the arugula files

Mussels Fra Diavlo (Plus, Check out the Runcible Spoon!)

Recently I came across the new issue of the Runcible Spoon and I was reminded of two things.  First, how much I like that zine.  So much spirit and talent flows through those pages.  Plus, how retro!  A printed zine.  Reminds me of the good old days.  Second, I remembered that I had shared this recipe for mussels with the Runcible Spoon in their Spring issue.    I reprinting the recipe here to share, but you should check out the beautiful illustration the oh so talented Maleka Gharib did for the recipe. 

Wok Seared Lamb Lettuce Wraps, Or Over Rice (Plus, I Love Border Springs Farm)

Arugula Files is participating in the DC American Lamb Pro-Am. Thirteen local food bloggers received a boneless leg of lamb from Border Springs Farm and were challenged to prepare a great lamb dish for their readers. I'm happy to promote and recommend such a great, sustainable product.  As they say, "American Lamb is 10,000 miles fresher."  The best dishes will be presented at the American Pro-Lamb event on March 4.   Vote for my dish!

This is a recreation of a dish I once had at P.F. Changs that I quite enjoyed.  Yes, P.F. Changs, the chain restaurant.  The one with the absurdly big horse statue in the front.  Say no more.  

The dish is a simple stir fry, but the toasted sesame seeds and crispy iceberg lettuce make it special. Iceberg lettuce.  Wow, do I love thee. Iceberg lettuce has a bad (w)rap, largely attributable to its miscast role in the American salad, which is the last place it should be. People have called it the white bread of the produce aisle or likened it to red delicious apples.  Both apt comparisons.  But let's not be snobby about it.  I think iceberg lettuce deserves recognition as a topping in a stir fry or a wrap; that's where it earns an encore. Here, it's the perfect contrast to this deliciously greasy lamb.  The lamb.  Oh, let me tell you about lamb because its source makes me so happy.

Sustainable Chilean Sea Bass with Blood Orange Salsa and Toasted Hazelnuts

Buying seafood is not only expensive; it's hard.  I stood in front of the seafood counter for ten minutes trying to zoom in on an appropriate substitute for halibut that was sustainable and wouldn't empty my bank account.  I chose this Chilean sea bass because it was MSC certified and it was caught off the coast of South Georgia Island.   The fact of the matter is that Chilean sea bass has been on the "avoid" watch list for a while, but this small fishery has changed its practices and now I can enjoy sea bass without guilt.  

I was a little squeamish about the price, but it was well worth it.  This dish was as good as any fish dish I've had at a restaurant.  This says a lot because even though I'm usually happy with the fish I cook at home, I've never quite reached restaurant quality.  This recipe does the job.  The fish was creamy and contrasted nicely with the citrus and onion.  The toasted hazelnuts gave it one more unexpected dimension in flavor and texture.  It's a keeper.

Baked Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes

Barton Seaver, the Chef at the helm of Blue Ridge restaurant, says "if you can turn on your stove, you can cook fish." He's right.  Cooking fish is easy.  And, more importantly, it's TASTY.  I would happily give up meat if I could eat fresh, sustainable fish every night for dinner.  The problem is that fish is expensive and most varieties you find in the supermarket are unsustainable and usually not that fresh.  Further, I want to know the origin of the shrimp. I don't want to eat farmed shrimp from China because I've read the news articles.  I don't want to get into that here, because this blog is about arousing people's appetites, but let's just say that imported farmed shrimp is definitely bad for the environment and it's probably bad for you.  That is why I'm eagerly anticipating the opening of Seaver's new fresh fish market, which will feature sustainable fish choices.  

Enough about that.  Let's talk about this dish.  It's basic, easy, and packs HUGE flavor from the onions, thyme, and garlic. Cooking the shrimp in the tomato broth produces a juicy, tender shrimp, and the feta brings the salt.  All you need to add is crusty bread to sop all the goodness up from the pan.  

Peach and Blackberry Picking at Great Country Farm

Just a 90-minute drive from DC, a little bit past the Target and Leesburg Outlets, you will find Great Country Farms, a 200-acre farm that sits at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Bluemont, VA.  Marcus and I made the drive so we could pick peaches and blackberries. 

Lobstahs, Steamahs, and Scallops. Oh My!

I pulled my kah into the pah-king lot at Mah-key's Lobstah Pool at 11:45.  There wasn't a soul in sight.  It was Tuesday in Seabrook, New Hampshire, and most people were either lying on the beach a few miles down the road or at work.  Not me, I was on the hunt for some lobstah.  As a kid growing up in Boston, I wanted nothing to do with those red bugs.  Not anymore. There's nothing better than pulling hunks of lobster meat out of a giant claw, letting it steep in butter, and then savoring each sweet morsel.

Sweet Green: I Like Your Style

Sweet Green is a welcome change in a city crowded with unimaginative, tasteless salad bars that serve low-quality ingredients, like iceberg lettuce and gluey lo mein, both serious detours to healthy eating.  You know exactly what I'm talking about because those "salad /hot food bar" places are ubiquitous in DC.

Sweet Green offers a number of signature salads that will make your stomach do the Safety Dance.  My favorite combination, however, is my own creation: arugula and romaine with edamame, carrots, gorgonzola, craisins, and walnuts with white balsamic orange zest dressing. This salad not only makes you want to eat a salad; it makes you crave salad.  

Clear Spring Creamery

I used to be afraid of milk.  I kinda still am.  I don't drink it ever.  I don't really like the taste, and plus it leaves my throat tight.  Weird, I know.  I did, however, start putting milk in my oatmeal.  This week I tried some earth friendly milk from Clear Spring Creamery, which I picked up at the Dupont Farmer's Market.  I'm not sure if the milk from Clear Spring tastes better than regular supermarket milk (becuase I hardly ever buy it or drink it), but I'm happy to know that the cows that produce it are treated properly, making this milk guilt-free.  Clear Spring Creamery is a family business.  You can read more about the farm, which is located "on the foothills of Fairview Mountain in Washington County, Maryland." Doesn't that sound lovely?  The best thing about buying this milk was that I  sampled a bunch of cream cheese varieties while waiting in line (my favorite was dill and garlic).  I definitely like cream cheese.