Use Your Booty: Grilled Sausage Sub Platter

Yesterday I asked Dave what he wanted for dinner and he sheepishly asked for sausage and pepper subs. I'm not a huge fan of this type of sandwich (and he knows it): the roll is always too big and fluffy, overshadowing the filling; the filling needs to be inserted perfectly, otherwise everything slithers out the back end when you take a bite; and frankly, I like to eat with a knife and fork most of the time.

So this was a great compromise: we took the traditional insides threw them all on the grill and served it all on a platter with fresh tomatoes, olive focaccia and some spicy kale (not in the picture) on the side.

I made garlic oil and brushed it on the peppers, onions and eggplant prior to grilling. I'll admit the eggplant is not traditional, but I love grilled eggplant and it stretched the sausage so we had enough left over for another meal. The peppers and kale came from my CSA and the eggplant from the farmstand down the road. The tomatoes were a gift from the lovely ladies at The Herb Farmacy (a fellow farmer's market vendor).

A note about the sausage: This sausage was INCREDIBLE. I got it from Tim Rocha at Kellie Brook Farm. His booth is two over from mine at the farmers' market, so I was able to do some shopping in between customers. I bought a pound each of his hot Italian and chorizo sausages. Last night we grilled the hot Italian sausage. It was everything you want sausage to be: fatty enough so it didn't try out on the grill (even though we had a fiery flareup or two), good seasoning (not too salty, just enough heat), and deep porky flavor. Seriously, we sat at the table, chewing the meat and saying over and over how good it was.

Tim raises Berkshire hogs and the flavor is just great: rich and porky with just enough fat (although it is a leaner breed than some other heritage breeds). In addition to Newburyport, MA, Tim also sells his meat (pork, chicken, veal) at markets in Portsmouth, Exeter and Hampton, NH.

This Summer, I am chronicling my first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) experience. My CSA share is from Arrowhead Farm, a farm based in Newburyport, MA. Each week, I am posting about what was in my share and what I'm doing with it. By way of full disclosure, I won my share through a raffle and am not paying for it. However, Arrowhead did not know I was entered in the raffle, and I received no special consideration because of this blog. I paid for my livestock share. A full set of all the photos I've taken of this share is here.

Ladies and Gentlemen, May I Introduce: Purslane!

When I stopped by to make my CSA pickup on Friday, I got an added treat: Purslane! Purslane has always been eaten in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries and has recently become a greenmarket darling. The nice thing for you and me is that purslane is also a weed. If your farmer doesn't spray his crops, ask if you can pick some purslane - as it's seen as a weed, he'll likely be thrilled to have you do it. Heck, if you have a yard, you've probably got some growing around the margins - purslane likes slightly bare, sandy soil.

When you get your purslane home store it, wrapped in a dishtowel, in a plastic bag. Before eating it, wash it well. Purslane grows really close to the ground so it can be super-sandy. If the stems are thin and not too fibrous (they should snap easily - like a fresh green bean) you can use them. If the stems are tough or stringy, strip the leaves from the stems and just use them.

I like using purslane fresh in salads like this one here. It's a succulent leaf that holds up well to citrusy dressing and chunky partners like this summer squash. I chopped my bunch of purslane into 1/2" lengths and tossed it with sliced summer squash, chopped jalapeno and a lemon dressing.

In addition to using it fresh, you can quickly sauté the stems and leaves with garlic and chili. I have also pickled purslane stems and they're a great addition to a sandwich (use a dilly bean recipe).

This Summer, I am chronicling my first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) experience. My CSA share is from Arrowhead Farm, a farm based in Newburyport, MA. Each week, I am posting about what was in my share and what I'm doing with it. By way of full disclosure, I won my share through a raffle and am not paying for it. However, Arrowhead did not know I was entered in the raffle, and I received no special consideration because of this blog. I paid for my livestock share. A full set of all the photos I've taken of this share is here.

Ladies and Gentlemen, May I Introduce: Tetragonia!

