Wasted away again in Margaritaville

Not really....but what we did do is eat our way around Margaritaville! We just spent over a week in Key West and had a great time! Spent most of our time in the water, scuba diving, playing on wave runners, parasailing and just hanging out at the beach. We spent the rest of our time EATING!!! On this trip, we decided to try some of the great places off the main drag. We took the advice of Megan, the manager at Dive Key West, and visited some of the restaurants on Stock Island. After our dive on Father's Day, we stopped at Chico's Cantina, Megan said the salsa and chips and the sangria are fantastic. We had some time to kill as they unloaded the dive boat and took all our things back to the shop, what better way to kill time; eating and drinking! We did order a pitcher of sangria and chips and salsa, but Brie, Brett and I were extremely interested in their Hogfish Ceviche, so we decided to try it, especially after the owner mentioned that her son just caught it that morning. We were not disappointed!

I knew nothing about Hogfish before we went diving that day, but had saw one on the dive so asked about it. Hogfish are plentiful in the Florida Keys on many coral reefs and are considered to have high quality, soft and tasty flesh. It has fourteen dorsal spines, eleven dorsal soft rays, eleven anal spines, and ten anal soft rays. The coloring varies but is usually brownish red with a black spot at the bottom of the dorsal fin. Their habitats are often over coral reef areas. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) For those who have not enjoyed ceviche, it is a dish comprised of raw seafood, marinated in a citrus-based sauce, lemons and limes are the traditional citrus ingredients in ceviche. In addition to creating a fantastic flavor, the citrus also pickles the fish. Therefore, the fish generally tastes as though it has been cooked.

This dish was so good, one of the first things I did when we got home was try to recreate the recipe, this was very close. There was no hogfish at our local store, so I substuted grouper and instead of sangria, I had margaritas!

Ceviche

1/2 lb of fresh grouper
3 fresh limes, juiced (depending on size of your limes, you may need more)
1/2 lg. red onion, coarsely chopped
1 or 2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 beefsteak tomato, coarsely chopped
1 cup Clamato Juice
1 jalapeño or less, depending on taste, finely chopped
Hot sauce of your choice
Fresh cilantro, to taste, chopped
Bag of flat Tostada shells (I found these in the Mexican section of our store)

Cut fish into small chunks. Spread fish over the bottom of a glass casserole dish. Try to make sure there’s only one layer of fish. Squeeze limes over fish. Be sure all of the fish is coated as this is what will “cook” the fish. If all of the fish isn’t covered, juice more limes. Place dish in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Remove dish from fridge and stir in onions, pat down to one layer and put back in fridge for another 15 minutes.
Remove from fridge again and stir in remaining ingredients using one or two drops of hot sauce.
Chill for a half hour.

Spoon onto Tostada shell, serve with additional chips or the broken shells and offer more hot sauce for those who like it hot, hot, hot.

Warning.....Objects in Pictures Appear Larger Than In Real Life

This weekend I went out to our citrus grove (well actually, it is only a lime tree and a lemon tree on our pool deck, but I have high hopes)! Anyway, last summer our trees were affected by Sooty Mold, appeared as a black, sooty growth on the upper side of leaves. I thought that was what was hurting the trees, but I found out it is harmless, but indicates that an insect was or is present, usually aphids, whiteflies or scales. As these piercing-sucking insects feed on the undersides of the leaves, they secrete a sticky, clear fluid that drops onto the leaves below. Sooty mold grows upon this secretion. By the time I figured this out, my trees were shot. So I cut them back, put them on the side of the house and forgot about them. Early this spring, I was cleaning out the side garden and realized both trees had new growth, so I repotted them, fertilized them and moved them back on the pool deck. Much to my surprise, we already have one lime and the lemon tree has lots of blooms.

OK, OK, so I know I am jumping the gun, but I am already planning what to do with the fruits we harvest. Gin and Tonic, naw, I am going to make one of my favorite shrimp salads. If you have never picked a fresh lime or lemon off a tree, you are truly missing something, the aroma alone is enough to make you appreciate the wonders of mother nature.

