There is nothing that says summer like strawberries and rhubarb. This is a great dessert that you can prepare ahead and serve for a dinner party or casual cook out.  I love the tang in rhubarb with both sweet and savory dishes.  In this recipe we add fresh strawberries which are so plentiful at this time of year.  I suggest pairing with Juan Sepulveda’s sparkling Moscato from Laurel Lake.  This bubbly Moscato is slightly sweet with flavors of honeydew and floral nose. It’s a perfect after dinner bubbly with this light summer dessert.

Recipe

Fruit topping
In a bowl: 1 pint local strawberries or your favorite berry. If strawberry, remove tops and stems and slice. Toss with another tablespoon of agave syrup and one tablespoon of Cassis liquor or syrup and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
In a pot: 5 stalks local Rhubarb, cut and cooked in 1 cup of light Agave syrup for 15 minutes (do not add water).
Once cooled, add fresh strawberries and mix berries with Rhubarb and refridgerate until ready to fill shortcake.

Shortcake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 large eggs - divided use

One cup of whipping cream, visit our post “how to whip cream”

Short cake
In large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add cut, soften (not melted) butter and rub together until mixture resembles coarse meal and set aside.
In separate bowl blend buttermilk, orange peel, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. Stir into flour mixture to make a soft dough.
Forget the “shortcake” you see in the supermarket! These should look like biscuits.
Divide you dough into 6 to 8 portions depending on the size you like.

On floured board pat each into a 3-inch circle. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush generously with remaining egg whites, beaten. Sprinkle with some crunchy granules of Turbinadano sugar for texture.
Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Remove from pan; cool on rack.

Slice each shortcake in half horizontally with a sharp knife. Fill and garnish with strawberries and whipped cream.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

In the movie Tortilla Soup, the father cooks elaborate meals that his adult daughters reluctantly attend. However, in their search for fulfillment his children discover that sometimes their own family gave them the completion they sought. Often made with leftovers, this recipe for sopa de tortilla from Seasoned Fork finds the perfectly spicy equilibrium that we all seek. Read the story HERE

A chopped tomato salad with raw red onion and some salty Feta cheese or Ricotta Salata is all you need for a satisfying side dish. It’s great with grilled beef or fish along with some grilled flat bread and some chilled red or white wine. We are loving Lieb Cellar’s White Merlot since it pairs beautifully with grilled meat or fish and perfectly straddles big fruit with citrus.

So pick some of your favorite tomatoes and slice or chop them to your liking. Toss them with chopped red onion and your choice of cheese. Drizzile with high quality EVOO. I am using Ritossa Olive Oil from Istria (from Anthony Ritossa who just launched his line at Delmonico’s this summer), rich and fruity — perfect for a summer tomato salad.  Finish with your favorite chopped herbs. I am a fan of fresh Oregano and chives for this salad as they are mild enough to still allow you to taste the tomatoes.

 By the time we are approaching August, people start to run out of ideas for all the tomatoes in their garden. This ”tomato tatin” always a welcomed dish at any dinner party and is perfect served at room temperature. It’s also convenient because you can make it a few days in advance. Sometimes I garnish it with crumbled goat cheese or feta and drizzled with some balsamic reduction and fresh basil or thyme.

Ingredients and recipe
You will need a 12 inch sauté pan and a pastry brush

Preheat oven to 375 for 20 minutes
1 sheet of thawed puff pastry
10 whole tomatoes, plum or small vine are best, you can garnish with sliced fresh tomatoes prior to serving.
1/4 EVOO for sautéeing
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 egg beaten with a teaspoon of water for egg wash

Start by adding your whole tomatoes to the pan with olive oil and sauté. Sprinkle with salt and coat and lower flame. The tomatoes will begin to reduce and as the tomato juices start to bubble, add the sugar and coat all the tomatoes for a total of 10 minutes.

Have you puff pastry ready to place over the pan like a lid. Crimp the edges and brush the top with egg wash. Bake in the same sauté pan for 15 minutes and allow to rest before attempting to flip onto your serving plate.

