Pear Bisque- Looking Toward Fall and the Harvest

Down East blog4
Apples and Pears are ripe and delicious. It's time to go picking. I've had a hankerin' for this pear soup. Its thicker than most bisques with the pulp of the fruit left in the soup. You could use apples instead if you've got them on hand. We talked about apples, squash and poultry at the last Aspiring Locavore class at the Morris Farm. A gal from Alna brought some honey crisps and mccouns from her trees. They were sweet and sour in turn. Apple crisp is definitely on the menu at home this week. Next month- the fourth Tuesday- the Aspiring Locavore will be talking about potatoes, turkey and oysters. Hope you can join us at the Morris Farm.

Pear Bisque
Serves 6
For an elegant first course, serve this bisque with a medallion of Appleton Creamery chèvre (goat cheese) and a sprinkle of pecans. Preferred wine is the Demi-Pear Wine from Winterport Winery.

3 T unsalted butter
1⁄2 c minced onion
1 T freshly grated ginger
1 small turnip, peeled and finely diced
2 T finely minced crystallized ginger
4 c chicken or vegetable stock
21⁄2 lb firm but ripe pears, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1⁄4 lb dried pears, coarsely chopped
11⁄2 c heavy cream
1⁄3 c pear wine
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T lemon zest
3 T Maine maple syrup
1⁄2 t nutmeg
1⁄8 t allspice
1⁄8 t freshly ground white pepper, or to taste
extra cream for thinning
Garnish (optional):
1⁄4 c finely chopped pecans
6- 1⁄2-inch slices from a log of chèvre
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and turnip about 8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
Stir in the fresh and crystallized ginger and sauté another 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring the ingredients to a boil. Add the fresh and dried pears. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from the heat. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup in the pan or, working in batches, purée the soup in a blender until smooth. Return the mixture to the saucepan. With heat on low, stir in the remaining ingredients and season to taste. Simmer about 30 minutes, stirring often. Thin with additional cream if desired.
Serve in pretty bowls, with a slice of chèvre and a sprinkle of chopped pecans.

Sweet Summer Apple Salad

Oh my goodness- the aromatic perfume of pink lady apples is heady. We had my brother Todd's fiancé Rebecca's mom Susan and her partner Abigail here visiting this week. It was Susan's birthday-and a good time to celebrate. The pink lady apples looked delightful so, it was time to make something new. Here is a recipe for Sweet Summer Apple Salad. It incorporates Pink Lady Apples, fresh lemon and two kinds of cheese. If you want it to be a bit more savory- sprinkle sea salt over the apples. Somehow these flavors came together as a light, crisp, scrumptious side.
Sweet Summer Apple Salad
Serves 4-6
4 pretty pink lady apples
juice and zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup water
6 oz fresh goat cheese- you can use flavored/herbed cheese if you like
4 oz very sharp cheddar cheese
fresh chive blossoms, pansies, herbs or other edible flowers for garnish
tools: 1 gallon plastic bag, cutting board, paring knife, large knife, zester or microplane, small bowl, spatula, grater, paper towel and platter.
Place the cheddar cheese in its wrapper or in a plastic bag in the freezer while you start cutting the apples. Wash and dry the apples. Place them beside your cutting board.
Zest the lemon. Place the zest and the plain (or flavored) goat cheese in a small bowl. Gently incorporate the lemon zest into the goat cheese. With a spatula, form the goat cheese into a ball, pyramid or small log. Cover and chill.
Open your gallon plastic bag and fold the top inch-or-so over to make a "collar" at the top. Set it on the counter so it is standing up- you can set the bag in a bowl if it doesn't want to cooperate. Pour the water into the bag. Juice the lemon into the bag- removing any seeds if they stray into the liquid. Swish the water and lemon around a bit and set aside.
With a large, sturdy knife (my favorite is an 8" French knife) you are going to slice the apples horizontally into very thin (less than 1/4") slices. Set an apple on its side on your cutting board. Very carefully slice the top 3/4 inch off of the apple. Lay it aside. Continue slicing the apple until you begin to see the core, setting each slice on top of the one before- making an upside down apple stack. Pause now and core the bottom part of the apple with a paring knife. Be sure that you leave the apple intact and only remove the core and seeds. Return the apple to the cutting board and continue slicing it (now into rings) until you reach the bottom. You can eat the bottom slice now- since you won't need it for your recipe. Stack the apple slices back up so you have it looking like an apple again. Hold the apple slices -all together- in your hand and dunk them into the lemon water separating the rings slightly so the liquid coats all of the slices. Remove the apple from the water, let the excess drip off and set aside on a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining apples.
When all of the apples are sliced, take the cheddar cheese out of the freezer. Now, you can start arranging your salad. On a platter place the goat cheese in the center. Arrange the bottom slice from each apple in a single layer around the cheese. Finely grate a few strands of the cheddar cheese over each of the apple slices. Lay the next slice from each apple on top of the cheddar and grate a little more cheese over this slice. Repeat with the remaining slices of apple until all of you apples are "reassembled" with layers of cheese in between all of the slices. Grate the remaining cheddar cheese over all of the apples and goat cheese. Garnish with chive blossoms, edible flowers or herbs. Chill until ready to serve.
To serve: use two spoons or small salad servers and give each diner a few slices of apple and a dollop of goat cheese. Mmm. Delicious.
Savor. Linger. Enjoy!
-Cynthia

