Fried Crab-Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Makes about 16

½ pound fresh crabmeat, picked over

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers, divided

3 tablespoons (⅜ stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped green bell pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons canned evaporated milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

about 2 dozen zucchini blossoms (stamens removed)

10 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup whole milk

1 medium egg

6 ounces chilled Pilsner, lager-style beer, or club soda

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Sea salt

1. Mix crabmeat and ½ cup cracker crumbs in a large bowl.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add green pepper and onion; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add to bowl with crab mixture.  Stir in evaporated milk, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper.  Cover; chill for 1-6 hours.
2. Fill each blossom with scant 2 tablespoons crab mixture.  Combine flour, whole milk, remaining salt, and egg in a medium bowl, then whisk in beer until almost smooth (some small lumps are welcome -- don’t overwhisk or you’ll deflate the batter).  Place remaining cracker crumbs in another bowl.  One by one, dredge the filled blossoms in batter, shaking off excess, then coat well with crumbs.
3. In a large pot, heat about 2 inches oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°.  Gently lay blossoms in the oil, without crowding the pan.  Cook, flipping once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 3-4½ minutes total.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.  Sprinkle with sea salt and devour while hot.

Alcoholic Herb and Pink Lemonade Jellybutter

⅓ cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

⅓ cup water

½ tablespoon each minced fresh parsley, thyme, and rosemary

⅛ teaspoon salt

¼ pound softened unsalted butter

1 envelope (¼ ounce) gelatin

⅓ cup vodka

Lemon zest, for garnish

1. In a large measuring cup, combine the lemonade concentrate with water; strain into a medium saucepan.  Mix herbs, salt, and butter into lemonade mixture.  Sprinkle gelatin over the mixture and let soften for 2 minutes.  Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes; stir in the vodka.
2. Pour mixture into a 4-by-8-inch loaf pan and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.  Serve as a loaf; garnish with lemon zest.

Cucumber-Apricot-Yogurt Preserves

½ english cucumber, peeled and seeded

½ cup yogurt

½ tablespoon chopped dill

½ tablespoon chopped mint

¾ pound fresh apricots, chopped

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon lime juice

salt and pepper

¾ cup sugar

½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. In blender, puree cucumber with yogurt, herbs, apricot, garlic, and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
2. In medium saucepan, bring puree mixture and all remaining ingredients to boil, lower heat, and simmer until very thick, about 25 minutes.  Let cool, transfer to airtight container and refrigerate.

Sweet Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Halo-Halo Sauce

2 tablespoons small pearl tapioca

½ quart boiling water

½ pound ground chicken

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs

½ cup berries

2 tablespoons grated onion

2 cloves garlic, grated

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons condensed milk

1½ tablespoons sugar

1½ tablespoons sesame oil

¼ cup coconut milk

1. Simmer tapioca in water until almost translucent, 10 minutes.  Let stand off heat 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse.
2. Mix chicken, cilantro, breadcrumbs, berries, onion, garlic, tapioca, salt, and pepper; roll into 1-tablespoon balls.  In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add meatballs and cook through, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients (except peanuts) and warm in microwave.  Toss meatballs with half of sauce and sprinkle with peanuts.  Add generous amount of crushed ice to remaining sauce; serve meatballs on toothpicks with remaining sauce for dipping.

Pasta Rhubarboise

    12 ounces spaghetti

    ½ cup coarsely chopped rhubarb

    1 can (5 ounces) oil-packed tuna, drained (reserve 1 tablespoon oil)

    ¾ cup maple syrup

    2 minced cloves garlic

    ⅜ teaspoon fresh grated ginger

    8 teaspoons chopped green olives

    pinch salt

1 teaspoon herbes de provence or ½ tablespoon thyme
1 cup water

lemon wedges

1. Cook pasta; save ½ cup cooking water.
2. In small saucepan, combine rhubarb, tuna (with oil), syrup, garlic, ginger, olives, salt, herbs, and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until fruit breaks down and syrup thickens, about 30 minutes.  Toss with pasta and reserved cooking water; serve with lemon wedges.

May menu

Course #6:

1. Pasta Rhubarboise

Course #7.5:

1. Sumerian Ricotta-Ice Cream Toasts with Asparagus and Poached Eggs

Sumerian Ricotta-Ice Cream Toasts with Asparagus and Poached Eggs

1½ scoops dulce de leche ice cream

½ cup ricotta

2 slices toasted thick-cut country bread

Salt and black pepper

¼ pound steamed asparagus

2 tablespoons warmed chocolate sauce

2 poached eggs

Pinch cinnamon

2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1 tablespoon chopped roasted, salted cashews

Black pepper

1. In a small bowl, stir together ice cream and ricotta; spread mixture over the toast and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Layer with asparagus spears; drizzle chocolate sauce over asparagus.  Top with eggs.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, bacon, cashews, and pepper.

