Recipe - Crepes w/ Meyer Lemon

One of the simplest but tastiest crepe preparations uses lemon juice (or other citrus juice) with a little powdered sugar or table sugar to balance the tartness.  Simple and satisfying...

INGREDIENTS:

Dessert Crepe Recipe
Meyer Lemon Juice
Powdered Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

(1) Make Dessert Crepes.

(2) Squeeze lemon juice over the crepe until soaked.  Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy.

Box Crabs - Cooking (Steaming) 101

Cooking box crabs is comparable to cooking any other large crab.  Unfortunately, most people (myself included) was not familiar with how cook king crabs, as the typical American grocery store versions are frozen and previously cooked.

The most important item for cooking king crabs is having a big enough pot.  At the beginning of our whole crab cooking experience, we went out and purchased a 24 quart canning pot.  However, any pot large enough to fit your crabs will work.  Next comes the dirty work.

Step 1:  Put your crabs in the freezer for a minimum of 15 minutes.  This step is not absolutely necessary but is generally considered a humane step (by numbing the crabs just before their steam bath).

Step 2:  While your crabs are in the freezer, put enough water into your pot until it is 1/2" deep.  Put on the stove and bring to a boil.

Step 3:  Move your crabs directly from the freezer to the pot.  Put the lid on the pot and set the timer.  How long to cook your crabs depends on their weight.  A good rule of thumb is to cook your crabs for 8 minutes per average weight of each crab.  For example, one crab that weighs 3 pounds should be steamed for 24 minutes (8 minutes per pound * 3 pounds = 24 minutes).  However if you have two crabs, one that weighs 2 pounds, one that weighs 3 lbs, they should be steamed for 20 minutes (8 minutes per pound * ((2 pounds + 3 pounds)/2 crabs) = 20 minutes).

Step 4:  Once the crabs have finished cooking, allow them to cool to the touch before cleaning and picking. 

Recipe - Dessert (Chickpea) Crepes

My official introduction to crepes was as authentic as they come - street food in Paris, while on a high school trip.  Incidentally, this was also my first introduction to Nutella (a chocolate hazelnut spread) - which solidified my love of this classic french dish.  Crepes are a fantastic foil for a wide variety of seasonal produce - and are now a staple of our household.  Although traditional crepe recipes call for flour, eggs, and butter, this recipe is much simpler, allergen-free, and produces stunning taste and textural results.  Links to filler ideas can be found at the bottom of this page.

Dessert (Chickpea) Crepes shown with Strawberries and Powdered Sugar

 INGREDIENTS:

1/4 c. Sugar
1 c. Water
1 c. Garbonzo Bean Flour*
1/2 Tsp. Salt
Melted Butter (or butter substitute)

Makes 10 - 6" Crepes

INSTRUCTIONS:

(1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl or blender.  Mix until thoroughly incorporated.

(2) Heat crepe pan (or a non-stick pan) over medium to medium/low heat.

(3) Once the pan is hot, brush melted butter (or butter substitute) into the pan and pour a thin coat of the batter into the pan, swirling the pan around until the batter is spread evenly on the bottom.

(4) Once the crepe has cooked enough to solidify (the top will loose its sheen) flip and allow to briefly cook on the other side.

(5) Remove from the pan and adorn with your favorite condiment.  Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all crepes have been made.

* Garbonzo Bean Flour (aka Gram Flour, Chickpea Flour, Besan) is a staple of many Asian cuisines and has come into popularity in the US in recent years due to the uptick in gluten-free cuisine.  Although I have found Garbonzo Beans that were produced in California and Arizona (though not in flour form), we currently buy Organic Gram Flour that is produced in India - as such this is one of our splurges on the non-local scene.  As soon as I find a good local/semi-local source, we'll make the switch.

Meyer Lemon Filling (click here for the recipe)

Box Crabs - The First Taste

Brown Box Crab - Caught near the Channel Islands

This past weekend at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market we picked up some box crabs (our second box crab experience.  Box crabs are relatively pricey for crabs at the market, hitting $8.00 per pound.  However I will note that this price still seems good for crab.

Box crabs are a species of king crab and have sizable legs with large chunks of meat.  Brown box crabs are able to fold their legs in close to their body, in an almost perfect fit, leading to their common name.  They also have a unique circular opening in their claws that may help them feed.  The Box Crab is found from the coast of Alaska down to San Diego but is not widely marketed in southern California.

Since we have been visiting the fish market, Box Crabs have been a staple and should be available year round in San Diego.  The crabs available at the market were caught by trap off of the channel islands.  We ended up buying two spider crabs for dinner.  As soon as we got home from the market, we threw the crabs in the freezer for a humane numbing before their steam bath.  Our crabs averaged just under three pounds each, so after a twenty-two minute steam - eight minutes per pound (average weight of each crab) - and a quick cool down, Ingrid got down to picking the meat. 

