Linguine alla "Puttanesca" with Zucchini, Shrimp and Lamb-Feta Sausage

I was going to save this for Sunday, but I may not be able to post my Top Bloggers blog until then, so I'm posting this today. I actually wrote this on Monday night before all my internet access problems began. Thank you, Comcast, you bastards!

Since it was already loaded up with the pictures etc. all I have to do is post, unlike the Bloggers blog which I need to add everyone's pics to... what a pain!! I've got the SIM card on my laptop working now (Thank you, AT&T) which means I may be able to comment tonight, but I WILL be IMBIBALICIOUS so reader beware!

Anyway enjoy!

It's a good simple recipe.

It was a spectacular early Spring sunset last night with a fiery sky blazing in the west, the scent of blossoming acacias in the air and a strong breeze blowing like a bugle; all the harbingers of Spring in the San Francisco bay area.

Although, there was still enough of a chill in the air to make me think of cast iron pots bubbling with something warm and savory.

But, I've been on a pasta kick lately and had Campofilone's yummy red chili linguine waiting to be liberated from its package in the pantry. I wanted something that would go well with the pasta & still satisfy that urge for a little cast iron cookery.

The hubby envisioned a puttanesca-like sauce with olives, capers, garlic and some shrimp for added protein.

I saw a lamb & feta sausage at Whole Foods and some pretty little zucchini and decided they would provide an earthiness to the sauce & a contrast to the fiery chilis in the pasta with the briny shrimp. A sort of new twist on surf and turf!

Green basil was nowhere to be found but I spied a frilly opal basil much more pungent than the usual sweet basilica but still a match for the intensely flavored sauce. Some leftover '01 Castel Giacondo Brunello di Montalcino from last night would be a good way to deglaze the pot & we were off!!!


The sunset last night provided quite a show while I was cooking dinner. It took all my discipline to prevent myself from grabbing my glass of '02 Leroy Mersault & sitting in front of the window with the hubby to watch nature bask in all it's glory. Because as some you pals know, I am not imbibing during the week anymore, dammit!!

Instead I assembled all my ingredients for a group photo:

and dinner was as good as cooked (although with too many ingredients & steps to be considered "Lazy Gourmet"-style which it isn't)...

Red Chili Linguine alla "Puttanesca" with Zucchini, Shrimp and Lamb-Feta Sausage

Note: This recipe is puttanesca-ish. I'll call it a puttanesca because it makes it sound so naughty. I guess I should call it "amatranesca" but I don't want to start inventing Italian words that don't make sense.

I do add the dried chilis, tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovies (actually Thai fish sauce which is made from pressed anchovies) of the puttanesca but I don't mince the olives, I slice them and I keep the capers whole.

I also add a bit of diced zucchini, raw shrimp & lamb sausage this time which could make it seem more amatriciana-like if I added guanciale as the protein instead of all the other stuff and, of course, from a purist's standpoint, the olives & capers would be atypical in amatriciana sauce; so it's not quite that either.

Oh well! Whatever the original dish this bastardization comes from, it's yummy, easy to make, cooks quickly & is very satisfying. Go very light on the salt when seasoning along the way and taste, taste, taste because most of these ingredients including the shrimp are full of sodium.
The flavors get layered in, be patient, you'll be glad you were. It was almost worth missing that amazing sunset for!!! I promise to write all down tomorrow but now it's beddy-bye time.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of raw 20 count raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined (Whole Food sells E Z peel ones with shells on & the vein already removed)
• 2 large cooked lamb-feta sausage (these had fennel in them, yummy; any sweet Italian pork sausage, guanciale or pancetta can be substituted), cooled & cut into small dice
• 1 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, cut into small dice with liquid
• 2 large garlic cloves, smashed & minced finely
• 2 young zucchini, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1 tablespoon of capers, drained (if you use capers stored in salt, be sure to rinse off the salt first)
• 12 pitted black olives, each sliced into 4 pieces(I used nicoise, you can use any you like)
  
• handful of parsley, chopped finely
• 3 sprigs of oregano, leaves only, chopped finely
• 6 basil leaves, cut into a fine chiffonade
  
• a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• the juice of half a Meyer lemon
• extra-virgin olive oil for sauteing & drizzling
  
• 1/2 cup of dry red wine
• 1/4 cup of dry white wine (optional)
  
• 1/2 cup of vegetable stock (optional)
  
• 1/8 teaspoon of Thai fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons on half & half (optional)
  
• 1 8.8 oz package of Campofilone Red Chili Dried Egg Linguine
• freshly ground sea salt & black pepper to taste
• a block of parmigiano-reggiano, for grating (optional)
• lemon wedges (optional)
  

Directions:

1) Start with a large heavy bottomed pot, over medium heat. I'm using a 7 quart Le Creuset cast iron Bouillabaisse pot. So pretty!

