Terra Americana

Ffwd: moules marinière

One summer I rambled. It was a luxury and on the busiest and harshest of winter days I look back and remind myself of that day in Antibes, afternoon in St Tropez and or evening in Cannes. Always warm and always under the blue sky with a gentle breeze to air condition my skin. My favorite place to ramble was on the docks. Not the fancy all white gargantuan yacht people's docks but the docks of the real people, the ones full of a rainbow of colors shapes and sizes.

These were the places I found one of my favorite comfort foods; Moules marinière - Fisherman's mussels. It is as simple as that. Just off the boat and quickly cooking in a pot full of onions and a savory stock. Often served with pommes frites, it is still just minutes and your belly is full and palate is pleased. Thank you Dorie for bringing this bit of Provincial sunshine out on a dreary, drizzly New England night.

Here is my most recent translation:

1 tbsp Fines Herbs
1 tbsp butter or Earth Balance (soy butter)
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 cup white wine (from whatever bottle that was not good enough to finish)
1/2 cup stock, chicken, fish or vegetable
1/2 tbsp Midwestern Garden Radish
2-3 lb mussels (I love the variety from PEI)

In your rice cooker, saute onion and herbs in butter and 1/3 of the wine by placing them in the bowl and setting it to steam. Add the remaining wine, mussels and Midwestern Garden Radish. Set to steam again, tossing every couple minutes so that the favor seeps into all the shells.

The mussels are done when the shells are open. Disgard any of the little buggers resistant to your coaxing. Serve with fresh bread or french fries.

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan ’s Around My French Table.

If you like this, try;

Photo Credit: Julie Cecchini

Posted in Fabulous Fish, Fantastic Finger Food, French Fridays, Holidays | Permalink | Comments (9)

Ffwd: Baked apples with cranberries, raisins and walnuts

This is another deliciously simple recipe from Dorie. My mother has started making the recipes out of this book. She is enamored with the "a little of this and a little of that" style, as am I.

The caramel-like quality of the filling is rich and satisfying. The sweet creamy baked apple crust makes it light and refreshing. I can't wait to try this particular tome with different types of nuts and dried fruit, perhaps some agave nectar and maybe even pears. I don't believe it will ever get old. You might come for brunch one day and enjoy it with filled with figs and filberts, topped with fresh yogurt. Next Christmas eve it could make an appearance full of dates, almonds and apricots, garnished with creme fraiche and a side of shortbread. The options are endless.

2 Cortland apples
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1/8 cup Local Honey
1 tbsp Russian Mulling Spice
1/8 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 lemon
4 tsp butter or Earth Balance (soy butter)

Preheat oven to 350f. Peel apples 1/2 way down. Core apples. Mix nuts, raisins and apples with honey and spice. Rub peeled parts of the apple with lemon. Fill apples with fruit and nut mixture. Place apples and peels in a baking dish. Pour juices in the dish. Top each apple with tsp butter. Place the remaining tsp butter in the juice.

Bake for 50 to 70 minutes, basting the apples every 15 minutes with the pan juices. Apples are finished when they are cooked to your liking. Serve hot or at room temperature. Eat as is or topped with ice-cream, yogurt or cream.

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan ’s Around My French Table.