Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Craig LeBan Visits Mt Airy

Avenida gets reviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer here.

They encourage you to Meat Mt Airy.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Garlic Scape Pasta with Seared Sea Bass

Garlic scapes are one of those foodie items - we love them and no one else has even  heard of them. These tops of the garlic bulbs need to be cut by the farmer to improve the size of their garlic, and are oftentimes thrown in the compose bin. Ah, but when they arrive for that short period of time they are available at the farmers market by those who know they can make a few bucks from people like me, you just have to try them. They are perfect raw or simply stir fried. They need to be fresh and younger - the older, larger ones are a bit too woody.


Add some fresh sea bass from Groben's . . .


I then made some whole wheat penne, and quickly sauted the scapes with fresh tomato. I seared the sea bass and served with fresh, local, organic goat cheese feta.


Meet Garlic Scape Pasta with Seared Sea Bass. Meat Mt Airy.

iMake: Roasted Pheasant with Fennel and Wild Rice


iMake: Crispy-Skinned Wild Salmon with Three Bean Salad


Minty Pea and Fried Seafood Risotto

Whenever Groben's has skate wing available, I have to buy it - regardless of what my plans were. Yet, that is the beauty of buying fresh. You cannot always plan everything out. Wait, the squid looks great too? Give me some of that!


For the uninitiated, skate wing it quick to go bad, so use it ultra fresh. It has a sweet taste and soft texture like a scallop, and can even be used as as somewhat cheaper alternative in lobster recipes. If you can find it, buy it. Above is the skate wing (ask your monger to remove the cartilage from the center) and cleaned squid, cut into peices (again, ask your monger to clean the squid and remove the beaks). These were simply breaded in a seasoned, homemade breadcrumb, then quickly fried in oil. Do not overcook.

I then made a mint-pea pesto, with frozen peas, fresh mint, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a few pecans. Whir together.


I cooked the arborio rice, adding most of the liquid as chicken stock. For the last bit of liquid, I added the pesto, then topped with the seafood and some parmesan cheese.


Meet my Minty Pea and Fried Seafood Risotto. You'll want to eat skate everyday of your life. Meat Mt Airy.