2) Drizzle enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan & add sausages. Cook the sausages with the pot lid on to prevent spatter & steam them slightly as they saute, turning them every few minutes until all the fat is released & the sausages are just evenly cooked. 10 minutes or so. (Not pictured the grease would have splattered all over the camera lens)

3) Meantime, peel your shrimp, give them a quick cold water rinse and dry them on paper towels and season them with freshly ground black pepper.


4) If you haven't fully prepared your mise en place, better finish it now while the sausages are cooking. Chop and set every thing in its place so it is ready and within reach when you are. While it is always best to prepare your ingredients before you begin to cook, an uncomplicated meal like this doesn't always mandate it. Unless you are not familiar with the dish, in which case, you must prepare everything to be sure you have what you need.

5) Next, when the sausages are cooked remove them from the pot and place them on a chopping block to cool. Lower heat under pot to medium- medium low.

6) While sausages are cooling, wad up a long piece of paper towel and using a pair of long metal tongs to hold it, soak up most of the excess fat released by the sausages in the pot leaving about a teaspoon's worth of the lamb fat in the pot and dispose of the paper towel.

7) Add enough e.v.o.o. to coat the bottom of the pot and to that add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a quick grind of sea salt & black pepper and then the zucchini, giving it a quick stir to coat it evenly with the oil and begin to dislodge some of the fond (browned bits left in the bottom of the pan by the sausage), followed by the capers & then the olives.


8) After giving it all a bit of a stir, add 1/3 the parsley, 1/3 the oregano & 1/3 of the basil & stir it in until aromatic.

9) Meantime, your sausage should have cooled enough to allow you to chop into small dice roughly the equivalent of the size of the zucchini. (Normally, I would have cooked the sausage out of its casing in step 2, eliminating the need for cooling & dicing but these lamb sausages have chunks of feta in them which would have burned in the bottom of the pot had I not cooked them whole.) Add them to the pot with the zucchini mixture. Give them a stir & let them mingle with the veggies for a minute or two.

10) Time to deglaze the pan. Turn the heat up to medium-high & add your red wine. Let it sizzle a moment then stir well and scrape up the pot frond, releasing all the brown bits. Allow the wine to reduce by 3/4 (about 3- 5 minutes).

When the wine is almost evaporated then add the tomatoes to the mixture stirring well to combine & add another 1/3 of the parsley, 1/3 of the oregano & 1/3 of the basil. Taste the sauce. Adjust the seasoning but keep in mind that we haven't added the fish sauce yet which is very salty. Reduce the heat to medium & cover the pot.
Let the sauce cook for 5-7 minutes.


11) While the sauce is cooking, fill a pasta pot 3/4 of the way with water and place over medium-high heat to boil.

While that is getting ready to boil, remove the lid from the sauce & set aside. Stir, taste it, if the sauce looks dry add a 1/4 cup of white wine and stir it in. Let it cook down a minute or two.

Then add a 1/4 cup of vegetable stock, stir that in. Taste it, if the sauce is too acidic add the half & half & stir. Let it cook a minute or so. If it still seems to "winey" or acidic add a little more half & half and/or drizzle in a little olive oil. Stir well.

12) When the sauce seems balanced, add the fish sauce; an 1/8 of a teaspoon goes a long way, so be careful not to add too much. Adjust the seasoning to your taste (pepper, salt) & lower the heat to a bare simmer.


13) Get ready to poach the shrimp over very low heat, add them one at a time in a single layer across the bottom of the pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 of parsley, oregano & basil & the juice of half a Meyer lemon.

Cover pot tightly with the lid & gently poach shrimp for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir the shrimp into the sauce & wait for the pasta.