It took about a half hour for Ingrid to pick the two crabs - again, Ingrid is an expert crab picker - and we came away with a pound and a half of meat, which put us at just under $30 per pound for actual meat.  The cooked meat, without accoutrement, is sweet and satisfying - on par with Alaskan King Crab.  Adding Old Bay seasoning (a Maryland Blue Crab Tradition), butter, and/or lemon, provided a little variety to the tasting.  Old Bay and butter was my preferred preparation.  Picking the meat was fairly comparable to picking Alaskan King Crab Legs, though with a few more sharp spines to watch out for.  All in all, our first few experiences with box crabs have been amazing.  I am at a loss as to why these crabs are not more widely available in grocery stores, which seem to only have king crab legs and snow crab legs shipped in from afar.  Abundant, relatively easy to catch (so we are told), tasty, and easy to pick. 

To read a 1992 report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Box Crab, click here.

Recipe - Meyer Lemonade

When life gives you lemons...  With an abundance of lemons, Meyer lemonade is a staple in our house.  Tart.  Sweet.  Satisfying.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 c. Lemon Juice (Approx. 5 Medium Lemons)
3/4 c. Sugar
2 c. Ice
4 - 3/4 c. Water

INSTRUCTIONS:

(1)  Juice lemons.

(2)  Make a heavy syrup by dissolving the sugar in 3/4 c. water over medium heat.  Allow to cool.

(3) Combine lemon juice, heavy syrup, ice, and remaining water in a large pitcher.  Stir and enjoy.

Backyard Harvest Time - Meyer Lemons

When we bought our house in 2011, we  inherited a beautiful Meyer lemon tree - one of the benefits of living in Southern California.  Meyer lemons are likely a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange.  They are reputed for their sweetness.  But sweetness is a relative term.  Meyer lemons are more less less tart than regular lemons - but they are no less satisfying.  Meyer lemon trees are ever bearing but usually produces two big harvests per year - and its time for one of them.

Meyer Lemon - San Diego, CA

Our tree produces a lot of lemons.  We give a number to friends and family but still have ample to play with in the kitchen.  Stay tuned for lemon recipes!!!  

Vermillion Rockfish - The First Taste

Ingrid and I have explored Vermillion Rockfish from the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market in downtown San Diego a few times now.  Vermillion Rockfish are brilliant orange fish with mottled black spots that also give them a dingy look.  Like most fish we pick up at the market, the Vermillion Rockfish was completely unfamiliar to us when we picked our first one and brought it home.  Vermillion Rockfish are part of the "shelf" rockfish, meaning they are found in the deeper waters of the continental shelf, which accounts for the bloated stomach of our first Vermillion.  In fact, by the time we got our Vermillion home, it had already regurgitated a few small langoustine-like creatures from its last meal.

Vermillion Rockfish

First things first, rockfish are part of a family of fish that have venomous spines.  Vermillion have mildly venomous spines - so care must be taken when cleaning and gutting.  Compared to the Sheephead, cleaning and gutting the Vermillion was easy.  Medium scales came out very easy - and a relatively straight forward body cavity that made cleaning straight-forward. 

As far as taste, Vermillion Rockfish is a delicate white fish whose taste is mildly and pleasant.  As with all fish that we are exploring for the firs time, we stuck to pan frying fillets with salt and pepper (the best way to taste the pure flavor of the fish) - but the Vermillion Rockfish could be prepared with any method suitable for a delicate whitefish.  Overall, our Vermillion Rockfish experiences were very tasty.  Cleaning and gutting were much easier than with the other fish I've practiced on to date.  And the yield (weight of fillet to weight of whole fish) has been excellent.

To read more on the Vermillion Rockfish, click here for the California Department of Fish and Game's report.

Recipe - Cole Slaw

I find it ironic that my first recipe on this blog will be a cole slaw.  As a kid, I would do anything to avoid eating cole slaw - finding both the vegetables and the watery mayonnaise dressing off-putting.  However, these days I find certain cole slaws, such as this one, irresistible.  This cole slaw is carried by the fresh herbs and a tangy Dijon vinaigrette.  In keeping with the season, this version includes only the veg that we currently get from our CSA.  If you have other veg (e.g. peppers) or herbs (e.g. dill) on hand those would go equally well with this slaw.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Carrots (1-1/2 c. chopped)
1 Bunch Radishes (1 c. chopped)
1 Head Cabbage (3 c. chopped)
1 Bunch Cilantro
1 Bunch Parsley
2 Tblsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Tblsp. Honey
1 Lemon, Juiced
2 Tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tblsp. Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

(1) Finely chop all vegetables and herbs.  I use a food processor for the vegetables and hand chop the herbs.  Place in a large bowl.

(2) Juice the lemon directly into the slaw.  Add remaining ingredients, stir to thoroughly incorporate, and salt and pepper to taste.

Community Sustained Agriculture - A First Step to Local, Seasonal, and Organic

One of the first steps that Ingrid and I took to eating more locally produced organic produce was to join a CSA group.  CSA stands for community sustained agriculture, which is generically a term used for any system that promotes a local-based food economy.  Practically, a CSA group is comprised of a farmer or group of farmers who provide "shares" of their product directly to members.  Members pay at regular intervals or at the onset of the growing season for a "share" of the anticipated harvest.  When harvest begins, members receive regular shares of the product, often vegetables and fruit, but sometimes including meat, honey, eggs, and dairy products.  The benefits of CSA's are numerous.  Below are a few highlights.