Coconut milk adds surprising body and richness to the mint-lime mixture. If desired, reserve the shrimp shells for stock. I make the shrimp stock and freeze it so that when I need it for a recipe, it is all ready to go. I am honestly not as organized as I sound. Just throw the shells and tails from the shrimp in a pot with some chopped onion, chopped celery, a couple cloves garlic, peeled, 1 lemon sliced, 2 bay leaves, 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme and some whole peppercorns. Cover this with about 6-8 Cups of cold water. Bring almost to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Strain. Freezes well.



Shrimp Salad with Fresh Mint and Lime

Mint-lime mixture:
1 cup fresh mint leaves -- loosely packed
3/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 serrano chile -- seeded
Salad:
2 pounds shrimp -- peeled and deveined
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar
10 cups mixed greens
1 cup mixed fresh mint leaves, cilantro leaves, and small basil leaves

For mint-lime mixture:
Puree all ingredients in processor. Cover and refrigerate. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

For salad:
Steam shrimp.
Whisk oil and vinegar in small bowl. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Toss greens with vinaigrette in large bowl. Divide salad among plates.
Toss shrimp with 1/2 cup mint-lime mixture; divide among plates. Garnish with mint, cilantro, and basil leaves. Serve, passing remaining mint-lime mixture separately.

Country Meets Cosmopolitan.......... Playing with Dirt in the Art Gallery!

Thanks Beth for trusting me to bring gardening soil into your beautiful gallery and then letting me actually play in it!! Last Sunday, South Shore Gallery and I presented a Growing and Cooking with Herbs Class.

I spent the afternoon doing what I love to do, talking, cooking and gardening. Everyone in the crowd seemed to share the same passion, growing and cooking with herbs. The questions kept coming and luckily for me, the whole group shared in the discussion. After showing the group how very easy it is to plant a container herb garden, we talked about different herbs and how thier uses in recipes is endless. I then shared some of my easy summer snacks, prepared with fresh herbs. We tasted watermelon salsa, fresh herb dip with veggies, I quickly whipped up a batch of tomato herb gazpacho and finished off with some fresh mint ice cream. I had prepared some ice tea for the group to share. The recipe below is made with lemongrass, but if it is too hard to find in your area, don't panic, you can substitute lemon verbena or lemon balm leaves, just pluck them off the stem and steep them in the simple syrup. I even froze some lemon verbena in ice to dress up the pitcher.
To view more pictures of the afternoon, visit my friend Lynn's blog, Tablescapes
Lemongrass Ginger Iced Tea

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup, plus 4 cups, plus 3 cups water
1 large stalk lemongrass, dry tops and tough outer leaves removed, stalk cut into small rounds (about 1/4 cup)
1-inch x 2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
4 mild black teabags, I used Twinings English Breakfast, a blend of Kenyan and Assam
Ice for serving

In a small saucepan prepare the simple syrup. Combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, lemongrass and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to the dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the lemongrass and ginger to steep in the sugar syrup for at least half an hour. For more pronounced flavor, place in the refrigerator and allow to steep several hours or overnight.
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the teabags, turn off the heat, and allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the teabags and discard. Pour the brewed tea into a heat-proof pitcher.
Strain the lemongrass ginger syrup through a small sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the solids, and add the syrup to the pitcher of tea. Add three cups of cold water to the tea, and stir well. Chill the tea, and serve over ice. Enjoy!

To Brie or Not to Brie...........Is that a question?

Had such fun at Lunch and Learn today at Rolling Pin!!! The title of today's class was "To Brie or Not To Brie" and I made some of my favorites!!! We started with wonton cups filled with sauteed mushrooms, shallots and garlic, topped with brie, then popped them in the oven to melt the cheese. When melted, lay a small sliver of smoked salmon on top and you have a quick and easy appetizer. For lunch we had Spicy Roast Beef Sandwiches with Brie and a side salad. For those of you who were at the class, I topped the salad with a Champagne Vinaigrette that I decided to do after the recipes had all ready been printed, our concoction is below. Glad you all enjoyed it! For dessert we had ramekins filled with plantains, walnuts, mixed fresh berries and brie. After it heated in the oven for about 15 minutes (you have to cook the plantains and melt the cheese) we topped it with a little brown sugar and caramelized them for about 5 more minutes! Very easy and very healthy!

