Jasper White garnered his acclaim during his years at his eponymous, white-tablecloth restaurant in the North End. Imagine everyone’s surprise when he shuttered the doors to work at the chain Legal’s Seafood, and then a clam shack!
The original Summer Shack is located at Alewife…a sprawling restaurant that, unfortunately, does not resemble a shack. Nor does it feel like summer with little natural light flowing in from the small windows. But what it lacks in décor, it makes up for in the food experience. Food is indeed love here.
One of the first things I notice when I walk in is the guy standing in the walk-in cooler (with a window so I can see him and he can see me) shucking clams. These clams don’t come from a gallon tub whose provenience is unknown; they come from fresh clams. In the open kitchen, a cook is cutting corn kernels off the cob for the fritters. As a person who opts to make fresh pasta for an idle Tuesday dinner because it’s not that time-consuming, I appreciate these extra touches for the sake of quality. The fried clams burst with sweet-brine, slightly chewy but mostly tender. The bellies, which can be a turn-off for the novice clam-eater, are subtle if even discernible.
But what keeps me coming back time after time is the Vegetable Platter: a mélange of faux virtue that allows me to order the clams and feel that I’m actually eating healthy. I’ve studied enough nutrition to know that a salad has little nutritional value and lots of fat since we make it taste good with dressing. Vegetables, on the other hand, are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber. And that Jasper makes them taste good…
Brown Rice, Seared mushrooms and Corn on the Cob regularly star on the plate. The rice is firm and chewy with a richness that only butter can offer. The mushrooms are seared so hard that they are crispy and caramelized brown with a nuance of roasted garlic. The corn, despite the season, manages to be crisp and sweet. To color the plate, other vegetables appear depending on the season. In the winter, broccoli raab is sautéed with garlic and chilies and glisten of olive oil, in the summer, squash is bathed in fresh tomatoes, in spring it’s asparagus roasted with parmesan. And in fall butternut squash with a hint of sage and honey. Though, you can never be sure what you’ll get since the kitchen takes advantage of what’s at peak seasonally. No matter what’s on the plate, each vegetable has its own treatment that showcases its particular virtue. And the abundance and variety make it the perfect dish to share with the table.
I trotted over to the Department of Public Works this week to pick up my own composter. Basically it’s a black plastic bin (made from recyclable plastic, of course) with air holes and no bottom. The manufacturers claim that it is rodent safe and, if I compost correctly, will not emit any “off” odors. I set it up on a level plot of soil conveniently tucked in a corner, ironically right next to the A/C compressor. Perhaps this will off-set the pinky-toe of the carbon foot-print I leave from the summertime A/C usage? Probably not…
Do you remember the days when hotel dining was considered second-class fare? The menus were dumbed down to the lowest common denominator, often leaving the more sophisticated diner unimpressed. Oh, how things have changed! At least in Boston… The hotels have become destinations for the locals as well as the tourists by offering exceptional food and service: Clio, Rialto, KO Prime, Eastern Standard, just to name a few.
The Liberty Hotel opened with great fan-fare last year. An old jail left vacant for years transformed into a tourist attraction with the same developer as the Charles Hotel in Cambridge (and home to world-renowned Rialto). The first restaurant, Clink, opened inside the lobby to mediocre reviews. Now Lydia Shire has moved in, and Scampo is bustling with hipsters, tourist and regular folk like me.
My memories of Lydia Shire’s food center around one of the last meals I had at Biba…. Five of us shared 2 appetizers to start. They were so rich and intense, that I was full after just that little bit. And I’m not one to get full easily. But I also attribute much of my culinary acumen to my time spent working in Lydia’s kitchen at Biba. So when we sat down and were handed menus, I expected the “old” Lydia: rich, decadent and eclectic.
Not here. It’s a fun menu of pizza, pastas and mozzarella. Yes, mozzarella. Just as a menu would have a section for pasta, pizza, soup or salad, this menu has a section for hand-pulled mozzarella in a variety of flavors and presentations. A few entrees round out the menu for those craving a little more.
We started with a fried artichoke and arugula salad with chick peas. A satisfying appetizer with pan-fried baby artichokes that are crunchy from a quick sear. The arugula is lightly dressed with slivers of prosciutto. The chick pea puree is garlicky and olive oil-y (??) – its strong flavor pulls out the arugula and balances nicely with the artichokes.
The pizzas offerings are a combination of traditional tomato sauce, and a more refined white pizza. The broccoli raab and shrimp pizza crust was brushed with garlic and shallot infused oil. The crust was a little soggy in the middle from all the juicy toppings. But better juicy shrimp and soggy crust than dry shrimp and crispy crust. I accept the trade-off.
Pasta carbonara is my weakness. I mean, how can you go wrong with bacon (or pancetta) and cheese? And with a few peas thrown in, I feel almost virtuous for eating my vegetables. Scampo’s carbonara does not disappoint. The pasta is firm and chewy, the sauce is creamy and cheesey and the pancetta is crispy and salty. Oh yes, and the peas were good, too.