14) While shrimp poach, prepare the pot for your pasta by adding a teaspoon or so of sea salt to the boiling water. Remember, this Campofilone thin egg pasta cooks in 2-3 minutes. My directions & timing for the sauce are presuming that you use this pasta.If you are using a different type of pasta cook it according to the package instructions.

If it is a pasta that requires a longer cooking time, be sure you adjust the cooking time of the shrimp to accommodate the pasta. Overcooked shrimp are not good tasting. Make the necessary adjustments ahead of time.

15) When the water starts to resume boiling, add the linguine & cook stirring often at first to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook no longer than three minutes (or according to package directions) or until it is al dente (fully cooked but still slightly resistant to the tooth when you bite into it). You will continue to cook the pasta for a minute or so in the sauce itself; so don't overcook it now.

16) When the pasta is cooked, remove the pot from the heat & place it near the sauce pot.

Using metal tongs or a pasta fork, carefully lift the pasta from the water, one tongful at a time, allowing the excess water to drain before placing the linguine in the sauce pot.

When you have placed all the pasta in the sauce, grate to taste some fresh parmigiano-reggiano directly on the pasta to season it. Then gently fold it into the sauce until it is well combined & coated in the sauce.

Serve in warm bowls with slices of lemon, a drizzle of the best quality olive oil & a little dusting of Parmigiano. Enjoy!!!

This recipe serves four.


This recipe was also posted on my MySpace blog, so the following pertains to that site, but I will leave it in anyway...
It's fun! :)

CC is my nom de plume there. It stands for Closed Captioned For the Thinking Impaired which is what I call my blog there.

Not exactly a pasta primavera, but still the lamb sausage, the shrimp, the zucchini... haha.... let's say they are best in the Springtime even if we lie... ;P

What's your fave pasta dishes?

Feel free to post a recipe, if you like.

Will you be IMBIBALICIOUS tonight, like I plan to be?

Do you hate Comcast & Motorola, too?

Here were a few of my statuses yesterday that cracked some of my pals up:

C.C.says... Well, boys & girls after 5 GODDAMN internet cafes, one SIM card, a shitload of aggravation & several espressos... CC has replied to EVERY COMMENT!! Yay

Mood: TOMICIDAL at 2:14 PM Mar 26


C.C.says Oh my Spesus!! She finally found a place with halfway decent wireless, but now the MySmegma has begun!! Why is MySpazz double & triple posting EVERYTHING?

Mood: TOMICIDAL at 11:17 AM Mar 26

Then there was this bulletin update:

Okay, this took me 5 internet cafes, one SIM card, several espressos & a shitload of MySmegma because TheSpasms were at all-time high, but I am NEVER deterred, dammit!!

Comcast, Tom & Motorola be fucked.... I will REPLY!!!

So come & get your love!
I'll hand here at the Espresso Roma Cafe for a bit more then I am dragging my ass to the gym for an EXPLOSIVE workout!! Because I NEED RELEASE!!!!!!!

AAAAaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAaaaaAA​AAaaaaAAAAaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAA


C.C. in response to a bulletin comment from a pal:

Mar 26, 2009 2:45 PM

No, it's my modem for my iMac. It's 3 years old. My laptop is fine, but the access at the cafes were so painfully slow, I used my iPhone.... UGH!!! Then I bought a SIM Card but HELLO, you need internet access to install it!! FUCK! So I'm at another cafe & getting ready to download the software for the damn "Air Card" I am ready to BITE somebody HARD!!! ;p

You are now fully updated on my state of mind ...hahah...

AREN'T YOU THRILLED???
HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!!

OH YES & DON'T LURK, DAMMIT!!

I KNOW WHEN YOU ARE LURKING & I KNOW WHEN YOU ARE DIVINE!!!

HAHAHA

XOXOXOXOXOXO

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

It's the Fourth of July............. Let's Get Ready To G-RRRumble!!!

It's that time of year again, folks! 

The time to dust the cobwebs off that grill, if you haven't already started your official grilling season, what are you waiting for? If not now then when?

Yep, it is summertime & the living is easy.

I don't know about the jumping fish or how high the cotton is.

I mean I live in San Francisco, not in Scarlett O'Hara's beloved Tara. 

