Spring Saturday

By Jason
Recipes: Farm Fresh Eggs with Basil and Parmesan & Fresh Strawberries with Camembert and Honey & Beet Salad with Lemon-Thyme Dressing, Camembert, and Lambs Quarters & Honey Glazed Sea Scallops with Strawberries and Lemon

My love of eating is paralleled only by my love of sleeping—or being horizontal in general. I am seemingly one of the few New Yorkers grateful for rainy Spring Saturdays. Wet weather indulges my penchant for spending mornings inside catching up on TV (thank you Hulu), afternoon naps, and nights in the kitchen or on the couch. These days the only thing that gets me out of bed early on a Saturday is the promise of fresh produce, seafood, and meat at the Union Square Greenmarket (USG).

And so today I entertain my appetite. Adrienne is attending a bridal shower, and another group of friends is touring Long Island's North Fork vineyards. I chose to stay behind for a solitary weekend of reading, relaxing, and cooking. With coffee in hand, I headed east to Union Square.

Saturday mornings at the USG are a celebration of local farming. Purveyor tents line the park borders; droves of New Yorkers (and tourists) shop and sniff. With a single breeze carrying scents peonies, scallions, and thyme, the streets feel more county fair than cultural epicenter.

I have two greenmarket rules. First, take a lap before purchasing anything. You'll see who is selling what, and at what prices (both vary from stand to stand). Second, ask questions. Connecting with a provider allows you to connect with your food. You may gain insight into how the food you're buying was grown or raised, learn a new preparation, or find something you've never tasted. More than anything, you'll discover how passionate everyone here is about their product. It's inspiring.

After two hours of meandering, I returned home with a weekend's worth of food. Most notably, I picked up a Summerflower honey from Tremblay Apiaries. Besides rich notes of the namesake summer flowers, the honey can help provide immunity from local summer allergies.

Below you will find recipes for everything I ate throughout the day. All ingredients - save lemons, parmesan, oil, salt, and pepper - were purchased at the Greenmarket.

Farm Fresh Eggs with Basil and Parmesan
Farm fresh eggs from sustainable farms are usually richer than supermarket varieties. The yolks are bright orange from beta-carotene, and they are rife with omega-3s.

2 eggs
Fresh chopped lemon basil
Freshly grated parmesan
Unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Fresh pepper
Fresh bread

I toasted sourdough slices while preparing sunny-side-up eggs in a tablespoon of butter. Eggs go on the toast, and are then topped with the basil, parmesan, a pinch of salt, and fresh pepper.

Fresh strawberries with Camembert and honey

Fresh strawberries
Camembert
Summerflower Honey

Hull the berries, slice the cheese, spoon the honey and take it to the mouth.


Beet Salad with Lemon-Thyme Dressing, Camembert, and Lamb's Quarters


Boiling beets is time consuming, so I make enough of this salad for a few days. I keep the beets, greens, dressing, and cheese separated in the fridge and mix portions just before eating.

Lamb's Quarters is a mild green related to and more nutritious than spinach. If you can't find lamb's quarters, you can substitute your favorite green. I suggest spinach, arugula, or frisee.

8 medium beets
1 bunch lamb's quarters (wild spinach), rinsed
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp dijon mustard
5oz Camembert, cut to bite sized pieces
Kosher salt
Fresh pepper

Boil beets in water until fork tender - about 45 minutes to an hour. Drain and cool. Once cooled, remove skins (should be very easy) and cut off any darkened, hard sections. Slice or chop beets to your preferred size.

In a bowl whisk lemon juice and olive oil. Add shallots, thyme, rosemary, and dijon mustard, and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until everything has combined into a thick dressing.

Season and dress greens and beets separately. On a serving plate, layer greens and beets. Dot with portions of cheese.


