liquid onto the exposed fillet, and it was ambrosial!

 

The spigarello broccoli was absolutely delicious, and unlike any green I had ever tasted. I generally prefer not to parboil any leafy vegetable, and did so reluctantly in this case, since I was a little concerned about the sturdiness of the stems, even though I had cut off most of them. Unfortunately I drained the spigarello after only about 3 minutes, which wasn’t quite enough to soften them; the next time I will test them while they’re boiling (or be sure to remove all of the stem, even if I have to admit the stems look pretty cool on the plate).

The leaves, by the way, are probably sturdy enough to survive a longer blanching without losing their own freshness.  I wonder how that excellent design came about? I didn’t squeeze the greens after they had been drained and before they were sautéed, mostly because I didn’t have a ton, and didn’t want them to disappear before I got them to the plate.

• one 7-ounce Long Island-waters flounder fillet from P.E.&D.D. Seafood, lightly seasoned, cooked for a few minutes in olive oil and butter in a heavy oval copper pan over high heat, turning once, then placed on a plate, a couple of spoonfuls of ‘tomato butter’ [see below] placed on top
• tomato butter, made by cooking, until slightly soft and fragrant, a couple sliced fresh red scallions from Hawthorne Valley Farm in a generous amount of butter, then letting the flavored butter cool slightly before being poured over three different small, fresh, very ripe heirloom tomatoes from Norwich Meadows Farm, chopped, and 4 halved sun gold cherry tomatoes from Down Home Acres, then combined with a tablespoon of tarragon, chopped, from Stokes Farm, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a few drops of good red wine vinegar
• spigarello (Cavolo Broccolo a Getti di Napoli, or Minestra Nera) from Norwich Meadow Farm, stems removed, blanched for about 2 minutes, drained, sautéed (mostly just heated) in olive oil in which one chopped garlic and a small amount of a chopped cherry bomb/red bomb pepper from Norwich Meadows Farm had first been softened (a sprinkle of a little lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil might have been in order after they were arranged on the plate, but I did neither this time
• the wine was a California (grapes from the Sacramento River Delta with a small amount of Viognier from Lodi) white, Miriam Alexander Chenin Blanc 2014
• the music was an album of works by Mateusz Ryczek, ‘Planetony’