| COMMUNITY SUPPORTED CHARLES IVES |
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| RECIPES |
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The first thing you may recognize when you see my recipes is that they very rarely have amount information. At most, they have ratios. There will never be information like, 2 cups of this, or 3 Tbls of that. If you're going to cook well, you need to be tasting the dish as you prepare it. Measurements are for bakers and those who haven't developed their palate enough. Your palate, your taste, should be the determining factor in whether something tastes good or not...not a measurement. Further, 90 percent of good cooking is the ability to use salt and pepper well. I recommend that you use coarse salt and coarse ground black pepper. Coarse ground is easier to see when you're broadcasting it onto food; it's easier to control; and...it's just easier. In addition, never pour the salt or pepper out of the container onto the food. I recommend getting some type of container(s) for your salt and pepper, containers big enough that you can grab the salt or pepper with your finger tips. The containers I use are tiny loaf pans that bakers use for their breads. The only other spice I keep near the stove at all times is chili flakes. Use conservatively though. Chili flakes can be pretty spicy.
Tools it's nice to have: 1. zester 2. garlic press 3. a good knife (a good knife is essential) 4. a large cutting board 5. a food processor (chopping, dressings, pesto, hummus) 6. an immersion blender (for blending sauces in the pan on your stove) 7. a saute pan without rubber handles so you can stick it in the oven (having two saute pans is better) 8. at least 2 sauce pans 9. a stock pot 10. a masher 11. tongs 12. a spatula (rubber and otherwise) 13. at the very least, a hand mixer for baking 14. pizza stones are nice 15. collander 16. a metal mixing bowl without rubber or plastic on the bottom (i say this because i like to put mixing bowls on the stove sometimes to heat the contents up just a little little bit, e.g. I'll stick the bowl on the stove to get the garlic and oil going before using the bowl to toss the broccoli with salt, pepper) 17. a thermometer 18. a stove and oven 19. a hot pad or oven mit or two I may be leaving some stuff out, but I have at least all these things; and I'm able to do pretty much whatever I want.
Last general suggestion: Keep it simple. Don't go crazy with the ingredients. Another last general suggestion: Always use organic everything. It tastes better. Further, use as much local as you can. Local also tastes better, because it's fresher, etc.
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FISH TACOS |
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Swordfish Corn tortillas Cheddar cheese (note: cheddar cheese is not yellow...they dye it) Cabbage and carrots (I use cabbage instead of lettuce and carrots instead of not carrots) Sour cream Salsa Guacamole |
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I prepare the salsa and guacamole first so that I can snack on it with chips while I prepare the rest of the meal. Salsa Ingredients: tomatoes, onions, garlic, lemon, cilantro, salt, pepper, hot pepper Dice tomato, purple onion, and very small dice a jalapeno or a pepper called a 'joe's long hot' (I prefer the flavor and heat of the long hot). Chop cilantro. Place in mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, lemon to taste. Also, press garlic into bowl with press--if you have a garlic press--or simply chop garlic and add to taste. In the end, the way i make it...is to have the tomatoes and onions in the bowl and then add everything else to taste as i mix. Guacamole Ingredients: avocados, lime, garlic, salt, pepper Place avocados in mixing bowl. Use potato masher to mash after you've added lime, garlic, salt, pepper. You'll will be tasting as you add ingredients. Mix ingredients by mashing and stirring simultaneously.
Cabbage Ingredients: cabbage, carrots, white vinegar, vegetable oil, chili flakes, salt, pepper Shred cabbage and carrots. Mix together with other ingredients in mixing bowl to taste. Don't go crazy with the vinegar or oil.
Once the salsa, guacamole, and cabbage are prepared, I start a little olive oil in my saute pan so that I can prepare the tortillas. I 'kind of' fry them. I use two tortillas for each taco shell. I place one in the pan for a short time and then flip it. I then place a little dot of cheese on top of the tortilla to act as the glue for the tortilla I next place on top. What I'm doing is making a bit of a quesadilla that will act as the shell for my tacos. When the bottom tortilla is a nice golden brown, I flip it and add a good amount of cheese on top. This is the cheese that will come into contact with the contents of the taco. When I'm finished making the 'shells', I put them off to the side and start on the fish. To prepare the fish, cut into 1 inch cubes before cooking. Start olive oil in pan. Medium high. Add the fish, salt and pepper. Toss around a bit to distribute salt and pepper. Don't play with the fish too much. Let it cook. Ideally, the fish should be at least a little golden if not golden brownish. Just make sure you don't cook the fish too much. Dry fish is nasty.
Plating First lay the tortilla on a plate, flat. Next cabbage. Next fish. Next salsa. Then guacamole. Then sour cream. And then, if you have anything green like scallions or more cilantro, you can sprinkle them on top for garnish. I also usually serve the taco with a lime wedge. ...And that's it. This meal is good for larger groups of people because it's pretty easy and fun and kind of comes with built in appetizers--salsa and guacamole.
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CORN SALAD |
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Corn on the cobb (not canned corn. you should never use canned corn if you can help it.) Bell peppers (a variety of colors is good. one red is essential) Purple onion (purple for color. any onion will do, however.) Garlic Joe's long hot or jalapeno or just any old hot pepper Lime Black beans Olive oil |
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Procedure: Boil corn until it reaches desired 'cookedness'. Remove from water. Allow corn to cool. Then remove corn kernels from cobb with knife, placing the cobb vertical and cutting from the butt of the cobb to the pointy end of the cobb, the pointy end resting on the cutting board or bottom of bowl. Rinse black beans in collander. Then add black beans to corn in bowl big enough for ease of mixing. Saute chopped onions, garlic, and peppers on low heat 'til translucent. Add to corn and beans. Add finely diced hot peppers, lime, salt, pepper, and a little more fresh garlic...all to taste. Serve cold. In our version, the lime is typically the star of the show, meaning it's the most prominent flavor but without being overwhelming or too much 'out front'. This corn salad idea comes to us from my girlfriend Kara. |
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