This tuna dish is incredibly easy to assemble, and it’s always a huge treat, but this time it was heaven.

• two 7 or 8-ounce yellowfin tuna steaks from P.E. & D.D. Seafood, rinsed, dried, tops and bottoms seasoned with local sea salt produced by the fisherman himself and freshly-ground black pepper, ‘paved’ with a mixture of less than a tablespoon of some incredibly pungent dried Semi di Finocchietto Ibleo [wild Sicilian fennel seed] harvested in the Iblei Mountains, from Eataly Flatiron, and a little dried Itria-Sirissi chili, pepperoncino di Sardegna intero from Buon Italia in the Chelsea Market [both first crushed together in a porcelain mortar and pestle], plus a very small amount of dried golden habanada pepper, the steaks pan-grilled above a medium-high flame for little more than a minute or so on each side, finished on the plates with a good squeeze of the juice of an organic California lemon from Chelsea Whole Foods Market, garnished with micro red-vein sorrel from Two Guys from Woodbridge, finished with a drizzle of Chelsea Whole Foods Market Portuguese house olive oil

• a mix of subtly different tones of small cherry tomatoes (14 ounces) from Norwich Meadows Farm, washed, dried, each punctured at least once with a steel trussing pin, heated in a little olive oil inside a small copper skillet, seasoned with salt and Pepper, and mixed with a little chopped fresh oregano from Rise & Root Farm

• a bouquet of beautiful red frill mustard from Norwich Meadows Farm washed and drained in several changes of water, wilted in a little olive oil in which several cloves of ‘Chesnok Red’ garlic from Alewife Farm had been allowed to sweat a bit, seasoned with salt and pepper and finished on the plates with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon
• the mix of sauces on the plates called for some bread, in this case thin slices of a Lost Bread Co. loaf of Buck Honey Rye (rye, malted buckwheat groats, honey, water, and salt)
• the wine was a New York (Hudson River/Pine Bush) rosé, the unfiltered Wild Arc Farm Cabernet Franc Rosé 2017, Bruynswick Vineyard, which we had purchased from the vintners themselves last weekend

• DJing these meals (almost entirely Barry’s responsibilty) isn’t always as easy as we make it look; on this particular evening we began and stopped 5 different recordings before we came up with this incredible winner: a remastered 1961 recording of a magnificent performance of Gustav Mahler’s symphony, No. 1 in D Major, the Columbia Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer’s friend and champion Bruno Walter, who was at the composer’s deathbed in Vienna 1911 [and that’s right, a world class symphony orchestra endowed by a corporate radio and TV station; European nations still have them, and Germany has a total of 14]

[image of Mahler and Walter from the Mahler Foundation achive]

A little bit of smoke goes a long way, whether it’s with vegetables, meat, or fish, but this time we had a full 4 ounce section of smoked bluefish fillet to mix with less than 8 ounces of dried pasta, a ratio twice that I’ve used with similar dishes in the past.

Joy.

• several chopped baby leeks from baby French leeks from Mountain Sweet Berry Farm and some very small stems of a small rib from a small stalk of celery from Norwich Meadows Farm, both sautéd in a little olive oil inside a large antique copper pot until softened, the juice from half  of an organic Whole Foods Market California lemon added and the pan kept over heat for another 2 or 3 minutes, stirring, the flame reduced to low and a pinch of sea salt, part of one crushed dried Itria-Sirissi chili, pepperoncino di Sardegna intero from Buon Italia and a pinch of home dried Norwich Meadows Farm golden habanada pepper stirred into the sauce until both hot and sweet peppers had become pungent, then adding less than 8 ounces of Afeltra Pasta di Gragnano Spaghetto from Eataly that had just been cooked until barely al dente, along with almost a cup of the reserved pasta water, continuing to stir until the liquid had emulsified, followed by mixing in one 4 ounce piece of smoked bluefish from Pura Vida Seafood Company and some chopped leaves from the celery rib, the dish transferred to low serving bowls, drizzled with a little olive oil around the edges, sprinkled with lemon zest and a little more red pepper flakes, and garnished with homemade toasted bread crumbs
• the wine was a Portuguese (Vinho Verde) white, Quinta de Paços Casa do Capitão-Mor Alvarinho 2017, from Flatiron Wines 
• the music was a glorious 1982 DGG recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, Claudio Abbado conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna State Opera Chorus, the Vienna Boys’ Choir, and Jessye Norman

It was good.

