Razor Clam Digging

They say that back in the day along the Pacific Coastline, there were so many razor clams that they would practically jump out of the sand right into your mouth. And even today, they’re so plentiful that you can get your limit in only half an hour. At least that’s what one of my husband’s coworkers said. Then he offered to take us clam digging.

That was all the motivation we needed, razor clams make for some really good eating. The husband procured the licenses, and the next day we rolled out of bed at three o’clock in the morning, painfully early. It’s a three hour drive, and we had to get there by dawn in time for low tide.

It started raining as soon as we got there. Everything was grey—grey sky, grey rain, grey waves, just like a watercolor painting. It seemed peaceful and serene, except for the steady stream of cars driving on the sand and all of the people.


The beach was swarming with clam diggers, all excited about the first clam dig of the spring season.

As soon as it was light enough to see, we began combing the beach, looking for the telltale hole of the razor clam. Once you find the hole, you dig straight down for the clam. The razor clam will feel you coming and burrow straight down to get away, so you have to dig faster than he does. It’s easy work with a clam gun, which is essentially a tube that brings up a core sample of sand, and the clam comes along for the ride.


What I would’ve given for a pair of galoshes, I wanted to go out into the surf too. The razor clams live farther out than I realized, and I spent more time running away as the waves rolled in than digging.

So do you want to know about our impressive haul? We ended up with several bootfuls of sand and exactly zero razor clams. It was a complete bust, no beginner’s luck here. The tide didn’t go out far enough, so no breaded and pan-fried razor clams for dinner. But there’s another clam dig scheduled for April, and they’re promising an even lower low tide then. Until we meet again, razor clams!

In the Mood

Do you ever have one of those days when you don’t feel like making the thing you had planned for dinner? Or you’re just not hungry for it? Sure, fish chowder sounded good when you did your weekly meal planning and grocery shopping last Sunday. But not anymore—today, the very thought of seafood ruins your appetite. I have one of those days a lot. It drives my husband nuts, but how in the world am I supposed to guess what I’ll be in the mood for at some future date? If only I had a crystal ball. So what to do? Go out? No, that would blow the budget. And, in any case, all I know is what I’m not hungry for, not what I actually do want to eat. Then there’s the inevitable exchange…

Me: “What do you feel like having?”

Husband: “I don’t know, what do you feel like having?”

Me: Sigh. “I don’t know, I asked you first.”

Husband: “I don’t know. Fish chowder?” Belly grumbles.

And on and on.

Me, finally: “I know, there’s broccoli and cheddar.” There’s always broccoli and cheddar in the fridge, and there’s one thing I’m always, always in the mood for—Broccoli-Cheese Soup.


Broccoli-Cheese Soup
Printable Recipe

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts chicken broth
1 ¼ pounds broccoli, stalks and florets separated and chopped
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon powdered mustard
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the butter and onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir in the flour. Stir in the broth and add the broccoli stalks, Worcestershire, Tabasco, bay leaf, mustard, and cayenne. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the stalks are tender. Discard the bay leaf, remove from the heat, and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Return to the heat and add the broccoli florets. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 8 minutes, or until the florets are tender. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cheddar, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

Serves 6. Feel free to substitute vegetable broth or water if you prefer a vegetarian soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender but remember: never fill a blender more than half way with hot liquid. This means you will need to blend the soup in batches and reheat it before adding the broccoli florets. Do not boil the soup once the cheddar has been added, or it will have a grainy texture.

A Favorite with a Twist

I just had a stroke of inspiration to add pureed roasted red bell peppers to my favorite quickie pasta dish. I’ll always love the original, but this one’s a keeper too!


Penne with Tomato-Pepper Sauce & Fresh Mozzarella
Printable Recipe

1/3 cup heavy cream
3 roasted red bell peppers
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
Generous pinch red chile flakes, optional
26 ounces strained tomatoes, preferably Pomì brand
3 to 4 large sprigs basil, plus chiffonaded leaves for serving
1 pound penne rigate
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and diced
Grated Parmegiano-Reggiano, for serving

Combine the cream and bell peppers in a blender and blend until smooth. Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and chile flakes, if desired, and sauté for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the bell pepper mixture, tomatoes, and basil sprigs. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 18 to 20 minutes, or until thickened and saucy.

Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the package directions. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper and discard the basil sprigs. Drain the penne when it is al dente. Immediately add the penne to the sauce and toss to combine. Remove from the heat, let cool for a few minutes, and stir in the mozzarella. Arrange on individual plates, top with plenty of Parmegiano and basil, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings. The red bell peppers make this the reddest red sauce you’ve ever seen. It's a variation of another even simpler pasta dish I make; to try it, just omit the bell peppers but still add the cream. Fresh mozzarella balls come in a variety of sizes, and if you want a shortcut, look for pearlini, which are so small they don’t even need to be diced. Be sure to let the pasta cool a bit before adding the mozzarella, or it will melt into a gooey mess. It also helps if the mozzarella is cold when it goes in. This is a satisfying vegetarian dish, but my husband, who is decidedly not vegetarian, kept insisting that we should've added Italian sausage. I must admit that sounds good too.

