Amy Cotler’s Tuscan Tomato Bread Soup
My husband may be the love of my life, but soup is my culinary ballast, reliably providing a hug, asking little in return, only a bowl to hold it and a spoon to consume it. And this soup is summer’s embrace—a trip to Tuscany-in-a-bowl. Make Poppa al Pomadoro now through September when tomatoes are at their peak. You can serve this soup hot, cold or at room temperature. And, as my daughter, Emma, discovered, the left-overs make a fabulous baguette sandwich.
— Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
Tomato Bread Soup
Serves 6 - 8
8 cups chopped, skinned & seeded summer tomatoes & their juices (see #1, below)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
About 1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil
About 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
6 cups peasant or Italian bread, torn up (include crusts), stale or toasted (1/2 lb)
2 - 3 cups chicken stock or water
About 35 basil leaves, shredded or torn into small pieces
Up to 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, optional
Up to 1 teaspoon sugar, optional
Coarsely ground or cracked pepper to taste
1. Plunge about 8 tomatoes into a pot of boiling water. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs. When they are cool enough to handle, slip off their skins. Cut in half and seed with a spoon, reserving their juices. You can seed them through a sieve if you like, letting the juices run through into a bowl. Cut into wedges. You should have about 8 cups with the juices. (Note: You will need more tomatoes if you use plum tomatoes. Simply use what’s best.)
2. In a medium pot, sauté the garlic and hot chili pepper flakes in the olive oil over low heat until aromatic, about 1 minute tops. Do not brown. Add the tomatoes and salt. Cook over medium-low heat until the tomatoes render their juices, about 20 minutes, stirring periodically to break them up.
3. Add the bread and 2 cups of the chicken stock or water. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the bread. Stir most of the basil, reserving the rest for garnish. Taste. If needed stir in: up to 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, up to 1 teaspoon sugar and up to 1 cup additional stock, depending on the juiciness of the tomatoes. Let rest for at least an hour before serving.
4. To serve: Taste, adding salt and cracked or coarsely ground pepper, if needed. Ladle into warm bowls. Garnish each with about a 1 teaspoon olive oil and a few leaves of torn or slivered basil.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 07/28/10 at 01:27 PM • Permalink
Seize-the-Day Strawberry Shortcake
After my our annual strawberry picking at Ioka Valley Farm, our favorite feast is strawberry shortcake — warm, dense biscuits topped with juicy ripe berries and fresh whipped local cream from High Lawn Farm. I sometimes plan ahead, making biscuits before we pick, then storing them, uncooked, in the freezer on parchment-lined sheet pans. That way, they’re ready to pop into the oven for an ideal strawberry shortcake supper on our return. It’s our once-a-year dessert-for-dinner meal. Caveat emptor: The season for local berries short. So savor them on and in everything until you’re satisfied, then wait until next year’s harvest to enjoy the real thing again. Here are some of our favorite places for strawberry picking.—Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way
Amy Cotler will be teaching a “Greens and Strawberry Workshop” at Hawthorne Valley Farm in Ghent, NY, on June 25 from 5 - 9 p.m.
Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
Makes 12 shortcakes or 6 generous servings.
3 pints local strawberries (or any local berry)
sugar to taste
For shortcake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup heavy local cream
4 to 5 tablespoons butter, melted
l. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Hull (or cut the tops from) the strawberries. Slice thickly. In a medium bowl, mash slightly with a potato masher or large spoon until very coarsely chopped. Stir in sugar to taste and set aside.
3. Sift together in a medium bowl the flour, a heaping tablespoon of the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add 1 cup of the cream, then mix the dough with your hands or a rubber spatula. Knead no more than a minute, just to bring the dough together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board or counter. Pat it into a square about ½ inch thick. Cut the dough into 12 squares or use a biscuit cutter to cut 12 rounds.
4. Cover a baking sheet with parchment. Pour half of the melted butter onto the baking sheet. Place the biscuits on top, and pour or brush the remaining butter over each. Bake 12 minutes, or until the tops just begin to brown.
