Spring Pea & Tarragon Risotto with Shrimp

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Spring Pea & Tarragon Risotto with Shrimp

I was about halfway through writing about mushroom-barley soup when it hit me: I am so, so ready for spring produce.  Suddenly the thought another brown meal seemed so unappealing.  All I could think about is how excited I am to have peppery greens from my garden, fresh herbs at my fingertips, asparagus, and peas.

But it’s not even March yet.  My garden is covered in a sad heap of snow, it’s still frigidly cold, and I’m at the point where I just can’t eat another root vegetable and I’m so over stew.  

Even though we’ve got a long way to go, I want to forget the sad reality that is late winter eating (at least for a night) and flash forward to vibrant spring flavors.  We’ll improvise with a bag of frozen peas and transform them into a beautiful green pea risotto.  We’ll jazz it up with fresh tarragon and top it with a few lemony sautéed shrimp.  It’ll be light, playful, fresh.  Hopeful, even.  I think we’re all ready for that.

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Scallops with Bacon, Peaches & Radicchio Slaw

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Sea Scallops with Bacon, Peaches & Radicchio Slaw

Summer 2013 will go down in the history of my life as the summer of the pig and the peach.  Let’s think about this–in the beginning of the summer, I became obsessed with chèvre-stuffed grilled peaches with prosciutto.  Then I moved on to nectarine (nearly a peach!) and bacon sandwiches.  Last week I grilled pork chops stuffed with bourbon and spice roasted peaches.

Am I sick of the combination?  Absolutely not!  I’m just getting started.

Sweet and juicy paired with salty-porky adds up to completely irresistible and today it’s going to be even better because bacon and peaches are teaming up with seared sea scallops to create the ultimate summer dinner trifecta.  Let’s get cooking!

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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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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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Ale-Steamed Mussels with Garlic & Kale

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I have a confession.  Actually, it’s more of an admission; it’s not something I feel particularly bad about.

I judge books by their covers.  It’s not because I’m shallow, or (just) because I like pretty things, it’s because I think if a lot of care was given to the content of a book, the author will want the same level of attention paid to the outside.  Sometimes this works out really well for me and I discover a great read I may not have otherwise found.  Other times I end up with books, well-written or not, on a subject I have zero interest in.

So what does this have to do with anything?  Well, it seems I apply these same principles when buying beer and on occasion I end up with a beautifully labeled six-pack containing sour-mash ale that, while I’m sure it was masterfully brewed, I have little desire to drink.

Have you ever had a sour-mash ale?  This was my first.  It tasted, to me, like equal parts puckery Sauvignon Blanc, crisp lager, and tart lemon juice.  I didn’t want to drink it, but I certainly didn’t want it all to go to waste either.  So what do you do when life hands you really lemony beer?

I steam mussels.

It turned out to be a brilliant solution.  I love mussels steamed in beer or white wine with a squeeze of lemon.  This is the perfect mussel steaming liquid, neatly contained in one (beautiful) bottle.

I’m going to toss some kale in to steam with my mussels so I can call it a complete meal.  Plus the kale will look charmingly like seaweed when the dish is complete.

Saute some shallots, plenty of garlic, pinches of red pepper flakes.

Add kale, let it work up a thirst, and buy it a beer.

When it gets nice and steamy, it’s time to add your mussels.  Yes, I wear a lot of stripes.

Steam until the shells pop open.  Toast thick slices of baguette, rub with garlic, drizzle with oil.  Set the table with plenty of napkins, a discard bowl for the shells, and a tower of after-dinner mints.


Ale Steamed Mussels with Garlic & Kale
 
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I used sour-mash ale simply because I had on hand. You could use white wine or any beer and a little lemon juice. I added kale to make this a complete meal but feel free to leave it out if you are serving these mussels as a starter or with a salad on the side.
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Serves: 2 entrees or 4 appetizers
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. Mussels, cleaned and debearded
  • 1 Shallot, sliced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, sliced, plus a couple additional cloves for bread
  • Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
  • ½ bunch Kale (optional), center stalk removed and chopped
  • 1 bottle Sour-Mash Ale (or white wine and lemon juice or a different type of beer)
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Baguette, sliced and toasted
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add shallot, saute briefly. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, allow to become golden but do not burn.
  2. Add kale, if desired,season with salt, and allow to wilt slightly. Add beer and bring to boil.
  3. Gently (you don't want to break any shells) add mussels to pot, cover, and allow to steam until shells open, about 5 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, rub toasted baguette with raw garlic and drizzle with oil.
  5. Serve mussels in warm bowls or straight from the pot with plenty of the toasted bread to soak up the steaming liquid.