Fuyu Persimmon and Arugula Salad

For 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 cup pecan
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Cayenee pepper
• 3 Fuyu persimmons, peeled and sliced
• 1 head of Oak leaf or Frisee lettuce
• 4 oz Arugula
• 1 pomegranate (seeds)
• 3 oz goat cheese

Recipe:

1. Soak shallots with thyme in vinegar for 30 mins
2. Blanch pecans in boiling water for 5 mins, drain well. Toss with sugar & Cayenne pepper (to own liking), bake at 375 F for 10 mins or till crunchy
3. Toss persimmons with shallot dressing, add half of the olive oil
4. Add in greens and pecans, add in remaining half of the olive oil
5. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, salt and pepper to taste,  give it a light toss
6. Bon appétit!

Serving suggestions: bread, soup, wine, protein …

NOTES: Don’t over do on the olive oil and be gentle with the Cayenne pepper, because it’s heat you are playing with 🙂 Watch carefully when baking the pecans, you want them to be crunchy and not burned. Go light on the goat cheese, break into small pieces. Very eye and palate pleasing salad, loved!

Seared Scallops with Heirloom Tomatoes

For 2-4

Ingredients:

• 8 scallops
• 1 lb heirloom tomatoes (3-4 medium sized ones)
• 1/5 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsp fresh, finely chopped tarragon
• 3 tbsp brown butter
• canola oil to sear scallops
• salt & black pepper to taste

Recipe:

Make brown butter

1. Use a non-dark interior/bottom pan and heat butter on medium till the butter is completely melted into liquid and turn slightly brown
2. Be careful not to overheat and strain out the specks when ready

Main part

1. Mix olive oil, tarragon and garlic in a small bowl
2. Sprinkle both sides of scallops with sea salt, sear scallops for about 2 minutes on each side over medium-high heat in a lightly oiled pan, till golden crust form
3. Dice tomatoes to desired chunks, place on serving plate and drizzle with the olive oil mixture and some salt
4. Place scallops on the bed of tomatoes, drizzle with brown butter and some black pepper
5. Bon appétit!

Serving suggestions: white wine, bread, pasta, rice pilaf …

NOTES: Did you know that scallop come in dry and wet!? Well, I didn’t. But you’d better make sure you start with dry scallop or if only wet scallop is available in your neighborhood, rinse the scallops REALLY well and pat them dry!! Apparently most scallops we see in markets are wet scallops that had been soaked in phosphates, which acts as a preservative and also makes the scallop white and plump. If you don’t take care of the chemical and start searing.. well… you’d be poisoning yourself. Since the dry scallops are all natural, they’d be sweeter and vanilla colored. 🙂 Um… time to run to Whole Foods or local specialty seafood market and indulge? Don’t sear the scallops for too long, unless you like them rubbery and bouncy 😀 You can make a lot of the brown butter at once, they will last max 6 months refrigerated and they are very seafood and salad friendly! 😉

Crab Salad with Avocado and Tomato

For 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb lump crabmeat
• 1 1/2 diced Hass avocados
• 1/3 cup very finely chopped onion
• 1 large heirloom tomato, sliced
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño
• 1/2 tbsp honey
• 2/3 tsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Create the dressing by combining olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño, honey and garlic together in a small bowl,  season with salt and pepper
2. Toss the picked over crabmeat with 3/5 of the dressing
3. Gently toss the diced avocado and finely chopped onion with 2/5 of the dressing, lightly season with salt and pepper
4. Place sliced heirloom tomato on serving plate, sprinkle with some sea salt, top with avocado/onion & crabmeat
5. Garnish with cilantro leaves
6. Bon appétit!

Serving suggestions:  bread, crackers/chips, white wine …

NOTES: Using good avocado, fresh lime juice, REAL crabmeat and quality honey will make a huge difference. Also for aesthetic purpose, you might want to use red onion, I only had yellow ones on hand. Drizzle over more or less of the dressing to your own liking. There is not much mistake to make here, really light and delicious! 🙂

Roasted Mini Potatoes

For ~ 6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mini-potatoes
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tsp thyme leaves
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and/or pepper to season

Recipe:

1. Line the roasting/baking pan with foil paper and grease using 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2. Lay the cleaned & dried mini-potatoes evenly across the roasting/baking pan
3. Drizzle the remaining oil and toss to coat all the mini-potatoes
4. Sprinkle on coarse sea salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and thyme leaves
5. Roast for 35-40 minutes
6. Bon appétit!

Serving suggestions: meat, salad, soup …

Notes: You may substitute thyme with any other preferred herb, I just happened to have some fresh thyme in the fridge. If you are crazy about cheese, you may opt out of using salt and go with 4  or even 5 tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese! Also, once a small knife can easily cut through the mini-potatoes, it’s ready, if worried, you can cut them in half before roasting. Quite addictive little potato balls 🙂

Nutty Crab Salad with Pear

For 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh lump crab meat
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts
• 2 finely chopped pears
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 pieces of butter lettuce
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and dry roast the hazelnuts for 5 minutes, use cooking oil to coat the nuts at your own discretion
2. Chop the hazelnuts or lightly crush using a dough roller
3. Mix the finely chopped celery, red onions, pears, hazelnuts, parsley  together in a medium sized bowl
4. Add in lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
5. Fold in the lump crab meat with love, don’t break up the meat too much
6. Serve individually or collectively on rinsed and dried pieces of butter lettuce
7. Bon appétit!

Serving suggestions:  bread, rolls, bubbles, …

NOTES: One of the most delicious, refreshing salads I’ve had, period! Using fresh crab meat adds guaranteed amazingness, I bet this is especially true when crabs are in season. . .  Premium quality canned crab meat work just fine. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT try to substitute with imitation crap ever!!!!! Pay this dish proper respect! As for the choice of pears, you can’t go wrong with Bosc pears because they are firm enough to be chopped up and very sweet! So beautiful to serve and a known crowd pleaser 🙂