Rice Noodle Salad with Barbecued Chicken & Shrimp

Who wouldn't love to come home to this? After being away this week, Alan certainly appreciated dinner. He was almost as happy as the Barefoot Contessa's husband, Jeffrey, on a Friday night.


This recipe has a number of different steps, none of them difficult. The marinade is great for anything you might be grilling. You don't have to add the chicken and the shrimp to the salad, if you don't want. Just skip the marinade and barbecuing instructions and carry on with the rest of the recipe.

Rice Noodle Salad with Barbecued Chicken & Shrimp

Marinade for the chicken and/or shrimp:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. coarsely grated ginger
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped fine
Juice of 2 limes
2 T. tamari (or soy sauce)
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. hot red pepper flakes
1/2 c. olive oil or sunflower oil

1. Mix all of the ingredients together. Marinate a half pound of shrimp (shelled) and 4 boneless chicken thighs or 2 boneless chicken breasts. Leave to marinate for at least half an hour. While you are waiting, start the barbecue and work on the rest of the salad.

For the salad:
1/2 lb. thin rice noodles, cooked according to directions on the package
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. fish sauce (aka: Nam Pla)
1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, sliced into 1/2-inch lengths
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 t. hot red pepper flakes
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
1 c. snow peas, sliced thin
1/2 c. salted peanuts

1. In a large bowl, pour boiling water over the noodles. Let sit from 5 to 10 minutes, or until the noodles are soft enough to eat. Drain well and drizzle with sesame oil to keep them from sticking together. Scramble the eggs in a small skillet, just until cooked. Chop and set aside.
2. Mix the sugar, fish sauce and rice wine vinegar together. Set aside. At this time, you may want to start barbecuing the chicken and shrimp. For the shrimp, cook them on each side for a minute or two and then take them off the grill right away. Cook the chicken, skin side down, and let it get nice and crispy. Continue cooking the chicken until it is cooked through, then remove it to a cutting board and slice thin, skin and all.
3. In a large pot, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium heat and saute the garlic and half of the green onions for a few minutes. Add the rice noodles and the fish sauce mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Add the scrambled eggs, shrimp, chicken, the rest of the green onions, 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, snow peas and lime juice. Mix well.
4. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 3 or 4, depending on how hungry you are.

Cream of Asparagus on Toast

This recipe may seem old-fashioned to you, but we still love it in our family. I remember asking my Grandma if she could show me exactly how she made it. Of course there wasn't a recipe, but it is easy enough to make. She showed me how she would bend the asparagus, starting near the bottom, until she found the sweet spot where the stalk would naturally give way and snap in two. These days, I prefer to trim the bottoms and then peel them. However, if I am flush with asparagus, I snap the ends like my Grandma did.

You will want to make sure that your asparagus is washed well. The cooking water is used as part of the dish, so you don't want it to be sandy. Cover the asparagus with just enough water. If you find that the cooked asparagus is too soupy, drain some of the water off before adding the milk mixture. Take your time and really taste the asparagus for seasoning. Too little salt and you might as well not bother eating it. It isn't much to look at, so it better taste good.

I spent one long day picking asparagus for my Uncle Tom, who has a farm just east of Harrow. The pickers sat on the back of an apparatus that was pulled behind a tractor. Our bottoms were very low to the ground, while our feet were elevated to keep them out of the way. Each picker had a sharp knife and as we moved along the rows, we cut the asparagus near the base. It helped if you were quick and coordinated. Uncle Tom never did ask me back, making me wonder if I lacked one or both of those qualities...

Cream of Asparagus on Toast

1 lb. fresh asparagus, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 T. flour
3 T. milk
1/4 t. sea salt
1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper
4 slices good-quality bread

1. Place the asparagus in a medium saucepan. Add water until just covered. Add a little salt and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Mash with a wooden spoon or a potato masher.
2. Whisk together the milk and flour. Add to the asparagus and cook for another 3 minutes over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Toast the bread and butter the slices, if you wish. Spoon the asparagus over the toast and serve immediately.

Serves 2 or 3.

Rhubarb Tapioca Pudding

My mom used to make a pot of stewed rhubarb for us every spring. It didn't matter if it was served warm or cold. We ate it on its own or over ice cream, any which way we could think of. Then one year, she started adding tapioca to the stewed rhubarb. In my opinion, it made it even better - a little thicker, a little more pudding-like.

My neighbour, Nancy, loaned me a cookbook a while ago. It is a 1936 edition of The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, by Fannie Farmer. The book is fragile, to say the least, but with kid gloves I have been looking through the pages and finding some great old recipes. Rhubarb tapioca pudding was one of them.

I immediately remembered my mom's stewed rhubarb with tapioca and I got straight to work. This might be for die-hard rhubarb lovers only, but when I mentioned it to one of my friends, her husband's eyes lit up and she said, "That would be something that he would love."