When fully cooled to room temperature, place dinner plate on top of the crust while keeping hand firmly on top of the plate. Use the other hand on the handle to flip. The dish and the pan should never come apart from each other while flipping.

Once flipped your tatin will be perfectly positioned on your plate. Allow this settle until you are ready to serve and resist the urge to refrigerate. This is perfectly fine at room temperature for a few hours.

Prior to serving you can garnish with assorted sliced fresh tomatoes of any color, chopped herbs and your favorite crumbled cheese. This can be lunch accompanied by some grilled chicken or for dinner with grilled tenderloin. If you are serving this for a dinner party, add a green salad and some crusty bread.

Serve this with a full bodied Rose wine. Pick up a bottle Nautique Rose from Peconic Bay Winery. Not only is the wine flavorful and refreshing but it’s a great food wine and the stunning bottle will make it a great gift.

Summer Corn Lobster bisque

This recipe brings the best of summer to your table.  Creamy bisque with chunks of lobster and bits of fresh corn off the cob pulled together with some stock, a bit of white wine and some fresh cream.  This is a great starter or dinner if served with a fresh green salad and some crusty bread or bread sticks.  This is perfect with a glass of Bedell’s First Crush.  The blend of stainless-fermented Chardonnay and Viognier stand up to the flavors in this perfect summer soup.  

Ingredients:

BISQUE
1 c. shallots
2 c. fresh corn kernels (6-8 cobs, reserving cobs)
6 TBSP. butter
1 c. heavy cream
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
8 black peppercorns

STOCK
corn cobs – reserved from bisque
1 sm. onion - chopped
3 carrots - chopped
3 celery ribs - chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 stems parsley
3 to 4 lobster bodies
1 bay leaf
1 tsp kosher salt

GARNISH
1/4 c. corn kernels – blanched
1 c. lobster meat – chopped into chunks
2 TBSP. chives – snipped
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
STOCK
Place cobs and lobster bodies in a pot and cover with cold water
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes
Strain and set aside

BISQUE
In a 10″ sq. piece of cheese cloth tie, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns– set aside
Sweat shallots in 2 TBSP. butter over medium-low heat until very soft
Add corn and remaining butter and heat for 30 minutes until corn is soft
Add cream to cover
Add cheese cloth sachet of herbs
Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat stirring to keep from scorching on bottom
Remove sachet and Puree remaining ingredients in a blender until smooth
Add stock to make desired consistency
Season with salt and pepper then pass through a chinoise

Reserve some stock for the end.  If the bisque seems too thick, like a chowder, add some stock to thin it out a bit.  Add a few teaspoons of white wine when heating before serving.

This is a very light Risotto dish without cheese and a very minimal amount of cream. In Italy you may be put before a firing squad for adding cheese to a seafood dish so in this recipe, we strive for “purity.” Perhaps the reason for this is that you really want to taste the lobster stock and the fresh vegetables and cheese would make it heavier. Since it doesn’t have cheese and is light on the cream it won’t be as dense as other Risotto but your guests and your waistline will appreciate it. As far as selecting veggies for this Risotto, I love the bite of corn just off the cob and fresh garden peas, especially from our garden. A little red bell pepper, some shallots and a dash of chives or parsley and you’re in business.

