Shrimp + Sweet Corn Ceviche

Shrimp + Sweet Corn Ceviche

Shrimp + Sweet Corn Ceviche

Shrimp + Sweet Corn Ceviche

Shrimp + Sweet Corn Ceviche

Sunday night, Eric and I stumbled across a party in our neighborhood.  Well, the truth is that the reason we ended up there was because we were complaining about the music. We had been trying to relax and had pulled out some lounge chairs in our backyard. The weather was perfect; warm, but not humid. The dog was sleeping next to us, exhausted after a jam-packed weekend.

"I'm going to take Maki for a walk and see where that's coming from."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I just want to see and maybe tell them to turn it down a bit."

I laughed, knowing how ridiculous it was that the youngest homeowners on the street (and quite possibly in the three blocks surrounding us), the ones who were supposed it be hip and cool, were actually two crotchety guys who moan about the kids blasting their music too loudly.

Ten minutes later, Eric returned. It turned out the music was actually a live band (a band, I should add, that specializes in covering the songs of Jimmy Buffet, though they make it clear in their marketing materials that they do other genres) and that the woman whose party it was was very nice and had them turn down the volume. Oh, and if we wanted we were welcome to come over and join them.  Not being ones to turn down an invitation to a party, we headed off.

"This is so random." I said as we approached their driveway. We knew no one and the only interaction we'd had with them was Eric's brief confrontation.

The next thing we knew, three hours had gone by. A couple glasses of wine consumed. New friends made. We got to hear lots of gossip (and who isn't a sucker for that) and felt even more connected to the neighborhood that we just moved into four months ago.

Of course, none of this has to do with ceviche. I'm not even going to try to bridge these two. All I can tell you is that it wasn't as scary as I thought it'd be to make. In fact, it was really simple and so refreshing on these brutal summer days we've been having. There may have been some margaritas consumed as well... or gin and tonics. Definitely one of those.

Shrimp and Sweet Corn Ceviche

Servings 8 servings Source Adapted from Rick Bayless' recipe on the Food Network

Ingredients

1 lb fresh shrimp, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 ears farmstand corn, shucked
1 small white onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 3/4 cups lime juice
1/2 red pepper, seeds removed and cut into
1/2 inch pieces
3 serrano peppers, seeds removed and diced
1 large avocado, pitted and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Salt

Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

1. Add the shrimp to a large mixing bowl. Using a knife, shave the corn kernels into the bowl.  Add the white onion and cover mixture with lime juice.

2. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours, making sure to stir half way through to ensure all pieces cure evenly.

3. Remove from refrigerator and add red pepper, serrano peppers.

4. Season with salt, to taste (start with 1/2 a teaspoon and go from there).

5. Before serving, add the avocado and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

Copper River Salmon (Cordova, Alaska)

I hemmed and hawed: do I write something or should I let the images speak for themselves? As a photographer, you hope that your pictures are strong enough to tell the whole story. When shooting a restaurant, it's possible to do this. A five day trip to Alaska, however, is more challenging. While I want to give these images some context, to provide a play by play of the week's events would result in an epic entry.  So, I'll try to keep things concise.

Cordova is located 160 miles southeast of Anchorage. It is only accessible by plane or boat, which, surprisingly, doesn't seem to effect tourism as much as one would expect. The population, I was told, is approximately 6,000. That number, however, decreases significantly, to 2,500, during the winter months.  Salmon fishing is their main industry, with an estimated 480 drift gillnet permits participating this summer. In addition, there are local and state organizations developed to assist the fisheries and preserve the area's natural resources, such as the Copper River Watershed Project, which "works to foster the health of the Copper River watershed's salmon-based communities, economies and cultures." In addition, there's the Department of Fishing and Gaming, which "manages approximately 750 active fisheries" and "foster[s] the highest standards of scientific integrity and promote innovative sustainable fish and wildlife management programs to optimize public uses and economic benefits." You will also see some images of a fish and game sonar station, located near Child's Glacier and the Million Dollar Bridge (also featured in the post), where, over the course of the season, three researchers each work eight hour shifts to track the salmon and other wildlife that pass through the river.

There are five different species of wild Alaskan salmon: King (aka Chinook), which is red in color and high in omega-3s, Sockeye, pictured below at the salmon filleting demo, Coho (aka Silver), which are a bright orange-red color, and Chum and Pink, both of which are less oily and not as flavorful (making them the least profitable).

Walking down the streets of Cordova, you'll see folks waving at each other.  Towards the end of my time there, this happened on quite a few occasions. I'd be in town and would see someone I'd met the day before. Big hellos and hugs. Friendly. Welcoming. I'd never thought that Cordova, being as remote as it is, would be a place I'd feel connected to. But that's exactly how I felt: like a part of a community. And it's one that I hope to return to in the future.

Disclosure: While Copper River Salmon Marketing covered travel expenses, I was not monetarily compensated for my time or for the creation of this blog post. All opinions are my own.

Blackened Scallops with Grilled Romaine + Citrus Salad

Blackened Scallops with Grilled Romaine + Citrus Salad

Blackened Scallops with Grilled Romaine + Citrus Salad

One of the major differences between our old place and the new house is that we no longer have central A/C. So far, we've done pretty well... making sure to open all the windows at the end of the day as the temp cools and then closing them first thing in the morning. At this point, we do our best to avoid cooking indoors. It's hard to fathom turning on the oven when you're already sweating buckets.

Eric is usually the grill-master in our house, but once in a while, usually when I have a project that necessitates it, I'll get the thing going. Earlier this year, I was contacted by Frontier Natural Products Co-op to do some recipe development and photography for their "Grill the Goodness" campaign featuring their line of organic seafood seasonings. Since we're fully into grilling season, I hope you all enjoy these recipes. I'm fond of all of them, but these scallops, paired with a bright citrus, grilled romaine and avocado salad, is something I could eat every day and never get tired of it.

Once you make this, be sure to check out the other two recipes, Ginger and Honey Glazed Salmon and Grilled Blackened Shrimp, over at the Frontier website.

Blackened Scallops with Grilled Romaine + Citrus Salad

Blackened Scallops with Grilled Romaine + Citrus Salad

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

For the grilled scallops

20-25 large sea scallops (approximately 3 lbs) 2 tablespoons Frontier Co-op’s Blackened Seafood Seasoning 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the grilled romaine salad

2 hearts of romaine, washed and dried 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the dressing 1 orange, segmented 1 grapefruit, segmented 1 avocado, pit removed and sliced Juice of a lime 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced 1 teaspoon Kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1.Heat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Pat scallops dry and toss in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Coat with Blackened Seafood Seasoning.

3. In a bowl, whisk together 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, the red wine vinegar, dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

4. Cut the romaine hearts in half lengthwise and brush with vinaigrette.

5. Grill the romaine, cut side down, for two minutes, until it starts to brown. Flip and cook for another minute or two to get some color on it. Transfer to a plate.

6. Grill scallops for 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip the scallops and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the size of the scallops. Set them aside on a plate. Cooking scallops for a few minutes at high heat results in a seared outside and a soft, rare inside.

7. In a bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, cilantro, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper until combined.

8. To make the salad, plate each romaine wedge and top with citrus segments and sliced avocado. Drizzle dressing over salad.

9. Add 5 scallops to each plate next to the salad and serve.