I can't imagine that him and I are the only ones who would enjoy this pudding, even if I am the only one who would eat it at my house...

Rhubarb Tapioca Pudding

1/3 c. quick-cooking tapioca
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1/2 t. salt
3 c. fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar

1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, mix the tapioca with the boiling water and salt. Cook over medium heat until the tapioca has absorbed the water.
2. Place the peeled rhubarb in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. When the tapioca has absorbed all of the water, add the rhubarb to the pan. Cook until the tapioca is transparent and the rhubarb is soft. Serve with extra sugar, if desired, and thin cream.

Rhubarb Cheese Torte

This is not your average cheesecake. In a nutshell, a walnutty crust, topped with rhubarb that has been stewed in Grand Marnier, topped with a ricotta-cream cheese mixture, topped by more crumbled crust.

I have been wanting to make this dessert for years, but for some reason or another have never gotten around to it. Our super-brunch on Sunday was a perfect reason to make it, and it was adored by everyone - including the kids. So much so, that I forgot to take a picture of it, before it was, literally, almost gone.

This recipe is from Sarah Leah Chase's Cold Weather Cooking cookbook. This is a book that I bought when I was just out of high school and I have made so many great recipes from it. She takes you through the fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the long winter, and into spring. There are several rhubarb recipes in the spring section, and I have tried most of them. If you come across this book in a second hand store or in a bargain bin somewhere, snap it up. You can never have too many great cookbooks.

Rhubarb Cheese Torte

4 c. fresh rhubarb, diced
1 2/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. Grand Marnier, Triple Sec or other orange liqueur
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. walnut pieces
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. orange zest
1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
15 oz. ricotta cheese
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 t. vanilla extract
3 eggs

1. Place the rhubarb, 2/3 c. of the sugar, and the liqueur in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat and simmer until the rhubarb is cooked and thick, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper and fit it into the bottom of the pan. Butter the parchment paper.
3. For the crust, process the flour, 1/2 cup of the remaining sugar, the walnuts, cinnamon, and orange zest together in a food processor until the nuts are finely chopped. Add the butter and process just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press half the crumb mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan. Reserve the remaining crumbs for the top.
4. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the ricotta, cream cheese, and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour the rhubarb over the crumb layer in the pan. Top with the cheese layer, using a spatula to smooth and distribute it evenly.
5. Bake the cheesecake 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining crumb mixture and bake until the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes more.
6. Let the cheesecake cool completely on a rack, then refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. Remove the side of the pan and cut into generous wedges.
Makes 8-10 servings.

Rhubarb Oatmeal Muffins

Yesterday, I stopped by Farmer Jones' place to see what he has on offer right now. If this is the first time you have heard of Farmer Jones, check out the Rhubarb Custard Pie (June '08).

He has plenty of rhubarb ready and we went to his back garden where he pulled a big armful for me. He also gave me a clump of chives, which I have added to the two chive plants I got from him last year. You can never have too many chives. We also picked up a little rhubarb plant to add to the garden. All this, and a large jar of honey (from his hives out back) and three dozen eggs (from his brood of chickens), and I walked away a very happy customer!

There is something so satisfying about doing grocery shopping this way. Walking around his little pond, we were mesmerized by the plump white goose with the bright orange bill, and a pair of ducks, new to the farm. I wish I had taken my camera. The bees were getting busy in the hives, and Mr. Cogburn, the rooster, looked happy sitting in the sunshine.

Farmer Jones came from a family of market gardeners, farming 5 acres of vegetables. He is great for giving little tips and tricks about gardening. For instance, I have been harvesting my own rhubarb patch with a paring knife. He reminded me that if you pull the stalks from the base, the rhubarb will continue to sprout new growth. I think I did know that, but I had forgotten in my excitement at having my own rhubarb patch. We also discussed natural fertilizers, the only kind he uses. These can be sort of mucky, as you would expect, coming from the chicken coop and the rabbit's quarters, but is very effective.

I feel very lucky to have many different food sources practically at my back door. When I told my sister about our trip to Farmer Jones', she reminded me that when you live in the country, as we pretty much do, you have a better chance at finding the local producers as you drive around the countryside doing other things. For city dwellers, farmer's markets are the next best thing.

I have made these muffins several times over the years. They are simple and good for you. I also like having a few muffin recipes on hand that use oil instead of butter. If I wake up in the morning with muffins on my mind, I don't have to worry if I only have rock-hard butter. The pieces of rhubarb will be soft and moist in the muffin, almost custard-like.

Rhubarb Oatmeal Muffins

1/4 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. kosher salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg
1/3 c. large flake rolled oats
2/3 c. oat or wheat bran
1 1/2 c. rhubarb, chopped into small pieces
Demerara sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
2. Combine oil, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add buttermilk, egg, oat or wheat bran, and rolled oats. Mix gently. Fold in the rhubarb pieces.
3. Scoop the muffin batter into the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with demerara sugar. Bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool.

