We’re really crazy about tuna steaks prepared this easy way, and I don’t object to the fact it’s simpler than pie to do. What surprised me this time was how formidable a rival the vegetable accompaniment I’d chosen turned out to be. It too could hardly have been easier to prepare, which was also a surprise, since I normally go through all kinds of contortions to bring out the best in treviso, or any of the other chicories I love so much.

• two 8-ounce tuna steaks from American Seafood Company, rinsed, dried, seasoned on both sides with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, then rubbed, tops and bottoms, with a mixture of a tablespoon of a wonderful dry Sicilian fennel seed from Buon Italia that had been crushed in a porcelain mortar and pestle along with a little dried peperoncino Calabresi secchi from Buon Italia, ending, also on both sides, with little more than a pinch of dried golden/orange habanada pepper, pan-grilled above a medium-high flame (for only a little more than a minute or so on each side), finished on the plates with a good squeeze of the juice of an organic lemon from Whole Foods Market and a drizzle of olive oil, garnished with micro scallion from Two Guys from Woodbridge
• a small handful of golden cherry tomatoes from Alex’s Tomato Farm, in Carlisle, New Jersey, at Chelsea’s Down to Earth Farmers Market on 23rd Street, washed, halved, heated inside an antique enameled cast iron porringer in a little olive oil, sea salt, and freshly-ground black pepper, garnished with micro red basil from Two Guys from Woodbridge
• one very-thinly-sliced spring garlic stem from Berried Treasures Farm or/and one spring red onion from Norwich Meadows Farm (and maybe a small piece of shallot, also from Norwich Meadows Farm), heated in a tablespoon or more of olive oil inside a heavy pan until softened, before 2 medium heads of early, loose-leaf) treviso from Campo Rosso Farm, roughly chopped, added to the pan, along with some sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, stirring all along until the radicchio had mostly wilted, finished with barely a splash of balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with chopped lovage from Two Guys from Woodbridge
• the wine was a Portuguese (Alentejo) white, Esporao Monte Velho White 2016, from Garnet Wines
• the music was New Sounds, streaming

We haven’t had what we call a home picnic in a long time. in fact, as I look at the search box on this site, unless I haven’t always been posting these simple meals, it appears it’s been a very long time.

These dinners can normally be assembled without any planning, since we usually have on hand most of what might be needed to set out such a meal.

• on Tuesday what we had on hand included 4 ounces of Applegate Naturals prosciutto from Whole Foods Market, some leftover sweet soppressata from Buon Italia, Orwasher’s ‘Ultimate Whole Wheat’ bread from Chelsea’s Down to Earth Farmers Market, some water buffalo brie from Riverine Ranch, Consider Bardwell Danby cheese, some purple leaf lettuce from Tamarack Hollow Farm with some previously-toasted pine nuts from Buon Italia, golden tomatoes from Alex’s Tomato Farm with Berried Treasures Farm spring garlic and Two Guys from Woodbridge lovage and micro red basil
• the wine was an Italian/Austrian (Alto Adige/Südtirol) white, Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco 2016 from Garnet Wines
• the music was an album of partitas, sonatas and sinfonias composed by Franz Ignaz Anton Tuma (1704-1774)

My recipe says ‘sea bream’ but my fish monger says ‘porgy’. They’re both right, as it turns out.