Edemamme: A Fantastic Snack! Edemamme or Black Bean Hummus

Edemamme or Soy Beans are often served in their pods at Asian restaurants as an appetizer. You open the pods like you would with fresh peas and remove the inner bean. The pods are discarded and the beans enjoyed one at a time. These little green jewels are so delicious! They are perfect in school lunches! This time of year the pods or beans themselves are found in the freezer section of your favorite grocery store. They can be steamed and sprinkled with salt for an anytime treat. At our house we eat them warm, room temperature or cold. They can be used in place of beans in many recipes. I add them to chili, stir fry and succotash as well as green or pasta salad and seafood newburg. Anywhere you want a jolt of color and a burst of freshness- soybeans are the perfect choice. Here is a healthy, easy and yummy appetizer that's high in protein and great for you.
Edemamme or Black Bean Hummus
2 cloves garlic- peeled
2 T fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice
2 c cooked soy beans or 1(15ounce)can black beans, drained, reserving the liquid or cooking water
1 1/2 T sesame tahini
1 t ground cumin
1 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t Cholula chili sauce
In the bowl of a food processor, place the crushed cloves of garlic and lemon or lime juice. Pulse until the garlic is minced.
Add the Edemamme OR black beans, tahini, cumin, salt, cayenne and cholula.
Process until smooth, scraping down the sides often to incorporate all of the beans. Add a Tablespoon or two of the reserved bean liquid if necessary to make a smooth paste. Adjust the cayenne pepper and salt to your taste. Serve with pita triangles, crudite (celery stalk pieces and baby carrots are great), and/or chunks of crusty whole grain bread.

Hummus with a Twist

This Saturday we'll be at the Camden Farmer's Market from 9:30 to 11:30. Fresh Maine Salads will be available and I'll have some tasty samples to share. Hope to see you there!
We're always looking for easy, healthy snacks for summer gatherings. Here is a Hummus recipe that will keep your guests coming back for more. If you prefer another bean- this is a great way to use your imagination. Adzuki or black beans also fit this recipe. Experiment and dazzle your taste buds.
Hummus with a Twist
2 cups cooked chick peas (garbanzo beans)
2 cloves garlic- roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lime juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup tahini
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
olive oil
1/4 cup roasted red peppers roughly chopped

Pour the chick peas (If you are using canned chick peas pour in the liquid as well) into a blender or food processor bowl. Pulse until mashed. Add the garlic, salt, lime juice and lemon juice and blend. Add the tahini, cumin, cayenne, and fresh parsley or cilantro and blend until smooth. If you need additional liquid to make it the consistency you like, add a drizzle of olive oil while you blend or process. If you want to keep the fat content low you can add a drizzle of water instead.
Place the hummus into a shallow bowl. Garnish with the roasted red pepper pieces and serve with carrot sticks, pita bread triangles, celery or your favorite dip vehicle.
You can save out a half cup or so and turn that into a salad dressing for tomorrow's supper. This recipe is even better the next day.
Savor. Linger. Enjoy!