The hardest part of making this vinaigrette is finding champagne vinegar! (Hint, Rolling Pin in Brandon)

Champagne Vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients in container with tight fitting lid, give it a good shake. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 5 days.

Mango Madness

I went to one of my favorite places on Wednesday, Colorfield Farm in Wiamma, FL. Anne is such a wonderful friend to chat with and I always come away learning something new. Wednesday's lesson was on mangoes. I never realized how many varieties of mangoes there were. When I first started cooking, I naively thought that the one you buy in the grocery store was the only type of mango, boy was I wrong!!! So off to do a little research. Did you know, there are over 400 different types of mango? I never imagined.
Many people shy away from mango, because they believe they may be allergic to them. But for some, the reaction may be coming from the sap of the mango, that is closely related to poison ivy. If you enjoy mangoes, but have a skin reaction to them, you may want to have someone else peel it for you or wear gloves while you are peeling and wash you hands well. Peeling and slicing a mango can be a challenge, especially for a first timer. I know what works for me, but it may not work for everyone. I ran across this blog entry by Rachel at Coconut & Lime, which provides complete, detailed, step-by-step instructions (including pictures) on how to cut up a mango with minimal waste. This may seem a bit elementary for seasoned cooks - but for those who are just learning their way around the produce aisle it is an excellent guide. Or you can try the gadget way with a Oxo Mango Splitter I don't have this gadget as of today, but tomorrow is another day, especially with all the mangoes that are ripening at Colorfield Farms. Matter of fact, Anne and I have discussed having a Mango Celebration at her place the last weekend in July, she supplies the mangoes and I supply the recipes, sounds fun to me! I'll post more details and we finalize our plans.
Tuesday evening at Rolling Pin, our menu is "Fresh from the Sea" We will begin the seafood overload with a creamy rich Crab Soup. Then prepare Scallops in a “Shari” vinegar dressing served over baby spinach accompanied by a Caribbean Shrimp Salad, made with shrimp and avocados in a light dressing mango dressing. For dessert, we will be having Free-form Cheesecake Over Fresh Fruit.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Mango Dressing

SHRIMP
1 lemon
6 cups water
1 small onion -- sliced
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 habanero chile -- halved
1 tablespoon fresh ginger -- grated
1 12 ounce bottle Lager (Red Stripe works great if you have it)
2 pounds large shrimp -- shelled and deviened
DRESSING
1 mango -- peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon cilantro -- chopped
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 teaspoon habanero chile -- minced
1/4 cup red onion -- thinly sliced
salt and pepper -- to taste
2 hass avocados -- sliced
lime wedges -- for serving

Prepare the shrimp: Squeeze the lemon into a large saucepan. Add the water, onion, salt, habanero chile, ginger and beer and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes, just until pink. Drain the shrimp and spread on a platter. Refrigerate until chilled. Halve the shrimp horizontally.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a blender, combine 1/3 cup of the diced mango with the vinegar, lime juice and mustard and puree until smooth. With the machine on, add the oil in a thin stream and blend until very smooth. Add the cilantro, lime zest and minced Scotch bonnet and pulse just to combine.

Transfer the dressing to a large bowl. Add the shrimp, red onion and the remaining mango and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Arrange the avocado slices around a large platter. Mound the shrimp salad in the center and garnish with lime wedges. Serve right away.

The cooked shrimp and mango dressing can be refrigerated separately overnight. Toss the shrimp with the mango dressing before serving.

South Shore Gallery presents herbs show 'n tell

If you are not doing anything this Sunday and will be in the Apollo Beach area, come on out and join the fun!!! Check out the 2 links below to find out more!

South Shore Gallery presents herbs show 'n tell

Giving a green thumb's up for Colorfield Farms

Anyday Gourment......Even Mondays!

