Vanilla Sea Salt Heirloom Tomatoes & A New Blogger

Hi!

For those of you who read this blog or Everything Coastal you probably already know my mom. You’ve probably read all about her adventures in San Francisco. In fact, you’ve probably even seen a few pictures of me show up on the Everything Costal blog…like here or here. But, we haven’t formally met.

Hanging out at the beach in California last summer

I’m Allison and it’s nice to meet you. I live in Seattle, work in marketing in the food and beverage industry, love cooking, and love having adventures. The places you will most often find me are the kitchen and the grocery store- if Whole Foods had apartments, I would definitely be a tenant. Starting this month, I will be a regular contributor to this blog and Everything Coastal Style.

See?! Are you drooling already? I am!

I have a confession to make: I am a total sucker for a beautiful tomato. Growing up, you couldn’t even pay me to eat one.

Then, last summer, I was introduced to my new go to side dish, vanilla sea salt tomatoes. One of my mom's visit to Seattle a few summers ago, we decided to try out this fantastic spot.
If you live within a few hours of Seattle and haven’t been, GO! Seriously, get in your car as soon as you finish reading this post….And pick me up on the way! If you love oysters, champagne, artisan cheeses, or really great chandeliers you MUST go. The long wait will be well worth your time.

For weeks after we ate at The Walrus & Carpenter, I couldn’t stop telling people about the vanilla salted tomatoes. I started to obsess over how I could recreate them at home. Several failed attempts with a variety of salts, vanilla extract, vanilla bean pods, and olive oil followed. Then, purely by coincidence, I happened across the magic ingredient in one my favorite grocery stores, Paris Grocery. Vanilla sea salt!! Who knew such a thing existed?! More playing in the kitchen ensued, and my own version of the dish I can’t stop talking about was born. With summer and heirloom tomato season approaching, I can’t wait to make this over and over to share at dinner parties and barbecues.

Nothing says SUMMER like a big bite of this dish

Vanilla Sea Salt tomatoes

You will need:

2 large heirloom tomatoes (I like to pick very bright green or yellow ones for some visual interest)

1 ½- 2 tablespooons Vanilla Sea Salt

3 ½ tablespoons extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

Slice tomatoes into semi-thick slices, about a ¼ inch thick. Too thick is better than too thin! Lay out tomato slices in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Personally, I love Pyrex dishes and use them for everything. Don’t worry, you won’t serve in this dish so feel free to use whatever will let tomatoes sit but will not let juices run off (a flat plat with no rim or lip won’t work). Sprinkle salt all over tomatoes and then pour oil over top. Gently shift tomatoes around to ensure that all are relatively evenly coated. Cover dish and refrigerate for 2 hours. Refrigeration step can be skipped in a pinch, but letting them rest in fridge for a bit helps flavors develop more fully.

When you are ready to serve, take out of refrigerator and lay out on a pretty plate. If you have refrigerated too long, oil may have hardened. Just let the dish sit out at room temperature to warm up and then serve. Drizzle any oil mixture left behind in the baking dish over top carefully and be prepared to amaze your friends!


Makes 4 generous appetizer-sized portions

Gourmet White Wine Steamed Clams

Mmmm.... 

Impress your friends and family with your "gourmet-like" chef skills when creating these fabulously rich, yummy steamed clams.  So easy, so good, and pretty difficult to mess up. Perfect for a fall dinner party!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
• 2 cups + Good dry white wine, like a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc.  This will make or break this meal - don't skimp! (or if you want to do 1/2 wine and 1/2 water that's okay too, just don't use bad wine)
• 1/2 - 1 large chopped yellow onion 
• 4-5 chopped fresh garlic cloves
• 1 large fresh chopped-diced tomato  (can use canned)
• 1/4-1/2 cup fresh chopped Italian Parsley
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup prepared pasta sauce - a little spicy is better; try Arrabbiata or a really good Marinara with a few red pepper flakes
• Ground Pepper to Taste
• Kosher Salt to Taste
• 2 lbs. fresh scrubbed Manila clams - the smaller the tastier!

Directions:
Melt stick of butter in large stock pot.  Saute the onions and garlic until soft in the butter, then add the tomato.  Continue stirring and sauteing together while adding the parsley and the basil.  Add the pasta sauce, salt, pepper and then the wine. 

Bring to a slow simmer, then gently add in the clams.  Adjust with more wine, pasta sauce or water if clams are not swimming free in the broth!  

