I am a great one for waiting for the “perfect” day of weather, no matter what the season. I realize this is “follysome” -ok, that is not a word… but it should be as it describes me perfectly. The definition is not flattering by the way.
I don’t know where the phrase “noun is as noun does” comes from but I guess it to mean whatever the “thing” does is exactly what it “is”….. sorry, are you following this? My mind works in mysterious ways and strange things just pop into it from time to time. (like yesterday, it just popped into my head to combine the marinated goat cheese recipe I got from a friend many moons ago with grilled chicken and peaches – thank you, Donna!) Ok, so back to Summer is as Summer Does. I think this was prodded as I watched the news this morning and they were talking about the drought and how farmers’ crops are being destroyed all over the country. We (I) tend to have these idyllic expectations of the seasons, don’t we? I, anyway, find myself remembering only the best weather days of each season from year to year and then project them forward, i.e., oh, I can’t wait for ….. it’s going to be sooo beautiful! But, in reality, Summer is as Summer Does. I will have to make a concerted effort to do better. (Hope you got that)
So, in celebration of what “is”, here on the 29th day of Summer:
So, last night’s exploits in the kitchen were intended to include trying out Mario Batali’s recipe from the Star Ledger yesterday for charred green beans with Genovese pesto. I confess that after the Chicken lunch endeavor I was a little less enthused about dinner efforts but had already gotten my haricot vert. For a quick side, I just made this up:
HARICOT VERT WITH CRISPY SHALLOTS, SAGE AND LEMON
1 lb haricot vert
1 large shallot thinly sliced
4 fresh sage leaves, cut in julienne
1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tblsp butter, divided
In a saucepan of salted water, add beans and bring to boil. Cook 5 minutes and drop into an ice bath to cool. Drain and set aside. Dry the beans with a paper towel if needed.
In a saute pan warm the olive oil and one tblsp of the butter. Add the shallot slices and cook over medium heat until almost totally browned. Add the sage and continue to cook until well wilted and the shallots are totally browned and crispy. Squeeze in a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Stir to combine. Finish with the 2nd tblsp of butter – adding it to the pan, and stirring until it melts. Add the beans into the saute pan and toss to coat.
These came out great and I finished 2/3 of them myself!
I’m off on other exploits today…..also have to read my three Edible publications – Manhattan, Cape Cod, Santa Barbara! Have a lovely day!