This Weeks Produce Box...

 

COST

Around the time that Ingrid and I started looking for a CSA the price of produce at the grocery store seemed staggering - and I'm not even considering the organic produce in that statement.  Unless we specifically bought the non-organic produce that was on sale, we would spend upwards of $50 a week on non-organic fruit and vegetables for just the two of us.  CSA membership gets rid of the middlemen, the grocery stores, allowing for reductions in overall costs.  Today, Ingrid and I spend approximately $40 per week ($30 on the CSA box and $10 from a grocery store or farmer's market) for organic produce for four of us.

QUALITY

The produce that can be found in your average grocery store has been bred to optimize costs.  The result is a large fruit or vegetable that travels extraordinarily well (because it often needs to survive trips around the world) - but at the cost of taste and freshness.  Locally grown produce does not need to survive such perilous journeys and can be picked much closer to maturity than food that has to travel so you will often see varieties of fruits and vegetables that are bred for taste and closer to perfect ripeness.  Add in the organic effect, food grown largely the way nature intended, and the produce has a chance to develop more slowly, which enhances the flavors. 

SAN DIEGO CSAs

Ingrid and I have tried two different CSAs, though there are many more than that available in San Diego.  The following is a list of the organic CSAs that I am aware of that are available in San Diego (please let me know if you know of any more and I'll add them to the list).  Click on each CSA to be taken to their web page.

Seabreeze Organic Farm
Be Wise Ranch
Susie's Farm
Garden of Eden
Morning Song Organic Farm
Wild Willow Farm
Inland Empire CSA
J.R. Organics

IS THERE A DOWNSIDE?

I know several friends and coworkers who have mentioned their experiences with CSAs.  The primary complaints that I heard were (1) too many greens - lettuce, spring mix, kale, chard, etc., (2) I didn't know what to do with some of the food, and (3) there was too much food for my family or situation.

It is true that Ingrid and I have had to adapt our diet to eat many more greens than previously.  However, I do not see that as a downside - rather a chance to eat more healthy and expand our creativity in the kitchen.  And it is true that some of the food we receive is exotic or not part of the typical American diet.  Dragon fruit and Fuyu (Persimmons) come to mind.  However, I see those foods as adventures to tackle, rather than obstacles.  It is also true that not every CSA has a solution to your family's produce quantity needs.  However, the CSAs listed above collectively offer many diverse options for obtaining locally grown organic produce.  A little bit of research will help you find the right solution.

If you are interested in joining a CSA but have the above listed concerns, stay tuned.  Over the course of this blog, I intend to post some of the best recipes and ideas that Ingrid and I have come across to manage the seasonality of foods and the quantity of greens and exotic foods. 

California Sheephead - The First (and Second) Taste

Ingrid and I have bought California Sheephead from the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market in downtown San Diego twice now.  $6.00 per pound for the whole fish, which seems fairly reasonable.  California Sheephead are members of the mostly tropical wrasse family Labridae.  They have protruding jaw teeth (almost like buck teeth) and large scales.   Males have a black head and tail separated by a reddish middle section (the California Sheephead shown in the picture above appears to be a male), whereas females are uniformly pinkish.  Both males and females are whitish under their jaw.  California Sheephead range from Monterey Bay  to the Gulf of California and are available for portions of the year in San Diego.  The regulations allow boat-based angling from March 1st through December 31st and diving and shore-based angling from January 1st through February 28th, implying that our last purchase on the 3rd may be the last until March.  Ingrid and I ended up buying a 3.3 pound California Sheephead on this latest outing and brought it home for processing.  

California Sheephead in our kitchen awaiting cleaning, gutting, and filleting.

I am fairly new to scaling and gutting fish - but from what I've read and experienced so far, the California Sheephead is not the easiest fish to scale or gut.  First, on the scaling, the scales are medium and fairly well imbedded.  The first time I scaled this fish, I used a spoon (as I didn't have a special scaling tool), which worked fairly well but took quite a bit of time.  As this was my first time descaling a fish, a number of scales remained on the fish (I didn't particularly mind the scales as the fillets should be removed from the skin, which is too strong-flavored to eat with the delicate flesh).  My second time scaling the fish, I used a special tool that Ingrid picked out, which made the scaling efforts quite a bit easier.  Gutting the fish was not particularly easy either, as the California Sheephead has internal membranes that require additional attention.  Overall, on this round, we got a little under 1 lb. of meat from the 3.3 lb fish, about a 30% yield - though part of that is likely my relative newness to filleting.

As far as taste, California Sheephead is a delicate white fish whose taste is mildly reminiscent of lobster.  So far, our preparations have been limited to pan frying with salt and pepper (the best way to taste the pure flavor of the fish) - but the California Sheephead could be prepared with any method suitable for a delicate whitefish.  Overall, our two California Sheephead experiences were very tasty - though if you are learning to scale, clean, and gut fish, this may be one fish that you hold off on exploring till you are a little more comfortable with less difficult.

To read more on the California Sheephead, click here for the California Department of Fish and Game's report.