Is it Monday already?
Hope you have a great week!
(Belle and Kara, recovering from a long weekend)

I love to cook on Mondays, it has always been a habit of mine. I guess it started when the children were little and weekends were always so busy. On Mondays, I would get the children off to school and Gordy off to work, walk the dogs, get the house picked up from the weekend and then open up a cookbook and decide what new and different thing we were going to have for dinner. Off to the store, and then I would spend the rest of the afternoon doing what I love, cooking! Today will be no different, except of course, I don't have to get the children off to school and I am going to check out the new Ikea with a friend.
I think tonight for dinner we will have venison. Our neighbor went home to Ohio a couple of months ago and brought us back some venison tenderloins. I am not a big fan of hunting, but I do enjoy reaping the benefits of a hunt. I have included a recipe that I got from Bon Appetit years ago that is originally for beef tenderloin steaks, but a substitution of venison is also just as yummy. I plan to serve this with Super Easy Scalloped Potatoes with Gruyere and Creme Fraîche. Creme Fraîche is so easy to make, as long as you plan about 24+ hours in advance of when you need it. You will need 2 cup whipping cream, warmed to about 85°F, mixed with 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Combine well in glass jar or crock and cover loosely . Let stand at room temperature for about 24 hours, or until thickened, stirring about every 6 hours. Don't worry, you don't have to set your alarm for the middle of the night to stir, it will be fine. Refrigerate covered and use within 10 days. The potatoes are SO easy and you only need 3 ingredients, 4 if you want to sprinkle with Parsley. OK, OK, 6 if you count salt and pepper as ingredients. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Peel and slice 3 pounds russet potatoes, and grate about 6 ounces of Gruyere cheese. Arrange half of your potato slices in bottom of prepared dish, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread 3/4 cup of creme fraîche over potatoes and sprinkle with 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese. Top with remaining potatoes, overlapping slightly; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread another 3/4 cup creme fraîche and sprinkle 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese. Bake potatoes uncovered 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue to bake until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.



Venison Tenderloin Steaks with Port-Rosemary Sauce
(original Beef Tenderloin recipe from Bon Appétit June 1995 )

SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup minced shallots (about 4 ounces)
1 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup ruby Port
1 cup canned beef broth
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried

STEAKS
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 1-inch-thick venison tenderloin steaks (about 6 to 8 ounces each)

3 tablespoons chilled and unsalted butter
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried

Preparation
FOR SAUCE:
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine and Port. Boil 5 minutes. Add broth and rosemary sprig and boil until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 12 minutes. Strain sauce and set aside. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

FOR STEAKS:
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Add sauce to skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Remove from heat. Gradually add butter, whisking just until melted. Stir in chopped rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon sauce over steaks and serve.

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

.......but he did always promise me an herb garden! Being an army wife for 26 years was such a awesome experience that I would NEVER, EVER trade. But, I have to admit, it did have it's challenges, especially for someone who loves to garden and cook with fresh vegetables and herbs. We moved 15 times in 25 years, luckily for the children always during the summer months, but unlucky for my garden. Gordy, my husband. was always so sensitive to this, so after most of the boxes were unpacked and usually before all the curtains were up, we would venture out to find a nursery to try and find some herbs, and believe me that was sometimes very hard to do in July, especially in Kansas.
We have been in this house for the longest stretch ever, 3+ years, and my herb garden is thriving!

Matter fact, I ran out of ground, so we had to build up. Gordy built a wonderful new weatherproof shelf, it has worked out great. In all the pots I have thyme, lemon balm, sage, oregano, flat leaf and curly parsley, dill, basil, cilantro, and culantro.
In the ground I have have rosemary, more parsley, mint and lavender,
along with some salad greens, tarragon, lemon grass and laurel

I love it!!!! The scents are just incredible. Matter of fact, Belle, our lab, loves to go out into the garden with me, she sniffs all the different herbs, rosemary is her favorite.

Below is one of my favorite dinners. The fresh herbs make such a HUGE difference in the crust on the steak! I have never even thought about making it with dried herbs.