If I had to guess a recipe for the pizza, it would go something like this:
Broccoli Raab and Shrimp Pizza
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup sliced garlic ¼ cup sliced shallots Pizza dough (see recipe below) 2 cups broccoli raab, washed and coarsely chopped ¼ teaspoon chili flakes 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 2 scallions, cut into rounds ½ cup ricotta salata grated ¼ cup parmesan, grated ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined.
1. Preheat oven to 500F
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add shallots and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until garlic is soft and shallots are translucent. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of oil, and set aside the garlic shallot mix.
3. In pan with remaining olive oil, return to high heat. Add chili flakes and cook until they start to sizzle. Add broccoli raab and cook until bright green. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice and set aside.
4. Using the same pan if you’d like, return to high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon of garlic/shallot/olive oil. Cook shrimp for 2 minutes, or just until pink. It’s okay if they’re a little underdone.
5. Roll out pizza dough as thin and round as possible. You should have enough toppings for 2-3 10” pies. Put on a baking sheet and brush with a little olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes, or until crispy and lightly brown.
6. Top pizzas first with shallots and garlic, then scallions, then cheeses, then broccoli raab and finally the shrimp on top. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the piping hot. The cheese will not melt.
Dough 2 cups water 2/3 oz. fresh yeast 1 # bread flour 10 oz. semolina 2 tbs. olive oil 1 tbs. salt
1. Heat water to 105F. Dissolve yeast in water. Combine flour, salt and semolina.
2. Using a dough hook, combine flours, water and olive oil. Knead for 10 minutes. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let rise in warm place until doubled. Punch down and form.
The Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay converge in Southern Maryland’s St. Mary’s County, and is home to Even’ Star Organic Farm. Brett Grohsgal, a former chef and former boss of yours truly, owns the farm with his wife Christine. In the summer on this fertile 100-acre parcel, they raise 25 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, as well as chilies (including my favorite – peachy-mamas), cucumbers, four varieties of watermelon and okra. They sell their produce at farmer’s markets in DC and Virginia, and to restaurants in the DC metro area. I treasure my visits to the farm because of the nonpareil produce and meats. The cooking is simpler because we cook mainly with farm products and other local produce.
Now that I’ve left Sebastians, I finally have time to visit the farm, and reconnect with (of course, Brett, Chris and Allesandra, but also) where our food comes from. I’ve been visiting the farm for as long as they’ve lived here – over 10 years – but it seems I am always learning and discovering something new.
The farm is “working” three seasons – harvesting the last of the winter crops, coaxing the spring crops and getting the summer crops in the ground. In terms of salable produce, the winter crops trickled down – mostly lettuces and braising green. The spring crops have not yet reached peak – the strawberries are only yielding a pint or two a day. Instead of gleaning the crops for maximum yield, Brett and his crew are working feverishly to get the summer crops in the ground.
Timing the planting of the summer crops is crucial. Last year, the farm experienced the worst drought on record, with less than 1” of rain from April 15 to October 1st. The effects were severe at best, but would have been tolerable if the crops had been in the ground long enough to establish their root systems. This year, Brett’s not taking any chances.
With a soaking rain forecast for Sunday, the mad dash begins to prepare the land. The clover that grew through the winter – 3 feet tall with red flowers — will now be turned into the soil nourishing it with nitrogen and other critical compounds. When the rain stops, the soil will be tilled and is now ready for planting the next day. First crop in: Sweet Potatoes.
The other trick in timing is the temperature. In Southern Maryland, the last frost can be relatively early, in March or April. And every year, Brett experiments with getting a crop of tomatoes in the ground by mid-April so that he can be the first to market with ripe, field tomatoes in June. This week, the temperature may drop to 38F at night, which is cutting it close: the tomatoes seedling were just transplanted 5 days ago – but should still be fine for the tomatoes. A second round of seedlings in the green-house will put Brett at the market at the same time as other farmers… and these are his fail-safe.
End of the Season Cannellonis
With a twinkle of summer on the horizon, I’m less abashed using up my canned tomatoes from last summer.
12 Pasta Sheets cut into 4” squares 3 tablespoon olive oil 2 cups homemade ricotta ¼ cup parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons sliced garlic 1 pound braising greens 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon chopped shallots ¼ cup white wine 2 cups home-canned (preferably smoked) tomatoes Salt, pepper and lemon juice, to taste Cream and extra parmesan if desired.
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta sheets for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain well. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add sliced garlic. When the garlic starts to brown, add the green. Cook, stirring often, until the greens have wilted but are still bright green. Remove from pan to cool. Coarsely chop.
3. Make the filling by combining the ricotta, parmesan and braised greens. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
4. In a sauce pot – melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine, and cook until evaporated. Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice (and a touch of cream if desired).
