My North Fork Farm Stand Dinner

I couldn't resist posting a photo of my garlicky chicken, asparagus cake, and arugula salad! More on the garlic tomorrow, you can bet.

Mother's Day Bouquet

Yesterday, my family treated me to lunch at The North Fork Table. And because it is normal for us to think several meals ahead, we stopped at a farm stand on the Main Road to pick up dinner supplies before arriving at the restaurant. We bought some asparagus, some garlic, and some arugula, but back in Sag Harbor we were too full from lunch to cook dinner (we also had this crazy idea that after lunch we would pick up sandwiches at the "lunch truck" for later, but we were way too full to do that either; the artisan frankfurter and wild-caught lobster roll will have to wait). When I got home, I put my asparagus in a vase with a little bit of water, and put the vase in the refrigerator, so they'd stay crisp overnight. This afternoon I made a savory asparagus and Gruyere cake, which I'm planning on serving with intensely garlicky chicken brochettes and an arugula salad. Here is the cake recipe:

Polenta Loaf with Roasted Asparagus and Gruyere
Makes 1 loaf, about 12 generous slices

Roasting the asparagus before adding them to the cake batter intensifies their flavor and gets rid of unwanted moisture.

3/4 pounds asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
6 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) grated Gruyere cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss asparagus with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until tender and beginning to brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Turn oven down to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk together flour, corn meal, baking powder, black pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and remaining 1/2 cup olive oil in a large measuring cup.
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir in 1 cup cheese and asparagus.
4. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until loaf is golden and a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, invert onto wire rack, re-invert, and let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Cookies for the Candidates

Are you going to Pierson's library tonight to meet the Board of Ed candidates? I've been testing recipes today and I'm bringing these cookies tonight.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

When I picked up my sixth grader at Pierson this afternoon, she reminded me that it was Cinco de Mayo, and asked if we could get some nachos at the festively decorated Cilantro's (138 Division Street; 725-4555) to celebrate. As I watched her eat them, I decided to make myself a watermelon Agua Fresca to drink while I prepared dinner. Here is the recipe:

Watermelon Aguas Frescas
Makes 2 drinks

1 pound seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/3 cup ice water
4 ounces vodka or tequila (optional, but it is a holiday, after all)

1. Combine the watermelon, sugar, lime juice, and ice water in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Fill two glasses with ice, add vodka or tequila if desired, and pour agua fresca into each glass.

A Trip to Polish Town

In an effort to avoid the soul-destroying effect of a trip to B.J.'s in Riverhead, I decided to take a detour into Polish Town for some kielbasa on my way home from the big box store. A friend pointed me toward the Euro Deli (517 Pulaski Street; 516-727-1635), and when I stopped in I was overwhelmed by the selection of sausages! On this first foray I stuck with what was familiar, and last night I grilled the sausages along with some onions (which I tossed with caraway seeds; why not?) and served with mustard. They were delicious!

Last Night's Dinner: Spinach and Mozzarella Quesadillas

I spent yesterday afternoon grilling for an upcoming Newsday story, and I had some leftover cheese and tortillas from the photo shoot. So today, when I picked up a beautiful bunch of local spinach at the newly opened Green Thumb, I sauteed it with an onion and used it as a filling for these grilled quesadillas. Not authentic Mexican, but authentic Sag Harbor. Here is the recipe:

Spinach and Mozzarella Quesadillas
Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 ounces spinach, washed and chopped
Salt
Ground black pepper
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Four 8-inch flour tortillas

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a colander and press on the spinach to drain off any excess liquid.
2. Preheat a gas grill to high. Sprinkle some cheese on one half of each tortilla. Spread spinach mixture on top of cheese. Fold tortillas over and brush outsides with the remaining tablespoon olive oil.
3. Clean grill. Turn heat down to medium. Grill quesadillas covered, turning once, until golden with darker grill marks on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes total. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Friday Night Plans

This invitation is crammed with type, but three words--Sag Harbor Baking Company--jumped out at me and spurred me to buy my tickets online. See you at the dessert buffet.