Southwestern Cravings

It’s worth a trip to New Mexico just for the chiles. Trust me, I’ve done it. But since the 1,500 mile road trip can be impractical at times, here’s what I usually do when I’m jonesing for green chiles.


Green Chile Cheeseburgers
Printable Recipe

2 pounds 10% fat ground beef
Seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 roasted Anaheim or New Mexico green chiles, julienned
4 slices sharp cheddar
4 hearty hamburger buns, split
Mayonnaise, for serving

Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions and gently form each portion into a ball. Gently pat each ball into the shape of a hamburger patty, about 4 ½ inches across and slightly thinner in the center and thicker around the edges. Season the patties generously with seasoned salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature for about half an hour.

Heat the grill to high. Add the patties and cook without disturbing for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they release from the grate and are crusty and brown. Using a spatula, turn the patties, divide the chiles among them, and top each with 1 of the cheddar slices. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, another 5 to 6 minutes, or until the desired doneness. The patties will be firm to the touch when they are medium-well. Remove the patties to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm, and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, toast the buns, if desired, and spread with mayonnaise. Serve the patties on the buns immediately.

Serves 4. The heat of Anaheim and New Mexico green chiles can vary quite a bit.

Verrines

Do you know the word verrine? I looked it up. It’s French for protective glass. And, for reasons that I don’t understand since I don’t speak French, it’s the word used to describe any appetizer or dessert that’s composed of various tasty components artfully layered into a glass. My first encounter with a verrine was on a trip to Paris, when I first laid eyes on Pierre Herme’s Émotion Ispahan. Ever since that moment, I’ve had nothing but verrines on the brain, I’ve been dreaming up verrine after verrine. Tahitian vanilla panna cotta, diced strawberries, and diced lavender gelée with a tuile. Caramel gelée, diced caramel-poached pears, lemon mousse, and a pear chip. Green tea gelée, apricot gelée, and crumbled French macarons. But now it’s time to stop dreaming and start making—I finally got just the perfect cups to do it!


Citrus & Caramel Verrines
Printable Recipe

¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon water
1 orange, cut into 1/8-inch slices
2 ½ teaspoons (1 envelope) gelatin
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¾ cup milk
¾ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated Meyer lemon zest
½ vanilla bean
Suprêmes from 1 orange
Suprêmes from 1 Meyer lemon
Suprêmes from 1 grapefruit
Suprêmes from 2 tangerines
1 tablespoon orange liqueur, optional

Preheat the oven to 250˚F. Combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of the water in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Dip the orange slices into the sugar syrup to coat and arrange them about an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 35 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the slices and bake another 35 to 40 minutes, or until dry but not brown. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Meanwhile, slowly sprinkle 1 ¼ teaspoons of the gelatin over the orange juice. Combine ½ cup of the sugar and 3 tablespoons of the water in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, brush down the sides of the pan with water, and boil for 5 to 6 minutes, or until caramelized. The sugar will be fragrant and a deep amber color when it is caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat and dip the bottom into an ice water bath for a second or two. Slowly stir in the remaining 1 ¼ cups of water. Return the pan to low heat and stir until smooth. Increase the heat to medium and heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide the mixture among 6 juice or dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Measure ¼ cup of the milk into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over the remaining 1 ¼ teaspoons of gelatin. Combine the remaining ½ cup of milk, remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, cream, orange zest, and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add both the pod and the seeds to the pan. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among the dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Toss together the suprêmes along with their juices and the orange liqueur, if desired, in a medium bowl. Divide among the dessert cups. Leave at room temperature for about an hour. Top each with 1 of the candied orange slices and serve.

Makes 6 servings. Can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. It’s best at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about an hour before serving, and top with the candied orange slices at the last minute. Juice cups with an 8-ounce capacity are just right for this dessert, and you will need about 3 oranges for this recipe.

Peeling Tomatoes, Stone Fruit & More

Have you ever noticed that, while the flesh of tomatoes and stone fruit will soften, the skin seems to remain intact no matter how long it cooks? And that the leathery bits of skin can just about ruin whatever dish they’re in? Tomato sauce or peach pie with scraps of tough peel—yuck. But how do you peel tomatoes or stone fruit without ending up with bruised fruit and a big juicy mess? Knives and vegetable peelers are no help here.

Well, do you remember Blanch? It’s been a while since I introduced you. Blanching is the answer! Blanching fruits such as tomatoes, peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots will loosen their skins and make peeling a breeze.

To peel tomatoes or stone fruit, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. The larger the pot and the more water, the faster the water will return to a boil after the fruit is added, and the faster the skin will release. And the faster the skin releases, the more appealing the appearance, texture, and flavor of the fruit will be. Keep in mind that the goal is to loosen the skin but not cook the fruit. Add plenty of salt, enough to make the water taste slightly briny. Using a paring knife, cut a small X in the bottom of the fruit.


