Recipes

POSTED: Friday, June 12, 2009, 11:59 PM
Filed Under: Recipes
Photo | Drew Lazor

In case you were wondering what I ended up doing with the ground turkey I wrote about on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week � though I claimed back then that I wasn't feeling it, I ended up making turkey burgers. While not quite as sexy and nuanced as Felicia D's awesome turkey burger a cheval recipe, I think it turned out pretty well. Directives (not really a recipe per se, that's why it's in quotes above) for easy-as-hell turkey burgers after the jump.

Easy-as-Hell Turkey Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

Go Get This:

1.5-ish pounds lean ground turkey

Three sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped and rough-chopped

One egg

Crumbled bleu cheese

Salt, pepper, cumin, garlic salt

Now Do This:

Throw meat in a metal bowl. Salt and pepper meaty surface area facing you, then shake in cumin sparingly.

Throw chopped rosemary into the bowl. Then crack egg in. This'll help bind.

Mix the hell out of the contents of the bowl WITH YOUR HANDS. You'll get lousy results with a spoon.

Once initial seasonings are mixed in, toss in a little more salt, pepper and cumin. Mix with hands again.

Using your palm as a cupping mechanism (hee), form the mixed-up meat into four patties. They'll be hefty. Dust both sides of the patties very lightly with garlic salt before grilling.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. (Of course, you can use a grill too.) Once it's ready, place two (two!) of the patties in. Sear them for about 6 minutes on each side. After 12 minutes, cut into one of the patties to check doneness � if there's no pink inside, you're good to go. Repeat with second twosome.

As soon as you remove burgers from heat, toss bleu cheese crumbles on top, so it'll be all nice and gooey by the time they're cool enough to eat.

Top with whatever else you'd like � we did saut�ed mushrooms, spinach, red onion, tomato and sriracha on a toasted seeded bun � and eateateat.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 11:59 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Friday, June 12, 2009, 7:00 PM
All photos l Felicia D'Ambrosio
Toasted cheese on naan with fried mint leaves.

When eating NOW is my first priority, I beeline to the staples I always keep on hand � Locatelli pecorino-romano cheese, butter or olive oil and bread. Unlike a grilled cheese, which is a serious meal, this little toasted, open-faced snack is luxurious but doesn't require three hours at the gym after you've eaten it.

Here I utilize a weird method � applying a grated hard cheese (pecorino-romano) directly to the surface of a hot, non-stick pan, then topping the cheese with a single piece of bread. My favorite is Trader Joe's garam masala naan, a lightly spiced flat bread that is cheap and freezes well. You can use any sort of bread or bread-like product here, as long as it is flat: half of a roll, a pita, a slice of Wonder, a slice of a baguette, even a big cracker � they all work.

The cheese layer gets lightly toasted and crisp and forms a beautifully salty crust atop the warm bread. I fried a few mint leaves in the residual fat to top mine up, but you can add anything that looks tasty. This toasted cheese snack is the platform to build lunch upon, or just to keep you going when you only have three minutes to ingest calories and go.

Super easy method and how-to photos, after the jump.

Basic Toasted Cheese

Go Get This:

One slice bread of choice

One tsp. butter or olive oil

2 or 3 tbsp. pecorino-romano or other very hard, grated cheese

Now Do This:

Heat a saut� or frying pan over medium heat. Add butter or oil; if it sizzles but does not burn, the temperature is right.

Sprinkle cheese directly on pan in the rough shape of your piece of bread. Allow to set for 10 seconds or so, then press slice of bread directly on top of cheese.

Leave it alone for two minutes, then oh-so-gently flip over with a spatula. If cheese is golden and crisply toasted, it's done. Let the un-cheesed side crisp for thirty seconds in the hot pan, then remove from heat.

Garnish with whatever you want (herbs are nice) or not. Eat hot, right away. Feel impressed with yourself for turning three ingredients into such a stylish snack.

Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 7:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Wednesday, June 10, 2009, 5:05 PM
Filed Under: Recipes

flickr.com/cjmemay

I was overwhelmed by the amount of quality responses to the simple question I posed yesterday afternoon: What should I make using ground turkey? Y'all commenters are the best.

Of course, right after work, I ended up eating three courses out at a restaurant, because I am stupid and possess little to no willpower/sensible meal-planning skills.

Ground turkey will definitely go down tonight, mark my words. I'll report on what I made on Thursday, but in the meantime, you really need to check out Meal Ticket commenter cjmemay's Flickr gallery of his Sloppy Gobbler dinner � that's ground turkey sloppy joe and bleu cheese/sour cream ON TOP OF PANCAKES. Glory, glory.

You can literally watch this idea germinate in yesterday's comments section.


Meal Ticket :: Blog Archive :: “Recipe”: Easy-as-Hell Turkey Burgers :: Philadelphia City Paper :: Philadelphia Arts, Restaurants, Music, Movies, Jobs, Classifieds, Blogs
Posted 2009-06-12 18:59:23
[...] case you were wondering what I ended up doing with the ground turkey I wrote about on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week — though I claimed back then that I wasn’t feeling it, I ended up making [...] 
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 5:05 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Wednesday, June 10, 2009, 4:11 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER | Vegan | Vegetarian
Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio
Pretty corny

Really, there are dozens of things you can do with the infinitely variable preparation of corn salad. Just grill the ears in their husks for a few minutes (to keep things crispy) and then shuck under cold running water. Stand the ears up vertically in a mixing bowl, and slice off the kernels with a sharp knife using a smooth downward motion. If you ever had braces and corn on the cob was verboten, you remember this action.� Once the kernels are off the cobs, mix in whatever is living in the fridge and suits your fancy. Chop everything into a quarter-inch dice for ease of eating with a big 'ol spoon. Examples:

  • Roasted or raw red peppers, red onions and basil; toss with a sprinkle of red wine vinaigrette
  • Raw fennel and fennel tops, grilled red and Vidalia onions, mint and a few radishes; juice of one grapefruit (pictured above)
  • Diced jalapenos or serranos for heat, cilantro, tomato and Mexican tarragon
  • Asparagus rounds, sweet peas, arugula, more radishes, flat-leaf parsley and the juice of two oranges

And so on and so forth! The crew at Greensgrow Farm in Kenzo makes a soon-to-be-famous corn salad that features some lovely local dried blueberries; you can incorporate anything you want. Then it's time to work that corn salad into a plethora of warm-weather dishes.

  • Bury a veggie or carnivore fajita or taco in the cool salad
  • Heap the warm salad on grilled or broiled fish
  • Fortify a pile of mixed greens � arugula, butter lettuces, frise�, spinach � with your mix
  • Saut� the corn mixture and make a quiche or frittata for breakfast
  • Pump up a cornbread or corn muffin mix with the real stuff

With fresh, local ears so cheap � $2 for six just yesterday at Acme � you must scoop up this quintessential summer taste.

Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 4:11 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 8:21 PM
Filed Under: Recipes

infobarrel.com

I'm kinda trying to eat healthier lately, so the other day, I purchased a pound package of ground turkey at the market in place of my usual fatty ground beef coppage. It's been defrosting in my fridge since this morning, as I plan on cooking it up for dinner tonight. The problem is I'm feeling uninspired as far as recipes and preparations go. (I really don't want to make turkey burgers.) Any Meal Ticketers out there have good suggestions for easy, healthy, tasty recipes that use ground turkey? Link me in the comments, please!


Poncho
Posted 2009-06-09 15:55:53
I've used this recipe before and the addition of mayo in the burger is clutch.  Enjoy!



http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=350695

gourmand jk
Posted 2009-06-09 15:57:25
I'd suggest making an Italian-style meat sauce, with some crushed tomatoes and fresh veg, or if you're feeling extra ambitious you could make stuffed cabbage.

danya
Posted 2009-06-09 16:03:19
Turkey tacos rock. Seems to absorb the taco flavor even better than beef, IMO.

