Marinated Feta + Garlic Scape Pesto

Some trips are just trips. You go, you sightsee and you eat at a few local joints. Then there are the ones that leave a lasting mark. I knew early on that my time in Alaska would be special. It was on our second night in Cordova that we had the pleasure of being fed a home-cooked meal by the wife of a local fisherman (a meal, I must add, that included the best chowder I've ever consumed). While our host wined and dined us, we had a chance to talk to a roomful of locals, all of whom were both curious about who we were and who were also eager to answer any of our questions (and we had lots of them).  It was as if we were being welcomed into a friend's house and, by the end of our time in Cordova, I did feel like I had made friends. A rare occurrence on any trip, let alone one organized by a marketing company. You'll get a lot more information (and photos) in a post I hope to share next week. But, for now, I'm just trying to digest the experience.

Marinated Feta and Tomatoes

Servings 8-10 servings as a side

Ingredients

1 lb feta, drained of liquid 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill Zest of one lemon Black Pepper 1/4 cup olive oil

1 baguette, sliced

Directions

1. Remove some of the outer liquid on the feta by patting it down with a paper towel. Cube feta and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add grape tomatoes. Mix in dill and lemon zest. Season with black pepper.

2. Add olive oil and gently toss to coat. Let sit for 1 hour before serving.

3. Serve on top of sliced baguette with some garlic scape and basil pesto (see recipe below)

Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto

Servings 8-10 servings as a side

Ingredients

6 large garlic scapes, coarsely chopped 1 cup basil leaves 1/3 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons lemon juice Kosher salt

Directions

1. Add the garlic scapes and basil leaves to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.  Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl.

2. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with Kosher salt.

Cucumber Salad

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Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad Triptich

It's hard to believe that in less than a week I leave for Alaska. A few months ago, I was approached by the Copper River salmon fishery to join them on a trip to Cordova, Alaska. The idea of being on a boat with fishermen, to watch them catch salmon and then eat it fresh... well, there's nothing that could bring me more joy.  I envision myself on the deck of this vessel, hands open, awaiting a slice of sashimi. Ok, maybe I'm getting carried away. It most likely won't go exactly as I imagine (a boy can dream, though, right?), but I'm fairly certain that I'll eat the freshest fish I've ever consumed.

I'm also thrilled to be away from the 90+ degree weather we've had here. I swore I wouldn't complain about the heat, but, what can I say, this is what us Bostonians do. We can't help but talk about the temperature, except between April and May (when we whine about the rain) and September and October. Right now it looks to be in the 60s while I'm in Cordova. Which sounds perfect to me!

I refuse to turn on the oven when it's above 80 degrees and, therefore, we've been eating a lot of salads. Not lettuce-laden salads, but hearty salads loaded with grilled fish and hard-boiled eggs and cheese.  This pickled cucumber salad often makes its way onto the plate. It does the trick in cooling things down: the combination of thinly sliced cucumbers, fresh herbs and vinegar helps cut the heat and humidity in just a few bites.

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Cucumber Salad

Servings 8-10 servings as a side

Ingredients

4 cucumbers, slightly peeled, leaving a little green for color 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped 1 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1 tbsp salt Black pepper 1 tbsp fresh or dried dill

Directions

1. Thinly slice the cucumbers using a mandolin, grater or with a food processor.  Put the sliced cucumber in a bowl and pour white vinegar over them.  Sprinkle in the sugar, salt, some black pepper, dill, and mint.

2. Stir together and let sit for about 2 hours before using.  Great alone, or can be served on top of a green salad.

Radish, Cherry + Goat Cheese Salad

Radish, Cherry + Goat Cheese Salad

We went back and forth on what we wanted to do for our fifth wedding anniversary. At one point we had talked about taking a little weekend trip somewhere within driving distance.  As we discussed it further, the more it seemed like the wrong time for us to be going away and that it'd be so much more enjoyable to stay local. That's when we decided to instead make reservations at Oleana. We've been to most of the big dining establishments here, but Oleana was still one that we hadn't been to. Based on the reaction I got when I mentioned this to my food-loving friends, the fact that we hadn't dined there was a real shame. Going in, our expectations were exceedingly high and because of that there was a very strong possibility that we'd leave disappointed. "Well, the food was decent, but the service was terrible" or "I can't believe they would pair that with that! Gross!" Nope. None of that. The service was friendly and attentive and the patio area of the restaurant was the most romantic environment to celebrate an anniversary. The food was all executed beautifully: Buratta and fried eggplant. Octopus shish, Egyptian garlic sauce, sprouted lentils & fresh chickpeas. Spinach falafel, tahini sauce, beet yogurt & cress. Baby farm greens, pistachio freekah, cherries, homemade string cheese. Ok, I'll stop.

Radish, Cherry + Goat Cheese Salad

It was a special treat to go out for a few meals this weekend after doing a lot of cooking these last couple of weeks. I've been so inspired by all the produce that's graced the markets. I often just go to the store with no idea what I want (which can sometimes be a dangerous thing). I'll grab three or four items, developing a dish on the spot. And that's how this salad came to be. Certainly not traditional, but it works. A bit of a bite from the radish, sweetness from cherries, and a little tang from the goat cheese make this a lunch I plan on coming back to.

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Radish, Cherry + Goat Cheese Salad

Servings 4 as a side, 2 as an entree

Ingredients

4 cups arugula, washed, dried and coarsely chopped 6-7 radishes, thinly sliced 1 cup cherries, pitted (left whole or you can cut in half) 3 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled Fresh dill Fresh mint Juice of half a lemon 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon honey Coarse sea salt or Kosher salt

Instructions 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and honey.  Add the arugula, radishes, and cherries and toss to coat the salad with the dressing.

2. Transfer to a large serving platter. Sprinkle goat cheese over salad.

3. Using kitchen scissors, cut the dill and mint over the salad.

4. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt before serving.

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