Take advantage of Florida's pleasant spring and plan a simple, yet sophisticated meal under
the sun or stars.
By JANET K. KEELER
Published March 24, 2004
[Times illustration: Teresanne Cossetta]
It might be just a ham and Swiss on rye eaten on the park bench outside your office. Or perhaps something as simple as yogurt enjoyed while dangling your legs over the seawall (or in the pool).
As fickle March turns to Florida's kindest month, April, head outdoors with a sack lunch, or get ambitious and plan a meal for friends under the stars. The summer metamorphosis begins in May, when eating without benefit of air-conditioning or a stiff breeze, at least, is for the birds, and the mosquitoes.
The weather isn't the only harbinger of spring; our plates and palates provide telltale signs, too. The heavy dishes of winter, even a mild Florida one, are cast aside in favor of lighter, fresher tastes. That pot of stew that warmed us in January feels like the weight of the world when the sky is nothing but blue.
Even the CrockPot chugging away all day is too much of a commitment.
Spring is about quick-cooking asparagus, bright-green fava beans and all manner of herbs. We want lamb and artichokes or shellfish served over a bed of cool, crisp greens dressed with a simple, citrus vinaigrette. This is the season of peppery radishes, woodsy morels and mood swings.
"I would serve something very light and springy for eating out of doors," says Kevin Kruszewski, owner of Pane Rustica Bakery & Cafe in Tampa. "If I was spreading out a blanket, I'd probably really enjoy something I made earlier that morning."
That something, he says, might be a spring leek tartlet with Gruyere cheese and dried tomato. He'd pair it with a strawberry smoothie from Extreme Juice in Tampa.
"And then I'd balance it all out with something crispy to munch on for the rest of the picnic," he says. "Like crispy flat bread with fresh herbs and grated Romano cheese and cracked black pepper. The wine would probably be white with effervescence, maybe a prosecco."
Yum, can we come?
Maybe we can also wrangle an invite to another outdoor party with just as much promise. That would be one thrown by Emmanuel Roux, co-owner of several St. Petersburg restaurants, including Redwoods and the Garden, and his wife, Jennifer Hardin, chief curator of the Museum of Fine Arts, just blocks from the restaurants.
The couple are known for their clever parties and delicious menus, many of which reflect Roux's French heritage.
Roux likes the idea of a seaside oyster roast, which sounds delightful if someone else is doing all the work. He has fond memories of such grand spreads on the beaches of South Carolina. Oyster roasts take planning, equipment and a space big enough for the fire pit. Frankly, we don't want to work up that much of a sweat.
On the easier side of fuss is a steaming pot of shellfish that can be cooked outdoors or inside. Clams, mussels and shrimp are tossed into a pot of sauteed onion and garlic, and enough white wine to create steam. Shake the pot every now and then, Roux says, and in minutes the seafood is done. Garnish with a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley.
"The fun thing is to eat the mussels with a mussel," Roux says. "Mussels are the ideal outdoor item because the shells still have that little spring and you can use them to pick up other food."
Ah, like a tong. Clever.
Chunks of French or Italian bread soak up the fishy-wine sauce. And always, a green salad.
"Spring-mix lettuces with vinaigrette," Roux says. "One thing that I love is to take tomatoes, dip them in boiling water for a few seconds, peel them and make a salad with basil and red wine vinaigrette."
Uncork a cold pinot grigio and, Roux says, dinner is served.
Oh, wait, there's the cheese board, a selection of fresh and aged cheeses, always served at room temperature. Perfect for spring.
Roux imagines berry parfait for dessert, made simply, or pitted medjool dates stuffed with scoops of mascarpone, the luscious Italian cream cheese, rolled in finely chopped mint. "Very flavorful."
We take his suggestion one step further and dream of chopped pistachios creamed with the mascarpone. We might even toss in the chopped mint rather than use it as a coating, which takes more precious time. The sun is setting, and we want to get outside.
The April Bon Appetit celebrates spring, too, and we are enchanted by a recipe for Scallops and Haricots Verts with Creamy Bacon Vinaigrette. Haricots verts are the slim French green beans that can be purchased at many grocery stores, but less-pricey, plumper green beans can substitute.
This meal salad is pretty enough to serve on white china for an important luncheon or to arrange artfully on plastic plates for a poolside repast. Bread, salad and chardonnay accompany.
Pink Grapefruit, Strawberry and Champagne Granita with Sugared Strawberries can't go far or it will melt, but it can certainly send your taste buds to nirvana. Mound the flavorful crystals in a martini glass and find something pretty to look at: the sun glinting off the gulf, lavender jacarandas blooming before your eyes or one puffy cloud waltzing across the sky.
It's a Florida spring. But it won't be around for long, nor will the fresh feast you've prepared.
Stir 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water in large saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Cool. Puree 1 cup strawberries in processor. Whisk 1/2 cup puree into sugar syrup. Mix in grapefruit juice, then Champagne. Pour mixture into 8-inch-square metal baking pan. Freeze mixture until firm, stirring every 2 hours, for about 6 hours. (Can be made two days ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)
Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar and lemon peel in pie plate. Spread 1/2 teaspoon mascarpone around pointed tip half of each whole strawberry. Dip in lemon sugar to coat mascarpone.
Moisten rims of six martini glasses with lemon sugar. Scrape fork across surface of granita to form ice shavings. Mound granita in glasses. Garnish with sugared berries and serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.
Source: Bon Appetit, April 2004.
Scallops and Haricots Verts With Creamy Bacon Vinaigrette
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
12 ounces haricots verts, trimmed, cut crosswise into 11/2-inch pieces (see note)
2 pounds sea scallops, side muscles removed
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup water
21/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons whipping cream
4 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
Saute bacon strips in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve drippings in skillet.
Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain; transfer to large bowl. Cover bowl loosely with foil.
Reheat drippings in skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add scallops to skillet; cook until browned, about two minutes per side. Transfer to bowl with beans; cover loosely with foil. Reserve skillet.
Whisk vinegar, water and mustard into drippings in reserved skillet. Boil over high heat until reduced by half, stirring frequently and scraping up browned bits, about 7 minutes. Stir in whipping cream; bring sauce to boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add bacon to bowl with beans and scallops; mix gently. Divide mixture among 6 plates. Drizzle with sauce, sprinkle with dill and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Leek Tart
Homemade dough or frozen shell for 9-inch pie
3 pounds leeks
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
2 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie pan with dough (or prepare frozen dough). Clean and trim leeks, and julienne. Melt butter in saute pan, add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook covered over medium to low heat for 20 minutes until softened. Let cool. Mix thyme, eggs, cream and all but 1/4 cup of the cheese in bowl and add cooled leeks.
Pour into pie shell, top with remaining cheese and bake for 40 minutes or until lightly brown on top and set.
Source: Food Network.
Strawberry Parfaits
2 cups strawberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of strawberries)
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
2 cups heavy cream
In a saucepan, combine strawberries, lemon juice and sugar. Cook over medium heat until the strawberries begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Place strawberry mixture in a food processor and process until smooth. Mix in sliced strawberries and place in refrigerator. Refrigerate until very cold.
With an electric mixer, whip the cream. In parfait glasses, layer the strawberries and whipped cream, starting and ending with the whipped cream. Place in refrigerator and chill for 4 hours.
