Weather Warming Up, Time for Cool Food!..........

The weather is now warming up. Yep, we'll be in three digit temperatures soon and with that comes a change in people's diet since you no longer feel like having soups, stews or other heavy fare, pretty much. Changes reflect the availability of items at the market, following seasonal trends and hopefully the prices will reflect this as well so everyone can take advantage of fresh ingredients at the peak of flavor.

A lighter, brighter diet reminds us of the warm summer months when most people spend more time outdoors making the most of the sunshine and longer daylight hours, the old BBQ comes out of the garage or from under it's tarp to shine once more and you see fresher, lighter dishes appear on family's backyard tables (maybe not if you're a die hard carnivore..). If you have a pool or patio, then your living area is much expanded when your evenings are spent enjoying them. Summer evenings are amazing (except for the bugs that is), but I can recall sitting by the edge of a steam in the cool of the evening while the fireflies danced above our heads, fresh trout on the grill and limeades in our glasses.

So let's enjoy the warmer weather, lighter fare and sweeter tastes that come along with the new season and dive right in! We're in for wonderful flavor, sweet juicy fruits and a great time! Instead of heavy, hot food why not consider a main dish salad instead? It will keep you light on your feet and satisfy your taste buds..... but then these aren't your usual salads either....

Seasonal Fruit Salad with Raspberry Dressing.- Doesn't that sound lovely? Just the thing for hot weather......

1/2 cup pineapple, cut in good sized triangles
1/2 cup watermelon, cut in good sized triangles
1 mango, cut in small cubes
8 oz blackberries
5 oz raspberries
Mixed baby greens or your choice of tender letuce

Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup flavored olive oil (your choice)
2 tblsp wine vinegar
3 oz raspberries
pinch of salt

In a small bowl place the olive oil and add the vinegar, raspberries and mash everything really well. Add a little salt and taste to insure balance. If needed, a tsp of water can be added if you feel it's heavy. Mix well and reserve.

In another bowl place the mixed greens, mango, raspberries and blackberries, add a little of the dressing (don't over dress) and toss gently. To serve: Place the greens in the center of the plate and insure the fruits are balanced. Add the pineapple and watermelon triangles in attractive places around the plate and drizzle a little more dressing around the plate. Serve.
Note: Additional fruits can be added as you like. Or add some grilled protein to make it heartier.
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Arugula & Smoked Fish Salad.- Sophisticated yet tasty.... we love it!

Arugula, Frise or your choice of salad greens
4 oz Smoked Tuna
4oz Smoked Salmon
4oz Smoked Fish, like trout or Cod
2 avocados, peeled and cut in cubes (sprinkle some lemon juice on them so they don't brown)
2oz Trout Roe (or your choice, like Salmon roe)
8 Quail eggs (or 2-3 regular eggs), hard cooked and peeled
Green onions, cut in 2 inch section on the bias
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tblsp Cider Vinegar
1 tsp water
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chive stalks, uncut

Sauce:
8 oz Greek Style Natural Yogurt
2 tblsp Cilantro leaves, finely chopped
4 tblsp Mayonnaise
1 orange, juiced
1 orange, zest only
1/4 cup Triple Sec or Cointreau
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & sugar to taste

Take out the smoked fishes out of their packaging at least 10 min. before beginning. Mix the sauce ingredients, in a bowl place the yogurt, cilantro, mayo, orange and mix, now begin adding half the liquor and then add some of the olive oil, mix and then add more, checking taste and texture. Add some salt and sugar, mix well and check again. If you like it more liquid, add more liquor and olive oil, if not leave it thicker, your choice.

Place the salad greens in a bowl and dress lightly with the olive oil, cider vinegar, salt and pepper and place on plates. Surround the greens with the avocado, green onions and hard cooked eggs. Mount the smoked fish on the greens, top with the roe and place the chives, as decoration on top. Use the sauce to sprinkle some over top and to tot around the plate, you can also serve extra sauce on a ramekin on the side.
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Lobster Salad with Lime / Saffron Dressing.- An elegant and special salad to serve either as a first course or as a Light Supper repast.....

1 small Lobster, cooked and split in half (or use Salmon / Tuna)
Mixed salad greens, your choice (from endive to red cabbage, Frise or butter, everything is ok)
1 bag, edible flowers
1 small red onion, cut in thin circles
12 cherry tomatoes, sliced

Vinaigrette:
Coral found in Lobster head
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 limes, juiced (or more depending on your taste)
Lime zest
2 tsp Sesame Seeds (more or less depending on your taste)
8 strands of Saffron
Salt & pepper to taste
3-6 drops Tabasco, your choice

Remove the lobster meat from the shell with care, especially the claw meat. Cut in good sized pieces to show it off. Set aside. Remove the coral from the lobster's head and place in a small bowl. Add the rest of the vinaigrette ingredients to the bowl, except the olive oil, mix well. Begin adding the olive oil a little at a time, mixing well. If the taste is too strong for you, you can add 1 tsp of water. Reserve.

