raw yellow squash and zucchini spaghetti with prosciutto basil and melon

raw yellow squash and zucchini spaghetti with prosciutto basil and melon, originally uploaded by aarn! +29th July, 2010+.

sliced 1 1/2 zucchini and 1 1/2 yellow squash into eighth-inch strips, first by using a mandolin and then perpendicular by hand. placed the medley in a colander and sprinkled with 1.5T. salt. tossed the squash to distribute the salt, then let sit for an hour to sweat off excess moisture (leaving the salt on the squash provides salt for the whole dish later. usually you would rinse cabbage after it is sweat in a similar manner). made thin strips out of 1/2 of a small melon, using the same technique as the squash. tasted the squash to make sure that it was not too salty. added the melon strips to the squash strips, along with 3-oz of thin-cut prosciutto sliced into narrow ribbons, 3T. of thin sliced basil, and 1/4-lb of parmesan, also cut into similarly sized strips.

mashed up 2-cloves of olive oil poached garlic, 1/2T. honey, and 1T. of thinly sliced fresh basil in 1T. of the olive oil that was used to poach the garlic initially (garlic olive oil). added 1T. extra virgin olive oil, and then whisked in 1.5T. of lemon juice until emulsified. mixed fresh cracked black pepper, and 1T. of whole milk ricotta into the emulsified dressing.

gently incorporated all of the ingredients and the dressing using bare hands, then served on chilled plates.

file gumbo-style tilapia stew with linguica and potato

file gumbo-style tilapia stew with linguica and potato, originally uploaded by aarn! +16th July, 2010+.

started a roux with one stick of butter (8T.) and 8T. of all-purpose flour in a 10-in cast iron skillet. cooked the roux ingredients over medium heat, stirring regularly, until dark and nutty, then mixed in 2.5T. of file powder (ground sassafras leaves).

sauteed 1/2-lb of diced linguica in 2T. butter in a medium sized sauce pan until browned and all of the fat was rendered out. added a diced half of a green pepper, one diced onion, two stalks of diced celery, and two bay leaves to the sauce pan. seasoned the trilogy with 1/4c. of diced smoked pork fat (just happened to have this in the freezer), 2 sprigs worth of fresh chopped thyme, 2 sprigs worth of fresh chopped oregano, a heavy sprinkling of tony chachere's creole seasoning, a pinch of cayenne, 2 finely chopped dried tobasco peppers, 2T. of chopped jalapeño pepper, 1T. mustard powder, 1t. dried chervil, 1/2t. cumin powder, and salt and pepper. mixed in one large russet potato, diced. let the mixture sit on medium heat until the roux was done.

slowly incorporated the contents of the sauce pan into the roux in the skillet, and added 1/4c. of white wine to loosen things up a bit. added 3c. water to the skillet with 1T. of champagne vinegar and a squirt of worcestershire sauce. placed 1-lb of skinned tilapia fillets into the skillet after the potatos were almost fork tender. simmered the mixture until the tilapia was fully cooked. reseasoned to taste and then plated the stew over some boiled white rice.

spicy summertime gazpacho with fresh cherries

spicy summertime gazpacho with fresh cherries, originally uploaded by aarn! +13th July, 2010+.

quartered eight medium sized tomatoes and placed them in a plastic prep tub. sprinkled 3T. of salt over the tomatoes, and mixed them around to get an even coating. roughly chopped two stalks of celery, with the greens, and threw them into the tub with fifteen or so pitted and stemmed fresh cherries, a quarter of a sweet vidalia onion, 1 clove of garlic, the nose half of a jalapeño pepper (without seeds), 1t. of crushed caraway seed, a pinch of celery seed, a large handful of fresh cilantro with the stems, fresh cracked pepper, a pinch of cayenne, and 1/2c. of extra virgin olive oil. allowed the tomatoes, vegetables, and seasoning to sit on the salt for an hour or so at room temperature, until a fair amount of liquid had leeched out of the tomatoes. blended everything in the bin together with another 1/2c. of extra virgin olive oil, the juice from one lemon and one lime, and salt, pepper, and additional jalapeño pepper (or just hot sauce) to the taste.

stuck the mixture in the refrigerator for a few minutes and then served in a chilled bowl, garnished with sea salt and thin sliced green onions.