Brion Shreffler
Posted 2009-06-09 16:07:19
You could try a turkey ragu though I don't see it beating a lamb ragu; would think it tough for the less intense flavors to come through amidst all the spices and wine in the tomato sauce, but it would be interesting to see how it turns out(maybe the recipe is floating around for a good reason). Turkey meat loaf was my 2nd thought.

Adam
Posted 2009-06-09 16:11:36
I make these awesome mozzarella-stuffed meatballs with ground turkey. Sorry for the approx measurements, a la Rachael Ray.



In a bowl, mix pound of ground turkey with...

1 egg

1 handful parm cheese

1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 handful chopped basil leaves

1 tbsp. grated lemon zest

1 chopped garlic clove (or 2 if you like it garlicky)

2 dashes Worcestershire

Splash balsamic vinegar

Splash olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chili flakes to taste



Mix by hand, form into tangerine-sized balls. Make a deep impression with your thumb into each ball, and tuck a cube of mozzarella (smoked is nice) into the center. Pinch ends closed and roll in hands to reform meatball shape. In a hot pan with olive oil, sear meatballs on each side till caramelized (2-3 minutes per side), add tomato sauce and simmer till meatballs are firm to the touch, approx 20 minutes. Serve with or without pasta, garnished with chopped basil and parsley.

carolyn
Posted 2009-06-09 16:28:54
i agree with danya -- turkey tacos are pretty delicious (although i don't know if dumping a package of ortega into a pan of cooked ground turkey counts as a "recipe"). 



i like mine with avocado, heirloom tomatoes and queso fresco (not that that's healthy).

rory
Posted 2009-06-09 16:32:43
simple, easy, no idea on the health quality, but it works:



stuff a turkey burger with a slice of feta (keeps it from drying out like turkey burgers often can). coat the burger with salt, pepper, cumin (mostly cumin in the spice blend), and some paprika.



cook.



put in a pita. cucumbers make it refreshing. tomato jam (the NY Times had a recipe) adds a tasty sweetness.

cjmemay
Posted 2009-06-09 16:40:48
I recommend Sloppy Gobblers (that's my horrible name for Turkey Sloppy Joes).



I usually just make it to taste with bell peppers, onions, garlic, honey (and/or brown sugar), worcestershire sauce, canned tomatoes, and a little tomato sauce.



Oh man, that made me really hungry.



Last week, I made some freaking great Turkey Tacos, but for the life of me I can't remember what I did.

cjmemay
Posted 2009-06-09 16:45:29
I'm going to Reading Terminal and picking up turkey meat, Gorgonzola, and some buns from Metropolitan Bakery, and eating this whether you are or not.

Sam
Posted 2009-06-09 16:56:18
Make turkey burgers with spinach and feta in the patties and season with something like Worcestershire or maybe soy sauce. I've made this a bunch of different ways because it's so easy to experiment with.

cjmemay
Posted 2009-06-09 16:57:04
On top of pancakes!!!! Okay, I'm done. 



I think.

kibby
Posted 2009-06-09 16:58:51
Turkey Gobblers sounds so obscene, but I second the suggestion of turkey sloppy joes.  I add chipotle peppers or powder to it usually.

cjmemay
Posted 2009-06-09 17:02:58
Kibby, Pure genius!!! 

I have chipotle pepper flakes at home, and that's what made the greatest Turkey Tacos. So glad you suggested that.



This is going to be a great meal. I am really excited about dinner now.

Joy Manning
Posted 2009-06-09 17:33:11
I know you have a copy of Almost Meatless in that office. 



P. 38 (Sloppy Joes)

P. 41 (Turkey-Pinto Pie)

P. 43 (Turkey Lasagna)



Recipes where you can easily sub turkey for beef or pork:



P. 80 (Pot stickers)

P. 85 (Chili)

P. 99 (Spinach and Chickpea Pouches)

P. 112 (Albondigas)



Happy Cooking.

Felicia D'Ambrosio
Posted 2009-06-09 17:35:41
I'm making Adam's cheese-stuffed turkey meatballs.  Damn, this is a hungry post.