Honey Glazed Sea Scallops with Strawberries and Lemon


Scallops are by far my favorite seafood. In the spring and summer-time I love to top them with fresh fruit. Try this recipe using blackberries or pomegranate seeds. Grilled asparagus and heirloom tomato slices accompanied the scallops - both lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil. I chose an Argentine Sauvignon Blanc (La Flor - Pulenta Estate) which was light on the tongue with citrus and tangerine notes. I found this wine to be too acidic for this dish – it’s better paired with the beet salad.

2 Sea scallops
1/2 tsp summerflower honey
4 strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 lemon, zested and juiced
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh pepper

Combine strawberries, lemon zest and a very small amount of salt. Set aside.

Clean and dry scallops. Brush top and bottom of scallops with honey, and then season with salt and pepper. Sautee scallops in a pan with a little olive oil over low/medium heat for 3 minutes per side (depending on their size). Because of the sugar content of the honey you have to closely watch the cooking. If the heat is too high, the honey will over-caramelize (aka burn). Plate scallops and squeeze lemon juice over each. Top with strawberry/lemon zest mixture.
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Campfire Cooking

By Adrienne
Recipe: Goat Cheese Polenta

I’m a city girl. I can’t imagine living in a cookie-cutter development in a generic suburb. I loathe the idea of driving to work. But as every New Yorker will tell you, there’s nothing better than escaping the crowds, congestion, and cement heat that is Manhattan during the summer.

This Memorial Day I decided to go camping.

My coworkers laughed when I informed them I would spend my weekend sleeping in the great outdoors. Sure, I enjoy my creature comforts like a duvet and feather pillows—but I’m not prissy.

My friends laughed when I told them I was camping near Katonah, an upscale town known for antiquing rather than hiking trails. What can I say? I like to be near a supermarket, liquor store, and civilization—even if I’m roughing it.

I had signed up to handle dinner Saturday night. Now, I could have opted for something simple: hot dogs, hamburgers, or the usual camping fare. But that wouldn’t sit well with my inner Martha Stewart. (It’s the same domestic demon that makes me obsess over table settings and dishware.) Not surprisingly, I opted for something more complicated. Frankly, anything is more complicated when you have to cook for 10 people on a grill and a portable stove—and refrigeration is limited to a cooler with some ice. Luckily, I appreciate a good challenge.

The Menu
Honey-brined chicken thighs
Flank steak in lemon, soy, and garlic marinade
Goat cheese polenta with mushroom, spinach, and onions

The Wine
Tapena Tempranillo
…and the grab bag collection of wine, beer, and liquor at the campsite


The night before heading up to the campsite, I soaked the chicken thighs in honey salt water bath and marinated flank steak in soy, garlic, and lemon juice. I also chopped up the onion for the mushrooms and spinach. I even bought pre-chopped mushrooms, since I was in a rush. The key to quick and easy cooking in the wilderness: preparation. You want to do as little as possible at the campsite, especially if you don’t know what sort of utensils and cooking apparatus you’ll have to use. Try stirring boiling polenta with a spatula. It makes it amusing to keep it from becoming lumpy. The day of my meal, I grilled up the chicken and flank steak—and whipped up the polenta with veggies with the help of my sous chef Claire.

Goat Cheese Polenta with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Onions
1 24 oz. bag Bob’s Red Mill Organic Corn Grits (Polenta)
1 32 oz. carton of chicken stock
6 oz. goat cheese
24 oz. baby spinach (3 to 4 bags of prewashed spinach)
2-8 oz. package of cremini mushrooms, pre-chopped
2-8 oz. package of shitake mushrooms, pre-chopped
1 large Spanish onion
Salt and pepper to taste

In large pot, bring 20 oz. of water and chicken stock to a boil. Add entire bag of polenta and lower the heat. (If you’re cooking a grill, just keep stirring.) Continue to cook the polenta until the liquid is evaporated—continue to stir as the polenta continues took. Add goat cheese. Stir until melted. Salt and pepper to taste.

Saute onions in pan until translucent. Add mushrooms. Saute until the mixture is brown and caramelized. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.