5. While the shortcakes are cooking, with a hand whisk or an electric beater set on high, whip the remaining cream just until it forms soft peaks, seasoning it to taste with a touch of the remaining sugar.
6. Split the biscuits gently by hand or with a fork, and place on 6 plates or in 6 shallow bowls. Top the bottom halves with the berries and whipped cream. Place the second halves on top. Or let diners prepare their own feast. Eat immediately
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 06/24/10 at 07:59 AM • Permalink
Guido’s Chèvre Cheesecake
Jim Gop, the in-house chef at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, has come up with a dessert that takes full advantage of the season and local bounty. “Goat’s cheese is never better than at this time of year,” he says. “Soft, slightly chalky with a hint of lemon, these qualities lend themselves well when incorporated into this particular cheesecake. You also can get double enjoyment knowing that this cheesecake is almost 100 percent local: Rawson Brook Monterey Chèvre, Hawthorne Valley plain yogurt, North Plain Farm eggs, Maple Hill Milk, Ronnybrook Farm butter, Rulison honey, Baldwin & Sons vanilla, Bola Granola (for crust) and Berkshire Preserves blood orange marmalade.” Amazing. “Indulge and feel good about supporting local producers,” he says.
Monterey Chèvre Cheesecake with Orange and Walnuts
Serves 12
For the crust:
2 cups Bola Granola
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tbs. local honey
For the filling:
16 oz. Monterey Chèvre cheese
1 cup Hawthorne Valley plain or vanilla yogurt
3 local eggs
1/4 cup local milk (try High Lawn Farm or Ronny Brook)
3 tbs. butter, melted
1/3 cup local honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup orange marmalade or jam (preferably Berkshire Preserves)
2 tbs. water
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place Bola Granola into a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times until it reaches the consistency of crushed graham crackers. Combine granola, butter and honey and press mixture firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan or pie plate. Bake crust for 10 minutes. Cool before adding the filling.
3. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees.
4. Combine chèvre, yogurt and eggs. With an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add milk, butter, honey, vanilla extract and lemon zest, beating until well blended. Pour into cooled crust and bake at 300 degrees until the center jiggles like Jell-o when nudged, about 55 to 65 minutes. Insert a small pin or toothpick into center. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. (Or to speed setting process, place in freezer and check after about an hour.)
5. Combine the marmalade and water in a small saucepan. Heat until just hot; spoon orange sauce and chopped walnuts over slices of cheesecake and serve.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 06/09/10 at 04:52 AM • Permalink
Canapés for Locavores: Seasonal Bruschetta
Now that all sorts of goodies are popping out of the ground in rapid succession, it’s time to lather toasted baguettes with everything local. Go ahead and play with your food. I made these three tasty variations with what was on hand here — sweet radishes and young arugula from the market, rhubarb from my garden and goat cheese from Rawson Brook Farm (aka Monterey Chevre.) They are easy enough to make any day of the week as a nibble for the cocktail hour and special enough to serve to guests you’ve invited over for drinks. —Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way
Goat Cheese & Rhubarb Chutney Bruschette
Serves 2 - 4
About 1 cup finely diced rhubarb (1 - 2 stalks)
1-1/2 tablespoon finely chopped shallot or onion
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarsely grated ginger, packed
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
pinch of kosher or sea salt
12 slices of baguette
1/3 - 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese, room temperature
1. Slice rhubarb lengthwise 2 - 4 times, depending on its thickness, then across its length into a small dice. Measure 1 cup. Toss into a 2 cup glass measuring cup or small pot with the shallot or onions, sugar and ginger. Microwave or cook in a small pot over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until the rhubarb is soft, 1 - 2 minutes. (It’s nice if it still holds it shape, but don’t worry if it doesn’t.) Stir in the cider vinegar and salt. Set aside at room temperature or chill. (This can be made several days ahead of time if you wish.) If the chutney is watery, spoon off extra liquid.