Although it was a little simpler than many of these mid afternoon ‘fast breakers’, so I had at least metaphorically brought fewer things to the table. There were still a lot of containers however but fortunately I actually enjoy washing up afterward, and have never had a dishwasher, or even wanted one.

This is what the drainer looked like after this relatively simple lunch.

• on the table earlier: 4 slices of thick bacon from pastured pigs and 6 fresh eggs from pastured chickens, all from the Amish family-run Millport Dairy Farm stand in the Union Square Greenmarket, the eggs seasoned with a local Long Island sea salt (from P.E. & D.D. Seafood) and freshly ground black pepper, drizzled with a tiny amount of Brazil wax pepper-infused olive oil (the peppers from Eckerton Hill Farm, the infusion done at home), and sprinkled with red vein micro sorrel from Two Guys from Woodbridge, with a dollop of the cook’s own homemade Zhug at the side; there was a small salad of red dandelions leaves from Willow Wisp Farm seasoned with salt and pepper, and a good Cretan (Chania) olive oil, Renieris Estate ‘Divina’ (a Koroneiki varietal), from Chelsea Whole Foods Market, topped with a few differently toned cherry tomatoes from Norwich Meadows Farm that had been halved and heated in a little While Foods house Portuguese olive oil inside an antique enameled cast iron porringer and tossed with chopped thyme leaves from Quarton Farm; a rich local butter (Organic Valley ‘Cultured Pasture Butter’ from Chelsea Whole Foods, and 2 breads, both from Lost Bread Co., neither toasted, a Homadama (wheat, corn, water, maple syrup, salt, slaked lime) and a Buck Honey Rye (rye, malted buckwheat groats, honey, water, salt)
• the music was the 1871-1872 oratorio, ‘Luther in Worms’, by the choral director, critic, and composer Ludwig Meinardus, performed by Hermann Max directing Concerto Köln and the Rheinische Kantorei (neither Martin Luther nor the composer’s conservative Protestantism appeal to either of us, but the subject of the piece and the conservative romantic composition itself occupy niches in history that interest both of us; Barry came across this recording and used it to fill the niche we generally reserve for religious music first thing on Sundays, a tradition in spite of, or possibly because of, the depth of our shared disbelief

Oh my.

Yes.

We both love game, but I’m pretty certain I’ve never prepared or eaten partridge before. It doesn’t show up anywhere on this blog, and where else would I have had the opportunity, especially before I started it, in 2009?, so I didn’t really know what to expect.

While I was planning and cooking Saturday’s dinner, I hadn’t really been thinking about how dark in color or gamey it might be. I was mostly concerned about how to cook it to best advantage. If I had given it a thought, I’d have assumed that partridge would be darker and more gamey than the centerpiece of our meal that night actually turned out to be.

But what flavor!

I’m used to thinking ruddy and gamey is what wild fowl are all about (dove and quail have been my favorites) , but this bird gave me a whole new appreciation for the more subtle but very rich flavors of fowl that do not hang out in the traditional farm yard, but which don’t scream “liver!”.

The excellent, and extraordinarily simple recipe I used is from Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers inestimable volume, ‘Italian Easy’; Recipes from the London River Cafe‘(page 160 in my edition).

• two 1-pound chukar partridges [alectoris chukar] from Quattro’s Game Farm & Store in the Union Square Greenmarket, their backbones removed with a heavy kitchen scissors where the thin ribs join it, then each bird pushed flat, open side down, on the surface of a platter or large oven pan, seasoned on all sides with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and most of one crushed dried Itria-Sirissi chili, pepperoncino di Sardegna intero from Buon Italia, rubbed with some Whole Foods Market house Portuguese olive oil, covered all over with a mix of fresh and dry breadcrumbs, a combination of moist crumbs from a part of the only bread I had on hand, a very intensely flavored loaf of Lost Bread Co.’s Homadama (wheat, corn, water, maple syrup, salt, slaked lime) and, to help overcome the sponginess of the cornbread, some totally dried homemade crumbs that were themselves a mix of many different kinds of breads, the partridges then left aside to rest for something over 30 minutes before they were placed above medium flames on a 2-burner Lodge cast iron grill pan and grilled for about 25 minutes, turning frequently and from time to time squeezing organic Whole Foods Market lemon halves on top, the flames turned off and the birds allowed to rest for about 5 minutes, covered loosely with aluminum foil if desired, arranged on the plates with micro red amaranth arranged at its edges, and ideally perhaps served with more lemon (I didn’t have any left at this point that night, but I had been very generous earlier with what I did have); in any event I had somehow managed to cook them to a perfect state, roughly showing 180ºF, inside their thighs, with the help of an instant thermometer

