Seated App

Month: August 2015

The Skinny Wedge

Posted on by Admin General

If you follow my pinterest board, Krazy for Kale, or if you’ve seen the many Instagram photos of my Hamptons Gardens then you know I’m a bit of a designer salad fan. I fall for everything green from the speckled, delicate baby lettuces to Asian greens, like kokabu and tatsoi.  It’s the contrasts and textures I love most. In Southampton, Sant Ambroeuse’s Insalata di Carciofi (thinly sliced raw artichokes with arugula salad and sliced Parmesan) is the salad I crave throughout the summer, but on really hot days, when even the beach offers no relief, all I can think about is an Iceberg Wedge.

Unlike the Caesar or the Waldorf salad, the wedge is an orphan – no restaurant claims to have created it.  Back in the 1960s when no one had ever heard of arugula or radicchio, let alone kale, it was the ultimate salad for elaborate dinner parties and upscale restaurants.  The always satisfying, iconic wedge salad is crisp, refreshing and serves as the perfect foundation for the melding of delicious flavors from smoky bacon and savory blue cheese to sweet tomatoes and herb infused bread crumbs.

While it has never been touted for its nutritional value Iceberg lettuce is composed of even more water than other types of lettuce – perhaps, that’s why it is one of my late August go-to “greens.”  My European friends would argue that it is not a green at all and often refer to Iceberg as “fast-food lettuce” or the “lazy salad,” but even they look forward to it when I serve The Skinny Wedge with Yogurt and Roquefort Dressing featured in Hamptons Entertaining. I’m glad the wedge is making a comeback and I absolutely love this recipe, one my friend Marie Samuels serves often and shared with me for my book.  Her tabletop was just as creative and artistic as her menu that day. 

I’ve been known to swap the bacon out for fried shallots or homemade herb infused croutons cut into fine little cubes. Whatever you choose to top off this delicious salad the satisfying crunch and show-stopping presentation will surely be a hit!

The Skinny Wedge with Yogurt and Roquefort Dressing

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Watermelon Lemonade

Posted on by Admin General

Over the winter, on an especially hot and steamy Florida morning, I visited one of my favorite farmer’s markets in Fort Lauderdale in search of the perfect watermelon; big, ripe and juicy.  My daughter’s lacrosse practice had ended early, it was just too hot to be on the field, and the thought of refreshing watermelon was enough to entice her to join me.  The plan was to spend the day indoors, where it was much cooler, testing no-cook recipes for my book, Hamptons Entertaining.

The air was thick with the fragrance of ripe fruit and tart lemons and luscious strawberries were piled high. Inspired, we decided it would be great fun to make lemonade – the perfect refreshment for a party she would be hosting the next day.  As we gathered our ingredients I shared memories of picking watermelons with my father.  It was a time of dreamy innocence, when his stories evoked images of plump cherubs feasting on hunks of juicy watermelon as they lounged on puffy pink-stained clouds. 

Soon we found two large, round melons, no flat sides or blemishes and superbly ripe with the promise of sweetness.  Under the weight of our bounty, we staggered out of the market, giggling and bumping into one another with our prize picks. The moment we bit into the first chuck of fleshy melon we knew we had chosen well.

At the party, the watermelon lemonade went fast!  As guests enjoyed themselves, I took my first sip.  It was so wonderful; this divinely plump, refreshing fruit grounded me in the present moment – A most delicious place where memories are made. 

Yield: Makes 25 to 30 servings 

What the Angels Eat

Posted on by Admin General

As the great American author Mark Twain once said, “When one has tasted watermelon he knows what the angels eat.”  Amen!   It is the height of summer, and there is nothing more refreshing than watermelon. This time of year no one tires of eating great big luscious slabs of this juicy fruit, certainly the best way to enjoy it, but one does begin to imagine iterations – soups, salads, desserts and of course, cocktails.  Some even preserve the rinds in an attempt to prolong the melon’s heavenly sweetness beyond summer.

As a child, my first memories of picking watermelons go back to my dapper father.  He was the procurer of all the wonderful and deliciously healthful things that entered our home.  Finding the sweetest melon in the heap was an art.  He tapped his pick carefully, listening for the hollow thump to confirm what he knew – It was ripe and ready to be enjoyed.  His pick had no flat sides or blemishes, but a yellow spot, where the watermelon matured on the ground, was quite alright. Insisting on carrying the melon, that often weighed more than me, I would stagger under its weight wearing a grin so wide my cheeks hurt.  

My father would tell me that watermelons were made up almost entirely of water and that was the reason they were so satisfying on a hot summer day, and that they had no fat but were packed with potassium and vitamins.  I barely heard any of this, except when he said these were the reasons I could eat as much as I like so long as I spit the pits out – we wouldn’t want any melons rooting in my tummy after all.  I was dizzy with the thought of holding and devouring that first juicy slice – the one that looked like a big watermelon smile.

Today, I delight in watching my own daughters enjoy this divine treat.  There is nothing more joyful than seeing the childlike amusement on their faces as they take that first bite of summer sweetness.  I’ll share some of our favorite watermelon recipes in future posts, but for now, enjoying this fruit out of hand is most heavenly.