Drew Lazor
Posted 2009-06-09 18:04:50
Wow, thanks for all these great suggestions! Will report back tomorrow on what I decide to do. I'm thinking Sloppy Gobblers is a frontrunner...

cjmemay
Posted 2009-06-10 11:07:28
Well, here are some pics from the Sloppy Gobbler. I topped one with crumbled Buttermilk Blue Cheese from Salumeria, and the other with Sour Cream.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjmemay/sets/72157619526874358/

Meal Ticket :: Blog Archive :: About that ground turkey plan … :: Philadelphia City Paper :: Philadelphia Arts, Restaurants, Music, Movies, Jobs, Classifieds, Blogs
Posted 2009-06-10 12:07:29
[...] May fluke?• Paesano's to drunk people: We are the most benevolent sandwich shop in the world• Who's got a good ground turkey recipe?• Eat This Immediately: Franzone's Pizza• This Sunday: Meet Next Food Network Star's [...] 

Meal Ticket :: Blog Archive :: “Recipe”: Easy-as-Hell Turkey Burgers :: Philadelphia City Paper :: Philadelphia Arts, Restaurants, Music, Movies, Jobs, Classifieds, Blogs
Posted 2009-06-12 19:00:47
[...] case you were wondering what I ended up doing with the ground turkey I wrote about on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week — though I claimed back then that I wasn’t feeling it, I ended [...] 
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 8:21 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 3:31 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER
Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio
Barbecued chicken thighs and corn grilled in the husk

Chicken thighs need a P.R. firm. Though possessed of great dollar value and wowza texture, the little legs' image suffered grievously during the fat-free, skinless-boneless zealotry of the nineties and desperately want re-branding for 2009.

Though skinless chicken breasts have their place in the culinary hall of fame (see: Chick-Fil-A), thighs are a cook's dream. A veritable yin-yang of white and flavorsome dark meat, thighs are also ideal recession food: I picked up a giant package at Acme for just $1.29/lb.

My venerable Mom-Mom seasons hers with Italian spices and Locatelli cheese before packing them in an egg dip and herbed breadcrumb crust; a whole tray of the thighs gets baked in the oven. Served hot, room temp or cold from the fridge, the meat is moist and tender, with a crunchy, almost burnt bottom and crispy crumb shell. These last bare seconds at family gatherings.

The boyfriend does his on the grill, simply seasoned with salt and pepper and basted with barbecue sauce for the last few moments of cooking, and a better grilled chicken I've yet to taste. Scope his fast method after the jump � and get thee to the freezer sale at Acme to load up on newly fashionable chicken thighs.

Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio
After the first flip, pre-sauce

Mike Persico's Barbecued Chicken Thighs

Figure on 2-4 chicken thighs per person (depending on size) for dinner, plus a side or two

Go Get This:

Chicken thighs

Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil

Barbecue sauce of choice

Now Do This:

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high, or make a hot pile of coals in a charcoal grill.

In a large bowl, lightly coat the chicken thighs in vegetable oil on all sides.� Season with salt and pepper on both sides and place thighs on grill, skin side down.� Allow to cook with grill cover closed for 10 minutes.

Flip thighs to other side and allow to cook with cover closed for twelve minutes.

Turn heat down to medium. With a brush or mop, glaze thighs with barbecue sauce on both sides and allow to cook for three minutes with cover closed.

Flip and brush with sauce again on both sides; cook another minute, taking care not to allow sauce to char.

Chicken is done when juices run clear when pierced with a knife, or until an instant-read meat thermometer reads 170 degrees Fahrenheit.� 25 minutes of total cooking time is recommended -- like most human thighs, the chicken legs have a fair amount of fat and won't dry out as quickly as breasts.

Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio
Always start skin-side down -- this goes for fish, too.
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 3:31 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 3:23 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER | Vegan | Vegetarian
Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio
Traditional white gazpacho with green grapes

Say gazpacho and immediately think tomato. Say white gazpacho, the Andalucian pur�e of olive oil, almonds and garlic, and think again.

