Green Bean Salad with Spicy Fish Sauce

Ingredients:
1 bunch of basil
1/2 bunch of mint
1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
1 bunch of scallions (including 1/2” of green tops")
1/2 cup Spicy Fish Sauce Dressing (recipe below)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:
1. Heat a dry cast iron pan to medium. Once hot, grill the beans and scallions (unoiled). Grill until they are charred, caramelized, and tender. Do this in batches if necessary, or do them all at once on a charcoal grill.

2. Take the vegetables out of the pan and cut the scallions into shorter lengths. Toss the vegetables in a bowl with the Spicy Fish Sauce Dressing. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Drizzle some olive oil and fold in the tomatoes and herbs.

4. Taste and adjust the seasoning with olive oil, fish sauce dressing, salt, and pepper.

5. Serve at room temperature, or a little warmer.

Spicey Fish Sauce Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup seeded, deribbed, and minced hot peppers (I use hot wax and jalapeño)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup of fish sauce
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar

Directions:
1. Stir everything together until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust to the sweet-salt-sour-hot intensity you prefer. The sauce will continue to get spicier, so making a day ahead is helpful with seasoning. But it will keep for a month or two in the fridge, and is delicious on all sort of roasted veggies!

Mushroom and Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/2 lb rigatoni or penne
1/2 lb garlic sausage, casings removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 pound of wild mushrooms cut into chunks (chanterelle, black trumpet, maitake)
Or a mix of cremini and wild if quantities are limited
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt until it tastes like the sea

2. Cook the pasta according to package making sure not to overcook. When finished, ladle out a cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta well.

3. Shape the garlic sausage into patties and heat (medium) on a large skillet, big enough to include all of the final ingredients. Flip occasionally until browned on both sides and just cooked in the center. Using a spoon, break up into bite sized pieces, scoop out of the skillet, and set aside.

4. Pour the sausage grease out and set the pan to medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and smashed garlic cloves, cooking slowly to toast the garlic, making sure not to let it burn.

5. When the garlic is finished, add the mushrooms to the pan, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms are getting browned and fragrant, about 6-12 minutes depending on size and type. If at any point the garlic is getting too dark, scoop it out and set aside with the sausage.

6. When the mushrooms are done, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and a few spoonfuls of the pasta water, stir it around to create a creamy emulsion. Add the pasta and sausage, and mix with the mushrooms.

7. Add the cheeses and a bit more pasta water, mixing until everything is nice and creamy. Add more salt and pepper as needed, and serve immediately.

Farm Fresh Pesto

Ingredients:
6 cups of freshly packed basil
1/2 cup walnuts
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, nuts, garlic, and salt.

2. Process until finely chopped. With the processor running, slowly ad the lemon juice and olive oil until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

3. Taste and adjust as needed. Add some Parmesan cheese if you wish!

Chicken Pesto Chickpea Summer Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sea salt
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
4 scallions, minced (white and light green parts only)
3-5 radishes, sliced thinly
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained if from a can)
1/3 cup of fresh pesto (recipe here)
Juice from 1 lemon
Ground black pepper
Parmesan-like cheese for grating
Crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup toasted nuts (pine or sunflower work well)
Minced basil for topping

Directions:
1. Place the chicken breasts in a pan with water covering them by a few inches. Salt generously and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until fully cooked (9-12 minutes depending on size). Once cooked, drain and set aside to cool.

2. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with a fork. Add to a large bowl and toss it with the chopped vegetables, chickpeas, pesto, and lemon juice.

3. Season to taste with plenty of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

4. Serve topped with Parmesan, nuts, and basil.

Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil, and Chiles

Ingredients:
Salt and ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
3 cups of mixed cherry tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried chile flakes
1 handful of basil
1 T unsalted butter
8 oz. pasta of your choice (we like spaghetti or penne)
1/4 cup homemade breadcrumbs (optional)
Parmesan-like cheese for grating

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it until it tastes like the ocean.

2. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat – add your smashed garlic and cook slowly until it starts to soften and turn brown. Don’t burn it!

3. Add half of your tomatoes, and cover with a lid to contain the splatter. Cook until they begin to burst open, usually 5 minutes or so.

4. Take off the heat and smush them with the back of a large spoon. Add the chile flakes and season with salt and pepper. Return to the stove, add half the basil, and reduce the heat. Cook for another 5 minute or so to reduce and thicken the sauce.

5. Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook until shy of al dente. You’re going to finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, so don’t over do it! Before draining set aside a cup or two of pasta water, then drain the pasta well.