• their presentation began with a salsa prepared by heating 3 tablespoons of a Portuguese house olive oil from Whole Foods Market inside a vintage Corning  Pyrex Flameware blue-glass pot pot over a gentle flame, adding 5 ounces of tomatoes, a mix of red grape tomatoes from Kernan Farms and golden cherry tomatoes from Alex’s Tomato Farm, and 2 ounces or so of pitted whole kalamata olives from Whole Foods Market, seasoning the mix with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, stirring for a minute or 2, the pan set aside to cool, and some chopped fresh lovage from Two Guys from Woodbridge and an equal amount of chopped fresh spicy oregano leaves from Windfall Farms (several tablespoons altogether) were, reserving some for garnish, stirred into the salsa, the juice of half of an organic lemon from Whole Foods Market added and the salsa stirred once again before being set aside while the fish was prepared
• four 3 and a half-ounce porgy fillets from P.E & D.D. Seafood, their skin slashed with a very sharp knife in 2 or 3 places each, placed, skin side down, in a little very hot olive oil inside a large rectangular enameled cast iron pan sitting over a high flame, the flesh side of the fish seasoned with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, cooked for 2 or 3 minutes until the flesh was dark golden and the skin crisp’, the fillets turned over, cooked on the other side for 1 minute, basting with the oil in the pan, if any, until the fillets were just cooked through, arranged on the plates on top of the salsa described above, garnished with micro scallion from Two Guys from Woodbridge

I saw these bunches of celtuce (aka ‘stem lettuce’ or ‘asparagus lettuce’) in the market that same afternoon. In fact I had a choice of 2 inside Lani’s Farm tent. One was more green than the other, and looked like what I would expect to find. Its sign read, I think, only, ‘celtuce’. The other was labelled, ‘Purple Sword celtuce’. I asked the helper near the tables in that area of the stall which one I should pick. He gave it a thought for a couple seconds, then replied that I should probably go for the latter, adding, before I could ask why, that, because it was purple, it would be richer in antioxidants. I really have no idea what that means, but I generally trust the farmers.

• one bundle of some small-diameter ‘Purple Sword celtuce‘ from Lani’s Farm, the leaves, removed from the ‘stalks’, washed several times, wilted in a bit of olive oil and set aside, then the stalks, scrubbed, cut into one-inch sections, briefly par-boiled, drained and dried, sautéed in a little olive over a moderate flame for a minute or two, along with some chopped spring garlic from Berried Treasures Farm, the celtuce leaves reserved earlier now gently reheated and distributed onto the plates as a bed for the cooked stalks, some chopped lovage from Two Guys from Woodbridge sprinkled about on both, and some toasted pine nuts that had earlier been heated, stirring, inside a cast iron pan until they had begun to brown scattered on top
• the wine was a California (Santa Lucia Highlands/Monterey County) rosé, 99 Barrels Derek Rohlffs Santa Lucia Highlands Rosé, from Naked Wines
• the music was Rossini’s 1817 opera, ‘La Cenerentola’, Riccardo Chailly conducting the Bologna Teatro Comunale Orchestra and the Bologna Teatro Comunale Chorus

The meal began with the idea of sausage, and it turned out to be one described as ‘Spanish style’, from a German-American butcher shop (on the Tuesday of the previous week I had asked Barry to bring some back when he was near one of our favorite shops in Yorkville).

Dinner moved on into cucumber territory (cooked cucumber, and so belonging to any number of cooking traditions, perhaps especially that of eastern Asia, but not the United States).

Then I remembered I had bought some Moroccan M’smen at the Greenmarket 2 days before. That naturally led to the spiced Labneh, (its origins are in the Levant, the eastern Mediterranean generally, including Greece, plus the Middle East, and Central and southern Asia) that I had been given by a Union Square Greenmarket farmer on the Wednesday before and had not yet even tasted.

The wine, a California zinfandel, came next. The last guest to join the party was Moondog, and I have no idea where to locate him geographically.

It was just a little bit like the the International Express, although perhaps a train waiting on a sidetrack, with people, mostly strangers, sharing food. It was delicious and in the end it managed to feel of a piece with some culinary tradition, even if I couldn’t put my finger on it. Maybe the greater Mediterranean (all sides of it)?