2. Assemble just before serving: Toast 12 baguette rounds in a toaster or the broiler, turning once, until slightly crisp. Spread with goat cheese and top with the chutney. Serve immediately.
Spring Radish & Anchovy Butter Bruschetta
Serves 2 -4
This spring, I seem to be tasting the classic combo of radishes and butter everywhere I go. The rich butter and crisp, slightly tangy radish complement each other perfectly. Spring radishes are ideal for this, as they can be overpowering and even bitter when it gets hot. And the anchovy gives it some salty sass.
2 - 3 radishes
About 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 anchovies, preferably salt-cured, rinsed and finely chopped or 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
12 slices of baguette
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1. Thinly slice radishes and soak in ice water. Mix the butter and the anchovies or anchovy paste in a small bowl to combine.
2. Assemble just before serving: Toast the baguette rounds in a toaster or the broiler, turning once, until slightly crisp. Spread each with the anchovy butter. Blot the radishes dry. Top each bruschetta with a radish round or two. Sprinkle with the chives. Serve immediately.
Arugula Pesto & Egg Bruschetta
Serves 2 - 4
Enjoy the yin yang of color and flavor—gentle farm eggs top piquant arugula pesto. You can find local eggs in the usual spots, like your local co-op, farm stand or farmers market. Look in unlikely places, too. I’ve spotted them for sale at a bookstore and gas station. These organic eggs were a happy surprise from my tiny town store, the Public Market, in West Stockbridge.
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
Pinch salt or to taste
Very generous handful of fresh arugula leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil, or more to taste
2 tablespoons whole unblanched almonds
1 ounce hard Parmesan style grating cheese
12 slices of baguette
1. Chop the eggs by hand or pulse briefly in the food processor. Add a touch of salt to taste.
2. Add the arugula and oil to a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add the almonds and cheese. (If the cheese is already grated, stir it later.) Pulse them all until coarsely chopped. Add salt to taste, if needed.
3. Assemble just before serving: Toast the baguette rounds in a toaster or the broiler, turning once, until slightly crisp. Spread the pesto on the bread. Top each round with a spoonful of egg. Serve immediately.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 05/26/10 at 10:19 PM • Permalink
Spring Pizza with the Toppings of the Moment
Asparagus and ramps have a natural affinity. “There’s an expression that chefs use, What grows together goes together,” explains Jim Gop, the in-house chef at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, who has been making this spring pizza for the past few weeks. Although he grew up in the Berkshires, Gop did not learn about foraging for ramps until he went to work a few years ago for Chris Masiero at Guido’s. “Most people drive right by them, but ramps seem to be everywhere.” Gop’s job at Guido’s is to inspire shoppers to cook with fresh, local ingredients, and he does twice a week cooking demonstrations, alternating every other week between the stores in Great Barrington and Pittsfield. “I want to help people discover their own culinary passions.”
Asparagus & Ramp Pizza
2 lb. asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
10 ramps or medium scallions
1 thawed pizza dough ball or Berkshire Mountain Bakery crust (available at Guido’s)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 slices prosciutto torn into pieces (optional)
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mozzarella cheese
extra virgin olive oil for brushing
salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Set a pizza stone or baking sheet on the bottom or on the bottom shelf of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.
2. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Blanch ramps in the same boiling water until they are bright green, but still al dente, about 1 minute. Drain, pat dry and cut into 1 inch lengths.
3. Punch down the pizza dough and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough to a 12 inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured pizza peel or an inverted baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle on the grated mozzarella in an even layer. Scatter the blanched asparagus and ramps over the mozzarella and season lightly with salt and pepper. Top the pizza with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
4. Slide the pizza from the peel onto the hot stone or baking pan. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the pizza crust is browned and crisp on the bottom Transfer the pizza to a work surface, cut into wedges and serve immediately.