Hell, I doubt if the most devoted Atlantan could tell you anything about cotton these days other than what the bid is on the commodities market, and, even then, only if they were financially inclined.

Nope, the traditional lazy, hazy days of summer don't really apply here in Bagdhad by the Bay. It feels more like November than July, but I'll be darned if we are not just as patriotic as you guys that are sweltering in the heat of the dog days of summer.

Why July 4th is incredibly meaningful to us! Sure we grumble about the frozen tundra the city is in July & August. But, hey, we get out our down jackets, our gloves & scarves and excitedly gather around the beautiful Golden Gate to watch the fireworks reflect magnificent colors off the water. 

You may wonder why choose not to look up in the air when we view these pyrotechnic marvels.

Well, that's simple. It's a three letter word that really makes you want to use as many four letter words as possible when it is in our midst. Carl Sandburgh who was probably drunk off hid gourd when he composed this little ditty, says of it:

"The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on."

Doesn't that sound lovely?

Yeah right, until your fingers are blue from it while standing in 55 degree weather motionless while the city spends a gazillion dollars of tax payer money so you can ooohh & ahhhh at the colorful reflections in the bay's dark waters. 

To make it clear to the meanest intelligence: it is too damn foggy to ever see the fireworks in San Francisco!!!

But somehow, every year throngs of thousands clog the street arteries of the Northern waterfront of the city, expectantly & exuberantly hoping for a miracle. Yes, they fervently hope that whatever deity they pray to will see fit to allow the foggy equivalent of  parting of the Red Sea, just long enough for them to see flashes of light exploding in starriest climes. Never has 25 lousy minutes meant so much to so many. 

Lucky for us we don't have to join the huddled masses yearning to be free from fog to have a spectacular view of the display (if the weather ever permits it), we can watch from the comfort of our cosy little apartment. 

I do feel, however, a pang of pity for those who drive all the way over here from some godforsaken place just to spend their holiday with us. Thinking that somehow this is the place to be for the spectacle.

Silly rabbits, Trix are for kids!

Here's what the fireworks look like on a really good clear July 4th:

Now I know most of you are looking at the pretty bridge right now. 

Fuggetaboutit! 

I'm not talking about pretty lights on the bridge. 

It's the Fourth of July, people, I want to see a dazzling light extravaganza.

I can see the lights on the Bay Bridge every night.

No!!!! I'm talking about the puffs of smoke on the left side of the picture. 

That, my friends, is the 4th of July fireworks display in a good year!

So consider yourselves forewarned. 

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, plan a trip into San Francisco for the fourth of July unless you are a blind Eskimo because then, at least, the 50 degree weather in July won't chill the marrow of your bones &  the fact that it's too foggy to see won't bother you either. I mean you'll be able to hear it, so if you're blind this is the perfect place to experience the fireworks because you know you won't be missing anything!

Well one way you can still celebrate the same way as the rest of the country is by grilling.

This July 4th weekend, I thought would be great to grill burgers but give them a slightly  healthier twist.

 

So the hubby & I will be making: 

Chicken Jalapeno Cheddar Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

 Ingredients 

For the burgers:

• 1 lb. of ground chicken breast
  
• 4 oz. of extra sharp white cheddar or Manchego Cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
  
• 2 roasted jalapeno chilis, seeds & membrane removed and cut into small dice (blackened on the stove top or grill until blistered then cooled)
  
• 2 whole scallions, lighter green parts only, finely minced
  
• salt & pepper to taste
  
• 2 pickled jalapenos, sliced thinly (for garnish)
  
• 4 slices of Brandywine or your favorite thick juicy tomato
  
• 1/2  avocado, thinly sliced into eighths
  
• 4 hamburger buns (I like to use brioche-like buns)

For the chipotle aioli:

• 1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, chopped into a paste
  
• 4 tablespoons of Best Foods Low fat Mayo (aka Hellman's on the East Coast)
  
• 1 teaspoon of lime juice
  
• 1/2 garlic clove smashed & minced into a paste.
• 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
  
• salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the Chipotle Mayo in a bowl until well combined. Taste for seasonings & acidity. Adjust seasonings.
2. Then place in a serving bowl & set aside.
3. In a large stainless steel mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, scallions, roasted jalapenos, salt & fresh ground pepper & combine thoroughly but do not overmix.
4. Divide the chicken evenly into four and, using your hands, shape them into round 1/2" thick patties. Remember the patties will swell in thickness & shrink in diameter as you cook them, so shape them accordingly.
5. Set them aside until you are ready to cook them. Then prepare the shrimp & then the lamb burgers, if serving them as well.
6. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap & water.
7. Turn on your grill & preheat it for at least 20 minutes. Do the same with your broiler.
8. When you are ready to cook the chicken burgers, place them over medium heat, & cook them on one side for 5 minutes without touching them. Then give them a 1/4 turn on your grill or griddle, leaving them to cook on the same side for an additional 3-4 minutes.
9. Then flip the burgers over to the other side, cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes. After which, you will give them another 1/4 turn for the last 3-4 minutes. This will provide with pretty grill, crosshatched grill marks.
10. The chicken needs to be cooked all the way through until well-done & there is no sign of pink. When it doubt, take a peek by cutting through the center of one.
11. Remove from the heat, on a foil lined baking sheet, place your four buns, cut side up & top each half with cheddar. Broiling for 45 seconds or until the cheese is melted to your liking. Place a bottom half of the bun on a plate.
12. Place a chicken burger on the bottom half of each bun. Garnish the burger with the tomato, pickled jalapeno & avocado slices. You may want to mash the avocado slightly with a fork if you couldn't cut it into thin fans.
13. Serve with the Chipotle Aioli on the side. 

This recipe serves 4 independent-minded patriotic revelers.

You can serve with a simple mixed green salad or potato salad.

Keep it simple! 

A icy cold Corona goes well with this but so does a maragarita.

We'll be drinking a 2001 Leroy Auxey-Duresses, but it's your party & you can drink what you want to... drink what you want to.... drink what you want to...

Shrimp Scallion & Ginger Burgers with Sriracha Aioli

 

Lamb Black Olive & Feta Burgers with Tszatiki Sauce. 

All served on brioche buns & pitas with slices of Brandywine Heirloom tomatoes & slices of avocado.

Sounds weird & complicated, right?

Anything but!

BTW, all of the recipes are mine, but none of the photos are mine. 

I'll replace the food shots when I cook the burgers this weekend.

Thanks to Google images for providing a little color to the blog.

A food blog without the pics is like fireworks in the fog..... POINTLESS!

Happy Independence Day!

Long Live the Stars & Stripes!!!

Back From Hiatus: An Indulgent Hawaiian-inspired Autumn Menu

It's been a long time since my last posting. Six weeks; if you, my imaginary readers, happen to be counting. I have been a busy little girl:
Two weeks in the land of Aloha; one week in that land's near polar opposite: Manhattan; and playing catch-up in San Francisco between trips.
It's astonishing how much time can be spent preparing to pack, then the actually packing, then the post-trip unpacking which includes the garb organizing into hand-washables, dry cleanables, machine washables, disposables (something always needs to weeded out after either careless handling or never-fitting properly) and there's the always exciting, newly purchased piles that need to be carefully hidden until the appropriate "What this old thing?" or "Oh sweetie, I've had this for years, I can't believe you've never noticed it!!!" moment when the hubby remarks on the totally hot Dolce & Gabbana trench coat recently liberated from Barneys NY.

All of this, while not exactly one of the more rigorous forms of manual labor, not quite on par with say... coal-mining, does take time & requires effort that might otherwise go into more creative endeavors like blogging, for instance.

But fear not, gentle reader, all those sunsets, massages, cocktails and gourmet meals were not for naught. Every second that I spent soaking up the sun or scarfing down ahi poke & Krug rose was spent for you and your continuing edification (always keeping the budding gourmand in mind). A martyr to my cause... that's what all who know me think and the next few blogs will prove it, you'll see.

For starters, an indulgent yet light Hawaiian-inspired autumn meal made with foods that are readily available in this season of mists & mellow fruitfulness.

Don'tcha just love that Keats dude. You can click on the title of this blog to a link to his "Ode to Autumn" and read it in its entirety. I can't believe he died so young but the early 19th century wasn't exactly a picnic. 

Three of the English language's most beloved romantic poets (Keats, Shelly & Byron) all died within a year or two of each other; all before the age of 30. Ain't that a coincidence? I'd welcome the views of any conspiracy theorists out there with regard to the untimely demise of these young Lotharios who were ill-regarded by the society of their day.