• red dandelion leaves from Norwich Meadows Farm, well washed and thoroughly dried, dressed in a good Cretan (Chania) olive oil, Renieris Estate ‘Divina’ (a Koroneiki varietal), from Chelsea Whole Foods Market, local Long Island sea salt from P.E. & D.D. Seafood, freshly-ground black pepper, and a bit of Columela Rioja 30 Year Reserva sherry vinegar

• thirteen or 14 ounces of Hakurei turnips from Keith’s Farm, washed, scrubbed, peeled, cut into half-inch-thick slices, tossed with Portuguese olive oil, sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, a small handful of rosemary leaves from from Phillips Farms, and little more than a pinch of a crushed dried piece of golden/bronze habanada pepper, roasted inside a large unglazed Pampered Chef ceramic pan for about 30 or 35 minutes at 425º, or until tender and beginning to carbonize
• the wine was an Oregon (Willamette Valley/Yamhill-Carlton) red, Fairsing Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016, from the vineyard directly
• the music was a glorious performance and a brilliant recording of Mozart’s 1791 Singspiel, ‘Die Zauberflote’, William Christie conducting his ensemble, Les Arts Florissants, with soloists including Hans Peter Blochwitz, Willard White, and Natalie Dessay

It felt pretty wintry on Friday, so, yeah, fish and potatoes.

But, hedging our bets on the season, there were also yellow pole beans.

• twelve or 14 ounces of scrubbed, dried, and thinly sliced red potatoes from Willow Wisp Farm, arranged, overlapping, on the bottom of a glazed earthenware oven pan, covered with 3 tablespoons, or slightly more, of a Chelsea Whole Foods house Portuguese olive oil, seasoned with sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, a pinch of an Eckerton Hill Farm crushed dried hickory smoked Jamaican Scotch bonnet pepper and the same amount of a dried habanada pepper, 9 whole Italian bay leaves from Buon Italia scattered on top, and then more oil (another 2 tablespoons or so) poured over everything, the pan placed inside a 400º oven for about 20 or 25 minutes, or until the potatoes had begun to brown on the edges, when almost two thirds of a cup of pitted Sicilian black oil-cured olives from Buon Italia [fewer olives would definitely also work, this amount is luscious] were scattered about them, followed by one 15-ounce monkfish tail [Fr. Lotte de Mer] from Pura Vida Seafood, cut into 4 pieces, placed on top of everything, the fish sprinkled with salt and pepper, and the pan returned to the oven for roughly another 15 minutes, or until the monkfish was tender but not overcooked (I used an instant thermometer and 140º as the final say), everything arranged on the plates 
• eleven ounces of sweet flat yellow pole beans from Norwich Meadows Farm, blanched and drained, then dried over a medium flame in the same, emptied pot, shaking it up and down, set aside until the fish and potatoes were done, reheated in olive oil inside a cast iron skillet, seasoned with salt and pepper, and tossed with chopped thyme leaves from Quarton Farm, garnished with a little micro red amaranth from Norwich Meadows Farm
• the wine was an Oregon (Northern Willamette Valley and Umpqua Valley) white, Scott Kelley Oregon Chardonnay 2018, from Naked Wines
• the music was Rossini’s 1817 operatic dramma giocoso, ‘La Cenerentola’, in a classic 1999 recording, Claudio Abbado conducting theLondon Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Opera Chorus, with Margherita Guglielmi, Renato Capecchi, Luigi Alva, Teresa Berganza, Paolo Montarsolo, Laura Zannini, and Ugo Trama