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Posted by Marilyn Bethany on 05/18/10 at 01:02 PM • Permalink
A Forager’s Favorite: Ramp Pesto
In the Berkshires and Hudson Valley, foraging for ramps has become a fetish of sort. I bumped into two fellow foragers gathering ramps two miles from my house. Even from my car, I could see the woods were lousy with ramps as well as the red flowers topping endangered trillium. I scissored a large bowlful of ramp leaves, leaving their roots to regenerate next year’s crop, but also because I prefer the greens solo in ramp pesto. Ramps, which are wild leeks, are easy to identify. Look for them in mixed hardwood forests. The root is scallion-like bulb, topped with two broad green leaves that may be slightly purplish at their base. Before harvesting, crush them to make sure they omit an oniony smell. They often, but not always, grow near Trout Lilies, Blue Cohosh, Dutchman’s Breeches or Squirrel Corn.
A tad spicy and bright green with a slightly wild edge, ramp pesto has become a forager’s classic. It’s extremely versatile, and freezes well in ice cube trays for later use, which is a good thing, because I’m just out of last season’s tomatillo salsa. How do I use ramp pesto? I add a dollop to a vegetable or potato based soup; spread on a sandwich or wrap; toss to taste on warm pasta, adding a little water, oil or melted butter, as needed to thin it. I also drizzle the thinned pesto on grilled meat, fish, chicken or vegetables, stir it into a local fresh goat cheese, or spread on toasted French bread rounds and top with sautéed shiitakes. And if you don’t have time to make pesto, the leaves are lovely slivered into omelets or risotto. —Amy Cotler, author of The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
Ramp Pesto
Makes about 2-1/4 cups
2 handfuls local nuts, walnuts or pecans halves or blanched almonds
2-1/2 ounces Parmesan or similar cheese, local if you can get it
2 very generous handfuls of ramp leaves (and some bulbs if you wish)
About 1/3 cup of olive oil
About 1/4 teaspoons kosher or sea salt, or to taste
1. Toast the nuts in a dry skillet, over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, until lightly aromatic. (Bend over them and take a whiff. They should smell toasted.) Don’t go too far, as nuts burn easily. Pulse in a food processor (or use a mortar and pestle) until well chopped but not blended. Set aside.
2. Throw the cheese into the food processor. Pulse until it is finely chopped. (If the cheese is already grated, skip this step.) Add to the nuts.
3. Puree the leaves together with the oil, stopping and scraping down the bowl as necessary to combine. (Work in two batches if you have a small food processor.) Add to the bowl and stir to combine with the salt.
Note: If you forage for ramps in an area where there are ticks, take a shower and throw your clothes in the wash after your harvest. Lyme disease isn’t fun, but ramps are worth a walk in the woods. No ramps near you? Many early farmers markets and highbrow produce stores sell them.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 04/27/10 at 07:23 AM • Permalink
New England Meets Mexico Maple Custard
A week in Oaxaca inspired me to mingle the maple season here with a classic Mexican dessert — flan with a New England twist. Fried from my trip, I preheated the oven and laid out the ingredients. Then I remembered something — a fabulous custard recipe from Lindsey Shere’s Chez Panisse Desserts, so. I adapted it with all local ingredients. A Note on Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is good all year, but this is its season, when the sap’s running well and the sugar shacks are bustling. If you live near me in Western Massachusetts, bring your kids to watch maple syrup being made, then stay for a pancake breakfast at Ioka Valley Farm. Elsewhere, check with your local farm advocacy group, maple association or State Department of Agriculture. To buy local syrup here, use the Berkshire Grown website. I like my syrup dark, but it runs from very light to dark and very mapley in flavor. Whichever grade you buy and wherever you buy it, always ask where it’s from or read your label closely. It may come from far afield and it’s best to support our regional farmers!— (Come here me talk at Berkshire Living’s “Rest of the Story” at The Triplex in Great Barrington on Sunday, April 11, at 11 a.m.) Amy Colter, The Locavore Way.
