Ohh helloooo. Where have I been?? I promised you posts as soon as finals ended. And finals ended six weeks ago! Terribly sorry. In that time, I moved from Boston to Seattle (just for the summer- stay posted for permanent relocation), got my wisdom teeth out, and started my summer job. I have been doing plenty of cooking, we’ve just been missing that integral step of actually posting. But I am jumping back on the bandwagon (I hope).
One of the benefits of moving to Seattle for the summer is that I moved from my tiny studio apartment kitchen to my parents’ GIANT kitchen. And their giant beautiful grill. Did I mention that it is a gas grill? You just turn on the knobs and it magically heats up. This eliminates the chance that I will have a repeat of the drama/tragedy I experienced with my charcoal grill last summer. Plus it has a super-hot burner for searing meat AND a rotisserie attachment. Endless possibilities.
But tonight’s dinner involved zero cooking. Another benefit of moving to Seattle for the summer is that mom and I can eat salads for dinner! If I tried to make this for Addison, he would inhale it and then ask me what I made for the main course. It would also be a pretty pricey meal because the fresh Dungeness crab that we bought was $38 a pound! I made this a bit more affordable by incorporating [cheaper] shrimp as well. Mom and I got a half pound of each and it was more than enough. Our fishmonger advised us that some duplicitous fish markets will try to sell you Dungeness crab meat that has been pulled from previously frozen legs. Do not settle for this! It would break our fishmonger’s heart. Fresh/never frozen meat is the only way to go.
If you are looking for a wine to accompany this (or any other) summer meal, might I suggest a vihno verde? I think I’ve mentioned it before- it was my drink of choice at Jazz in the Sculpture Garden in my DC days. It is a Portuguese white wine that is dry and zingy. Delicious.
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| Mom's lettuce garden |
serves 2
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½ lb fresh Dungeness crab meat, cooked
½ lb bay shrimp, cooked
1 avocado
1 head red leaf lettuce, washed and torn
1 head butter lettuce, washed and torn
¼ cup scallions, chopped
1 lemon, quartered
Basil vinaigrette (see below)
Creamy Louis dressing (see below)
Black pepper
In a large bowl, toss the greens with some of the basil vinaigrette. Arrange the lettuce on plates and top with crab, shrimp, avocado, and scallions. Serve with the creamy Louis dressing, lemon wedges, and freshly ground black pepper.
BASIL VINAIGRETTE
This makes enough dressing for about 6 salads. Leftovers are delicious on grilled meats, pasta, etc.
1 shallot, roughly chopped
¾ cup tightly packed basil leaves
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.
CREAMY LOUIS DRESSING
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon lemon
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Add ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine.
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