 Well, the fact is even if they were scandalously murdered by some Jack the Ripper of libertines (actually Keats died of TB, Byron of some venereal malady and Shelly drowned "accidentally"), they're immortal words will never be forgotten. (Take that you narrow-minded hate-mongers!)

To the romantic boys of the early 19th century and other fellow hedonists (actually I lead an almost ascetic lifestyle, really I do), I dedicate these recipes for their sensual textures; vibrant, jewel-like colors and exotic flavors. Here's looking at you, kids!!!

Autumn Salad of Smoked Duck Breast, Avocado, Pomegranate Seeds, Dried Figs and Feta over Curly Red Savoy Cabbage and Romaine Lettuce with a Jerez Sherry Vinaigrette

Note:

Don't let the lengthy name of this recipe fool you. It's easier to make than it is to type. The crisp lettuces are really the stars of the show.

Grimaud Farms makes a nice smoked duck breast that they cook with sweet spices (clove, cardamon, etc,) giving the duck a light pleasant asian flavor which I highly recommend using. You top chef wannabes can, of course, smoke or even sous vide your own duck breast, if you have the time and the inclination but sometimes it's better to sub it out. Think of an excellent pre-cooked gourmet product as your very own sous chef; assisting you with some of the more mundane tasks while you create & execute your ultimate vision. If you really don't like duck you can substitute with prosciutto.

Pomegranate seeds come from, you guessed it, pomegranates which you can find from now until January in most grocery stores unless you live in the hinterlands; then, I suggest you substitute the best grapes you can find & cut each grape in half for easier consumption with a fork. Apples cut into dice would work, too; but pomegranates are so sexy, jewel-like & beautiful, you should really try to find them. They are chock full of anti-oxidants & have a surprising nutty crunch along with a sweet/tart juice that really is nice with the duck & salad.

The pomegranate should feel heavy for its size & look plump & round. If it looks too leathery with heavy indentations, it's probably too old to eat but would look great in a flower arrangement or wreath, The seeds are not hard to remove but you want to make sure you remove them in tact. (Wear dark clothes if its you're first time ever.) Just use a very sharp knife, cut the fruit in half at its equator. Then cut each half in half, again. You'll see all the ruby-like seeds grouped together in bunches separated by papery segmented pith. Just grab the bunches of seeds & carefully separate them from the pith using your fingers. Once you do that, you can easily separate the seeds from each other & sprinkle them over your salad.

The sherry vinegar is important. You should have all kinds of vinegar in your pantry because different vinegars can really enhance or detract from a dish not unlike different wines would. Use the Spanish Vinagre de Jerez "La Bodega" which is produced & bottled by Bodegas Paez Morilla, S.A. It is not crazy expensive & will add a more nuanced balanced acidity to the dish than a white wine vinegar or the ubiquitous balsamic vinegar would. If push comes to shove use cider vinegar & a little dijon mustard as a substitute.

Equally important is the olive oil. Use the best you can find, buy it in small quantities so it doesn't go rancid before you use it all (which never happens in my house because I'm an olive oil junkie. I'd mainline it if I could taste it being pumped into my arteries) It must be extra-virgin, preferably cold-pressed and unfiltered. You really want the fruitiness in the oil for this dish. California makes some really great ones right now. I'm always trying different producers but my latest fave is Hillstone Olive Oil, an artisanal producer out of Yolo County, Ca. It's hand harvested from Arbequina Olives, a Spanish variety of olive grown primarily in Catalonia, Spain. The oil in my bottle was harvested 10/23/06 according to the handwritten date on the label. Delicious!!!
For more info http://www.hillstoneoliveoil.com/ourStory.htm

The mission figs air-dried naturally in the small walnut basket where I kept them which is why the recipe calls for dried figs (because I happen to have them on hand, silly) but you could easily use fresh figs which quite remarkably still seem to be available in some markets even this late in the season.
The curly leafed red savoy cabbage (I used only the small inner leaves) is beautiful if you can find it , if not use radicchio.