Maple Custard
Makes 6 1/2 cup custards.
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup maple syrup, any grade, or maple sugar
6 egg yolks
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Use a baking pan large enough to fit six 1/2-cup custard cups. Fill the pan with about 1 inch or so of water.
2. Warm the cream. Stir the syrup or maple sugar into the beaten egg yolks. Mix in a little of the warm cream, then add the rest, stirring constantly.
3. Strain into a pitcher and pour into the custard cups (or any kind 1/2 cup oven-proof container).
4. Place the cups in the water bath, and lightly lay a sheet of foil on top. Carefully place in the oven, then bake until the custards are set in a ring about 1/2 wide around their outside edges, about 40 minutes. They should still be soft in the center. You can serve them chilled, but I love ‘em warm. Tasty as is or with a crisp nut cookie.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 04/06/10 at 06:07 PM • Permalink
The Locavore Way: Potatoes for Any Season & Any Reason
My husband, Tommy, who at times I affectionately call “Mr Potato Head,” kindled my passion for potatoes early in our 26 year marriage. Half Irish Catholic, half Irish Protestant, he grew up eating potatoes at every meal. These days, we often roast 5 pounds at a time for the two of us to keep on hand to reheat as a snack or side dish. Here’s the perfect recipe for them: bake whole, cut into wedges, sprinkle with spices, then roast until crispy brown, aromatic and piping hot. Here, I sprinkled spuds with spices reminiscent of the home fries I remember from diner breakfasts during my Manhattan years. But feel free to experiment with chili powder, cracked pepper, smoked paprika or spices in the curry family, such as cumin and coriander. I have, and you can’t go wrong!
—Amy Cotler, author, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
Roasted Potato Wedges
4 russet potatoes (or about 2 pounds)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher or sea salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stab well-scrubbed potatoes with a fork and bake, whole, until cooked, about 50 minutes. (You can do this in a microwave if you must, but make sure you the roast the spiced potatoes wedges in the oven so they’ll crisp.) Cool for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Halve the potatoes lengthwise, then cut each half into 4-5 wedges each, depending on the potato size. Place the wedges, skin side down (like boats), on a large parchment covered baking sheet in a single layer, with a little space between each.
3. Mix all the remaining ingredients, adding 1 teaspoon of salt, crushing the rosemary in your fingers before adding it. Sprinkle evenly over the wedges. Then sprinkle them again with the spices that end up on the parchment, but don’t worry if some are left behind.
4. Bake until until hot, crisp and well browned, about 25 minutes. (Better over than under.) Taste and sprinkle with extra salt if needed. Serve immediately while they still retain their crispness.
Beyond Tater Tots?
Donna Miner, at Chicopee High School, where I tested many recipes for my Massachusetts Farm to School Cookbook, came up with a version of this recipe to answer the question: How do we cut down on processed French fries? The wedges, which are made with real potatoes and no fat, provided a sane answer that the kids adore, and so I included them in my book.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 03/25/10 at 07:02 AM • Permalink
Let the Locavores Eat Cake!
Moist, sweet and laced with tart cranberries, this healthy cake staved off my winter blues by perfuming the house with its spices. It’s a relative of pumpkin bread, but with the locavore edge —local butternut squash, eggs, butter, apple and regional cranberries—all widely available during the cold months. (I even threw in some local whole wheat flour from my grain CSA.) This rustic dessert is perfect for a buffet brunch, after school snack, or book group treat with a pot of tea. And don’t be put off by having to roast the squash, see the “Tips on Butternut” below.
—Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
Spiced Butternut Cranberry Squares
1 2 pound (or more) butternut squash
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)
3 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger and allspice
(or 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 apple, unpeeled, chopped
1-1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast the whole unpeeled squash on a baking sheet until quite soft, 45 to 1 an hour. Slit lengthwise; remove seeds, stringy bits, and skin, then discard. (You can save the seeds, if you like. Just rinse, dry and toast in a dry pan until crispy. Serve salted.) Puree the orange flesh in a food processor. If you cooked a larger squash, measure out 2 cups for the recipe and enjoy the rest for dinner.