Asparagus and Tomatoes with Lemon and Garlic

There are just so many wonderful things about pairing vegetables. Tonight we enjoyed dinner with the Schusters, Cam and Serafina and Darin. We celebrated both Raechel and Mike's birthday with Rack of Lamb, Pork Tenderloin, Lamb Riblets, Asparagus and Tomatoes with Lemon and Garlic, Three Cheese Souffle and Dark Chocolate Pots de Creme with Maple Highlighted Greek Yogurt. It was wonderful. The lamb was accented with the traditional rosemary and garlic. The riblets were seasoned with Adobo and Cholula sauce. This time of year the asparagus is especially tender. I wanted to have that spring-y flavor alongside the lamb. Here is a simple recipe for your asparagus...
Asparagus with Tomatoes, Garlic and Lemon
Yes. indeedy- tomatoes and lemon in the same dish. I don't usually combine the flavors- but somehow here they work.
1 lb asparagus- washed and trimmed- cut into 2 inch segments
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
juice of half a lemon
zest of half a lemon
2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes with juice
a sprinkle of salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Place the asparagus in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, fresh garlic and garlic powder, juice and zest of the lemon. Toss to coat.
Cover with the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the additional salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cover the whole dish with foil or it's own top.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes- {I did this because I had the lamb cooking and had to finish dessert on the top of the stove- You could certainly saute this on the stove top.}
Toss before serving. Top with a garnish of lemon zest and the juice of the other half of the lemon.

Lemon- Yogurt Ceasar Dressing

Happy to be home! We spent the last week on the left coast visiting with my brother Todd and his amazing fiance Rebecca. We Love Rebecca! While we were gone there was some interesting weather here in Maine. The National Guard closed Main Street because high winds were blowing bricks off of the buildings downtown. Our county and the entire state of Maine both were in a state of emergency. The airlines were all discombobulated- so we had to delay returning for two days. That gave us time to enjoy even more food!
We had some wonderful meals out in sunny California. Tommy's was fantastic; Home magnificent; DeLessio divine; and San Tung consistently delicious. I'll be sharing information about each place over the next few days. Tonight we are recovering from jet lag and lack of sleep. Dinner was simple and healthy. No more indulgence for a little while (though I admit- I'm having a couple of spoons of chilled chocolate ganache while I write.)
I was in the mood for salad this afternoon- We brought the sun back with us from out west- it was a beautiful spring 70. I couldn't help that sooo-ready-to-get-my-hands-in-the-dirt feeling I always get when the weather turns warm. Rising Tide had some of the first local organic mesclun I've seen this year. Here is a recipe for dressing that is delicious and Caesar-y without all the fat of regular dressing.
Lemon-Yogurt Caesar Dressing
In a small nonreactive bowl place the following ingredients:
the juice and zest of half a lemon
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or your favorite pepper sauce)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic- pressed or finely minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly grated aged provolone or Parmesan cheese
using a microplane- grate 1/2 a granny smith apple- this must be so fine it's almost mushy
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
notice the distinct lack of any oil here...
Whisk all together until completely blended. Place clean washed greens on top of the dressing in the bowl. Use a rubber spatula or two to toss the greens to coat with the dressing. Scrape all of the bits up from the bottom of the bowl. Serve piled high on a chilled plate.
Top with Maine Shrimp (that have been marinated in lemon and garlic) and sauteed in a bit of olive oil until just cooked through.
-Savor. Linger. Enjoy!
-Cynthia