• four links of ‘Spanish Style Chorizo’ (12 ounces) from Schaller & Weber’s store, pan grilled for a few minutes, turning often until carbonized somewhat on all sides, spread with the last of a jar of wonderful Inglehoffer  cranberry mustard sauce (I’m now looking for more)
• two pieces of Hot Bread Kitchen Moroccan M’smen, heated separately over a medium flame in a very large cast iron dry skillet for about one minute on each side, served with a large dollop of spiced Labneh from Courtney and Brian Foley’s Riverine Ranch

• four small Kirby cucumbers from Alex’s Tomato Farm at Chelsea’s Down to Earth Farmers Market on 23rd Street (they had begun in a high tunnel early in the spring, and were then opened up to the weather by mid-May), washed, dried, chopped into disks, sautéed in a tablespoon or so of olive oil inside a medium copper pot over medium heat until beginning to turn brown in places, and, just before that moment, one small sliced red onion from Norwich Meadows Farm was added and stirred until softened, then a bit of chopped lovage from Two Guys from Woodbridge and a sprinkle of fenugreek from Nirmala Gupta (of the 23rd Street Market’s ‘Bombay Emerald Chutney Company‘) added near the end, the vegetables arranged on the plates, with a little more lovage tossed on top
• the wine was a zinfandel a Califronia (Lodi) red, Karen Birmingham Reserve Zinfandel Lodi 2015, from Naked Wines
• the music was the 2010 album, ‘Moondog: Sidewalk Dances‘

It was one of the more minimal, and one of the best, examples of this sort of half-traditional/half created Sunday breakfast that I’ve ever thrown together; the fact that I didn’t lose a single one of the 6 yolks is only a part of that boast, but I feel like it’s a good part.

• the ingredients were Americauna chicken eggs and thick smoked bacon from Millport Dairy Farm, golden cherry tomatoes from Alex’s Tomato Farm, red grape tomatoes from Kernan Farms, a dry seasoning called L’ekama from Ron & Leetal Arazi’s New York Shuk, micro scallion from Two Guys from Woodbridge, thyme from Stokes Farm, Maldon salt, freshly-ground Whole Foods Market house black pepper and their house Portuguese olive oil (both very, very good), small-leaf Sylvetta ‘wild’ arugula from Willow Wisp Organic Farm, and lightly-toasted slices of She Wolf Bakery Toasted Sesame Wheat loaf
• the music was Messiaen’s ‘Vingt regards sur l’enfant Jésus‘, performed by Joanna MacGregor

Just straight scallops this time, but I couldn’t resist adding the beautiful micro red basil.

• ten medium-large Hamptons Bay sea scallops (14 ounces altogether) from American Seafood Company, washed, drained and very thoroughly dried on paper towels (twice), generously seasoned with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, pan grilled for about 90 seconds on each side, finished with a squeeze of organic lemon from Whole Foods Market and some Frankies 457 Sicilian olive oil, the gift of  a friend, arranged on 2 plates and garnished with micro red basil from Two Guys from Woodbridge
• a mix of red grape tomatoes from Kernan Farms and golden cherry tomatoes from Alex’s Tomato Farm, heated in a little olive oil inside a medium copper pot in which some chopped garlic scapes had first been sautéed until tender seasoned with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, sprinkled with chopped spicy oregano from Windfall Farms, arranged on a bed of Sylvetta ‘wild’ arugula from Willow Wisp Organic Farm that had been seasoned with Frankies 457 olive oil, sea salt, and freshly-ground black pepper
• the wine was a California (Lodi) white, Karen Birmingham Sauvignon Blanc Lodi 2017, from Naked Wines
• the music was the ECM album, ‘Siwan’, with Jon Balke, Amina Alaqui, Jon Hassell, Kheir Eddine M’Kachiche, and Bjarte Eike

I swear I wasn’t trying for the purple thing, but I have to admit that sometimes it can look very cool.