Tetragonia, or New Zealand spinach, is a green that you may find at the famers' market this summer. It's gotten very popular with farmers and shoppers because it doesn't bolt (go to seed and turn bitter) like spinach when the temperature rises.

Tetragonia is not a member of the spinach family, but it tastes a lot like it. The leaves are slightly succulent - not quite as juicy as your Mom's jade plant, but still. As a result, when you buying it, you should make sure the leaves are bouncy/crispy without a hint of wilty softness.

To prepare it for cooking, strip the leaves from the stems and wash them well. Sauté like spinach; I like mine with lots of garlic and a splash of lemon or vinegar. Not that Tetragonia has quite a bit of oxalic acid in it (like spinach and chard do), so your teeth may get that sandy feeling after eating it. It's also why I don't like eating tetragonia raw: I find the oxalic acid sandiness is diminished when the vegetable is cooked. Also, because oxalic acid isn't super-great for your liver in general, don't go eating this stuff at every meal.

Ingredient Spotlight: Ume Vinegar

I was exploring a new supermarket this week and spotted a new ingredient to try. I love vinegars and, aside from super-old balsamico from Modena, they are generally a very economical and fast way to add different flavors to foods.

Ume vinegar is made from the brine left over when plums (ume in Japanese) are pickled into umeboshi (pickled plums). As a result, it has a great deep fruity flavor. It's also hella salty (think pickle brine) so you should use it sparingly (Ask poor Beppo about the tablespoon he shot down last night. Well, ask him after he stops coughing, which should be any time now.).

So far, I have used it on a cole slaw (I diluted it with a little rice vinegar to keep things acidic enough without the salad getting super salty) and sprinkled it over some rice (for a sushi rice vibe). I have read that it's good for salad dressings, but I think you'd want to dilute it with more red wine vinegar (again, it's very salty). I think it would be fabulous on a potato salad (no mayonnaise, but with sesame, basil and mint maybe?).

Look for ume vinegar in the Asian foods section of your supermarket, health food stores or Asian markets. My 10 ounce bottle cost about four dollars.

Product Alert: Grapeseed Oil

A lot of people use canola oil as their standard oil. For me, canola oil is a bad choice. I find that it's pretty hard to clean up - it tends to form a slick on my pots that's hard to get off. Also, and much more damning, is that it can smell and taste fishy. I have had a few dishes turn out pretty badly as a result of this off taste.

I have read about grapeseed oil for years, but have never been able to find it. Grapeseed oil is pressed from, you guessed it, grapeseeds.

Recently, I noticed that Costco and my supermarket are carrying it. It's pricier than canola or vegetable oil at $5.00 a liter, but there are a number of reasons you should consider adding it to your pantry:

• It's pretty much flavorless so it is a great addition to baked goods or dressings where the oil's flavor should be in the background.
• It has a very high smoke point so you can use it for deep frying or sauteing with no worries.
• Grapeseed oil is a great emulsifier and may not separate as easily when making mayonnaise or dressings.
• Because of its neutral flavor, it's easily used as a carrier for flavors in making infused oils.

I've added this oil to my pantry as a standard item. This means I keep five types of oil in my cabinet: virgin olive oil (for sauteing), extra virgin olive oils (several, for salad dressings and drizzling on dishes), tree nuts oils (like almond, hazelnut or walnut - for dressings and drizzling - these get kept in the fridge), peanut oil (for stir fries - although grapeseed could take this one's place), and grapeseed oil (for all the reasons listed above).

Product Alert: Magic Microwaveable Brown Rice

Ok Mom, I feel you cringing from here. :-)

But, when you're coming home late and want some nice healthy brown rice to put under your stirfry (and fast!) this is a great option.

Trader Joe's Microwaveable, fully-cooked brown rice. Not cheap (if you have time to cook your own from scratch), but very reasonable at under $2.00 with enough for two good sized portions.

Heats up nice and fluffy - no gummy or broken grains.