In another small bowl, place the greens and edible flowers, dress lightly with the vinaigrette and place on a plate, creating height, and top with the lobster. Decorate with the cherry tomatoes, the red onion and drizzle the sauce around the plate.
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Okay, the salads are great, believe me, but I want to share something special I've found in my travels in Charcuterie Land (remember I was working on this?).... well, apart from making your own bacon (OMG! Easy and amazing!), there are some mind blowing techniques out there that will delight and inspire. Prime example? Duck Ham / Prosciutto!!!! (there's something on Lamb Prosciutto I will try one of these days....) Since I L O V E duck, naturally, this one spoke to me and once you see what an easy preparation this is, maybe you too will want to try it. You might be thinking: "Whoa there! This is some kind of tangent...", but couldn't you include this in a main dish salad as well? Yep, my thoughts exactly! (Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a DLTA Sandwich, Duck/Lettuce/Tomato/Avocado..... but all's fair, right?)...

I'm also working on a Duck Confit using the Sous-Vide method (incredible but the equipment is out of this world expensive...) but instead doing it in the oven! It's promising and I can tell we might just be able to use this for home.....

Duck Ham.- Easy technique that will yield more than satisfying results.

2 Duck breasts, fat on

Cure:
1 pint of water
45 grams kosher salt
13 grams sugar
5 grams pink salt (this is curing salt)
3 tblsp maple syrup
3 tblsp Spanish Jerez Wine (you can use Madeira or similar)
1 bunch of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tblsp juniper berries

Put all the ingredients for the cure in a pan and bring to a boil. Allow to cool and then put in the fridge for about and hour or so. Place the duck breasts in the cooled liquid making sure they won't float by weighing them down with a plate or something so they will stay IN the liquid. Keep in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

Once the time has elapsed, take the duck breasts out of the liquid and rinse them well. Now you want them to dry, so place them in a rack over a baking dish (so your fridge doesn't get the drippings) and place them in the fridge for at least 8 hours, don't cover them.

Using a hot smoke smoker with apple wood chips (or your favorite), smoke the duck breasts until they reach and internal temperature of 160 degrees. Once this is achieved, remove the duck from the smoker and let it rest so it will come to room temperature. Now you can store them in the fridge and use for anything.
NOTE: I don't have a real smoker, we made one out of a box, heating element, chips and a rack (works real well by the way, Alton Brown has a video that will show you how to do this plus show you how to make a smoker in a large flowerpot too) and place it out on the patio. I also remember biting a juniper berry in Culinary school and thinking "whatever will you use this with, they taste awful....", but when curing meats, they show you what they're good for..lol)
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Here's some ideas (apart from my DLTA Sandwich I mentioned) on what to use the Duck Ham for.... they're all amazing!

Lamb's Lettuce and Duck Ham Salad with Dried Fruit Vinaigrette.- Amazing taste and how about something different for a change?

4-8 oz Duck Ham, sliced thin
2 oz walnuts, peeled
1 Lamb's Lettuce (aka Lewiston Cornsalad, fetticus, field salad, mache, nut lettuce, rapunzel)
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
6 small beets, cooked, cut in small cubes

Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar from Modena
2-3 tbsp Sunflower seeds, peeled
2-3 tbsp Hazelnuts, peeled and cut in half
2-3 tbsp Walnuts, peeled and cut in pieces
Salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, add half the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and half of the nuts. Taste to adjust seasonings. In a bowl, add the lettuce, beets, onion and some of the walnuts. Sprinkle some of the vinaigrette on top and gently toss, don't overdress.

Place the greens on the plate along with the beets. Decorate with some of the duck ham. Sprinkle the vinaigrette over top and around the plate.
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Duck Ham Breadsticks with Figs and Ricotta.- A lovely appetizer you can serve anytime and will become a new favorite.

1 round sourdough loaf, cut off crust, cut into 4 x 1/2 in sticks
8 oz duck or serrano ham, thinly sliced
1 cup ricotta (sheep's-milk)cheese
3 tblsp tarragon leaves, cut in small strips
1/2 cup soft dried figs (like Mission/Calmyrna), finely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup walnut oil, plus more for drizzling
2 to 4 tblsp milk
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake bread sticks on a baking sheet until golden, 10-15 minutes.
Wrap each bread stick with a slice of ham (or put over top), leaving the ends of the bread free, and keep covered at room temperature.

In a bowl, add ricotta, tarragon, figs, garlic, oil, 2 tblsp milk, salt and pepper. If too thick for dipping, add more milk. Just before serving, drizzle dip with more oil and serve with bread sticks.
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Hope your warm weather is going along well and that you're making your summer plans. Memorial Day is upon us so it's officially here. Hope weather in the Midwest settles down and the coming Hurricane Season is kind to all.... Stay safe and have fun! Talk soon....