Continue simmering with the pot covered.  Cook until the clams are steamed open, should only take 5-10 minutes.  **Throw away any unopened clams**

Serve up in a deep bowl with broiled Parmesan cheese toasties for dipping,  and of course, 

a glass of your favorite white wine!  Don't forget to have a little fun with your table setting.  Go a little nautical with charts and linen,  mix and match dinnerware, or use your special seafood flatware. My driftwood centerpieces are simply "garbage" rope that I found at the beach in Pesadero and a collection of interesting driftwood.  Found the lantern at some hideaway antique store, could not resist it!  

Normally I am a red wine girl, but lately we've been adding a few more choices to our wine cellar.  Here's a quick list for a few of our new local California favorites.

Dry Creek 2010 Chardonnay $30.00

Nottingham Cellars 2010 MLR Chardonnay $28.00  (LOVE)

2011 Arneis from Seghesio  $22.00

Morning Fog Chardonnay from Wente $12.99 (delish bargain!)

Finestra - 2010 Pinot Gris $18.00

Compass Rose Glassware can be found at Caron's Beach House.

So can the fun fish flatware!

Friday Night Dates

Steamed Salmon with Lemon Rice

Friday night dates at home are my favorite!  This week has been pretty tough, Tom is swamped at work (he works for Wells Fargo in their mortgage division), and I am swamped at Caron's. I have been  furiously adding new products from Currey & Co., Arteriors Home, more lamps from Regina Andrew Design, a new line of cute seafood tableware accessories and even a completely brand new pillow line.  On top of of all that, both of us have been so sick with terrible colds.

Not fun, and not very romantic.

By the time Friday night rolled around it was more than time for cocktails and a salmon gourmet feast.  I have had this recipe for "Salmon Cooked in Parchment", pinned up on my office bulletin board for a few weeks just waiting for the right Friday night date.  Carefully torn from the pages of House Beautiful...  

It's pretty easy to do, and extremely scrumptious!  Just follow the steps carefully for the lemon rice, and keep in mind that this meal will easily serve 4 or more people.  I have been a mom for most of my adult life, and I just can't seem to get the hang of cooking for 2 people.  Consequently, we have a lot of left overs!

For the Salmon:

1 lb. whole salmon filet pin bones removed, skin intact (make sure that you have really good salmon!)

1+ T. extra-virgin olive oil

3 generous pinches coarse kosher salt

6 full grinds of a pepper mill

Rosemary Sprigs (this is my addition)

1 sheet parchment paper - brown in not recommended

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2. Lay a sheet parchment on a baking sheet, place the salmon filet skin-side down in the center

3. Thoroughly coat the filet and an inch or so of the surrounding parchment with the olive oil, creating a slick and glossy surface.

4. Evenly season the filet with salt and pepper and optional rosemary

5. Form an envelope with the salmon tucked inside the parchment by bringing together the edges and forming a tight crease, and tucking the folded ends of the paper neatly under the fish.   Your salmon will steam quite nicely!

6. Place the salmon in the middle rack of the preheated oven and cook for exactly 10 minutes.  Remove and check the salmon's color by peeking carefully inside the parchment without fully opening it.  It should be pale pink and opaque at the edges with a broad swath of still pink-orange flesh down the center.

7. Return to the oven for about 5 more minutes or until the translucent swath has narrowed to a 1/2 inch stripe.   Be careful to not over cook it!

8. Remove the salmon from the oven, and release the steam to prevent further cooking.

9. Voila'!

For the Creamy Lemon Rice:

2 cups chicken broth

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/2 frozen peas

1 bunch of green onions sliced to 1/2 cup

2 - 2/12 cups cooked rice

salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring the chicken broth to a simmer on the stove top in a stainless steel pot and keep it simmering as you  prepare the other ingredients. It will slightly reduce.

2. In a glass bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the lemon juice until well blended.

3. Add a ladle scoop of hot stock to the egg-lemon mixture and whisk thoroughly.

4. While whisking, slowly add the hot egg-lemon mixture into the simmering chicken broth.  Stir or whisk over medium high heat while the liquid thickens and changes color to pale yellow.  Add the peas and green onions.  

5. Stir gently until peas are warmed through then add the cooked rice.  Stir thoroughly, then turn off the heat and let rest, covered for a minute of two.

Serve with your salmon!

Don't forget a good bottle of wine - we had Wente last night..... so good!

(originally published on Everything Coastal, March 2012)