The timing on this can be a little nutty. If you only have a grill and not enough space for both a pot and a pan, cook the spinach mixture first and set aside while cooking the polenta. Then reheat for a minute or two as soon as the polenta is done.

Serve together right away.
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Easy As(s) Pizza Pie

By Jason
Recipe: Tomato Sauce

My first apartment in the city was a 4-bedroom, 1-bath black hole in midtown. The only natural light came through two of the bedrooms—one of which, thankfully, was mine. The four of us spent Sundays watching movies in the dimly lit living room, nursing our hangovers, and eating until too full to move. Two couches were never enough to accommodate our sprawl so there was always an aero-bed waiting the last two roommates to wake up, assuming they left comfort of their beds.

While Sundays featured a mix of food from burritos to fried chicken, it was pizza that was—and still is—my favorite. We lived directly above a Ray’s Pizza in Hells Kitchen – the smell of hot cheese and sauce wafting in through our bedroom windows 24 hours a day. I was there, both drunk and sober, often enough to be nicknamed “the king” by the Ray’s staff. They even let me cut the line of tourists which often snaked around the counter, spilling out onto 7th Avenue.

Considering Times Square is one of the most trafficked spots in the world, the idea of being “the king” is almost too embarrassing to admit. But it leads me to my most embarrassing pizza moment. On the morning after my twenty-third birthday party, I woke up in my bed, fully dressed, but with pants around my still-laced boots. I was alone, underwear still on, with my hand in a pizza box, clutching crust.

I have since moved on from that apartment. But I still hold a special place in my heart for Ray’s white cheese slices. These days I just prefer to make my own pies.

The key to great pizza is equal parts crust, sauce, and toppings. My trick for getting the best crust is to go to my favorite local pizzeria. Rather than mixing and tossing dough in my kitchen only to come out with a mediocre crust – I place an order for a cooked crust. In Manhattan Stella’ and Gotham have both cooked plain crust for me. I simply top the crust with warm sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, and sliced fresh basil and heat in the oven until the cheese has melted.

Welcome to my lazy man’s pie – fast, cheap, and delicious. My recipe for sauce is below. I make it in large batches and then divide and freeze it into smaller portions. Play with the seasoning until it’s just right for you, and you’ll always be ready for your moments of laziness. If you’re not into making your own sauce, you can always spice up your favorite jarred sauced and then simmer it until reduced and thick. Top a pizza with watery sauce and the crust will end up soggy.

Tomato Sauce


4 28oz cans crushed tomatoes (I prefer to use local canned tomatoes, but many swear by Italian varieties)
2 yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ - 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Chop onion, carrot, and celery to about the same size. Heat olive oil over medium in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent (about 10 minutes). Add carrots and celery – mixing well to coat with olive oil. While these are all cooking together season add all of the spices besides the bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper. I find this is a great way to bring out the flavors of the dried herbs so that they are well mixed in the finished product. Cook until the carrots and celery are tender, about 10 minutes. Bring the heat down to low and add the tomatoes and bay leaves. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Varieties of canned tomatoes all differ in their seasoning, and the flavors will intensify while the sauce reduces, so if it tastes a little under seasoned at this point, it’s okay. Simmer and reduce sauce over low heat for two to three hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool before separating into airtight containers for refrigeration/freezing. I keep the sauce chunky in case I decide to use it for pasta. When used for pizza, I thaw the sauce in the refrigerator and then pulse in a food processor until smooth. This can thin the sauce a bit, so before adding it to your pizza, reduce until very thick.
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TasteBuds is Born

By Jason and Adrienne
Recipe: Seared Scallops with Mango Salsa and Corn Pudding

We throw dozens of dinner parties a year. A lemon rosemary lamb was the centerpiece of a girl’s weekend in the Berkshires, complemented by a Zinfandel. A pork loin with tomatillo with a Tempranillo was among the dishes for a group of fellow foodies. A flourless chocolate cake and port ended an evening graduation celebration. Fresh-made black pepper pasta topped with lamb ragu complemented with Minervois comforted friends on a cold, rainy evening.