Portobellos Stuffed with Curried Pea-Spinach-Red Lentil Polenta

Serves 5

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup lite coconut milk

1 cup dried, split red lentils

1 cup frozen green peas

½ 6-ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped and oil reserved

2½ pieces dried mango, chopped

2 tablespoons raisins

¾ cup fresh baby spinach

1½ tablespoons shredded coconut

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1½ tablespoons mango chutney

Salt and pepper to taste

5 large portobello mushroom caps

1. Preheat broiler.  Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium heat, and sauté garlic and ginger about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  Sprinkle with curry powder and turmeric.  Add coconut milk and lentils.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes more, or until lentils are softened.
3. Stir in peas, tomatoes, mango, raisins, spinach, and coconut, and cook 3 minutes more.  Remove from heat and stir in cheese and chutney.
4. Prepare polenta according to package directions.  Remove from heat, and stir in curry mixture; add salt and pepper to taste if desired.
5. Scrape off brown gills from inside mushroom caps using spoon.  Stir 2 tablespoons gills into polenta mixture, and discard remaining gills.  Brush both sides of mushroom caps with reserved oil from tomatoes.  Place caps, stem side down, on baking sheet, and broil 5 minuteson each side, or until soft.
6. Spoon polenta mixture into mushroom caps.  Broil mushrooms about 3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Using spatula, transfer mushrooms to serving plates.

Potato and Tempeh Quesadillas with Coconut Milk and Lemongrass

Serves 5

¼ cup lite unsweetened coconut milk

¼ cup plain soymilk

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon minced lemongrass

1 tablespoon brown sugar

6 tablespoons vegetable stock

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon canola oil

½ medium-sized onion, halved and thinly sliced

1½ medium-sized red potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces

½ pound tempeh, diced

½ large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin slices

4 ounces snow peas, trimmed

½ bunch scallions, chopped

Juice of ½ lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

5 10-inch flour tortillas

1¼ cups grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1 medium-sized tomatoes, halved, seeded, and diced

1. Put coconut milk, soymilk, cumin, peanut butter, soy sauce, chili powder, lemongrass, brown sugar, stock, and red pepper into food processor or blender; purée until smooth.
2. Heat oils in skillet over medium heat.  Add onion; cook, stirring often, 5 minutes, or until soft.  Stir in potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.  Add puréed mixture; cook about 5 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high; add tempeh, bell pepper, snow peas, and scallions.  Cook about 5 minutes, then return heat to medium and cook 5 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender and sauce is thick.  Stir in lime juice; season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.
3. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat; spray with cooking spray.  Add one tortilla; sprinkle about 2 tablespoons cheese over half of tortilla.  Spoon about ⅓ cup potato-tempeh mixture over cheese; top with 1 tablespoon tomato and 2 tablespoons more cheese.
4. Fold tortilla in half, and press down with spatula.  Cook about 1 minute, or until underside is golden.  Turn over, and cook 1 minute more.  Remove, and cut into wedges.  Repeat with remaining tortillas; respray skillet as needed.

Simple Shad Roe Kåldomar (Swedish Cabbage Rolls)

water

salt

1 head cabbage

½ shad roe (1 lobe)

filtered water

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

½ cup milk

½ pound ground meat

½ teaspoon salt

pinch of white pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon oil

½ teaspoon light molasses

2 tablespoons butter, melted

½ lemon, cut into wedges

1. Remove outer leaves of cabbage.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add cabbage head.  Boil until leaves are wilted and pliable.  Remove head from water and peel off leaves.  Let drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.
2. Place roe in a pan and cover with a mixture of filtered water, sea salt, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 10 minutes. Place roe in a colander and rinse with cold water. Using a sharp knife, peel off as much of the membrane as you can and cut out the vein. Thinly slice roe.
3. Let breadcrumbs soak up the milk; add ground meat, salt, and pepper, and mix well.  On each leaf, place roe slice, sprinkle with paprika, and top with about ½ tablespoon of meat mixture.  Fold sides over and roll up the leaf; secure with one or two toothpicks, or wind with ordinary sewing thread to hold it all together.
4. Heat up oil and brown the rolls in batches.  Move them to a baking dish and when all are browned, add the molasses, butter, and reserved cooking water to the frying pan; stir in all bits.  Pour the liquid over the rolls and broil until golden, turn, and broil other side.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Liver Kalsoppa (Swedish Cabbage Soup) with Red Wine, Bacon, and Onions

    ½ head of cabbage

    1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

    ½ cup milk

    ½ pound ground meat

    1 teaspoon salt, divided

    pinch of white pepper

    1½ tablespoons flour

    ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    ½ pound calves’ liver, thinly sliced

    2 yellow onions

    Coconut oil for frying

    5 slices bacon

    ½ teaspoon molasses

    ½ quart beef stock

    ½ cup red wine

    1½ cups water

    beef or neck bone (optional)

    1 ½ tablespoons tomato sauce

1. Cut cabbage into pieces about 2 inches square.  Soak breadcrumbs in milk and mix well with ground meat, ½ teaspoon salt, and white pepper.
2. Mix flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and black pepper and turn the thin slices of liver in the flour mixture.
3. In large pot, slice the onions and sauté them in oil until transparent and slightly browned. Remove the onions to a plate and try to keep them warm. Fry the bacon in remaining oil until just crisp and remove them from the pan and try to keep them warm.  Add cabbage and liver slices to remaining bacon fat and oil; brown until cabbage is slightly wilted.  Stir in molasses, add stock, wine, remaining salt, and water.  If desired, a beef or neck bone can be added.  Let soup simmer for about 10 minutes.  Shape ground meat mixture into small meatballs and drop them into the soup with onions, bacon, and tomato sauce.  Continue to simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.