Linguini & Clams with Fennel & Tarragon

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Linguini & Clams with Tomatoes, Fennel & TarragonNo matter the season, I love sitting down to a big bowl of linguini and clams.  In the winter I make hearty additions like chorizo sausage and kale, summertime I keep it light with fresh herbs and maybe diced zucchini or sweet corn.  Or I might decide to make life (and dinner) really simple and just use whatever I’ve got on hand.  In this case, it’s a handful of grape tomatoes, fennel, carrots, and some of the tarragon that is currently taking over my garden.

Friends, simple is good.  This version of linguini and clams is quick, it’s tasty, and it’s worth making over and over with variations galore.

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Hvarska Gregada (Croatian Fish & Potato Stew)

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Gregada at Robinson

Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!

Let’s have an adventure on a secret beach.  Okay, maybe it’s not a secret, I mean there’s a restaurant 2 steps away and someone else motored us to it, but no one else is here, so it feels secret!  Let’s bake under the sun and float in the clear, turquoise water.  When all of  that gets too exhausting, we can unwind in the shade with a carafe of white wine and eat an amazing fish lunch.

A Beach on Hvar, Croatia

Let’s pretend this day isn’t going to end.  We’ll sit and appreciate the breeze coming off the sea, the smell of pine trees and rosemary bushes.   We’ll admire sailboats in the distance and hunt for the smoothest, whitest pebbles.

But, sadly, the sun sets, perfect days always come to a close, and vacations have to end.  We’ll do what can though to bring the vacation feeling home.  I’ll look at the pictures and think about the clear water, the perfumed air, and, of course, I’ll remember the food.  I mean, come on, it’s me.

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Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Farro & Chickpea Salad

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Grilled Shrimp with Farro & Chickpea Salad

I know it’s summer when my food brain can’t dream beyond salads.  Or grilling.  Or grilled salads.  Yes, indeed, summer is here and I am in the zone–let’s make something tasty.

To pass as dinner, a salad has got to have a lot going on: contrasting textures, bold flavors, vibrant colors.  You want it to taste light and summery but be filling and satisfying enough to keep you from devouring a pint of ice cream later in the evening.  Ideally, it’s a salad that packs well so you can whisk it off to a park for an impromptu picnic or bring it to a potluck and be the girl/guy who brought that salad.

It’s a tall order, but this salad is up for a challenge.  It’s got it’s bases covered–a hearty, nutty mix of farro and chickpeas tossed with tons of grilled zucchini and red onions, dressed for summer with fresh oregano from the garden, lemon, and red pepper.  The addition of grilled shrimp skewers transform it from “lunchbox” to “maybe we should open a bottle of wine”.  Perfect.

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Tuna & Asparagus Salade Niçoise

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Tuna & Asparagus Niçoise Salad

This month marks 15 years for me in the restaurant biz.  I doubt when I donned my apron and punched my time card for the first time my 14-year-old self would have ever imagined what the future would hold: all of the customers that would make me want to scream, all of the co-workers that would make me want to tear my hair out, all of the late nights, all of the dirty fingernails, and all the dang Niçoise salads.

15 years split between working for a Frenchman and some serious Francophiles, I’ve served more Niçoise salads than I dare estimate.  You’d think I’d be sick of the very sight them, but, shockingly, I’m not. There’s something so satisfying about looking at such a beautiful and abundant plate that when I came into a couple of beautiful tuna steaks over the weekend, I immediately knew I would use them to make the Rolls Royce of Niçoise salads.

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Zuppa di Pesce (Italian Fish & Seafood Stew)

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Zuppa di Pesce- Italian Fish & Seafood StewRemember, way back in September, when I first introduced myself?  I showed you a picture where I’m digging into an obscenely large bowl of zuppa di pesce and told you how much I like to eat.

Sarah Digging in to Zuppa di Pesce

If you’ve been around long enough to remember that, maybe you’ve also noticed that some woman named Pam comments on darned near every recipe I post.  Who is this woman?  Why is she StrawberryPlum #1 fan?  Is this Sarah character really popular enough to have some crazy stalker?

No, she’s my mother, of course, and a very special lady whose birthday happened to be this last weekend.

There’s something else you should know about my mom.  She looks at least as giddy as I looked in that picture when faced with a giant bowl of cioppino, bouillabaisse, fish stew, or zuppa di pesce.  Whatever you call it, if it involves some combination of shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and fish she is totally into it.  In other words, deciding what to make for her birthday dinner is kind of a no-brainer.

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