5. Roll pasta sheets with about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling. Put sauce in the bottom of a 9” x 13” pyrex dish. Place rolled cannellonis top. Drizzle cream and/or parmesan on top if desired Bake for 30 minutes at 350, or until bubbly delicious looking.
Pasta dough: 1 lb. semolina flour, plus extra for dusting 4-5 large eggs as needed 1 tbs. olive oil 1 tsp. salt
1. Make a well in the flour, and add 4 of the eggs, olive oil and the salt.
2. Beat the eggs with a fork, gradually bringing in the flour from the sides of the well, until the paste has thickened enough so the liquid will not run onto the counter. Switch from a fork to a pastry cutter. Bring all the flour into the already wet part and cut through the dough several times until it is evenly moistened. Start kneading with your hands until the dough forms a ball and looks homogenized, about 8 minutes.
3. If the dough becomes stiff, and refuses to bend, rub in a little of the remaining egg. If the dough becomes too moist, add a bit of the flour.
Work the dough by machine: 4. Divide the dough into 3 balls, and let rest under a damp towel for 20 minutes. Start working the dough through the pasta machine starting with the widest setting. After running it through the machine, fold it into thirds, and run it through again. When the dough is smooth, run the dough through the machine through successively smaller settings. The dough will stretch out, and be rolled very thin.
5. When you have achieved thin sheets, you can let the dough rest for a few minutes before filling or cutting
Ricotta 1 quart whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 4 lemons, juiced 1/2 teaspoon salt
In a non-reactive 2 quart saucepan heat milk and cream to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Add juice and salt, stir well and let sit for 20 minutes. Line a conical sieve with cheesecloth or coffee filters and pour through, allowing the whey to drain out. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
Many farmers as well as home gardeners compost. This process converts food scraps and organic “matter” (leaves, weeds, etc) into soil. Oxygen, worms and heat decompose all this from recognizable things to soil in a matter months. The soil is rich in nutrients and fortifies a garden depleted by growing plants. Ah, what a cycle – We take what the earth gives us, return it back when we’re done and then we get back. Now, more than ever, we think about reducing our carbon footprint, and what better way than to compost. Instead of filling land-fills with our trash (and which rots and creates methane gas), we convert it to nutritious soil so that we can continue growing without artificial garden enhancers. And as an added bonus, it’s cheaper to compost ($95/ton) than hauling trash ($97/ton).
Cambridge has just launched a pilot composting program. While it’s not as evolved as San Francisco, it’s definitely a start. I picked up my composting bin at the DPW, which thankfully is just 1 block from my house. Unlike San Francisco, where the compost is picked up with the trash and recycling, I must drop off my composting at the DPW during open hours.
When I returned home, I promptly filled up the green 2-gallon bin with left-overs in my fridge that had been, em, er… aging. This is going to be a challenge. Less than an hour into the program, I’m already back at the DPW to unload. The obvious downside of this program is that I don’t want to run over to the drop-off center once a day.
I can also get a composting bin from the city. It's not particularly attractive and, unlike the bins available at Urban Gardener, the city-subsidized bins require heavy mixing. It’s a pretty basic contraption. The compost goes in the top, and drawers pull out of the bottom to get at the good soil. On the plus side, it's 1/3 the price of the "Tumbler" and require much less space. Two neighbors have used these… one still composts afer several seasons… the other gave up.
Given how quickly I accumulate compostables, I think I will try my own bin. Stay tuned…
We all have favorite restaurants: the good ole’ standbys for every occasion that we frequent as often as our wallets allow. But then, there are the favorite dishes. Those are the dishes that we’ll go to a restaurant just for that dish. The rest of the menu is good, but it’s the one dish that keeps us coming back. And tempt us away from trying anything new.
In no particular order, here’s my list of 10 favorite dishes in Boston: No. 1: The Burger at the Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons. Hands-down, this is the best burger in Boston. How do I love thee, let me count the ways:
1. The burger is always cooked perfectly….. Too often, with a lesser burger, I order medium rare and it comes out well done. At most places, I hedge my bets on how accurate the chef is… if I order rare will it come out raw or well done? At the Bristol Lounge it always comes out perfect. And it’s never overly charred. That “flame-broiled” business is a hoax. The gas grills of most restaurant kitchens give an off-flavor to the meat
2. …and seasoned perfectly. For those of you who have partaken of my salt experiments, you know that food seasoned before cooking tastes “better seasoned” than that which has been seasoned at the table. And this burger is always seasoned in the kitchen
3. The Fries are thin, crispy and salty! And if you ask, they will even substitute the truffle parmesan fries which bring the burger to a whole new level of euphoria.
4. The mustard is so good that I end up dipping my fries in that instead of ketchup which is my usual condiment. And often I use mayonnaise as well, and as would be expected, theirs’ is homemade, light, creamy and sparkling with a hint of lemon.
To be sure, it’s an expensive burger. At $20, you could get 4 burgers at Bartley’s and still come out ahead. But how else can you get the service and refinement of the Four Seasons, and still walk away with a full wallet.