Makes 12 muffins.

Pasta with White Beans & Rapini

I have a new favourite podcast. "At the Splendid Table" airs weekly on APM (American Public Media radio) and is the show for people who love to eat. I have been listening to it in the car, in the kitchen, and when I'm taking the dogs for walks. Any chance I get, really.

Each show is almost an hour and it is packed with interesting information and stories - about food. Let me give you an example. I was out for a walk the other night and I listened to a show. It began with two regulars who travel around the US, reporting on great spots they find, and they talked about a place in North Carolina that does incredible barbecue. Next up was a discussion on fava beans and green peas. A scientist discussed the confusing world of good fats (omega 3's and 6's) and a wine expert talked about Barolo winemaking in Italy. By the end of that dog walk, I felt I had really learned something (I have been wanting to know more about fava beans, but I hadn't gotten around to it).

On a different show, the host and a guest were talking about simple pasta dishes. They rattled off one of their favourites. I came home and made my own version of it. The key to the sauce is adding some of the pasta cooking water to the other ingredients. The starch from the pasta adds some thickening, and the saltiness of the water adds all the seasoning you really need. They said to salt the water really well, with maybe a handful of kosher salt. You can add almost anything to this sauce - I used what I had - and the can of beans is surprisingly good in this, and good for you.

If you would like to check out these podcasts for yourself, go to www.splendidtable.org

Pasta with White Beans & Rapini

1 package pasta (I used spaghetti)
1/4 c. kosher salt
1 onion, chopped
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. fresh tomatoes
1 can white beans, rinsed
1 bunch rapini
1/4 t. fresh ground pepper
1 c. fresh grated parmigiana reggiano
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped fine

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kosher salt. Place the rapini in the boiling water for a minute or so, remove, and set aside. Cook the pasta until almost done to your liking. The pasta will continue to cook once it goes into the sauce. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water. Drain and set aside until the sauce is ready.
2. In another large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes or so. Don't let the garlic burn. Add the fresh tomatoes and continue cooking until the tomatoes start to break down. Add the beans, rapini, and a half cup of parmigiana reggiano. Add one cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir to combine and add more pasta water, if necessary, to make a nice sauce.
3. Add the chopped parsley and the pasta. Toss together and serve warm with the remaining cheese.

*I have to admit that I went ahead and drained the pasta without reserving the cooking water. The sauce wasn't as thick and sauce-like as it could have been, but I added some extra olive oil and another handful of cheese and it was still very good.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

I was very excited this morning to see that my chives have flower buds. I will be making chive flower butter (June '08) probably within the week. There are a few options for making chive flower butter. Regular unsalted butter, organic unsalted butter, or make your own sweet cream butter. If you haven't tried making your own butter yet, for something as delicious as chive flower butter, it is a real treat. If time is an issue for you, better to make the chive flower butter with whatever you have on hand, rather than miss the chive flower season all together.

I finally transplanted my tomato plants from their little seedling cups to larger containers. I have 9 San Marzano tomato plants and 9 yellow pear tomato plants. I am optimistic that I will be harvesting my own tomatoes this year, but there is still a lot of time between where they are now (about 8 inches high) and when they will start producing fruit. I will keep you posted on their progress.

This past week, I knew I wasn't going to be home for dinner but I still wanted my family to have a decent meal. I confess that there are many times when I don't give it much thought and they end up eating "Daddy's Famous Grilled Cheese sandwiches". And that's ok - I love a good grilled cheese myself - but I wanted them to have a really good dinner.

I flattened and marinated boneless/skinless chicken breasts in the lemon mixture below. It is essentially from the original Barefoot Contessa cookbook, with a couple tweaks. When I noticed the recipe, it was almost shocking to me that I hadn't tried it before. My original Barefoot is not in the greatest shape anymore because I have essentially cooked my way through it. It is definitely a desert island cookbook.

When it was time for Alan to get dinner ready, he started the barbeque. I had made a pot of plain brown basmati rice that just needed a minute or so in the microwave. He boiled some water and quickly cooked several bunches of baby bok choy. The chicken took no time to cook because they had been flattened. I had also made the peanut sauce that goes with the lemon chicken, but it didn't seem to be necessary (very little was eaten). The dinner was simple, very quick for Alan to prepare, and it was declared a winner by all. Especially the chicken.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. fresh ground pepper
1 T. fresh herbs (whatever fresh herbs you like)

1. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs in a large bowl. Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and marinate for at least a 1/2 hour or overnight.
2. Heat the barbecue. Cook chicken about 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Don't overcook the chicken or it will be tough.

*The Barefoot Contessa serves this chicken as an appetizer. She grills the breasts whole, slices it thin, and threads the pieces lengthwise on bamboo skewers. This is where her peanut sauce comes in