One Night in Bangkok

Well, not quite, but the food took us there. Thursday night's class, Rim of Fire, was a lot of fun and thanks to everyone who came and helped cook. Shaking Beef is still a big hit and the Ginger Passionfruit Pineapple Sparklers didn't last very long. (Recipe to follow) That class put me in an Asian food kinda mood, so last night was sushi night with King Crab legs and tuna from Blue Marlin. Tonight I'm testing out a new Victoria seasoning, the 7 Seed Crust on a piece of swordfish and revisiting a favorite from my beach roots: softshell crabs. Trying to think of a healthier way to make them, the fishmonger reminded me that "they love to be fried". I'm not sure they love it, but we sure do! So buttermilk and panko? Any suggestions? And then in the Swiss Diamond pan so they won't require much oil. Deep frying is just too messy and greasy at home; leave that to the restaurants!

It's raining today and a perfect opportunity to hang out in the kitchen and do something with all of these tomatoes. Seems like a sauce makin' day, so I'm going to break out the slow cooker and get that sauce going. The weather has really helped the basil, so that's going in there along with oregano, thyme, onions, garlic (of course), mushrooms and green peppers from the garden. A food mill is a great way to get those tomatoes out of their skins and leave all the pulpy goodness behind. Only a few San Marzanos are going to make it into this sauce. A lot of them ended up on the ground after all of the storms, but nobody will complain about having heirlooms in there! Then eight hours in the cooker on low and it should be perfect for tomorrow.

Thanks to all of you who joined the blog and for your continued support. It's really a pleasure to serve the community and share our love and passion for food. Carla, a contestant from D.C. on Top Chef said it best: "Food is Love" and I couldn't agree more. There's nothing better than making something you love and sharing it with people you love and watching them fall in love with it too. It's the most pleasurable form of paying it forward.

The tomatoes are really starting to fizzle out, but that will leave room for the new veggies. I'm excited about the asparagus and looking forward to actually having them in the Spring.

In the meantime, salsa will be the next item that will benefit from the garden. I'll save a few tomatoes and peppers for the salsa class next week along with all of this beautiful slow bolt cilantro. Salsa Verde, Pico, Guacamole and Tropical Black Bean Salsa, a frequently requested item at family gatherings, will be on the slate for next Thursdays class. So come on by for some south of the border condiments. We'll be snackin' and sizzlin' and enjoying the last of the garden's high summer bounty.

Hope to see you soon.

Here's that recipe for the punch/cocktails:

Ginger Pineapple Passion Punch

For ginger syrup

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 cup thinly sliced unpeeled fresh ginger (1/4 lb; from two 5-inch-long pieces)

For punch

3 cups unsweetened pineapple juice, chilled

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (3 to 5 lemons)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (4 to 6 limes)

3 cups sparkling water, chilled

4 cups ice cubes

Knipschlidt's Ginger Passionfruit Syrup (from Culina) about 2 Tablespoons or to taste

Garnish: lemon and lime slices

Special equipment: a small punch bowl or pitcher

preparation

Make ginger syrup:
Bring water, sugar, and ginger to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, then remove from heat and steep, uncovered, 15 minutes. Pour syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding ginger. Chill, covered, until cold, about 2 hours.

Make punch:
Stir together ginger syrup and fruit juices in a punch bowl or pitcher. Stir in sparkling water and ice.

I used champagne for this and added it as I poured it so there would be some non-alcoholic punch as well. You can also use crystalized ginger if you don't have fresh on hand. You just have to simmer it a little longer and dice it before you use it. Vodka or rum would also be good in this. I also like the idea of using one of our fruit infusing pitchers and stuffing the infuser with lime, lemon and ginger slices. It looks so pretty on the table and then folks can help themselves.

ENJOY!