This Spanish soup is a traditional summer starter course, served in restaurants fancy and humble all over Andalucia. Also called ajo blanco, the smooth soup is an easy pur�e of blanched almonds, raw garlic and green grapes. The chilled, finished product is shockingly refreshing, yielding spoonfuls more flavor than its milky white appearance suggests.

The major flavors here are clean and simple: sweetness from the grapes, earthy nuttiness from the blanched almonds and a bite from the garlic. If you can find locally grown garlic, by all means use it, as it has a less sharp flavor than commercial bulbs from Cali.

I've tried several recipes for white gazpacho, with mixed results. Starting with just one clove of garlic is recommended � it can become a powerful element.

Searching "white gazpacho recipe" on Google turns up 54,200 matches. I filtered for you.

The Good: The best recipe (flavor, ease, good instructions) was adapted by Sean of San Francisco's Hedonia blog. His tips are way useful, and his ajo blanco is supreme.

The Bad: I don't know why I didn't look at the URL of this terrible, one-dimensional recipe. It should have tipped me off immediately.

The Complicated: Bobby Flay adds all kinds of luxe ingredients to his version, including verjus and walnut oil.


Sean
Posted 2009-05-26 22:54:36
You like me, you really like me! I'm flattered beyond belief and thrilled you found the recipe so compelling. It was an homage to the white gazpacho we had in Cordoba that haunts me still.

Faiqa
Posted 2009-05-28 07:58:37
Great work.  Thanks for shairing that.
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 3:23 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 8:55 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER
Photo | Drew Lazor

It turns out my nightmares were unfounded, as my sous chefs Drew Lazor, Mike Persico and I covered ourselves in glory at last night's Open ChefAMe event at The Dark Horse. 6ABC even dropped by to interview us! Unfortunately it was right when I was wrestling sheet trays in and out of a 400-degree convection oven, so I look hassled and sweaty instead of cocky and swaggering like a real TV chef.

Here, for your pleasure, are the recipes I used to create the three courses that fed 87 people. Since it's unlikely you have the entire Phillies staff or the cast and crew of Top Chef coming over for dinner, everything is scaled to feed six normal folks. After the jump, the links and methods for my three inexplicably successful courses. (Check back soon for more pics and Drew's recap of the evening.)

Sweet Corn Soup with bacon, chive and cr�me fra�che garnish

Serves 6 as a hearty first course or lunch

Bon App�tit's recipe for Summer Corn Soup

Prepare Dorie Greenspan's recipe as directed; but replace green onions with chives for garnish


Goug�res with dry-cured ham, watercress and Dijon cream

Serves� 6-8 as a very generous appetizer or light lunch

Alain Ducasses' recipe for Goug�res at Food & Wine

Prepare as Alain directs; while puffs are in oven, assemble the following:

1/4 lb. prosciutto di Parma, very thinly sliced

One bunch watercress, rinsed well, leaves picked off stems

Dijon cream:� 1 tsp. Grey Poupon mixed well with 2 tbsp. cr�me fra�che

Now Do This:

Slice each goug�re like a sandwich roll.� Dab a tiny dot of Dijon cream in the center of one side, top with three or four leaves of watercress.� Stack one or two slices of the prosciutto inside, close up and serve immediately.


Moroccan spiced braised lamb shoulder with lentils and minted yogurt

Serves 6 as an entre�

Go Get This:

4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder
1 1/2 cups diced onions, mixture of white and red
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
4 cups white wine
1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
12 pitted prunes, sliced in half
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper

Now Do This:

Unroll the lamb shoulder. Using a sharp knife, cut away all of the fat cap as well as most of the sinew and connective tissue. Season all over with salt and pepper. Cut into large chunks all the same size.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large, heavy bottom cast-iron casserole or pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown the lamb in batches until it is dark red on all sides. Set lamb aside.

In the lamb fat and olive oil, sweat onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook that down as well, until soft. Add cumin and cinnamon and stir to combine. Add some salt and pepper.

