The Cocktail Hour, Refined

After " what's for dinner?", our favorite question is always when do the T's arrive on island. Our neighbors just to the east on Cottage Road have been summering on Chebeague for twelve or so years now, and got sucked in to the Webb vortex when their three sons became fast friends with our island brood at the Rec Center pool. The boys have grown into handsome fellows who'll lead the charge in pier jumping and lighting illegal fireworks the night before the Fourth. The oldest is a power hitter on the golf course with an infectious laugh and permanent smile lines around his eyes. Father T. is a district attorney back home, and understandably slides right into island mode the second he steps ashore. He spends most days shaming me on the links, and at Hayden Beach rustling up mussels that his wife Libby serves with drinks most afternoons on their deck overlooking Chandler's Cove.

This year, for the first time, the D.A. enlisted me to help forage for bivalves at his favorite spot. I was flattered. We met up at the appointed hour, just before low tide, and drove out to Jenks Landing and waded into the shallow waters of Coleman Cove (Hayden's Beach, the D.A. likes to call it, as most of the property around the cove is owned by George Hayden). Just a few feet from shore, we were practically tripping over clusters of wild mussels clinging to loose stones. It took us about 15 minutes to fill two buckets with large, beautiful shells. When asked later how the job went, my only reply was, "it was like shooting fish in a barrel."

Libby has come up with two ways to prepare wild mussels. The first is a classic recipe with tomatoes, shallots, garlic and white wine.

Mussels in White Wine

3lbs fresh mussels 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 2 Tbsp good olive oil 1 cup chopped shallots (5 to 7 shallots) 1½ Tbsp minced garlic (5 to 6 cloves) ½ cup drained canned plum tomatoes, chopped 1 cup dry white wine

In a large sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the tomatoes and the wine. Bring to a boil. Add the mussels, stir well, then cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the mussels are opened (discard any that do not open). With the lid on, shake the pot once or twice to be sure the mussels don't burn on the bottom. Pour the mussels and the sauce into a large bowl and serve hot with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Libby's second method was a straight forward grilling and a simple melted butter with garlic and fresh parsley topping.

Grilled mussels

3 pounds cultivated mussels ½ cup melted butter 4 Tbsp minced garlic 6 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Place cleaned mussels directly over hot coals on the Weber. Grill for 8-10 minutes, or until mussels have opened up (discard any that do not open). Meanwhile melt butter in a small saucepan and add the minced garlic and parsley. Keep warm until mussels are cooked. Drizzle melted butter over hot mussels and eat immediately.

There is absolutely nothing better that fresh, wild mussels. They are fat, succulent, salty and tender. I had so many one afternoon, I had to push away from the table come dinner time. There was no way I could possibly eat another thing.

The D.A. and I are simply incredulous that more people aren't at our beach collecting their own mussels. Seems most folks are satisfied with farmed ones. Fine by us!

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food

Shortcut to Penance

I have felt such the fraud all week. Posting hobby photos on a food blog! What was I thinking? I'm better than that, and you, my loyal readers, deserve better. So, even though it's a Wednesday, and I haven't had a day off since Easter, I rifled through the kitchen last night looking for something worthy of You Gonna Finish That?. I think you'll be pleased with what I was able to pull together in under an hour.

Scrounging through your cupboards can lead to some very rewarding discoveries. I just wasn't in the mood for anything last night until I pushed aside canisters of all-purpose and almond flours. There, tucked in the shadows, was my old friend polenta. I went the whole winter without a single dollop of "Italian grits". I simply couldn't believe it, and aimed to remedy that oversight posthaste. In the freezer were some scallops from Trader Joe's, shallots and garlic in what passes for my root cellar (bottom cupboard, wicker basket), a little Pinot Grigio from the night before... and just like that, voila, a menu!

Polenta with sea scallops in white wine and shallots

4 cups chicken stock 1 cup polenta 1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 4 Tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated 16 oz sea scallops, fresh or frozen (thawed) Salt & pepper to taste 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 2 shallots, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped 1 cup dry white wine

Start by slowly whisking polenta into 2 cups chicken stock in a medium sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Gradually whisk the remaining stock into the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring briskly periodically. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes until polenta is moist and creamy.

After 30 minutes, remove polenta from heat and whip in parmesan cheese and 2 Tbsp butter for a silky finish.

Meanwhile, rinse thawed scallops in a colander under cool water. Pat dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper.

Sauté in 2 Tbsp of melted butter over medium-high heat for 6 minutes.

Flip scallops and cook for two more minutes. Remove scallops to a warm platter and keep covered loosely. Add shallots to sauté pan and cook for 2 minutes, add garlic and cook for another minute. Add white wine & herbs and de-glaze the pan, letting the sauce reduce by one quarter.

Pour finished polenta into the middle of a serving platter and pile on the sautéed scallops. Top with the shallot and wine sauce and serve immediately.

Sweet, tender scallops. Salty, tangy polenta. Rich, sinful sauce. Start to finish: 51 minutes. And to think, I had takeout menus in my hand just an hour before. I'll never complain about having nothing to eat ever again.

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food

Too Long A Solitude

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion." ~ Henry David Thoreau

My friends have come to accept my self-imposed winter exile, or maybe they just put up with my a-holery, I dunno. In any event, along with the welcome fair weather, invitations are starting to trickle in. One just came from friends to whom I was introduced when I first moved to New York. Back then, they were kind enough to take me under their wing, make some introductions for me, and open up a world it would have taken me years to discover on my own. We had a most excellent outing catching the early spring migration out on Jamaica Bay. Afterwards, a cozy dinner at their home on the upper West Side.

S&J are two very high-profile people in their professional lives who guard their privacy and entertain only very intimately and simply. It's a chance for them to let their hair down as it were. However, you never feel more wanted, comfortable, or well fed after an evening in their company.

Our meal Sunday started with less than ten ingredients. S&J work wonders with a straightforward, honest approach to food. A simple salad of hybrid cherry tomatoes and red romaine lettuce dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of dried herbs. The Mako steaks had an unfussy marinade of teriyaki and soy sauces, and some minced garlic. Eggplant got minimal seasoning with olive oil, salt and pepper before roasting. Every step though, was executed deliberately and with care. There was no sense of urgency to get the meal on the table, the plates cleared and the guest out the door. I think my blood pressure actually drops after an evening with S&J. As always, the meal was exceptional; the conversation and camaraderie even more so.

I often shake my head in amazement at my good fortune. My wealth cannot be counted in dollars, however. My friends are my riches. I hope yours are too.

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food