Lobster Risotto
About 6 cups lobster stock (recipe below)
¼ cup butter
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
Salt
2 cups arborio, carnaroli or other short-grained white rice
Meat from 1 cooked lobster, chopped
1/2 cup of fresh corn just off the cob
1/2 cup of fresh garden peas (unblanched)
1/4 of finely minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives or Italian parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup of half and half
You will need a stock pot and a ladle to add the stock in increments.
1. In a medium pot, heat the stock and keep warm.
2. In a large, wide saucepan add the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add a large pinch of salt, then add the rice and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth and simmer, stirring until the broth is almost absorbed. Then add 1/8 teaspoon of salt and add another ladle of broth and stir briskly. You will need to add a cup at a time allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. Stir vigorously and never leave the pot unattended — don’t answer your phone, don’t stop to look for something–have all your ingredients at hand. This will break your Risotto and you will end up with the bottom overcooked and the rest of the rice pasty. The constant stirring will help emulsify the starch of the rice with the stock and it will appear creamy even before your add the cream. After 12 minutes of stirring add your vegetables. You don’t want to add the veggies in the beginning since they’ll loose their bite. Stir in the lobster meat until heated through, then add the chives or parsley. And just before serving add ¼ cup of the half and half and you may need just a bit more stock to loosen up if it appears too thick and serve immediately. Risotto should be firm and remember that this continues cooking after it has been served so resist the temptation to cook it more.
I recommend a salad and crudité plate for the appetizer since the Risotto is a substantial entrée. A seasonal fruit salad of figs, cherries and pears drizzled with your favorite liqueur for dessert. A little vanilla ice cream on the side too.
NOTE: For a meatier risotto, cook an extra lobster or two.
Lobster Stock
½ cup olive oil
Lobstert bodies and shells from 5 cooked lobsters, rinsed
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
1 cups of carrot peels (use the carrots for a crudite plate before dinner)
In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the lobster shells and sauté for 1 minute. Add enough water so that the pot is 2/3 full, then add the onion, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for several hours or overnight. (The longer it simmers, the better.) Using tongs, remove and discard the large shells, then strain the stock through a fine sieve twice. Makes 6 or more cups.

When I think of summer, I think of lobster, fresh greens and grilled farmstand vegetables along with ice cold Sauvignon Blanc or a Mojito in a chilled glass on the terrace. Every summer Cuvée Bistro & Bar at The Greenporter Hotel serves lobster specials every Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. during the months of July and August. Stay tuned for recipes and if you don’t feel like cracking your own lobster, come join us for dinner!

Menu of rotating Lobster specials

Lobster and Summer Corn Bisque 10
Velvety lobster bisque with sweet farm stand corn and lobster, finished with a hint of cognac cream

Mini Lobster Profiterole 14
Lobster salad served in homemade pâte à choux bun with chef’s garden herb salad garnish

Salade “Lobster Cobb” Entrée Salad 22
Half-grilled lobster, fresh corn off the cob, crumbled bacon, avocado and blue cheese on a bed of local mesclun greens

Handmade Lobster Ravioli 24
Light pockets of pasta filled with chunks of fresh lobster and garden herbs served with lobster-saffron coulis

Risotto a l‘homard 22
Light risotto made with lobster stock, farmstand corn and English peas from chef’s garden. Finished with a hint of cream

Grilled Lobster and Shrimp with Buttered Chive Potato Gnocchi 28
Homemade gnocchi made from local potatoes and chef’s garden chives complimented by grilled lobster and shrimp with drawn butter

Call us at 631-477-0066 to see what we are serving this weekend or send us a message on Facebook and stay turned for recipes.

This is a great salad to serve for a special lunch or for dinner with family and friends. Grilled lobster a-top fresh mesclun greens, creamy Roquefort cheese and avocado, crunch bits of bacon and fresh grilled kernels of corn along with the zip of garden tomatoes and vinaigrette all on one plate.

The lobster, corn, Roquefort cheese, bacon and tomatoes can be prepared a day in advance. You can cook the lobster the day before and cut them in half lengthwise. If you’re on the North Fork, you can order the lobsters from Charlie at Southold Seafood and pay a little extra to have them cooked and sliced in half.

For serving you can serve individually by assembling your plates with salad and garnish with the fresh grilled corn, the avocado, crispy bacon and tomatoes; top with the grilled lobster. You can set up a buffet by stacking your halved lobsters on a platter and provide a large bowl of mesclun greens and all the “fixins” in bowls for self service.

