Tuna and Scallop Ceviche

Tuna and Scallop Ceviche1/2 pound Tuna, diced
1/2 pound scallops, diced
1 Vidalia (or sweet) onion sliced thinly
juice of 3 lemons and 2 limes
1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbs Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

2 hours before you are ready to eat combine the above ingredients.  Allow to rest in the refrigerator.  The acid from the lemons and limes will actually "cook" the delicate flesh of the fish.  Serve and enjoy!

Recipe notes: I used Bay scallops, but its certainly ok to use sea scallops.  You could also use snapper, tilapia, anything that looks and smells fresh.  I buy my fish from the fishmonger or Wholefoods.  They don't say it's "sushi-grade," but frankly I don't know what that really means.  I don't think there is a set standard.  I recommend buying your fish from a reputable dealer and smelling it.  If it smells fishy, don't buy it, and you certainly should not use it for sushi.

Warm "Carmel" Corn

"Carmel" corn6 ears of corn
3 Tbs Butter
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbs white wine

Remove Raw Corn from the Ear

Remove the corn from the ears.  Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. 

Add corn and sautee until the corn just starts to turn brown.  Add wine, and stir to remove brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add salt and toss to coat corn kernals.

Recipe notes:Try this recipe.  It really is delicious

Summer Rolls with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce

1 Package Bean Thread (cellophane) Noodles
Rice Spring Roll Wrappers
1 Mango, sliced
1 Cucumber, seeded, pealed and sliced into match sticks
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 Lb cooked shrimp
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add cellophane noodles and cook for 3 minutes until the noodles are translucent and soft.  Drain and reserve.

Soften 1 spring roll wrapper in water until soft, about 20 seconds.  Put softened wrapper on a plate and add a thin layer of noodles, mango, cucumber, avocado, shrimp, and cilantro.  Roll as though you were rolling a burrito (see below).  Serve with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce.

Fresh ingredients are the key!Layer ingredients on the wrapperFold up sides, as though you were rolling a burritoRoll!

 Recipe notes:  Don't be afraid of the wrappers.  They look delicate (and they are delicate), but even if they rip you can still roll them and they will still taste delicious.  If you are a vegetarian, omit the shrimp.  You can also experiment with ingredients.

Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbs sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced

combine and serve!

Recipe notes:  This is the dipping sauce I usually serve with my steamed dumplings, but it is delicious with the summer rolls.  It's tangy and slightly spicy and is a nice complement to the fairly bland summer rolls.  You could also serve them with the more traditional peanut sauce.  I can't eat peanuts so I don't cook with them, but if I were to make one, I would try Alton Brown's recipe for Peanut Sauce.

Fava Beans with Garlic

Favas with chopped Garlic and Onions4 cloves garlic, diced finely
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 tsp each chopped fresh rosemary, sage and thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb blanched fava beans, removed from pod and shell (see "Fabulous Favas")
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Cook sauce until you can draw a spoon through it and it doesn't immediately fill inHeat oil over medium high heat in a stick saucepan.  Add garlic and cook until golden, about 30 seconds.  Add the onion and herbs, reduce the heat to medium, and cook about 8 minutes until onion is golden.  Add the chicken broth, and stir to remove brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook until sauce is thick (you should be able to draw a spoon through the sauce and it doesn't immediately fill in the hole).  Add the favas, cook for an additional 1 minutes, and then turn off the heat.  Allow to rest for five minutes, taste, and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe Notes: For Vegetarians, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth

Fava Beans with Tomatoes and Herbs

1 Lb Fresh Favas, Shell and pod removed (see "Fabulous Favas")Fava Beans with Tomatoes and Herbs
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fruity red wine
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 28 oz can plum tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Add garlic and sautee until you can smell it, about 30 seconds.  Add onion, rosemary, and salt, and cook until olive is gold and the garlic is sticking to the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes.  Deglaze pan with wine, stirring to remove all of the bits from the bottom of the pan, and reduce over medium-low heat.  Add the tomatoes, but not the juice.  (Use your hands.  its the easiest way not to lose the tomatoes and then you can squeeze them when you add them to the sauce).  Add the bayleaf and cook until sauce is thick and flavorful.  Add the favas, cook for about 30 seconds and then turn off the heat.  Allow to rest for about five minutes.  The beans will "cook" from the heat of the sauce.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe notes: if you don't have a fruity red win, use any red.  I just think the slight sweetness of the red wine complements the slight sweetness of the favas.  If you use fresh favas, since you have to blanch them to remove the pod they will cook extremely quickly.