Pour white wine into pan and scrape bottom of pan vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate flavorful browned bits (this is deglazing). Allow to boil for a few minutes. Add lamb and prunes to pan � make sure there is enough liquid in pan that lamb is sitting in a shallow puddle � not totally immersed. Add water or wine as necessary.

Cover tightly and place in 325-degree oven. Allow to braise for two hours, then check that there is enough liquid remaining. Stir well and return to oven for two more hours.

Remove when lamb is falling apart tender. Check for seasoning � keep covered and set aside.

To make the lentils:

Go Get This:

1 1/2 cups lentils de Puy (French green lentils)
1 bay leaf
4 tbsp. bacon fat or butter
1/2 cup diced red onions
salt and pepper

Now Do This:

Combine lentils and bay leaf with 6 cups water and a small handful of salt� in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil, then turn down to a simmer until lentils are tender with a little bite. Drain lentils and set aside.

When ready to serve lentils with lamb, heat the bacon fat or butter in a large saut� pan until hot and shimmering. Add diced onion to pan and cook until slightly browned and softened.

Add lentils to pan and saut� until heated through and slightly crispy from oil.

To make the minted yogurt:

Go Get This:

One bunch fresh mint, washed, leaves picked off stems
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
One small container (7 oz.) plain Greek yogurt

Now Do This:

Put yogurt into a small bowl or Tupperware container. Take mint leaves and pulse in a blender or Cuisinart with a stream of olive oil until a rough paste forms.

Blend mint paste with yogurt until well combined. Refrigerate until needed for service.

To Plate:

Get one lemon and wash it thoroughly.

Place a scoop of warmed lentils in a shallow bowl or rimmed plate. Top with a scoop of the warm lamb, then a large dollop of the mint yogurt.

With a Microplane, zest the lemon over top of each dish as garnish.

Serve with a light red wine like Dolcetto or a big, crisp white like Chenin Blanc.


ChefAMe » Blog Archive » Two chefs, one night — A great success!
Posted 2009-05-19 17:23:06
[...] sharing Alyssa’s recipes with you all very soon.  Felicia’s recipes are posted over at Meal Ticket, the City Paper’s food blog.  We hope that you’ll give these recipes a shot and let us know how you fare with making [...] 

Meal Ticket :: Blog Archive :: Behind the scenes at Open ChefAMe :: Philadelphia City Paper :: Philadelphia Arts, Restaurants, Music, Movies, Jobs, Classifieds, Blogs
Posted 2009-05-19 18:40:10
[...] the world)• Morning Rounds, May 5th Meal Ticket• Behind the scenes at Open ChefAMe• Three Courses of Glory: The Open ChefAMe Recipes• SUPPER: Grilled Melon, all purpose• GQ's Alan Richman shouts out two Philly spots in [...] 
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 8:55 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 4:04 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER | Vegan | Vegetarian
Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio
Major heat.

Firing up the grill marks the transition between changeable, windy spring and the warm, outdoor-eating nights of summer. At my house, it also means throwing all kinds of things onto the grill in� char-broil experiments. Pizza, chicken thighs and fruit all cook well on the high heat.

Grilling sweet melon is as unnecessary as it is tasty. The stuff tastes great on its own, but caramelizing the surface sugars amplifies the sweetness of an underripe fruit and amplifies the juicy texture. The grilled melon can then be combined with other fresh fruits and vegetables for a summer salad, pur�ed into a chilled soup and garnished with cr�me fra�che for a light dessert, or wrapped in prosciutto for a twist on the traditional Italian starter.

To prepare, slice the melon in half and scoop out the seeds. With the cut side down, cut away the skin and green layer of the fruit with a sharp knife. Slice the skinned half-melon into 1/4- or 1/2-inch slices. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high and brush lightly with vegetable oil, or spray with nonstick grilling spray. Grill each side of the melon until dark brown grill marks form and the fruit is softened slightly, two minutes on each side.