To us, recipes are like guidelines, meant to be enhanced by our own tastes, interpretations, and whims. A white wine that doesn’t really pass muster becomes inspiration for a poached scallop dish. A visit to a farmer’s market in the dead of winter sparks the idea for savory root mash served with braised short ribs. We’re most often inspired by local ingredients, what we can find at Chelsea Market, the Brooklyn Farmer’s Market, or whatever gourmet shop we happen upon.

We sometimes mess up royally—chocolate chip cookies accidentally made with salt instead of sugar or an artichoke casseroles a bit too heavy on the cream. But generally, we get compliments from our friends and families, and often the request for the recipes.

That’s why we started tossing around ideas for a food blog, where we could share our creations. We hatched plans over dinners, e-mail, and the occasional late-night text. We knew we’d need to be more disciplined in our cooking; we tend to add a dash of this a handful of that until the flavor meets our liking. Now, we’re putting what’s in our heads on paper, or at least on the Internet.

The naming process probably was the hardest part. So one Friday night in early May, we had a brainstorming session, a night fueled as per usual by food and wine. Not all of our ideas were so great. Pot au Fou was a leading contender, except Adrienne’s not as much of a Francophile as Jason. The randomness of Urban Mango amused Adrienne but not so much Jason.

We finally settled on TasteBuds, the suggestion of our friend Suzanne. It was just corny enough to work for our new adventure. We decided it really fit what we are trying to do, create a place for us to share our meals and other bacchanalian events—much the way we create a dinner party.

With the name determined, we returned to what we do best—eating and drinking. Appetizers and wine were enjoyed al fresco on Jason’s patio. Adrienne poured a red from the Borghese Vineyard on Long Island. It accompanied prosciutto, sopressata, and burrata from Buon Italia. We ate it all up with a chewy potato, onion, dill loaf compliments of Amy’s Bread.

Sadly (and really not all that surprising for us) we stuffed ourselves on starters, leaving little room for what was meant to be the evenings main affair: seared scallops with mango salsa and corn pudding, accompanied by Torrentes, a crisp white from Argentina with peach, pear, honey, and grapefruit notes.

Here’s what we planned to make:

Seared Scallops with Mango Salsa and Corn Pudding


Mango Salsa
2 mangos, chopped to bite-sized pieces (mango should be ripe, but someone firm)
Half of a red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (ribs and seeds removed)
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Kosher Salt

Place all ingredients except for salt in a mixing bowl and toss until well combined. Season with salt to taste and set aside.

Corn Pudding
Half a bag of frozen corn
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 cup whole milk (room temperature)
4 oz. goat cheese
Kosher Salt
Fresh Pepper
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is warming, thaw the frozen corn in a colander and toss with salt and drain well (about 10 minutes). Spread the corn on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 10-15 minutes until the corn is bright yellow, but not brown. Remove from the oven and move the corn to a large mixing bowl.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat and whisk in the flour. Wisk for 2-3 minutes until it becomes a paste. Lower the heat to low-medium/medium and continue to for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally. Wisk in heavy cream – the mixture will thicken very quickly. Melt in the goat cheese and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Combine the cream/cheese sauce and the corn in the mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until thick. I prefer to keep the mixture chunky, with visible corn kernels.

Scallops
1lb Jumbo Sea Scallops (typically 8-10 per pound)
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Pepper

Remove the extra white muscle from any of the scallops that still have it attached. Pat all of the scallops dry with a clean kitchen towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the scallops when the oil is hot. The scallops should have enough room so that they are not touching each other. Flip the scallops when they begin to brown (about 2-3 minutes, depending on their size). Cook for another 2 minutes and remove from the pan. Scallops and other seafood continue to cook after they have been removed from heat, so cooking all the way through on the heat will result in an overcooked, rubbery scallop.

Serve scallops over the corn pudding and topped with mango salsa.
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