You'll notice I do not create a salad dressing per se. Instead I choose to simply drizzle the oil, vinegar, pomegranate juice & toss well. This creates a fresh, light coating over the salad ingredients. You can create an emulsion using a touch of dijon mustard, if you prefer it; but, it can be a little heavy & is not huge value add with this particular salad with all of its rich ingredients.

Ingredients:
1/2 smoked duck breast (Grimaud Farm's brand recommended), skin removed, thinly sliced & brought to room temperature
2 oz. feta, crumbled
1 large avocado, pitted & cut into large dice
1 pomegranate, seeds removed & retained (see note), reserving a tablespoonful of seeds for a final garnish & a spoonful of the juice for the dressing
8 dried figs, stemmed & cut into quarters
2 heads of Romaine lettuce, crisp inner leaves only, washed, dried & torn into small pieces
1 head of red curly-leafed savoy cabbage, tender inner leaves only, washed, dried & separated (tear larger leaves into bite-sized pieces
1 small shallot, minced (optional)
2 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves only, roughly chopped (optional)
sea salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (see note)
1 Tablespoon Jerez (Sherry) Vinegar (see note)

Directions:
Toss the salad greens, shallot & tarragon together in a large serving bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients drizzling the oil & vinegar over the salad makings, tossing well to evenly distribute the ingredients & coat the lettuce leaves with the dressing. Add a final sprinkle of the reserved pomegranate seeds over the top. Serve family style or, alternatively, serve on individual salad plates. If you choose that route, for a more elegant presentation, you might like to reserve the duck breast, toss the remaining ingredients and place the salad on the individual plates & fan the thin duck breast slices on the plate around the salad with an additional drizzle of olive oil, pomegranate seeds & pomegranate juice over the duck.

Serves 4.

Opah Poke: Big Island Style Tartare

Note:
The opah looked particularly fresh & delicious at Bryan's (my neighborhood seafood & meat purveyor) the day I made this which is why I chose it. It looked like toro, an unctuous, fattier, sinful cut from the belly of bluefin tuna, which made it doubly appealing to me but a little strong in flavor for some. Sashimi grade ahi, kampachi and/or fresh wild Pacific salmon (which inexplicably still seems to be in season at this posting) make excellent substitutes. All the fish should be firm to the touch with no scent whatsoever except maybe a light pleasant ocean smell.
Make sure whatever fish you buy is at least 1-1/2" thick and impeccably fresh. Remember this is a raw food dish where the fish is flash-cured for flavoring but freshness will be essential to minimize risks of contagions or food-borne illness.
You will have to trim any bloodlines and uneven pieces when you get it at home. Hone your knife beforehand for good clean cuts. The Hawaiians tend to cut their poke into larger cubes but you can make them smaller dice if you prefer a more refined texture. Make sure to cut the avocado the same size as you cut the fish but don't chop the avocado too finely or you'll have fishy guacamole instead of poke.
Add the lime juice after you add the oil to the fish to minimize "cooking" it. You will be adding all the ingredients to the fish first & folding them in before adding the avocado to the poke to minimize mashing the fruit into guacamole.

Ingredients:
about 1 lb. of at least 1-1/2" thick Opah (Hawaiian moonfish), all bloodlines removed then discarded, cut into 1/2" dice
1/2 large Haas avocado, ripe but still firm to the touch, seeded & cut into 1/2" dice
1 Tablespoon of the highest quality extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
the juice of one lime
1-1/2 teaspoons of high quality, low sodium shoyu (soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon of sriratcha sauce (vietnamese chili sauce look for it in the Asian section of your market)
10 chives or 2 scallions, finely minced
1/4 of one jalapeno chile, seeded & finely minced
1 Tablespoon of cilantro, leaves & stems, finely chopped
1 teaspoon unsalted & roasted macadamia nuts, chopped (optional for garnish)
fleur de sel & fresh cracked pepper to taste (after mixing the poke & tasting for seasoning)
6 white corn tortillas, that have been cut into 1/8 of a tortilla wedges & baked in a 350 degree oven on a baking sheet for 10 minutes

Directions:
In a large stainless steel mixing bowl, add the opah & mix in the olive oil using your hands or a spatula being sure to coat the fish completely. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk all the remaining ingredients together except the avocado & the macadamia nuts. Add the dressing to the opah & mix well being sure to completely coat the fish. Now gently fold in the avocado, using your fingers to evenly distribute the avocado. Taste for seasoning & acidity & judiciously add another splash of lime juice an/or salt & pepper, if necessary. Set aside & allow to marinate for no more than 1/2 hour.
Serve in individual martini glasses with a sprinkle of the macadamia nuts atop or, alternatively, in one large caviar server with fresh baked tortilla chips on the side for dipping.