2. Mix the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add the squash and eggs, stirring well until thoroughly combined. Reserve.
3. Whisk together the flours, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt in another bowl.
4. Add the dry mixture to the wet squash mixture and stir just until thoroughly combined. Mix in the apples and cranberries very briefly just to combine. (You can chop the apple in the food processor, if you like.)
5. Pour the batter into a lightly oiled and floured 8 X 8 baking pan. Sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean: 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from pan, cool, then cut into squares to serve.
Tips on Butternut Squash:
For this recipe, you’ll roast the butternut whole, which I much prefer to peeling it, both for its flavor and ease of preparation. But it can take up to 1 hour to cook. So, if you’re short on time, roast it the day before. (If you can’t, peel, seed and steam it, then puree to make 2 cups.) The truth is, I’m always looking for good things to do with roasted butternut. It’s a staple that I like to keep around for soups or a seasoned side dish. My favorite is Easy Orange Mashers: Just mix the warm pureed flesh with a seasonings to taste—a touch of cayenne, salt, butter and ginger juice, made by generously grating unpeeled fresh ginger, then squeezing it through your hands or a cheesecloth.
So, while you’re roasting the butternut for this recipe,why not throw a buddy squash in the oven to serve later in the week?
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 03/11/10 at 08:20 AM • Permalink
Shu Mai On My Mind
Most of us are so used to frozen or defrosted shrimp that “seasonal shrimp” sounds as oxymoronic as jumbo shrimp. But they do exist. I recently found these Maine babies at the supermarket and at Rubiner’s in Great Barrington, where they should be available for another month or so. You can use them whole and unpeeled for a shrimp boil. However, with their softer texture and slightly sweet flavor, these winter gifts lend themselves beautifully to light and subtle dumplings.
Shu mai—savory fillings of fish, chicken or veggies, spiked with Asian seasonings and bundled in thin dumpling wrappers—have been in my recipe repertoire since my early 20’s. Once I even held a dumpling party for close friends. Guests made their own from a selection of fillings, then I steamed them and served them with a wok full of stir-fried veggies and plenty of beer. This recipe makes 25-30, serving 2-3 for dinner with vegetables or a salad, or many more as appetizers. —Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
Shu Mai
1 lb shrimp
1/2 cup finely grated cabbage
1 scallion, white and green, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon coarsely grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
l teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
Generous pinch sugar
¼ sea or kosher salt, or to taste
1 carrot, diced, optional
25-30 dumpling wrappers, round or, if square, with the corners cut off
Sauce
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Generous pinch cayenne
l. Puree about 3/4 of the shrimp in the food processor until smooth. Remove with a spatula to a medium bowl. Add the rest of the shrimp and pulse to chop. Add to the bowl. Add the rest of the filling ingredients to the shrimp.
2. Lay out about 10 dumpling wrappers at a time. Put about a tablespoon of the filling in the center of each. Bring the wrapper up on four sides to form a loose four lobed cloverleaf, then press each round lobe firmly toward the filling to form an open cupcake-like dumpling with the filling exposed at the top. Lift each and pat on the counter to create a base. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. (Don’t worry, they don’t have to look perfect, just press around the sides so they won’t fall apart.) If you like, put one or more diced carrot pieces on the top of each dumpling.
3. Arrange the dumplings about 1/2 inch apart in concentric circles on an oiled or cabbage leaf lined steamer. Steam the dumplings over 1-2 inches of boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until just done. (Taste one to make sure the center is cooked.)
4. While the Shu Mai are steaming, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. When cooked through, take the dumplings off the heat and let them rest for a minute or two. Drizzle each with a little sauce. Serve immediately.
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