A nice cold soup is a perfect starter for this meal along with some crusty bread brushed with chive oil and grilled.  See our post on bruschetta (link) and try this chilled zucchini bisque .

Prep
Grilled corn:  Grill before removing kernels. See How to shuck corn . To grill and brush whole cobs with olive oil, grill until golden brown and allow to cool.  Then sprinkle with sea salt.  Set aside.

Same night you have the grill on, cut thelobsters in half and grill till about 3/4 done.  Cover and save for next day.  Next day remove meat from knuckles and claws and sauté in butter to fill lobster body after heating and just before serving.

Next day
Chop tomatoes and set aside.

Peel and cube fresh avocado, drizzle with fresh lime to prevent from oxidizing, cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Fry up your bacon until crispy– either thick cut bacon or turkey bacon.  I prefer to lay out the slices flat on a cookie sheet.  Place on paper towels to drain and cool to crispy texture and rough chop.

Once corn is cooled, dekernel and toss with fresh chives.  Set aside.

Crumble blue cheese and set aside.

Do not add vinaigrette until you are ready to serve.

Just before serving heat lobster tails on grill, heat butter sauteed meat and fill each lobster cavity prior to placing on salad.  Serve with Lenz new Bon Appetit Chardonnay.

Serve with crusty bread and follow with a cheese course with the Bon Appetit Red blend and some Rhubarb strawberry short cake.  Please see next posting for shortcake recipe and pair with Lenz sparkling wine.

Farm stands on the North Fork are piled with early summer corn and corn is so versatile that you can eat it everyday and not get bored.

You need to make sure you are selecting corn with green husks. You should pull back a bit on the husk to make sure that the kernels are firm and plump-no wrinkles.

Peel off husks and use a damp dishcloth to remove the corn silk threads.

I make a corn relish that accompanies our crab cakes and customers are always excited to find the bits of fresh grilled corn off the cob instead of frozen corn. The kernels have a crunchy meaty texture; a clear indication of freshness.

Since shucking corn and removing kernels from the cobs can be a bit of work, I try to do at least a dozen in a sitting.

After all your cobs are cleaned, drop into unsalted boiling water for 5 minutes. Then remove and allow to cool.

Once cooled you can decide which cobs to set aside and grill whole for corn on the cob with some grilled lobster or steak or a clam bake. Or you can remove from the cob right away for creamed corn or a savory corn pudding. I personally like to add grilled kernels to salads too.

Removing Kernels

Cut the end off the nose to create a flat surface. Stand corn upright with nose downwards. Holding the stem in one hand, run the knife along the kernels in a sawing motion until you get to the bottom. Turn your cob and continue until your cob is clean.

Stay tuned for summer corn recipes.

Crabmeat Salad with Fresh Garden Peas and Lemon Pepper Dressing

I love serving this in the summer when it’s too hot to do much cooking.  This recipe is great on mini toasts or crostini for hors d’oeuvres or on a grilled buttered potato roll for a beautiful crabmeat roll instead of lobster. Or you can simply place a scoop of this on a salad for a low carb option along with slices of tomato and cucumbers.

Blanching your peas
You will need to blanche a quarter cup of fresh peas with some crunch. Please see How to blanche on (link). I just picked mine growing just outside my kitchen door and they are so sweet you can eat them raw.

Put the peas in a bowl and refrigerate.

Mince two shallots to make a quarter cup and set aside.

Dressing
In a separate bowl mix a half cup of organic mayo, quarter cup of EVOO, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a quarter teaspoon of fresh grated lemon rind with eighth teaspoon of ground pepper (use half teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning as substitute if in a crunch) and whisk together.

Crabmeat
Add the contents of a 16 ounce can of lump crab meat. Squeeze the juice of a whole lemon on the meat and toss.

Add the shallots and the peas to the crabmeat and pour the dressing on in three parts so as not to over dress. Use any left over as a dip.

The local Vin Rose from Paumanok Vineyards offers fresh aromas and flavors of strawberry and red cherry that blances with the acidity of the lemon dressing.