HERB CRUSTED NY STRIP STEAK WITH CREAMED MUSHROOM, HARICOT VERTS & RED WINE REDUCTION

Red Wine Reduction:
1 1/2 cups Red Wine
1 clove garlic -- crushed
1 cup thick veal stock
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Creamed mushrooms:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shallots -- minced
1/2 pound mushrooms
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper -- to taste
Haricot Verts:
1 pound Haricots Verts (French green beans)
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper -- to taste
Herb Crust:
1 tablespoon garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley -- chopped
2 tablespoons thyme -- chopped
1 tablespoon rosemary -- chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Strip Steak:
4 6 ounce New York Strip Steaks -- trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper -- to taste

To make the Red Wine Reduction: Place the red wine and crushed garlic clove into a sauce pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce by three-quarters. Add the veal stock and reduce until thick. Strain and finish sauce with butter and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make the creamed mushrooms: Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until softened. Stir in the mushrooms and the white wine and bring to a simmer. Decrease the heat to low and cook until the white wine is almost evaporated. Add the cream and cook until the sauce reduces enough to coat the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

To make the haricot verts: Bring salted water to a boil while trimming the ends of the beans. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the beans in the boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove from the boiling water and add to the ice bath. When cooled, remove beans from ice bath and drain well. Set aside to finish the plate later.

To make the herb crust: Combine the minced garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary and olive oil in a bowl to form a paste. Set aside.

To make the strip steak: Preheat oven to 375°F. Season beef on both sides with the salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Carefully add the strip loin to the hot pan and sear for one minute on both sides. Remove beef from pan and spread the herb mixture on both sides of the strip loin. Place back in the pan and put in oven. Roast for 7 minutes or until it reaches desired doneness. Remove from oven and set aside to rest.

To assemble: Warm the mushroom mixture. Melt the butter and sauté the beans until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Place the beans in the center the plate. Slice and fan the strip steak on top of the beans. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the creamed mushroom off the right side of the beef. Drizzle the red wine sauce around the edge of the food. Garnish each with a small sprig of parsley.

Nothing like a nice bowl of soup on a HOT, Florida Day

...........Strawberry Soup That Is!!

This is a lovely way to end a meal on a hot summer's day when all you want is something cool and refreshing. Served up in a martini glass, it makes a beautiful and very easy finish to any lunch or dinner


This dessert is part of my menu tomorrow at Lunch and Learn at Rolling Pin. I am also making a wonderful sandwich that my mom and I have always called "Baker's Garden Sandwich". I need your help to come up with a new name for this sandwich! We named it after the restaurant where we experienced the wonderful combinations of flavors. The restaurant unfortunately closed shortly after it opened and therefore to enjoy one of our favorite sandwiches, we had to resort to making it ourselves, but could never come up with a better name. The sandwich is an all butter croissant, spread with homemade spinach cheese souffle that is topped with a layer of canadian bacon. You pop it in the oven just to warm, then place a layer of sliced tomatoes and top the whole thing off with hollandaise sauce, yummy!
Strawberry Soup:
1 pound fresh strawberries
1/4 cup white sugar -- or to taste
1/4 cup plain yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice -- or to taste
Strawberry Sauce:
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon white sugar -- or to taste

Strawberry Soup: Wash and cut the strawberries and place in your food processor. Process until the strawberries are pureed. Add the sugar, yogurt, milk, and lime juice and process until combined. Adjust the ingredients as necessary. Cover and refrigerate a few hours.

Strawberry Sauce: Place the strawberries and sugar in the bowl of your food processor and process until smooth.

Ladle the strawberry soup into dessert bowls and, with a small spoon (or use a squirt bottle), place small drops of the strawberry sauce around the outside rim of the soup. Then, run a toothpick through all the drops of sauce so they form teardrops.

Just a quick tip: I have prepared the "soup" and the sauce days before, froze the soup and refrigerated the sauce. Then before my luncheon or dinner party begins fill the martini glasses or other dessert bowls with the frozen soup. If the soup is very hard when you bring it out of the freezer, use an ice cream scoop then let it thaw just slightly and use an off set spatula to stir it around and make a nice smooth top. Put a couple of drops of the sauce on, make the teardrops and put it in the freezer. That way, at the end of your meal, all you have to do is pop it out of the freezer and on to your table. So very easy and very impressive!