Serves 4.

Olive Oil Poached, Vanilla Scented Shrimp "Ceviche"

Note:
Although you will see dishes like this all over Hawaii, the real inspiration for this "ceviche" comes from a lobster dish served with a vanilla bean buerre blanc at a restaurant called Pitahayas on the hotel & residential corridor known as Los Cabos, a stretch of land between San Jose Del Cabo & Cabo San Lucas on the Baja Peninsula. The combination of the shellfish with the vanilla scented butter sauce was surprisingly good. I've lightened the dish considerably by lightly poaching the shrimp, an easier protein option for the home cook, until just barely cooked through in an olive oil bath that has been "scented" (i.e. steeped) with Tahitian vanilla bean instead of serving it with a vanilla cream sauce. You can easily substitute the vanilla bean with a few drops of high quality vanilla extract. I call it ceviche because except for the olive oil vanilla poaching, I serve the shrimp as a salad with a typical ceviche ( i.e. citrus-based) marinade.
Use a shallow sauce pan or small saute pan to poach the shrimp.

Ingredients:
For the poaching liguid:
3/4 cup olive oil (don't use extra-virgin oil just a nice quality olive oil will do)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tahitian vanilla bean, sliced in half & scraped with a knife (make sure to add scrapings to the poaching oil at athe appropriate point) or 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla bean extract
1 garlic clove, peeled & lightly smashed
1 whole dried red pepper or 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/2 lime, cut in half
1/4 bunch of chives, cut in half
a pinch (1/8 tsp) of sea salt & few grinds of very coarsely ground pepper
1/2 lb. #16 size shrimp ( about 8 large shrimp), keep shells on but remove the pleopods & pereopods (small legs underneath)

For the ceviche:
the juice of half a lime
the juice of one blood orange
1/2 bunch of chives, finely minced
1/2 Haas avocado, cut into 1/2" dice
half a handful of cilantro, leaves only, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of the poaching liquid
the above (see poaching ingredients) shrimp, poached, de-shelled, de-veined & each cut into 4 equal sized pieces
sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
lettuce leaves and lime wedges for garnish
8 warm small white corn tortillas or tortilla chips

Directions:
For the Poaching:
Place olive oil in small (10") saute or sauce pan over low heat, the temperature should be somewhere between 130 - 160 degrees F with a thermometer or barely "shivering" as the French say which is below normal poaching temperature for liquids like water or stock. The oil should not be shimmering, be well below a simmer (185 degrees) & never reach the boiling point (212 degrees F).
When the oil is warm, carefully squeeze the lime juice in the oil and add the lime & all the poaching ingredients except the shrimp to the oil.
Allow the ingredients to steep in the oil for 15 minutes to flavor it then after making sure that the oil is at the proper temperature, add shrimp in a single layer to the pan. Watch shrimp closely for subtle changes in color & translucency. When the bottom appears slightly pinkish (about 2-3 minutes), flip the shrimp over poaching it for another 2 minutes then remove the pan from the heat & allow the shrimp to cool in the poaching oil about 15 minutes.

For the salad:
After the shrimp has cooled in its poaching liquid, remove them from their shells & devein them using a sharp paring knife to make a long shallow incision along the "spine" down to the tail exposing the digestive tract ("vein") & removing it, using a paper towel to brush away any remains. Cut each shrimp into quarters. Add the shrimp to a mixing bowl with the remaining ceviche ingredients and gently toss with your fingers, careful not to smash the avocado into guacamole.
Get a pretty white bowl, large enough to accommodate the shrimp ceviche & line it with the lettuce leaves, add the ceviche to the bowl mounding it atop the lettuce & garnish with lime wedges. Serve the ceviche with just warmed tortillas or tortilla chips.
Serves 4.
Ai ā hewa ka waha, ʻo ka leo ka uku!
(Eat until the mouth can have no more, [my] reward, [your] voice!)
Aloha!