Chop the melon into chunks and mix with sliced cucumbers, Belgian endive and sliced fennel for a unique salad. Dress with lime juice and a bit of cayenne pepper. For a dessert, serve the whole slices topped with vanilla ice cream, or pur�e the grilled melons and place in a shallow pan in the freezer for an hour. Scrape the mostly frozen mixture with a flat spoon to create a chilly granita. Layer the granita with whipped cream for a parfait.

Ah, summer.

Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 4:04 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Friday, May 8, 2009, 3:04 PM
Filed Under: Chef Salad | Openings | Recipes | Vegetarian
Blackfish Stone Harbor
Pea shooters

As we speak, the staff at Blackfish Stone Harbor is preparing to open for the frenzied summer season down the Shore. Chef and owner Chip Roman has taken over the former Henny's Caf� waterfront space in the swank resort town, transformed by Stokes Architechture (Buddakan, Continental Mid-town) into a 5,000-square-foot restaurant seating 200. On Saturday, May 9 they will swing open their doors to lure the Lily Pulitzer locals away from the fried flounder and broiled scallops that comprise standard Shore dining.

Like Blackfish in Conshohocken, Roman's menu will play with progressive American dishes, and put the ample local produce and fresh seafood to good use. Think Cape May Salts oysters with carbonated Meyer lemon, watermelon and pink peppercorn for small plates; a bouillabaisse of seasonal fish with saffron broth, crusty bread and rouille for entr�es. Lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch and late-night menus will be served. Accompanying the fare will be a specialty cocktail list featuring this year's Philly-come-lately drink trend, vintage cocktails.� Moore Brothers Wine Company has created a wine list emphasizing values from small, family operations in Europe and California.

If you can't make it to the beach just yet, Roman has shared his recipe for Chilled English Pea soup exclusively with Meal Ticket. The simple recipe embodies the best qualities of summer cooking � no heat is required, the flavors are clean and fresh and the vibrant green soup is impressive-looking enough to serve to your most discerning company.� Recipe after the jump.

Look for photos of the brand-new Blackfish Stone Harbor this Monday on Meal Ticket.

Blackfish Stone Harbor, 9628 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, N.J., 609-967-9100,� blackfishrestaurant.com.

Chilled English Pea Soup

Chip Roman, Blackfish Stone Harbor

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Cup frozen English peas (petite pois peas are best)

2 Cup vegetable stock

Dash Salt and pepper

1Tsp white balsamic vinegar

2 Tblsp cr�me fra�che (available at Whole Foods)

Lemon oil for garnish (available at Whole Foods)

4 Snow pea shoots for garnish

Method:

Thaw peas

Blend peas with vegetable stock (use vita prep or blender)

Add salt, pepper, cr�me fra�che and balsamic vinegar

Pass through fine strainer or chinois

Let sit in refrigerator for 2 hours until flavors blend (should be an Intense green color)

Adjust seasoning to taste

Serve in bowl and garnish with drops of lemon oil and pea tops or snow pea shoots


Meal Ticket :: Blog Archive :: FIRST LOOK: Blackfish Stone Harbor :: Philadelphia City Paper :: Philadelphia Arts, Restaurants, Music, Movies, Jobs, Classifieds, Blogs
Posted 2009-05-11 12:46:48
[...] T-Shirts• two.one.five Q&A with Jose Garces• FIRST LOOK: Capogiro goes P'unk • SUMMER SUPPER: Chip Roman's chilled English pea soup• IN PRINT: City Paper Food and Restaurants, May 7• PATIO DRINKING: Ch

Luke J
Posted 2009-05-27 15:20:52
I made this recipe and it is fantastic!  It didn't look as good as the soup pictured, but I'm also not a chef. I tried to click your link to the restaurant on this page, and the link appears to be broken.  I typed it in and it did work though.  Just thought you should know. I recommend this recipe though!

Drew Lazor
Posted 2009-05-27 15:33:09
Luke J:



Very happy to hear you liked the recipe. Thanks for the heads up re: links; all should be fixed now.
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 3:04 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About this blog
Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews herethose are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

Follow team Meal Ticket on Twitter:

@mealticket | @carolinerussock | @adamerace

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