• three stems of spring garlic from Berried Treasures Farm, cut into one-inch lengths, sautéed until softened in a little Whole Foods Market Portuguese house olive oil and Organic Valley ‘Cultured Pasture Butter’ inside a large rectangular, enameled cast iron pan over medium heat, then removed and discarded, or maybe set aside for another day [NOTE: this first step, in which mature garlic could be substituted at other times of the year is definitely optional, especially if the cook is in a hurry], a little more oil and butter added, the flame raised to medium-high and two nearly-8-ounce sea bass fillets from Pura Vida Seafood Company, previously rinsed, dried with paper towels, and seasoned with sea salt, added to the pan and seared, skin side down first, for 3 to 4 minutes (the skin should be nicely golden and fairly crisp by then), turned over and cooked for another minute or so, removed and placed on 2 plates, kept warm, either in a warm oven or tented with aluminum foil, and half a dozen or more tender garlic scapes from Windfall Farms sautéed briefly until softened, the scapes divided between the 2 warm plates and a bass fillet placed on or under them, finished with a generous squeeze of an organic Whole Foods Market lemon, and garnished with micro red basil from Two Guys from Woodbridge, lemon wedges placed in small containers on the side of the plates

 

• one bunch of beautiful spicy purple radishes from Berried Treasures Farm, the leaves removed, rinsed in several changes of water and set aside, the radishes themselves washed, scrubbed, and cut into wedges, before they were sautéed in a little olive oil inside a copper skillet for a few minutes, one sliced small-to-medium red onion from Norwich Meadow Farm added near the end of the cooking, along with a pinch of peperoncino Calabresi secchia from Buon Italia, after which the reserved radish leaves, now cut very roughly, were introduced into the pan, stirred, and allowed to wilt, the vegetables sprinkled with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, a little white wine poured in and stirred until the liquid had evaporated
• the wine was a Portuguese (Alentejo) white, Esporao Alandra Branco 2016, from Garnet Wines
• the music was Jacob Cooper’s label debut album, ‘Silver Threads’, a six-song cycle performed by soprano Mellissa Hughes

I had stopped by Brian Foley’s Riverine Ranch stand in the Union Square Greenmarket for another reason entirely, but then we became engaged in conversation about his animals, and before I knew it I was walking away with a very special steak.

It was from a four-year-old animal (old in the world of bovids slaughtered for meat consumption, where 18 to 24 months is the norm). This meant that it was going to be less tender than most steaks, but the flavor could be expected to be much richer. That was exactly our experience.  Since neither of us places ‘tenderness’ at the top of our beef checklist, I wasn’t surprised that we were so delighted with the meat.

Apparently Brian had already suspected that I was somewhat adventurous about food, would appreciate the virtues of this offering, and could figure out how to cook it well when he pulled it out to show to me.  Also, when I asked the cost, he offered it at a very good price, even though I think he already knew I was going to buy it.

A wonderful steak.

• one 14-ounce sirloin water buffalo steak from Riverine Ranch from a 4-yr-old steer, rinsed and patted dry, then arranged on a plate, drizzled on all sides with a little olive oil, seasoned generously with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, covered and let rest at room temperature for up to 2 hours before being placed inside an enameled cast iron oval pan already heated over a medium flame, cooked 3 or 4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, to medium rare [being careful not to overcook, or the steak would be tough, and noting that the color of this lean meat is a lot redder than beef, meaning a medium-rare buffalo steak would be the same shade of an almost rare beef steak], removed from the pan, cut in half crosswise, arranged on the plates, drizzled with a bit of juice from a Whole Foods Market organic lemon,  sprinkled with chopped fresh thyme (including some whole flowers) from Stokes Farm, drizzled with a little olive oil, covered loosely and allowed to rest for a couple minutes before serving
• more than a handful of small, very sweet grape tomatoes from Kernan Farms in southern New Jersey, halved, tossed in olive oil, sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, a few drops of white balsamic vinegar, and a little chopped lovage from Two Guys from Woodbridge, arranged inside 2 small ceramic prep bowls placed on top of the dinner plates

• a mix of several varieties of mustard greens from Tamarack Hollow Farm, wilted in a little olive oil in one stem of spring garlic from Berried Treasures Farm, sliced, had been allowed to sweat a bit, seasoned with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, finished on the plates with a drizzle of olive oil
• the wine was a California (Clarksburg) red, Sin Fronteres Tempranillo Clarksburg 2016, from Naked Wines
• the music was the album, ‘Marin Marais: Alcione Suites des Airs à joüer (1706)‘,
• Jordi Savall conducting Le Concert des Nations

Mmmmm.