Add the fruit to the pot of boiling water and boil for 20 to 30 seconds.


The skin of the fruit will usually start to crack. Using a slotted spoon or wire skimmer, quickly transfer the fruit to a bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking process, this is known as shocking.


Once the fruit is cool, drain it thoroughly. Use the paring knife to remove the peel, starting at the X.


The skin will slip right off.


This technique can also be used to peel pearl onions, fava beans, and almonds, but it’s not necessary to score them with an X first. Blanch them for about a minute, then shock them in ice water. Use a paring knife to cut off the root end of pearl onions. Break open fava bean skins with your thumbnail. Then squeeze each pearl onion, fava bean, or almond between your thumb and forefinger, and it will pop right out of its skin.

If you’re peeling a large quantity of one of these foods, blanch it in batches.

Crab

In a blind tasting of snow crab, king crab, and Dungeness crab, this taster found that Dungeness crabmeat was by far the sweetest, most tender, and most delicious. But you can judge for yourself.


Salad of Crab, Avocado & Grapefruit
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ripe Hass avocado
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
1/3 cup diced red onion
Suprêmes from 1 grapefruit
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, and oil in a small bowl. Halve, pit, peel, and dice the avocado. Combine the avocado, crabmeat, onion, and suprêmes along with their juices in a large bowl, add the oil mixture, and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to individual bowls, and serve immediately.

Serves 8 to 10 as a first course. For the most brilliant color, use Ruby Red grapefruit if you can find it.

Black Bean Soup

It sure doesn’t feel like spring’s right around the corner. This morning, there was snow, and this afternoon, a hail storm. This calls for more soup!


Black Bean Soup
Printable Recipe

1 pound black beans, picked over and rinsed
¼ cup canola oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons pure chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
3 quarts chicken broth
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
1 ripe Hass avocado
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup minced cilantro

Place the beans into a large bowl and add enough water to cover by several inches. Cover with plastic wrap and let soak overnight at room temperature.

Drain the beans. Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir in the chile powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, and cayenne. Add the broth and beans. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until the beans are cooked through.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sour cream and milk in a small bowl. Halve, pit, peel, and dice the avocado. Remove the soup from the heat and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into individual bowls, top with plenty of avocado and cilantro, and drizzle with the sour cream mixture. Serve immediately.

Serves 8. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender but remember: never fill a blender more than half way with hot liquid. This means you will need to blend the soup in batches and reheat it before serving. This soup is also delicious topped with crumbled cotija cheese. For a simple yet delicious meal, serve with Mexican Rice, either on the side or stirred right in. Feel free to substitute vegetable broth or water if you prefer a vegetarian soup. Dried Mexican oregano, which has a unique floral character, can be found at some gourmet grocers and (usually for less than a dollar) at any Mexican market. If you can’t find it, just omit it from the recipe; don’t substitute common oregano.

Mexican Rice

This is the requisite side dish for any Mexican meal. But it’s so yummy, I could eat it all by itself.

Mexican Rice
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 cup long grain white rice
1 ¾ cups chicken broth
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, and Mexican oregano. Add the rice and stir until coated with the oil. Add the broth, season to taste with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the rice is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a side dish. Dried Mexican oregano, which has a unique floral character, can be found at some gourmet grocers and (usually for less than a dollar) at any Mexican market. If you can’t find it, just omit it from the recipe; don’t substitute common oregano.

Chocolate and Vanilla and

Caramel. I love caramel equally, and I, for one, think it should get equal billing.


Caramel-Truffle Tart
Printable Recipe

9 ounces heavy cream
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or scant 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 fully baked 9-inch Pâte Sucrée Tart Crust
2 ½ ounces sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups Caramel Pastry Cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring 2 ounces of the cream to a bare simmer in a small, heavy saucepan. Place the chocolate into a small bowl, add the hot cream, and whisk until smooth. Transfer to the tart crust and spread evenly. Let cool for a couple of hours, or until set.

Combine 2 ounces of the sugar and the water in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, brush down the sides of the pan with water, and boil for 5 to 6 minutes, or until caramelized. The sugar will be fragrant and a deep amber color when it is caramelized. Pour onto a parchment-lined baking tray and let cool to room temperature.

Whip 2 ounces of the cream to stiff peaks. Stir 1/3 of the cream into the pastry cream, then fold in the remaining cream. Transfer to the tart crust and spread evenly.

Combine the remaining 5 ounces of cream, remaining ½ ounce of sugar, and vanilla and whip to firm peaks. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe onto the tart in a decorative manner.

Transfer the caramel to a large zip top bag and crush finely using a meat pounder. Sprinkle the crushed caramel over the tart. Cut the tart into portions and serve immediately.

Makes 1 9-inch tart, serving 8. If you don’t have a pastry bag, simply spread the whipped cream over the tart, swirling decoratively, with a spatula.