6. Increase the heat to medium high, add the pasta to the sauce along with a good splash of pasta water. Add the rest of the tomatoes and stir while the pasta absorbs the sauce and the tomatoes warm up.

7. Once the pasta is cooked to the right consistency, add in the rest of your basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and the butter. Take the pasta off the heat and keep tossing to incorporate the ingredients. Top with a handful of homemade breadcrumbs and shower it in a grated Parmesan-like cheese such as Cabin Fever from Hahn’s End!

A Kale Salad to Rule them All

Ingredients:
1 bunch Lacinato (Dino) kale, ribs cut or stripped out
1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of dried chili flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

Directions:
1. Stack several kale leaves on top of one another and roll up tightly into a cigar-like shape. Cut the roll into thin ribbons and soak in cold water. Rinse, then thoroughly dry in a salad spinner and pile it into a large bowl.

2. Chop your garlic clove until you have a paste. It helps to smush it with the side of your knife, chop, smush, and repeat. Transfer to a small bowl, add your grated Romano cheese, a glug of olive oil, the lemon juice, chili flakes, a pinch or two of salt, and many twists of black pepper. Whisk to combine thoroughly.

3. Pour the dressing over the kale and combine with your hands and let sit for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust to your liking. Top with a touch more oil, grated cheese, and breadcrumbs – make these yourself from high quality bread (slice, bake in oven on lowest setting until dry, pulverize in a food processor).

Rhubarb Almond Cake

A delicious, slightly tart rhubarb almond cake that we prefer spooned warm with ice cream.

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature (a little extra to grease pan)
3/4 c. plus 3 tablespoons sugar (a little extra for pan)
1 lb fresh rhubarb stalks
1.25 c. AP flour
3/4 c. blanched almonds
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 vanilla bean, split (or use some extract)
2 large eggs
1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9” cake pan and sprinkle with sugar, shaking out the excess.

2. Slice your rhubarb in half lengthwise. Save some 7-8 nice pieces to decorate the top. Chop the rest into 1/2” pieces.

3. Put flour, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until you have a coarse sandy texture.

4. Put a cup of butter and 3/4 cup of sugar into a stand mixer. Scrape in your vanilla bean or add a touch of pure vanilla extract. Now whip the heck out of it until it’s soft and fluffy, this should take a few minutes. Add your eggs one at a time, and keep whipping it for another few minutes.

5. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, and then add the yogurt or sour cream. Mix enough to incorporate, the dough is going to be pretty thick. Add your chopped rhubarb and fold into the mixture.

6. Put your mixture into the prepared cake pan, top with rhubarb pieces and sprinkle on the additional sugar

7. Place your pan on a rimmed baking sheet in case the juices start flowing. Bake until golden brown, rotating pan occasionally. It should take around 75 minutes.

8. They say to let cakes rest on a wire rack until cool, but definitely eat some of this warm by the spoonful. Not too early though, that sugary rhubarb mix can be molten out of the oven! Keep wrapped and enjoy for the next few days, hours, minutes, or however fast you eat delicious desserts!

Grilled Oysters with Herb Butter

Herb butter and crispy breadcrumbs are an unbeatable combination with creamy, sweet oysters fresh from the cold local waters of midcoast Maine.

Ingredients:
24 local oysters
1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
1 bunch tarragon, chopped
1 bunch green onion, sliced
1 head garlic, minced
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 baguette or sourdough loaf
Olive oil
2 lemons, zested and cut in wedges
Seaweed, rock salt, or anything to hold your oysters on the plate
1 bottle of hot sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Heat a grill to medium high. Shuck the oysters, drain the liquid, and save the meat. Places the oysters back in the shells, on a tray; put a wet towel over them and refrigerate.

2. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, mix the butter on low. Add the tarragon, green onions, garlic, and half of the parsley and mix until incorporated. Seas with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Cut the bread into long strips then drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a roasting pan and roast in the oven until dark golden brown and crunchy, about 5 minutes.

4. Once the bread has cooled, break it into pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse for crumbs, you do not want bread dust! Place the crumbs in a paper towel-lined bowl and add lemon zest.

5. Remove the oysters from the fridge and spoon the herb butter into the shells. Push the butter down and scrape the top flat – once you’ve filled all the oysters, it’s time to grill.

6. Place the oysters on the grill and close the lid. Once they start bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes, add a little bread crumb mound to each one and cook for 2 more minutes.

7. Line a plate with your seaweed (or other holding material) and place the oysters on the plate. Add the lemon wedges, get your bottle of hot sauce, and garnish with the remaining parsley.

8. Devour

WARNING: these suckers get really freakin’ hot, be careful not to burn your mouth!