Guinness Battered Basa with Oven Roasted Rosemary Chips and Escarole Apple Salad

I was in the mood for Fish and Chips today. This is a variation that suited my mood. Instead of ale, I used Guinness for a deeper, earthier flavor, and instead of frying the chips, I baked them in the oven with rosemary. Any substantial white fish will do here, but I am partial to basa, which is similar to catfish but with a much cleaner flavor. Sweet enterprise apples accompanied the fish and chips very well!



Guinness Battered Basa
Serves 4

2 cups flour
12 oz bottle Guinness
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges

The fish is very simple. Heat 1/2 inch oil in a skillet over medium high heat until hot.

In a bowl, sift 1 1/2 cups flour and whisk in beer. Let sit for 15 minutes to relax the gluten in the flour.

Rinse and pat dry the basa and cut into 2 inch pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish pieces in 1/2 cup of the flour and set aside on a dish. Do not dredge in the batter until you are ready to fry the fish.

When ready to fry fish, dredge the pieces in the beer batter and slide the pieces into the skillet. Fry for about 5 minutes, flipping, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate with paper towels until ready to serve. Serve warm with lemon wedges.



Oven Roasted Rosemary Chips
Serves 2 (Double to serve 4)

2 baking potatoes
olive oil
rosemary
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch fries, lengthwise. Place in a non-stick baking dish with enough olive oil to coat and salt and pepper. Place in oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir the potatoes and sprinkle desired amount of rosemary. The potatoes may seem to be sticking to the pan at this point. This is ok. After the chips are done cooking and when the pan cools, the bits on the pan will come off easily. Place the potatoes back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Apple and Escarole Salad
Serves 2
6 leaves curly escarole
1 enterprise apple
Muscat orange vinegar

Wash escarole leaves and chop by hand. Evenly distribute on plates. Cut apple in quarters and remove cores with a paring knife. Chop into small pieces and distribute over escarole. Top with a drizzle of the vinegar.

Sesame Radish Salad

This post is for all my Eatwell Farm friends who have a 50% chance of getting radishes in their boxes this week. I never realized that grating a radish could yield such a beautiful color and texture. At first, when I tasted this salad, I was a bit dubious, but after eating it for a minute or so, I was addicted!! I never thought I'd be addicted to radishes!! I again have Miriam Kasin Hospodar from Heaven's Banquet to thank for this one.



Sesame Radish Salad
Serves 4

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 cups grated radishes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Liquid seasoning (such as Bragg's amino acids) or salt
Black pepper
Toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the mustard and sesame seeds. Saute until the sesame seeds are golden brown.

Pour the hot oil immediately over the radishes. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in a few drops of sesame oil and the cilantro.

Strawberry Salad with Goat Cheese and Almonds

While we were visiting in-laws in southeastern Ohio, my father-in-law gave me a task for one night of dinner. He would make blackened halibut, and I needed to build the rest of the meal. After visiting the local farmer's market and reading through a few books, I decided on yogurt and mint cucumber salad, strawberry salad, and baked yellow squash with herbs. For dessert, I surprised my father-in-law with a banana cream pie he had been craving all week. I made strawberry salad because strawberries and lettuce were the main things in season there. Almonds, goat cheese, and a port and pomegranate dressing from a local vendor topped off the salad. I did indicate exact amounts because it's really up to your taste. Enjoy!



Strawberry Salad with Goat Cheese and Almonds


Head of Boston lettuce, torn
Basket of fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
Crumbled goat cheese
Almonds, sliced and toasted
Port and pomegranate dressing

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

Fava Bean, Tomato and Feta Salad

The first time I bought fava beans, I wondered why anyone would ever want to pay for them. Out here, they are expensive, at least $2/pound with the pods. It takes some time to de-pod them, and then they need to be blanched and de-skinned, as well. What you're left with is about a fifth of what you started with.

However, I like to make a ritual out of de-podding the favas. It's a great activity for the family. It gives an excuse for everyone to sit together and chat while doing something useful, something that will become a fantastic meal! It builds community into your food. I also like doing this outside in the sun while enjoying some lemonade. Try it sometime!

This salad beautifully melds the flavor of the favas with the saltiness of feta and olives and the freshness of tomatoes. My husband keeps asking for more!

Fava Bean, Tomato and Feta Salad
Serves 4 as a side dish

2 pounds shelled fresh fava beans (or 12 oz. frozen)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, cut into large chunks
4 ounces feta cheese
12 black olives, pitted
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blanch de-podded fava beans in boiling water for several minutes until the skins are soft. Pop the fava beans out of the skins into a medium bowl. Add other ingredients and mix well. Serve.

Strawberry, Clementine, and Passion Fruit Salad

This is a lovely, colorful, fragrant, and flavorful fruit salad, which is good enough to be called dessert.



Strawberry, Clementine, and Passion Fruit Salad

24 strawberries, quartered
6 clementines, peeled and cut into sections
2 passion fruits, cut in half and centers spooned out
1/2 cup dry white wine

Place strawberries and clementines in a large bowl and spoon passion fruit on top. Pour wine over fruit and mix well. Chill until ready to serve.

Caprese Salad

Very simple and very yummy! A good balsamic vinegar "makes" this salad.

1 tomato, sliced
1/2 log of mozzarella, sliced
handful of sliced basil
drizzle of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Layer slices of mozzarella and tomato around the perimeter of a plate until filled and top with basil, vinegar, and salt and pepper.