When The Nate's Away...

...The Beck Will Play.

Solo dinner tonight, hence the following menu:

Creamy Garlicky Gazpacho with Crunchy Pecorino
Scallop and Plum Ceviche

Once again, Mark Bittman inspires with his brilliance. I never would have thought ceviche could be a dish I would try at home, but I saw this recipe whilst perusing The Times last night and could not wait to have a go at it. Hopefully eating raw scallops won't come back to haunt me tomorrow...

The ceviche was so easy and so tasty, I will definitely look for more ways to prepare this at home. I loved the scallops, but I have also had really tasty fish ceviche at restaurants (namely Hula's Modern Tiki's amazing version with lime and coconut), and look forward to trying a recipe myself.

The gazpacho was in the same feature article that day, and it looked so pretty that I couldn't not make it. It seemed the perfect accompaniment to the ceviche (in a "Nate would never eat this so I should make it while I'm eating alone" kind of way...I don't claim to be any sort of talent at food pairing). While mine came out decidedly pinker than the deep orange in the picture, it was still very good. I guess I should have expected pink when I mixed red and white...A word of warning, though: it is VERY garlicky (and this coming from a garlic-blooded garlic-lover!). Next time I might use roasted garlic or blanch it first to cut down on the garlicky bite.


Creamy Garlicky Gazpacho with Crunchy Pecorino
by Melissa Clark, originally published in the New York Times 7/9/10



serves 4, about 3/4c per serving

6 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano (I used I T shredded cheddar per serving)
2 large tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) plain sheep’s-milk or regular yogurt (I used nonfat Greek)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for serving (I omitted this)
12 basil leaves, roughly chopped, more for serving
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 scallions (white and light green parts), roughly chopped
2 ice cubes (I forgot this, it wasn't necessary)
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, more to taste
Pinch cayenne pepper
Ground black pepper to taste.

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the cheese until browned on one side. Carefully flip in one piece and brown on the other side. Remove to a paper towel and allow to cool until crispy. Break into 4 pieces.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

3. Divide gazpacho into 4 bowls and garnish with basil leaves and cheese crisps.




Scallop and Plum Ceviche
by Mark Bittman, originally published in The New York Times 7/9/10



serves 2-4

1 pound bay scallops, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 plums, pitted and cut into 1/2" dice
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp grated lime zest
salt to taste
pinch cayenne pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. The scallops will "cook" in the lime juice.

2. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.