We’re back from California, and I’m back happy to haul local seafood (caught by others) onto our dinner table.

• four red-skinned ocean perch fillets (18 ounces) from American Seafood Company, rinsed, and dried, both sides brushed with 2 tablespoons of olive oil mixed with a total of little more than one  teaspoon of a chopped spring garlic from Berried Treasures Farm, the fish seasoned, also on both sides, with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, placed inside an enameled cast iron pan and broiled, skin side up, 4 or 5 inches from the flames, for about 4 minutes, or until the skin had become crisp and the fish was cooked through, finished on the plates with a sauce that had already been prepared by gently heating 2 salted anchovies from Buon Italia, rinsed and filleted, in a bit of olive oil over a very low flame for 3 or 4 minutes until they had fallen apart, the sauce kept warm while the fillets were broiled, the perch arranged on the plates on a bed of wild dandelion from Berried Treasures Farm, garnished with chopped fresh summer savory from Stokes Farm, and with Whole Foods Market organic lemon wedges served on the side

• zucchini trifolati, prepared roughly along the lines of the recipe in “Italian Too Easy“, although the ingredients reduced in amounts, made with small yellow zucchini (the yellow variety in the image of summer squash above) from Eckerton Hill Farm, grape tomatoes from Kernan Farms, fresh spring garlic from Berried Treasures, and fresh spicy oregano from Windfall Farms, the preparation allowed to rest 15 minutes before serving
• the wine was an Italian (Piedmont) white, Banfi Gavi Principessa Gavia 2016, from Flatiron Wines
• the music was that of Mozart’s contemporary, Josef Myslivecek (1737 – 1781), the album ‘Il Divino Boemo‘ (love the cover image)

 

It was June 12, our first full day back from Los Angelos, and I’m just now getting around to posting about it and the next five days of meals, mostly because of time constraints, but also because my hold host sort of collapsed, and I’m still not familiar with how the new one works. These meal descriptions will probably be more abreviated than unusual since I have only sketchy notes and a sketchy memory.

• the appetizer included part of a package of sweet soppressata from Buon Italia and some wild dandelion from Berried Treasures Farm that had survived our absence in terrific shape, the greens sprinkled with Maldon salt and freshly-ground pepper, and both drizzled with juice from an organic Whole Foods Market lemon, accompnaied by a few freshly-pitted Kalamata olives, also from Whole Foods Market
• slices of a an absolutely wonderful, if non-traditional style, baguette, ‘Mediterraneo’ from Eataly (whole wheat, rye flours, pumpkin, sesame, poppy, sunflower, and flax seeds, millet, farro)

The main course was a pasta, a fresh ravioli which began its life that same day only 2 blocks east of us.

• thirteen ounces of an artichoke-filled (with a little anchovy!) fresh ravioli from Luca Donofrio‘s fresh pasta shop inside Eataly’s Flatiron store, boiled carefully until barely cooked through inside a large stainless steel pot in a large amount of well-salted water, drained, some of the pasta water retained, then slipped into a large antique high-sided tin-lined copper pot in which a tablespoon or two of olive oil had softened a bit of chopped spring garlic from Berried Treasures Farm over a medium flame, tossed a bit before being joined by 8 or 10 halved grape tomatoes from Kernan Farms, seasoned with sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, the mix stirred, along with some reserved pasta cooking water, until the liquids had emulsified, followed by the addition of chopped lovage from Berried Treasures Farm, arranged inside shallow bowls, sprinkled with toasted home-made breadcrumbs, and scattered with a bit more lovage

 

• the wine througout the meal was an Italian (Campania) white, Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo 2016, from Garnet Wine 
• the music was the album, ‘Joseph Bodin de Boismortier: Sonates pour basses‘, with Le Concert Spirituel directed by Hervé Niquet